13. 2009 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at 4. 1984 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP MIAMI DOLPHINS
4. 1984 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 14-2
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 7th
1st AFC East
d. Seahawks Div Rnd 31-10
d. Steelers AFC Title 45-28
Lost Super Bowl 49ers 38-16
HC Don Shula DC Chuck Studley
Orange Bowl: 75
Rick Weaver/Hank Goldberg
Offense
QB Dan Marino All Pro 23 Pitt
RB Joe Nathan 28 Alabama
FB Woody Bennett 29 Miami
WR Mark Clayton 23 Louisville
WR Mark Duper 25 NWestern St
TE Dan Johnson 24 Iowa St
LT Jon Giesler 28 Michigan
LG Roy Foster 24 USC
C Dwight Stephenson All Pro 27 Alabama
RG Ed Newman All Pro 33 Duke
RT Cleveland Green 27 Southern
Defense
LDE Doug Betters 28 Nevada
NT Bob Baumhower 29 Alabama
RDE Kim Bokamper 30 S Jose St
LOLB Bob Brudzinski 29 Ohio St
LILB AJ Duhe 29 LSU
RILB Mark Brown 23 Purdue
LCB Don McNeal 26 Alabama
RCB William Judson 25 S Carolina St
SS Glenn Blackwood 27 Texas
FS Lyle Blackwood 33 TCU
K Uwe von Schamann 28 Oklahoma
P Reggie Roby 23 Iowa
KR/PR Fulton Walker 26 W Virginia
The 3rd seed in Region 8 is the top offense from '84, the Dolphins. Dan Marino is 23, All Pro, 48 scores and 17 picks. Big year for 23 year old Mark Clayton, 18 scores. 2 All Pros on the line, 27 year old Dwight Stephenson and 33 year old Ed Newman. 7th ranked defense, 28 year old Doug Betters and 25 year old Charles Bowser combined for 23 sacks.
13. 2009 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Record: 13-3
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 4th
Def: 11th
1st AFC West
Lost Div Rnd Jets 17-14
HC Norv Turner OC Clarence Shelmon DC Ron Rivera
Offense
QB Philip Rivers 28 NC St
RB LaDanian Tomlinson 30 TCU
FB Mike Tolbert 24 CCarolina
WR Malcolm Floyd 28 Wyoming
WR Vincent Jackson 26 N Colorado
TE Antonio Gates 29 Kent St
LT Marcus McNeill 26 Auburn
LG Kris Dielman 28 Indiana
C Scott Mcruczkowski 27 B Green
RG Louis Vasquez 22-R 22 T Tech
RT Jeromey Clary 26 K St
Defense
LDE Jacques Cesaire 29 So Conn St
NT Ian Scott 28 Florida
RDE Luis Castillo 26 NWestern
LOLB Shaun Phillips 28 Purdue
LILB Stephen Cooper 30 Maine
RILB Brandon Siler 24 Florida
ROLB Shawne Merriman 25 Maryland
LCB Quentin Jammer 30 Texas
RCB Antonio Cromartie 25 Florida St
SS Kevin Ellison-R 22 USC
FS Eric Weddle 24 Utah
K Nate Kaeding All Pro 27 Iowa
P Mike Scifres 29 W Illinois
KR/PR Darren Sproles 26 K St
The '07 Chargers have advanced, move forward two years and here's the 13th seed in the region. 4th in offense in 09, Phil Rivers is 28, 29 scores and 9 picks, 30 year old LaDainian Tomlinson had a dozen TDs. The Chargers are gonna throw the ball, 26 year old Vincent Jackson, 29 year old Antonio Gates each had over 1100 yards receiving. Just as the Charger offense isn't quite at the level of Miami's, so goes the defense. 28 year old Shaun Phillips had 7 sacks, but they might really have their hands full with Marino. The kicker, Nate Kaeding, is a 27 year old All Pro
The '88 Vikes await the winner. Let's go to the Orange Bowl
1st Qtr
Chargers start at the 24.
1/10 - Phil Rivers first pass of the day....Is Picked Off by AJ Duhe-- Duhe down at the 23, Miami intercepts the first pass of the game and they are in business.
1/10 - Woody Bennett gets 13 and it's a first and goal.
1/goal - Dan Marino - fade pattern -- Mark Clayton -- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - barely a minute in, a pick leads to a score - the Dolphins up 7-0.
Chargers at the 28.
3 and out.
Dolphins at the 34.
1/10 - Marino to Mark Duper, 9 yards.
2/1 - Tony Nathan picks it up, Dolphins at the 47.
1/10 - Nathan gets 2.
2/8 - Marino. Nat Moore. 9 yards. Miami at the 42.
That's where the drive ends, after the punt, it's SD at the 9.
1/10 - LaDainian Tomlinson gets 5 yards.
2/5 - Rivers completes his first pass, 11 yards to Antonio Gates, 11 yards.
1/10 - Tomlinson stopped.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Rivers to Vincent Jackson, a dozen yards and a first down.
1/10 - Rivers again - Legedu Naanee, he's got 10 yards and another first down.
But that's all - after the punt, it's Miami at the 14.
1/10 - Marino to Nat Moore, 5 yards.
2/5 - Marino, under pressure - brought down by Shaun Phillips.
3/5 - Marino, under pressure - throws -- Picked Off by Quentin Jammer -- Jammer intercepts Marino and the Chargers are now in business at the Miami 29.
3 plays net 6 yards - they hit the FG, it's 7-3 Dolphins.
Miami starts at the 17 - an 8 yard Bennett run makes it 2nd and 2 as the qtr ends.
2nd Qtr: Dolphins 7 Chargers 3
The teams trade picks - Miami with the lead on the Marino TD pass, it's second and 2 at their own 25.
Miami doesn't pick it up - after the kick the Chargers open at their own 41.
3 and out. The expected shootout hasn't started yet. Miami at the 22.
1/10 - Marino over the middle, Dan Johnson for 15.
1/10 - Marino, quick out to Duper for 9.
2/1 - Marino - in the flat to Nathan, he scoots for 9 and the Dolphins cross midfield.
1/10 - Woody Bennett runs between Stephenson/Newman and is through the hole -- Bennett goes for 34 yards to the Charger 11.
1/10 - Marino--- give to Joe Carter - Carter's got a block -- Carter's got a hole -- Carter will go into the endzone - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Joe Carter scoots his way into the endzone and it's 14-3 Miami.
Chargers at the 36.
They get a first down - Rivers going up top to Kareem Osgood for 36 yards - big strike - the drive ends on a Doug Betters sack (Rivers heads to the locker room) and then Nick Kaeding misses the FG. Miami regains at the 36.
1/10 - Tony Nathan gets 1.
2/9 - Marino -- Clayton. 21 yards and the Dolphins again cross midfield.
1/10 - Marino. Duper. 16 yards to the 26. Miami rolling now.
1/10 - Tony Nathan -- he's got a big hole - a big gaping hole and he will stroll 26 yards...into the endzone....TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Miami now with the big 21-3 lead, the top 1984 offense showing 2009 what's what - it's 21-3.
Chargers will start at the 29.
1/10 - Billy Volek on at QB for Rivers who is sent to the locker room after the Betters sack. Tomlinson with the big gainer, 32 yards and we hit the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Volek to throw - Tomlinson out of the backfield for 8.
2/2 - Incomplete
3/2 - Volek finds Malcolm Floyd - it's a 9 yard gain - the Chargers are at the 22.
The drive ends there, with a minute left in the half, Kaeding's FG makes it 21-6.
Miami at the 30.
1/10 - Marino. Going up top. Marino finds Clayton for a 42 yard shot - Miami calls timeout at the Charger 28 with 48 seconds left in the half.
1/10 - Phillips with his second sack - Miami has to stop the clock again, 39 seconds left, they're at the Charger 30.
2/12 - Marino. Duper. 16 yards at the sideline - Miami is at the Charger 14.
1/10 - Marino - has to dump it to Bennett, he's out of bounds at the 11, 17 seconds left.
2/7 - Marino -- looking to the endzone -- fires --- Clayton -- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - that's gonna end the half -- Miami is up 28-6, just firing on all cylinders against the Chargers.
3rd Qtr: Dolphins 28 Chargers 6
21 for Miami in the second quarter has probably ended the game; really impressive first half for Miami.
Miami starts at the 25.
1/10 - Woody Bennett stopped.
2/10 - Marino -- to Crash Jensen -- 16 yards.
1/10 - Marino - Joe Carter - 8 yards near midfield.
2/2 - Marino - Bruce Hardy - 14 yards - Dan Marino has just come out firing, flinging the ball all over the field.
1/10 - Bennett stopped.
2/10 - Tony Nathan -- Nathan bounces to the outside -- Nathan has the corner -- And Tony Nathan's Gonna Go -- Tony Nathan 37 yards into the endzone - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - it;s 35-6, Dolphins just all over, all over San Diego today.
Chargers at the 36, Phil Rivers is back on for San Diego.
1/10 - Tomlinson, big gainer -- 39 big yards to the Miami 25.
1/10 - Mike Tolbert gets 7.
2/3 - Rivers -- Vincent Jackson - Jackson in space -- Jackson breaks a tackle and he will go into the endzone - TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS - it's 35-13 Miami.
Dolphins at the 33.
1/10 - Nathan for 14.
1/10 - Carter for 28 - the Chargers can't stop Miami at all.
1/10 - Marino to Jimmy Cefalo for 7.
2/3 - Carter gets 4. First down. Miami at the 14.
1/10 - Nathan -- right up the gut -- Tony Nathan is back in the endzone -- Nathan with his 3rd TD - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Miami has the 42-13 lead, just an overwhelming performance for Miami.
Chargers at the 35. The drive lasts most of the rest of the quarter, Rivers to Jackson for 10, Sproles a 15 yard run the big gainers - but San Diego punts, Miami at the 18.
They pick up 16 yards as the qtr ends.
4th Qtr: Dolphins 42 Chargers 13
Easy money today, Miami will advance to host the '88 Vikes.
Miami will take the first 8 minutes of the 4th qtr to continue this drive, it ends in a 9 yard TD pass from Marino to Dan Johnson. TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS Mostly runs and short passes, Marino to Duper for 18 the biggest play. It's 49-13.
The net San Diego drive ends on downs around midfield. 12 yard passes from Rivers to Gates and Jackson the biggest plays, Betters with his second sack.
Don Strock comes on for Miami - foot off the gas now, they run the ball, Chargers burn all their timeouts - we pass the 2 minute warning and San Diego gets the ball back at their own 42.
They use the rest of the game to drive and score - 42 yards from Rivers to Gates the big play, Rivers 6 yards to Sproles the TD as the clock expires. TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS
Final: Dolphins 49 Chargers 20
Miami put this out of reach in the second qtr, the first half of region 8 is set
Marino: 22 of 25, 291 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rivers: 15 of 27, 226 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Nathan: 11 carries, 109 yds, 3 TD
Tomlinson: 16 carries, 98 yds
Clayton: 5 catches, 88 yds, 2 TD
Jackson: 5 catches, 50 yds, TD
Betters: 2 sacks
Player of the Game: Dan Marino
Here's the top half of the region -
2004 Patriots
1993 49ers
1988 Vikings
1984 Dolphins
