16. 1999 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at 1. 1973 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
1. 1973 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 12-2
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 5th
Def: 1st
d. Bengals Div Rnd 34-16
d. Raiders AFC Title 27-10
d. Vikings Super Bowl 24-7
Joe Robbie: 75 degrees
Rick Weaver/Fred Woodson
HC Don Shula OC Bill McPeak DC Bill Arnsparger
Offense
QB Bob Griese 28 Purdue
RB Mercury Morris 26 W Tex A&M
FB Larry Csonka 27 All Pro Syracuse
WR Paul Warfield 31 All Pro Ohio St
WR Marlin Briscoe 28 Nebraska Omaha
TE Jim Mandich Michigan
LT Wayne Moore 28 Lamar
LG Bob Kuechenberg 26 N Dame
C Jim Langer 25 S Dakota St
RG Larry Little 28 All Pro Beth-Cook
RT Norm Evans TCU
Defense
LDE Vern Den Herder 25 C College
LDT Manny Fernandez 27 Utah
RDT Bob Heinz 26 Pacific
RDE Bill Stanfill 26 UGA
LLB Doug Swift 25 Amherst
MLB Nick Buoniconti 33 N Dame
RLB Mike Kolen 25 Auburn
LCB Tim Foley 25 Purdue
RCB Curtis Johnson 25 Toledo
SS Dick Anderson 27 All Pro Colorado
FS Jake Scott 28 All Pro UGA
K Garo Yepremian 29 All Pro None
P Larry Seiple 28 Kentucky
KR Charlie Leigh 28 None
PR Jake Scott 28 UGA
The '75, '82, '84 Dolphins advanced in the first half of Rnd 1 - they have the top team seeded team in the back half, the number one seed in Region 9, the '73 Super Bowl Champs. 5th in offense, first in defense, so we'll get a battle of the top defenses from '73 and '99. Both safeties are All Pro - 27 year old Dick Anderson and 28 year old Jake Scott combining for a dozen picks. On offense, Bob Griese is 28, 17 scores and 8 picks. Larry Csonka's a 27 year old All Pro who rushed for a thousand yards and 26 year old Mercury Morris had 10 scores. 11 scores for 31 year old All Pro Paul Warfield. 28 year old Larry Little is an All Pro as is 29 year old Garo Yepremian.
16. 1999 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Record: 14-2
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 6th
Def: 1st
1st AFC Central
d. Dolphins Div Rnd 62-7
Lost Titans AFC Title 33-14
d. '81 Bengals 17-14
HC Tom Coughlin DC Dom Capers
Offense
QB Mark Brunell 29 Wash
RB James Stewart 28 Tenn
FB Damion Shelton 27 Sac St
WR Keenan McCardell 29 UNLV
WR Jimmy Smith 30 Jack St
TE Kyle Brady 27 Penn St
LT Tony Boselli 27 All Pro USC
LG Ben Coleman 28 Wake
C John Wade 24 Marshall
RG Zach Wiegert 27 Nebraska
RT Leon Searcy 30 Miami
Defense
DE Renaldo Wynn 25 N Dame
LDT Gary Walker 26 Auburn
RDT Seth Payne 24 Cornell
RDE Tony Brackens 25 Texas
LLB Bryce Paup 31 N Iowa
MLB Lonnie Marts 31 Tulane
RLB Kevin Hardy 26 All Pro Illinois
LCB Fernando Bryant 22-R Alabama
RCB Aaron Beasley 26 W Virginia
SS Donovin Darius 24 Syracuse
FS Carnell Lake 32 UCLA
K Mike Hollis 27 Idaho
P Bryan Barker 35 S Clara
KR Alvis Whitted 25 NC St
PR Reggie Barlow 26 Ala St
One shot for the Jags; they've got the top defense from '99 and the 6th best offense. 26 year old All Pro Kevin Hardy had 10.5 sacks - 25 year old Renaldo Wynn and 25 year old Tony Brackens combined for 22 more. 6 picks for 26 year old Aaron Beasley. 15 scores and 9 picks for 29 year old Mark Brunell, 13 scores for 28 year old James Stewart. Huge year in 1999 numbers for 30 year old Jimmy Smith, 116 catches for over 1600 yards. Tony Boselli is a 27 year old All Pro. The Jags defense was solid against the Bengals, the offense good enough, big Fred Taylor game - will they be able to score enough points against a Back to Back Super Bowl Champion?
We've got the 9th overall seed in the tournament - can they keep the perfect run of top seeds alive? Lets head to Joe Robbie and kick this off.
1st Qtr
The Jags open up this 1/16 matchup at the 28 with a first and 5.
1/5 - Incomplete
2/5 - James Stewart gets 3.
3/2 - Stewart picks it up.
1/10 - Fred Taylor was the Player of the Game in the Play In -- and he breaks one here, 27 yards to the Dolphin 40 and an offsides on the next play takes the Jags to the 35.
1/5 - Stewart is stopped.
2/5 - Darrion Shelton didn't carry the ball against the Bengals, he gets a carry here and is stopped.
3/5 - Shelton again - he picks it up.
1/10 - Stewart, Jags keeping it on the ground against Miami, he gets 1.
2/9 - Taylor for 14 yards - the Jags are at the Miami 13.
But that's where it ends - 3 more plays get 5 yards, Hollis with the chip shot, the Jags take half the quarter on the opening drive and are up 3-0.
Miami at the 30.
1/10 - Mercury Morris - Miami's gonna run the ball and run it some more today - Morris gets 18.
1/10 - Morris again - he busts it -- 36 yards for Mercury Morris to the Jag 16 yard line.
1/10 - Larry Csonka gets 6.
2/4 - Morris gets to the goal line -- stopped at the one yard line - Miami with the first and goal.
1/goal -- Morris. Endzone. TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - In just 5 running plays the Dolphins go 70 yards against the best defense from 1999 and take the 7-3 lead.
Jags at the 24.
They get a first down - Brunell completing his first pass, to Jimmy Smith for 10 - but a Bill Stanfill sack ends the drive - Jake Scott with the good return - Miami will open the second qtr at the Jags 47.
2nd Qtr: Dolphins 7 Jags 3
The best defense from '73 against the best defense from '99, this was expected to be a grind it out game - lot of grinding in the first, but pretty successfully. Miami with the lead and the ball.
1/10 - End around to Paul Warfield - he gets 9.
2/1 - Griese sacked by Carnell Lake on the safety blitz - that was Miami's first pass attempt and the Jags were all over it.
3/5 - Griese with the completion to Jim Mandich - 15 yards to the 27.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Griese - over the middle to Warfield -- Warfield with a step - Warfield with a step -- Warfield's gonna go -- Into the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Griese 27 yards to Warfield - Miami's in the endzone again and now it is 14-3.
Jags at the 19.
1/10 - Stewart for 1.
2/9- Taylor loses 1.
3/10 - Brunell, rolling out - firing to Jimmy Smith - 26 big yards out to the 45.
1/10 - Give to Taylor - running behind Boselli - big clear out block -- Taylor's Gonna Go! Fred Taylor in open field -- 30-20-10 -- TOUCHDOWN JAGS - Fred Taylor with the 55 yard touchdown run - the Jags are right back in this one - 55 yard home run for Fred Taylor and it's 14-10.
Dolphins at the 31.
3 and out. The Jags with their first stop. Good return by Reggie Barlow - Jags will start at the Dolphin 43, less than 8 left in the half.
1/10 - 7 more for Fred Taylor
2/3 - Jags with success on the ground - a dozen for Stewart and Jacksonville is at the Miami 24.
1/10 - Stewart loses a couple.
2/8 - Brunell - to Keenan McCardell - 7 yards.
3/5 - Brunell picks it up - over the middle - McCardell is dragged down at the Miami 2 yard line - the Jacksonville contingent here in Miami today losing their minds - Jags with a first and goal.
1/goal - Taylor. Endzone. TOUCHDOWN JAGS - Fred Taylor into the endzone again -- and Jacksonville has taken the lead on the top seeded Dolphins, 17-14.
Miami at the 22, little more than 4 minutes left.
1/10 - Csonka gets 1.
2/9 - Incomplete
3/9 - Griese goes downfield -- Warfield -- 31 yards out to the Jags 46.
1/10 - Csonka - busts it -- Csonla rumbles for 31 yards all the way to the Jags 15 at the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Griese hits Marlin Briscoe on the quick out - 5 yards and out of bounds.
2/5 - Griese - Endzone - Briscoe - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Miami goes 78 yards in two and a half minutes to regain the lead - this second quarter has turned this into a shootout.
Jags at the 30, 1:42 left. They get a first down, Brunell 17 yards to Jimmy Smith - but they punt at 49 seconds left - and it's returned by Scott all the way to the Jags 43.
1/10 - Miami stays on the ground - Csonka powering 17 yards to the 26, Dolphins stop the clock, it's their first timeout - there's 33 seconds left in the half and Miami's in FG range.
1/10 - Griese gets sacked, Gary Walker, dropping Griese, Miami stops the clock again at the Jags 34 with 22 seconds left in the half.
2/18 - Give to Morris - looking to get the ball in the center of the field for the FG -- but Morris Finds a Seam -- Morris Into the Secondary -- Mercury Morris is Gonna Go! Mercury Morris is gonna End the First Half with a 34 yard TD run TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - The Half ends with Miami scoring twice in the last 2 minutes of the half and they are up 28-17.
3rd Qtr: Dolphins 28 Jags 17
What looked like a defensive game has turned into a scoring barrage - largely built on big running plays, each team with some home runs - Jags had the lead briefly, but Miami comes back with 2 late scores and we head to the second half with the top seeds in region 9 up 11.
Miami will start at the 26.
They get a first down, Griese 15 to Briscoe - but the drive ends around midfield.
Jags start at the 23.
1/10 - Stewart gets 1
2/9 - Stewart gets 7, third and short.
3/2 - Brunell 15 to McCardell, Jags out to the 46.
1/10- Taylor is stacked up.
2/10 - Brunell picks it up on a busted play, keeps it alive, finds Smith, Smith is out to the Dolphin 37 - there's a holding call on the next play making it first and 20.
1/20 - 8 for Stewart
2/12 - Taylor is stacked up.
3/12 - Brunell going over to the middle to Mcc -- Picked Off by Scott -- Jake Scott picks it off - he's got a couple of blockers -- Scott cuts to the outside -- Scott has a step -- Jake Scott is Gonna Go! Jake Scott is Gonna Go! Jake Scott takes the Mark Brunell pick 77 yards TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - and that should be the dagger - Jake Scott takes back a Mark Brunell pick 77 yards for the score to give Miami the 35-17 lead with 7 left in the third.
Jags start at the 38.
3 and out. Miami at the 22.
3 and out. Jags at the 38.
1/10 - Taylor gets 4.
2/6 - Incomplete
3/6 - Taylor gets 11
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Brunell to Jimmy Smith for a dozen to the Miami 36.
1/10 - Stewart gets a couple yards as the quarter ends.
4th Qtr: Dolphins 35 Jags 17
This is done; Jake Scott's punt returns were important to the Miami comeback in the second qtr - now he adds a pick 6. Jags have a second and 8 at the Miami 34.
The next 2 plays net 3 yards -- Hollis with the long FG and it's 35-20
Dolphins at the 34.
1/10 - Csonka gets 1
2/9 - Incomplete
3/9 - Aaron Beasley intercepts Griese -- Jags are at the 30.
They get a first down, Brunell 17 yards to Smith - but the drive ends there, Hollis with another FG and it's 35-23.
10 minute left. Jags try the onside kick. Dolphins recover. They are at the Jags 47, 10 minutes left.
They get a first down on a Csonka 11 yard run, but a couple of penalities and they wind up punting - Jags take over with 7 minutes left at their own 14.
So - it is still a long road, a 12 point deficit with 7 minutes left, but the Jags do have a chance to make this interesting.
1/10 - Brunell - 20 yards to Jimmy Smith and Jax is at the 34.
That's all. 4 downs later the Dolphins take over on downs, Bill Stanfill gets a sack and Miami is at the Jags 31 with under 6 minutes left. Griese is done for the day, it's Earl Morral now to wrap this up for Miami.
1/10 - 19 yards for Mercury Morris.
1/10 - Csonka gets 1
2/11 - Play action -- Morall has a wide open Paul Warfield in the endzone - TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - Miami goes up 42-23 and it is done, done, done.
That's the final. The Jags will turn it over on downs, Miami will run out the clock. It's a final.
Final: Dolphins 42 Jaguars 23
9 top seeds have played, 9 top seeds have won.
Griese: 9 for 18, 128 yards, 2 TD/1 INT
Brunell: 15 for 25, 172 yards, 0 TD/1 INT
Morris: 11 carries, 130 yds, 2 TD
Taylor: 15 carries, 126 yds, 2 TD
Warfield: 3 catches, 74 yds, 2 TD
Smith: 7 catches, 113 yds
Player of the Game: Mercury Morris
