The Chargers' victory in this game would be the last time that they defeated the Dolphins in Miami until 2019, by which time the Chargers had moved to Los Angeles. Join our linker program. The strategy paid off as Cincinnati built a 100 lead in the first quarter. "NFL 100 Greatest" ranks the top 100 teams in NFL history, and the 1977 Dallas Cowboys, who beat the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII behind head coach Tom Landry and quarterback Roger Staubach, land at No. Chargers cornerback Michael Davis slipped in coverage at the LA 40, allowing Hill to make an easy catch and saunter untouched to the end zone to get Miami to 17-14. The Chargers defense quickly gave the offense another scoring opportunity, forcing a punt from Pat McInally that went just 32 yards to the Bengals 45. In the end, the Chargers prevailed, 41-38, with the game concluding with one of the lasting images in NFL history. It became legendary. telling the Chargers official website the following: Fouts said of Winslow on the Chargers site, The Epic in Miami voted as the greatest game their team ever played in, When Dan Marino and the Dolphins slayed the '85 Bears, Matt Damon Roots For Tom Brady, Not the Patriots, Jets ready to shock, Giants' whiz kid assistant, COVID and more, The Patriots beat the Dolphins thanks to a convict and snowplow, NFL drops COVID gauntlet, Chiefs dance with Tyrann Mathieu and more. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 2:31PM. "NFL 100 Greatest" ranks the top 100 teams in NFL history, and the 1962 Green Bay Packers, who finished with a 13-1 record and defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game, land at No. However, once again this amounted to nothing as Fouts was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Bobby Kemp. After that, Nathan's 17-yard reception and Tommy Vigorito's 6-yard run moved the Dolphins to the Chargers 26-yard line where von Schamann attempted a 43-yard field goal, but at the last second, Winslow extended his 6'5" frame at the line just enough to deflect the kick with his fingers, causing it to fall short of the goal post and sending the game into overtime. San Diego responded with a drive to the Bengals 5-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs with less than three minutes left. "There was no way that Kellen Winslow was so winded that he had to be continually helped off the football field," said Dolphins wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo. He finished the contest with 13 catches (a divisional playoff record) for 166 yards and a touchdown plus the critical blocked field goal, all the while battling debilitating fatigue and muscle cramps. The following is a list of all regular season and postseason games played between the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins. Incredibly, a poll in the 1990s among Dolphins fans also saw The Epic in Miami voted as the greatest game their team ever played in, despite losing it and having won two previous Super Bowls. After Miami's next drive resulted in an incompletion, two sacks, and a fumble (which Miami recovered), coach Don Shula replaced Woodley with Don Strock early in the second quarter to see whether he could spark the Dolphins offense, and that's precisely what he did, completing a 17-yard pass to Duriel Harris on his first play and leading them down the field to score their first points of the game on a 34-yard field goal by Uwe von Schamann. The "NFL 100 Greatest" ranks the top 100 games in NFL history, and the Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders clash in Week 16 of the 2003 season lands at No. San Diego Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins Box Score, January 2, 1982 | The Hardy caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. The air temperature was 9F (23C), and wind chill was 59F (51C). It looked like the outcome of the game was already decided. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll NFL and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Both Winslow and Ken Anderson said that the windchill's effect was so brutal that they have felt its effects decades laterWinslow in noting that he suffers from the residual impact of frostbite in one of his toes, and Anderson because his hands turn cold and numb much more quickly in cold weather now than they did pre-Freezer Bowl. Do you have a sports website? Epic In Miami Chargers vs Dolphins 1981 Playoffs Highlights Gamecast; Box Score; Play-by-Play; Team Stats; Los Angeles Passing. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Many former players, coaches and writers assert it as one of the greatest games in NFL history. None of the primary players in the Epic in Miami ever won a Super Bowl ring, except for left guard Bob Kuechenberg, who was a member of the Dolphins' Super Bowl-winning teams in 1972 and 1973. Then linebacker Rick Razzano forced a fumble from Chargers rookie kick returner James Brooks, and Don Bass recovered for the Bengals on the San Diego 12-yard line. Strock was 29-of-43 for 403 yards and four scores. Future Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula went to the latter portion of his famed WoodStrock quarterbacking duo, inserting Don Strock for the sputtering David Woodley. Aided by a pair of receptions by Chandler and a 39-yard catch by Joiner, Fouts led his team 74 yards to Miami's 10-yard line, where Benirschke attempted a 29-yard field goal. Chargers vs. Dolphins Results | The Football Database