In Defense Of... Don Shula's Controversial 3rd and 8 (Bills @ Dolphins- 1989)

[@BIG-D-STAR]

These are the Dolphins best home/away uniforms.

[@jpmnky]

Absolutely. I’d love to see a video on the 1992 Dolphins. The last time that Marino had a real chance at going back to a Super Bowl.

[@jerryjanik480]

@@jpmnky and who beat them get back to there another Super Bowl the Buffalo Bills

[@mm-gl7sz]

Those or the 1972 throwbacks they use occasionally now. They need to go back to either the uniforms in this video or the 1972 uniforms. The ones they have now are stupid and ugly.

[@c71score]

Dan Marino at quarterback. Arguably, the best offensive line in football. The Marks Brothers. Haven't had an 8 yard run since Larry Csonka retired. (Maury Povich voice), This is NOT a dumb decision.

[@mm-gl7sz]

If they were the best overall line in football, how come they never had a running game all of Marino's career? Great pass protection line yes, but the couldnt block for the run. That's part of the thing that saves Mahomes now. He has a great o line , but they can also block for the run. They don't have a great running game buts it's good enough to make it so that Mahomes doesn't always have to pass. I played the all time great Dolphins against the KC all time greats. Marino was the Dolphins QB, with Mercury Morris and Ricky Williams as his running backs, Duper and Clayton as his receivers, and Bob Keuchenburg and Larry little on his offense line. Likewise for Mahomes, he had all time Chiefs greats around him including Tony Gonzalez, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill who is now a Dolphin. You would have thought the game would be pretty even, But Marino torches Mahomes because he had a running game. Even though the Chiefs had all time greats themselves(Derrick Thomas Was one of the linebackers) on both sides of the ball, with great run ing backs Marino had(He also had Csonka as well), and his Super quick release, it was easy for him to beat Mahomes, especially with killer B's like Baumhower(although the game misspellrd his name as Bumhower, totally disrespectful)and nonsmers like Buoniconti, Mahomes didn't have a chance. Miami won sometime 30 to 14. I've always said that if Marino could have kept playing at a high level and stayed with the Dolphins through Ricky Williams first stint with them when he led the league in rushing, Marino would have had at least 1 Super Bowl title. The simulation was done on Madden 23 with those 2 teams downloaded all time great rosters. I also did not play as either team, I let the computer play both teams so it would be even. Ended up lopsided in Narino favor. Chiefs couldn't handle the Dolphins run game and could not get to Marino fast enough to handle his Super quick release. And because he had a running game, his play action passes were super effective. Remember Denver was similar offensively with Elway and couldn't win the big one, then they got Terrell Davis and that all changed. I want to do a computer sim with the all time great Dolphins playing the all time great Patriots and Bengals to see Marino kick Brady's and Burrows cocky arrogant butts

[@slabbrock]

well put together, good job.

[@diaz5292]

After the game Shula went to his restaurant and gorged himself on baked potatoes, ribs, rib eye steaks, and 13 different dessert dishes. He had them pull a curtain around his booth, so no one could see his shame...lol

[@BIG-D-STAR]

That is exactly what he did.

[@P2thaR]

I've eaten at one of his restaurants, I wouldn't blame him, the food was great.

[@67marlins81]

Thanks for posting- your channel is GREAT. Watching your films reminds me of the enthusiasm I had as a young man, when I liked & watched NFL games, and learned from seeing the strategy & sportsmanship of the good teams: like my Steelers, Dolphins and the good old Oilers under Coach Phillips. Also huge respect for the 49ers back then, too.

[@ReverendBenzo]

I'm going to stick with my immediate reaction that I spent very little time thinking about, thank you very much.

[@reverend_wintondupree]

A historic week for both Meadowlands teams as they both squandered large leads and eventually lose in OT

[@stephenyarber2708]

Are you sure Shula made this call! He often let Marino call his own plays. I know it’s late in the game but I’m sure Marino wanted to throw the ball and that may have been a reason Shula let him go for it!

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I’m sure this was Marino’s call and if I’m Shula I’m making this same call again because Dan-o comes through in this situation 96 times out of 100

[@MrMichaelMyers99]

sounds like JIm Donavan the Browns current Radio play by play guy. I wonder how he scored such a prime match up for NBC.

[@gregorylarson2640]

It wasn’t NBC’s featured game that week. At the time, that network’s top announcing team was Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh, and that week they had the Bengals at the Bears (defending AFC champs vs. NFC runner-up). There was probably one other NBC game that was more high-profile that week (I’m thinking Oilers-Vikings).

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Thanks for doing these videos.

[@michaelkoszowski3716]

the dolphins defense was faded back then . if kelly had 20 sec. he might of led them down to score . i love the fins (and i remember this game like yesterday) . they had nobody rushing the passer back then ...a bunch a winded guys jumping up and down hoping to deflect a pass ...creating no push whatsoever . (jeff cross was pretty good though) ...

[@Crunkboy415]

I would have called a pass, but stretch the secondary by sending a few receivers deep and a couple of backs or tight end 10 to 15 yards out. Less traffic to throw for the first, or you can throw it deep, get a completion, incompletion, pass interference, or interception, but at least there's a chance to keep that db deeper in their own part of the field and not closer to the Dolphin's endzone.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Dolphins in those days rarely lost at home-especially in the 1970s. That loss to the Raiders in 1975 was the first time in 31 home games (4 postseason included) that Miami lost at home-still an NFL record. You went to the Orange Bowl in those days, it was an L-plain and simple.

[@daviddechamplain5718]

Those Dolphins teams had horrible run games and defenses.

[@scottconner7930]

31 Years Ago

[@marcus813]

I wonder what made Marino make the read that he made. If you're gonna pass in that situation, you had better not force it into such tight coverage like what Nate Odomes had on Mark Duper on the play in question.

[@67marlins81]

Good point. If there's no wide flash of the white of your receiver's jersey flashing to your eyes, maybe drill the ball very low to minimize risk of defensive back intercepting?

[@67marlins81]

Let's please not totally blame Marino & Shula......the Miami defense was better than many people think...and so they were expected to hold the Bills and do their jobs.

[@tygrkhat4087]

They weren't that good, at least against Buffalo in 89; in the rematch in week 8, Miami gave up 283 yards rushing; both Thurman Thomas and Larry Kinnebrew had over 100 yards; Frank Reich, starting for an injured Jim Kelly, went 6 of 9 for 123 yards and a TD and the Bills dominated time of possession. On the flip side; Miami had 348 passing yards between Marino and Scott Secules with 2 TDs and 3 picks. They also generated only 65 yards rushing.

[@67marlins81]

@@tygrkhat4087 Fair enough, but division rivals usually perform unusually well against each other, compared to how they fair against the rest of the league. I guess I just get tired of defense-bashing against Miami is all.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

Nope. I’m old enough to remember those crappy Dolphin defenses of the mid to late 80s. I don’t put a hot Jim Kelly up against that bunch with the game on the line

[@MrPhilaCuse]

His 2nd best throw ever behind David White in 1995.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I’m going so far to say if it was 4th and 7 I’d go for it. There are times you have to hold serve and keep the ball at all costs. I remember those late 80s-early 90s Bills teams. They could be sloppy and awful at times on offense but when Kelly got hot he was like Brady or Manning or Aaron Rodgers. He was unstoppable. I don’t give Jim Kelly 72 seconds to go 80 yards. I need to keep the football at all costs with this lead. I’d call a shorter swing pass on 3rd and 7 and then go for a very manageable 4th down. Jim Kelly when hot was an incredible signal caller

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I think you have to make the more daring decision vs a great offense like Kelly and the Bills. Shula was right. Belichick was right on a 4th and 3 deep in his own territory vs Peyton Manning and the Colts. The rules are completely different when you face an unstoppable offense

[@mm-gl7sz]

The Bills were not exactly an unstoppable offense in 1989. The KGun was not born until the 1989 playoff game against the original Clevend Browns( who are now the Baltimore Ravens) that the Bills lost, and wasn't used regularly until the Eagles game in the 1990 season. From then on, they used the KGun no huddle as their offense until Kelly retired.

[@Bmartlivemusic]

Surprised nobody suggested this (that I see), but run play action. Probably most of the defense is expecting run, give a run look. Don't go shotgun 3 or 4 wide. If you're going to pass, disguise it, freeze the linebackers or have them commit etc...

[@mm-gl7sz]

Problem with that is the Dolphins had no running game then and wouldn't have fooled anybody. Everybody back then knew Marino was going to throw almost every down because he had no running game and brcause of that play action didn't work for him very often

[@P2thaR]

To be fair, that pass by mahomes would've been completed by just about every QB who ever played in the nfl. It was 7yds, and Hill was wide open. Had the dolphins employed Andy Reid to call plays, Marino prob wins 8 rings, if not more. If the chiefs were able to draft Marino in '17, they'd prob be looking at going for their 5th consecutive ring in '21. The reason Shula called that play is that their defense wasn't stopping the bills, regardless of where they gave them the ball back. Only shot was not giving the ball back. And watch those runs, there are holes the RBs are not seeing. They could've gotten massive gains on a few of them, at least. I may be a bills fan, but it seems Marino, somehow, gets more underrated with every year. Would be so fun to watch Marino in today's wide open game where touching WRs gets you kicked out of the league.

[@mm-gl7sz]

You can do it if you have Madden 23 and an Xbox series X. I let the computer play all time Chiefs against all time Dolphins in Miami with Mahomes and Marino at quarterback. Mahomes looked like an amateur compared to Marino who won easily. Using today's rules. Also, Marino had a great running game, which made a huge difference

[@tadhgbaucom-orlofsky4764]

Love the show.. Can you do an episode "In defense of" the Seahawks throwing it at the goaline of Super Bowl XLIX

[@chrisayres2340]

it's not the pass that was stupid it was where it went, as the announcer said, he had the back wide open in the flat

[@ImTheCrew]

Thanks for the video

[@danieldavila6281]

Or throwing a screen….

[@chrisayres2340]

did that ball get tipped at the los

[@philbruin]

you can defend him - but he was a lousy coach at this point. the Dolphins were in prevent defense on the previous drive, why did it take them till the last second on the next drive ??? YOU ARE WRONG

[@russellseilhamer4552]

The turning point in Shulas career was when defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger left Miami after the 1983 season. He had built the no name defenses from 1970-73 then he came back to build the Killer Bs in 1977. Arnsparger should be in the HOF. His defenses made Shulas teams hard to beat. Shula never found an adequate replacement for Arnsparger and the defenses in Shulas final decade were consistently mediocre to terrible

[@RicoBurghFan]

Great research man, but it was still a bad play.

[@jerryjanik480]

1989 I was three at the time Still hate that's Bills fan I still hate the Dolphins more than I hate the Patriots The 1989 home opener that Jim Kelly Run was that's a highlight career but you should do a video of the 1989 Buffalo Bills bickering Bills the division they still made it to the divisional round against Cleveland

[@russellseilhamer4552]

The bickering Bills. They all hated each other and things were a total mess. The most talented team by far in the AFC ends up 9-7 and Ronnie Harmon drops the game winner in Cleveland. I’d love to see the story of this team and how they righted the ship in 1990. Do the Bills beat the 49ers in SB24? No. But the Bills would have given them a run for their money had they gotten there

[@jerryjanik480]

@@russellseilhamer4552 this game is like a highlight-reel in Buffalo I don't know if you're from Buffalo or not but literally this one play is just like Jim Kelly's highlight reel

[@Jdfuller82]

I'm sorry but you run the ball. Punt and pin them deep. They have to drive the length of the field to win. This is a bad in defense of. It's a stupid play call and you can't convince me that this should be defended as a good call. They had no time outs.

[@joshuarayborn]

Nah, it was a dumb pass

[@niquthieloppo9814]

So Nice 💘💘💘💘💘💘

[@tjwittenback3066]

you want to defend Shula for that?

[@Gracie18841]

no way you always run the ball