1989 Miami Dolphins Prelude To Glory

as the 1989 season dawned the Dolphins were a team with as many questions as answers critics dismissed dolphins hopes as just so much flag waving and blue skies but oh what a difference a year makes Moreno drops the furrow straight back he's going deep across the near side for the 89 dolphins were made of something greater than the sum of their parts [Applause] Logan will grab it at the four straight out of the five the 2025 thirty [Applause] [Music] 22:10 five had a touchdown great grabs and dynamic dashes were de rigueur but only a subplot in the Dolphins tail the real story in South Florida is one of a team's coming of age with a bevy of bruising young defenders in hardcore hitters young players like Lewis Oliver Pro Bowl tight end Farrell Edmonds and rookie running back Sammy Smith the 89 dolphins lacked neither courage nor pride guts nor grace as their season was nothing less than a prelude to glory you in the season opener against divisional rival Buffalo Miami came out and played with more enthusiasm than a kid at the surface the good time soon spread to the offense where Dan Marino played Ringmaster's late in the fourth quarter the Dolphins seemed all but assured of an opening-day win this is the last play Dolphins late 24 to 20 there won't be there's the snap he's gonna run with a foot for the school [Applause] [Music] it was also the tenth loss in a row against AFC East opponents but if Miami's maestro on offense seemed to be searching for answers he found them in short order [Music] Marino's third touchdown pass of the day Caden 200 TV's faster than any quarterback in history as the Dolphins 124 210 but it was the emergence of number 91 Jeff cross as a first-class pass rusher which may have been the day's best news cross collected three of the Dolphins seven sacks against New England and he didn't stop there [Music] at 6:00 for 270 pounds Kraus has the physique to get physical punishing enemy runners nearly as often as quarterbacks but not white course led the team in quarterback sacks with ten and is the driving beat powering to Miami pound machine the Miami pound machine two NFL quarterbacks it's an all too vivid description of the Dolphins young and improving defense with bright prospects like cross and TJ Turner teamed with old pros like you green berry Krause and number 70 Brian soshe Miami rediscovered how to get to the quarterback despite missing the first six games of the season it didn't take linebacker John Offerdahl any time at all to work out the kinks and rediscover the joy of hitting [Music] Offerdahl finished third on the team and tackles and was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and third as a starter and while his ticket to the Pro Bowl was bought at the expense of opponents whom he made pay he was by no means to dolphins only big hit the trademarks of this young and intimidating defense are high hits and even harder work which is only fitting because this team reflects the image of its founder Joe Ravi on December 1st 1985 Rabi broke ground for the stadium which bears his name critics scoffed at the prospect of building a state-of-the-art facility entirely with private funds but what had never been done before became a tribute to Robbie's vision because Joe Robbie Stadium is among the most modern and beautiful sports arenas in the country [Music] those who knew Joe Robbie knew he never feared being first in 1966 he brought pro football to Miami and by 1972 his club was the first and only to accomplish the unthinkable a perfect season culminating in the first of back-to-back Super Bowl victories I've always said that if you enjoy everything you're doing well ever gonna have to cheer up your hard work and in that sense I'm not working because I enjoy everything about being a professional football I think for some of the luckiest people Joe Robbie died on January 7th of this year for his accomplishments he will be remembered for his spirit he will be missed [Music] regi Robi was selected as the AFC's provo hunter for the second time by pinning opponents deep in their own territory with his accurate right foot these are the hands of a Pro Bowl performer and they belong to Farrell Edmonds the first dolphin tight end to be so honored in his two seasons Edmonds has established himself as a premier tight end with his smart play in soft hands he may well be the prototype for the 90s with the speed to beat defensive back and the guts to burry linebackers the kind of player around whom a game plan could be built but in week 4 against the Oilers Don Shula had to scrap a game plan which was never given a chance for with youth and its promise comes mistakes those mistakes cost Miami a 39 to 7 loss and gave him a lot to think about heading into week five against the Browns sporting a one-in-three record the Dolphins needed a win against playoff bound Cleveland but while Bernie Kosar came back to his old college town it was the Dolphins defense which went to town [Music] Miami's defense manhandled the Browns holding them to a fall tree ten points while intercepting Kosar twice on offense Dan Marino provided the spark with the 35-yard piece of perfection to mark duper yet at the end of regulation the score was tied at 10 and the Dolphins would call on rookie kicker Pete's toy honor to rise to the occasion she all says are you ready at the snap good snap set down and kick this up as time it is the Dolphins what at 13 to 10 upset the rhymes the next week Miami traveled to the jungle where the Bengals hadn't lost in 12 consecutive games that streak would not reach their teams [Music] Dan Marino's first rushing touchdown in two years was the difference as Miami evened its record at three and three with a 20 to 13 win over the defending AFC champions Miami's offensive line has made a difference for eight consecutive years for each of those years the Dolphins allow the fewest sacks in the NFL Harry Galbreath Jeff Dallenbach Roy Foster and rookie Jeff Yulin hake are the very best in a very brutal business they're so good they didn't allow a sack for 19 consecutive games another all-time League mark [Music] it is from behind this immovable object of strength and sweat that the NFL's most irresistible object is launched [Music] dan marina doubtless one of the NFL's all-time greats in 89 he ranked first in the AFC in both completions and passing yardage marino now holds virtually every golfing career passing mark [Music] Marino's numerous League marks stand as testimony to his greatness he goes to throne to pocket deep across the middle [Applause] [Music] but records stand in books while Moreno the man stands in the pocket and no one stands there taller or makes miracles happen with more regularity Moreno in the shotgun everybody coming steps in the pocket he's throwing a deep down for the corner the ends up they go the ball has shifted here see if they go for the Hale berry burrito back to throw he steps up in the pocket he heaves it down in the end zone a bigot will go mortage dip to the air let's caught for a touchdown Oh a miracle worker well maybe but one thing is certain it will be years before anyone resembling Dan Marino appears in the NFL there's no mistaking who Dan Marino's big play receiver is Mark Clayton led the Dolphins in receptions for the third time snaring 64 for over 1,000 yards [Music] [Applause] we know on the staff drops to throw fires the end zone touchdown [Applause] Clayton regularly turned first downs into touchdowns finishing the season with nine good for second in the AFC [Music] while Clayton can usually be spotted from the end zone one has to follow the ball to spot Miami's specialist in versatility [Music] 1989 was perhaps Jim Jensen's greatest year in addition to captaining the special teams this man in motion fought 61 passes six four touchdowns but Jensen is dangerous from any position on the field play fake twin set out the Jets and this is gonna be a flea-flicker white off the end zone or perf and heading into week seven against the Packers Jensen and the Dolphins knew they would have to be just as perfect to win [Applause] the Dolphins did just that [Music] while Dan Marino rolled up over 300 yards passing including two scores [Music] here it is drops the throw he looks right across the middle he's got plate touchdown plate bucket right away Martin Murphy the squad safety but late in the fourth quarter the score was tied as the Dolphins set their sights on a win if he makes in the Dolphins win waiting it is set down a kick goes up let's go [Applause] was six seconds to go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the way we lost the first couple games it was devastating and I was just so happy I mean it was just great to see it go through and that's all I was looking at was through those goalposts in week 9 the Dolphins stood at four and four and went rolling for a win against rival Indianapolis it was no contest [Music] here's the snap would be lucky fires it is [Applause] wide receiver Andre Brown tied a dolphin record for touchdown receptions by a rookie a record he would break to which later but in the interim the Dolphins found themselves on the wrong end of a route in week 10 against the Jets coach Shula had cause for concern but then he also has Dan Marino and the league's most explosive offense [Music] [Applause] [Music] Miami scored 28 unanswered points to secure the win but the day's most memorable moment came from free safety Lewis Oliver [Music] opponents were wise to flinch at the sight of number 25 Lewis Oliver and strong safety Jarvis Williams for they play with a soaring spirit that sends bodies flying [Music] these former Florida teammates patrol the secondary with uncanny vision and vengeance Oliver let the team in interceptions this season before while Williams tied for second on the team having led the Dolphins the year before [Music] young and aggressive the b-2 bombers are going to shut down enemy passers Airways for many years to come [Music] after defeating Dallas in week 11 the Dolphins had won six of their last seven games and were the seven and four record were tied for first in the AFC East then came the rain and the white of the skies opened the more pittsburgh boarded on [Music] the Dolphins dropped four of their last five decisions in 89 but one decision was decidedly brighter and that was drafting a native son in the first round [Music] Sammy Smith never failed to shine picking up 21 yards on his very first carry as a pro [Music] with the speed to go outside and the heart to go over the top few things will stop this young and rising star you and talent Miami's got it and the rest of the NFL had better take notice with the winningest active coach leading the team with the best record in all of professional sports since the 1970 league merger the Dolphins are a team on the ball he's on the run grabs at 30 35 45 50 45 40 30 25 20 he's gotta go [Applause] [Music] 1989 was a season of consistent improvement for the Miami Dolphins their equation for success was a special chemistry of old pros with shining pasts and Young Turks with Bright Futures [Music] but 89 was only a preview of things to come it was a prelude to glory [Music] you you

Channel: Walter White

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Id: RgexcgjKF48

Length: 22min 42sec (1362 seconds)

Published: Sat May 09 2020