NFL Old School Game of the Week: Miami Comes From 24 Points Down to Beat Pats

Earl Morrall completed 15 of 23 passes for 288 yards and threw two touchdown passes in leading the Dolphins back from a 24-point deficit to defeat the Patriots.

Very little was on line for the Miami Dolphins as they entered their 1974 regular season finale with the New England Patriots, as the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions and three-time defending AFC Champions had already locked up their spot in the NFL Playoffs with an AFC East title and knew that they would be traveling to Oakland to face the Raiders in the Divisional Playoffs the following weekend.

With their playoff spot secured, Dolphins head coach Don Shula decided to rest many of his offensive stars including quarterback Bob Griese, running backs Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka, and wide receiver Paul Warfield.

Instead, 40-year-old backup Earl Morrall, who had thrown only four passes during the season would get his first start of the season, as he had been the primary starter during the Dolphins’ undefeated season two years before as Griese was out most of the season with a broken leg.

While the Dolphins had nothing to play for, the Patriots were hoping to end their season on a positive note where after starting the season 5-0, had lost six of their previous eight games, costing them a chance at the playoffs.

Led by second-year head coach Chuck Fairbanks and fourth-year quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Patriots not only entered the game in Miami with not only a chance to secure the franchise’s first winning season since 1966, but also had a chance for one of their players to set a NFL record.

Mack Herron, known as “Mini-Mack” for his 5 foot 5 inches stature, had a chance to break Gale Sayers’ all-purpose yards single season record of 2,440 if Herron could gain at least 182 yards by running the ball, catching the ball, or returning kickoffs and punts.

The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, which was returned to the New England 28-yard-line by Andy Johnson.

From there, Plunkett led the Patriots to the Miami seven-yard-line in nine plays, including a pair of 20-yard completions, one to Eddie Hinton and the other to Randy Vataha, that set up 1st-and-goal.

Joe Wilson got the ball on the next two plays and had the Patriots at the one-yard-line for 3rd-and-goal when Herron was stopped for no gain setting up 4th-and-goal.

Fairbanks decided to go for the touchdown, but his gamble failed when Plunkett’s pass intended for Herron was broken up by safety Jake Scott, giving the Dolphins the ball at their own one-yard-line.

However, the Patriots would get the ball back at the Miami 32-yard-line after forcing the Dolphins to go three-and-out and were quickly near the Dolphins goalline after two plays, a 19-yard pass to Johnson and a 10-yard run by Wilson that set up 1st-and-goal from the three-yard-line.

But after Herron gained one yard on 1st down and Plunkett’s pass for Vataha fell incomplete on 2nd down, the Patriots were in danger of blowing another scoring opportunity as they faced 3rd-and-goal from the two-yard-line.

That is when it appeared that disaster had struck for New England when Plunkett fumbled the snap from center Bill Lenkaitis, only to have left guard John Hannah recover the fumble in the end zone for a Patriots touchdown that put New England up 7-0 with 4:19 left in the opening quarter.

Jim Plunkett completed less than half of his passes, as he went 15-of-41 for 234 yards and threw one touchdown.

The Patriots’ defense were able to increase the lead on the Dolphins’ ensuing possession when cornerback John Sanders intercepted a Morrall pass that was intended for tight end Jim Mandich and returned for a 23-yard touchdown, making it a 14-0 lead for New England with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

It only get better for the Patriots on the ensuing kickoff as Hubert Ginn fumbled the football when he was hit by the Patriots’ Craig Hanneman, which was recovered by Ed Jenkins at the Miami 15-yard-line.

Herron got the call on all four plays of the Patriots’ ensuing drive as he carried the ball three straight times for 11 yards, and then caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Plunkett to increase the New England lead to 21-0 with 37 seconds left in the first quarter, the most points the Patriots have ever scored in a 1st quarter in their team’s history.

When the Patriots got the ball for the first time in the second quarter, they drove 57 yards in 12 plays, ending with a 46-yard field goal by John Smith to push the lead to 24-0 with over nine minutes left in the second quarter.

Even though there was still 39 minutes to play, it seemed like the game was over as only four times up to that point in NFL history had a team come back from a 24-point deficit to win a game and with most of the Dolphins’ starters not playing, chances seemed even more remote for a Miami victory.

And things did not get better on the Dolphins’ ensuing possession as they went three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Patriots who took over at their own 28-yard-line after the Miami punt.

But the “No-Names” rose up for the first time in the game as they forced a three-and-out, giving their offense the ball back at their 24-yard-line.

That is when the Dolphins offense woke up and got moving as Morrall hit Nat Moore for 16 yards on the first play of the drive, which was followed by a 20-yard pass to Melvin Baker that put Miami in New England territory for the first time in the game as the Dolphins had a 1st-and-10 at the Patriots’ 40-yard-line.

Then the Dolphins began to go backwards as Benny Malone was lost six yards on a 1st down run, which was followed by Morrall being dropped for another six-yard loss on 2nd down, and then a delay-of-game, setting up 3rd-and-27.

However, Morrall would hit Moore for 25 yards on 3rd down, to set up a 4th-and-2 at the Patriots’ 32-yard-line which Shula decided to go for the 1st down.

The Dolphins got the 1st down as Morrall connected with running back Don Nottingham for seven yards to give Miami a 1st down at the New England 25-yard-line as the two-minute warning struck.

Two plays later on 3rd-and-8, Morrall try to connect with Mandich for a touchdown, as the tight end was able to draw a pass interference penalty on strong safety Jack Mildren, putting the ball at the one-yard-line where Nottingham punched it in for the Dolphins’ first touchdown and to cut the Patriots’ lead to 24-7 with exactly 90 seconds to go before the halftime break.

It looked like the Dolphins were going to get another chance to cut into the New England lead as Johnson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by Miami’s Charlie Babb at the Patriots’ 27-yard-line.

But on the very next play, Morrall was intercepted by free safety Prentice McCray on a pass intended for Baker, and returned the pick 28 yards to the New England 37-yard-line, giving the Patriots a chance to either run out the clock or add to their lead.

However, the Dolphins’ defense was able to force a three-and-out and get the ball back with about 40 seconds left at their own 41-yard-line.

That is when Morrall connected with Moore for a 22-yard gain on 1st down, then found Baker in the right corner of the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown, that brought the Dolphins to within 10 points at 24-14 with 23 seconds left in the first half.

The Patriots were hoping to get out of the first half with the lead down to only 10 points, but for the second straight time, they fumbled on the kickoff, as Herron lost the football at his own 30-yard-line which was recovered by Lloyd Mumphord at the New England 31-yard-line with 16 seconds left, enough time for the Dolphins to get more points.

Morrall and Nottingham connected on a 20-yard screen pass to set up Garo Yepremian’s 28-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to trim the Patriots’ once 24-point lead down to just a touchdown, at 24-17 as the Dolphins scored 17 points in the last 90 seconds of the first half and were going to get the ball to start the second half.

Don Nottingham only rushed for 41 yards on 15 carries, but had two touchdowns in the Dolphins' comeback win.

The Dolphins drove from their 14-yard-line to the Patriots’ 44-yard-line before the drive stalled and Miami was forced to punt the ball back to New England, who went three-and-out on their opening drive of the 2nd half, giving the ball back to the Dolphins at the Miami 48-yard-line.

But after hitting Baker for a 18-yard gain on the first play of the drive, Morrall would threw his third interception of the day as Sanders made his second pick of the day as intercepted Morrall’s pass that was intended for Moore in the end zone, resulting in a touchback.

However, the Patriots would go three-and-out again, punting the ball to the Dolphins, who took over at their own 39-yard-line where Morrall connected with Nottingham for 13 yards, which was followed by a two-yard run by Malone, and then Morrall going deep for Baker, who made the catch at the Patriots’ five-yard-line, then ran in untouched to complete the 46-yard touchdown and with Yepremian’s extra point, tie the game at 24 with nearly 5 ½ minutes to go in the third quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, the Patriots took over at their own 45-yard-line and put together a nine-play, 38-yard drive which culminated with a 34-yard field goal by Smith, putting the Patriots back in the lead at 27-24 just 64 seconds into the fourth quarter.

It seemed the Patriots had finally recaptured the momentum of the game but Malone returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards, giving the Dolphins a 1st down at the New England’ 27-yard-line.

The Dolphins went back to what they do best, run the ball, as Malone and Nottingham traded carries on a seven-play drive which ended with Nottingham’s two-yard touchdown run that put Miami back in front, 31-27 with 9:25 left in the final period.

Then after forcing the fourth three-and-out by the Patriots offense, the Dolphins were given a chance to put the game out of reach as Moore returned the ensuing punt 52 yards to the New England 32-yard-line.

However, the Patriots were able to force a field goal attempt, which Yepremian made from 40 yards out to push Miami’s lead to seven points, 34-27 with 4:19 left in regulation.

Needing a touchdown to force overtime, the Patriots got great field position as Yepremian’s kickoff was short and John Tanner’s 17-yard return gave New England the ball at their own 43-yard-line with 4:12 to go.

From there, Plunkett hit Herron for a 32-yard gain, inching him closer to Sayers’ record, but importantly giving New England a 1st down at the Dolphins’ 25-yard-line.

However, Plunkett’s next two incomplete passes fell incomplete and after an offsides penalty on Miami gave the Patriots five yards, Plunkett threw another incomplete pass setting up a 4th-and-5.

With little time left and being 20 yards from the end zone, Fairbanks went for the 1st down, but Plunkett’s pass intended for Herron fell incomplete, giving the ball back to Miami and a chance for the Dolphins to run out the clock with 2:51 to go.

But the Dolphins were unable to get a 1st down and were forced to punt the ball back to the Patriots, where after a 11-yard return by Herron, had the ball at the Miami 48-yard-line with 1:40 to play in regulation.

Wilson got the ball on 1st down and only gained one yard, which was followed by a near disaster as Wilson made a catch, only to fumble the ball.

Wilson recovered his own fumble at the 40-yard-line, setting up a 3rd-and-2 where Plunkett hit Herron for 10 yards that not only gave the Patriots a 1st down, but “Mini-Mack” the all-purpose yards record with 2,444 total yards(1146 returning, 824 rushing, 474 receiving).

Mack Herron(42) ran had 185 all-purpose yards(56 rushing, 68 receiving, and 61 returning) to break Gale Sayers' single season record for all-purpose yards.

With the ball at the 30-yard-line and the clock running, Plunkett found Vataha for 27 yards to give the Patriots a 1st-and-goal at the three-yard-line.

The Patriots offense ran to the three-yard-line and snapped the ball to Plunkett who overthrew Johnson stopping the clock with seven seconds left.

On 2nd down, Plunkett again threw, finding Tanner in the end zone, only to have him drop it, leaving the Patriots with four seconds left and probably one last chance to get into the end zone.

That is when Plunkett dropped back to pass, only to be sacked by Don Reese as time run out, preserving the Dolphins’ 34-27 victory to equal what was then the greatest comeback in NFL history until it was broken in 1980 when Joe Montana lead the 49ers back from 28 points down to beat the New Orleans Saints and then broken again in the 1992 Playoffs when the Buffalo Bills overcome a 32-point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers.

Griese, Csonka, Morris, and Warfield would return the following week for the Dolphins’ Divisional Playoff where Miami’s quest for a third straight Super Bowl title ended with a 28-26 loss to the Raiders on the famous “Sea of Hands” touchdown catch by Clarence Davis with 24 seconds left in the game.

As for the Patriots, the late-season slide would follow them into the following season as they went 3-11 as Plunkett and Herron’s time with the Patriots came to an end that season as Plunkett lost the starting quarterback job to Steve Grogan and was traded to the San Francisco 49ers following the 1975 season, where he spent two years before being traded to the Oakland Raiders where he ended up winning two Super Bowl rings.

Herron’s production dropped off up dramatically in the ‘75 season as he gained only 771 all-purpose yards and would be out of the league after the season.

As for his all-purpose yards record, it would be broken in 1975 by the Cardinals’ Terry Metcalf, who gained 2,462 yards during the season.

The record is currently held by Darren Sproles, who set the record in 2011 with 2,696 yards.

And finally there is Earl Morrall, who would remain with the Dolphins for two more seasons as Griese and get one more start which he won, a 20-7 win over ironically, the Patriots.

Morrall retired after 21 seasons in the NFL where he played for six different teams and threw for 20, 809 yards and 161 touchdown passes in his career.