13:09: Charles Schwab, Saturn & McDonald's 35:10: Southwest Airlines, Out of Time, Toyota & Bridgestone Tires 1:08:23: Southwest Airlines, Porsche & Coors Light 1:34:50: Mazda, ESPN Video Games & The Rundown
Thank you so much! Love this game. Brings back so many memories. I thought Miami was surely going to win the Super bowl that year.....turns out they went 10-6 missed the playoffs altogether.
Saw this live and I'll never forget it. Best performance by a Fins D I've ever personally witnessed (I was a literal baby in '73) and statistically it really was. Second fewest yards allowed in a game in franchise history, and that was WITH the final garbage time Bills drive. If not for that drive it might legit be the GOAT Fins defensive performance. And then the way they just physically imposed their will on the Bills got me borderline aroused. I'm not sure they've whipped any team like that in the 20 years since.
This is the game where Ricky said “enough of this BS” - I’d rather Smoke weed and allow my body to heal. If it were totally up to Wannstadt he would have handed him the ball 50 times every game and broken him down before age 27. The OL was not as good in 2003 as it was in 2002 and Ricky’s long runs were fewer. Chambers regressed and Fiedler could not take the next step even with Griese looming in the background. Junior was brought in a bit past his prime for leadership - but the D regressed a little. Wanny’s lack of real success with this aging roster was weighing on heavily Huizinga. 10-6 looks good on paper - but they were eliminated from playoffs before the final RS game. Each season with Wanny was more disappointing than the previous season. When Ricky quit before 2004 training camp - there was no offensive plan B. He traded the future drafts for some second tier RBs in desperation. Wanny’s inability to prioritize getting a top tier QB was his undoing. Classic example - taking Nickel CB jamar fletcher in draft when Drew Brees was available.
I couldn't have summed it up any better myself. Bravo!!! 🤘 I will point out though that the Fins had a bye after this game which obviously factored into Wanny's decision to run so many times. Also, it was Ricky's only 40-plus carry game in Miami and in fact he had two 38-plus carry games as a Saint.
Wannstedt should have had a plan B for Ricky from day one. He came to the Dolphins with baggage. Expecting Fiedler to take the next step wasn't likely to happen, and he couldn't stay healthy for a full season. Can't help but imagine what would have happened if JJ had stayed and continued to try and build an offense to match the defense. With better QB play alone this team could have made more than one SB appearance.
Completely agree. This roster was stacked. The D still had 4 Pro Bowlers, they had a great kicker in Mare, and great weapons in Chambers, McMichael. It was Fiedler’s inaccuracy and inability to make big time throws in the red zone that made the passing game one of the worst in the league. Ricky quit in 2004 and by mid season Wanny had resigned, Ogunleye was traded, Bowens and Konrad had career ending injuries. And for all intents and purposes the extended JJ era was over.
Say what you want about Jay Fiedler (and lord knows I have) but the man had grapefruit-sized cojones. 1:42:44 says it all. A shame his talent didn't match his intangibles.
