Lord of the ringless

Marino sees another season end short of NFL title

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Posted: Saturday January 09, 1999 09:29 PM

Marino: "We didn't really challenge. There's not a whole lot to say." AP

DENVER (AP) -- Dan Marino stood stiffly, arms folded, frowning in the face of defeat. With the last minute ticking off the clock, he watched helplessly from the sideline, where he'll spend the final few weeks of the postseason. Again.

The Miami Dolphins' season ended Saturday like so many others in the Marino era: no running game, no defense, no Super Bowl. The most prolific passer in NFL history completed his 16th season without a championship ring when Miami lost 38-3 to the Denver Broncos in the second round of the AFC playoffs.

It was the most lopsided postseason loss in the Dolphins' history.

A wave of late-season injuries contributed to a collapse by their young defense and left Marino as his team's only hope for an upset. On an unexpectedly pleasant 50-degree afternoon, the 37-year-old quarterback didn't look cold, and he didn't look old. He just looked outnumbered.

With Miami's front four depleted by injuries, Terrell Davis shredded the Dolphins for 199 yards rushing. With tackle Richmond Webb and tight end Troy Drayton sidelined and running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar hobbled, Miami was unable to generate a ground game.

That was too much for Marino to overcome. His first pass was dropped. His second pass was also dropped. By the time he threw for a first down, the Dolphins trailed 14-0.

From that point, the situation deteriorated.

"We didn't really challenge," Marino said. "There's not a whole lot to say."

Marino completed six of seven passes to set up a field goal that cut the score to 14-3, but Miami didn't threaten again until late in the third quarter, and Bill Romanowski's interception ended that chance.

Marino finished a respectable 26-for-37 for 243 yards with two interceptions. It wasn't his fault that Miami failed to score a touchdown, as coach Jimmy Johnson noted.

"It was a matter of us not being able to run the ball," Johnson said.

The Broncos outgained Miami on the ground 250-14. They also taunted Marino -- during the game, and afterward.

"Don't ask me about Marino, because I don't talk about losers," tight end Shannon Sharpe said.

Denver coach Mike Shanahan was more diplomatic when talking about Marino.

"We did a great job of keeping him off balance," Shanahan said. "Any time you can do that to a quarterback of his caliber, you know that you've played a complete game on defense."

Marino lost to John Elway for the first time in their three career meetings. Marino threw four touchdown passes in a 31-21 victory over Denver just last month, but that was in Miami when the Dolphins were relatively healthy and the Broncos had little incentive.

Elway will likely retire after this season, and Marino will likely be back in 1999 for another try.

Marino noted the Dolphins' progress this season, including their first playoff victory since 1994. But he said the challenge of reaching the Super Bowl as a wild-card team was too daunting.

"We just have to find a way to win more games during the regular season," he said. "Home-field advantage makes such a difference."

Marino wanted to end this season at home -- in the Super Bowl at Miami on Jan. 31. Instead it ended on the road, in a rout, three wins shy of the NFL title Marino has never won.

 

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