The Top 100 Plays of the First Quarter of the Century: 31-35

Here's our countdown of the top 100 Miami Dolphins plays of the first 25 seasons of the new century.

For ground rules, the plays were picked on the basis of historical significance, impact on a game or season, and uniqueness.

We continue the countdown with plays 31-35:

35 — Jimmy Wilson punt block at N.Y. Jets in 2012

Setting the stage: The Miami Dolphins had one three-game winning streak during Joe Philbin’s first season as head coach in 2012, and it was sandwiched around the team’s bye. The Dolphins had won against the Cincinnati Bengals and St. Louis Rams to move to 3-3 on the season when they came off their bye to face the Jets in a game they would win handily despite being outgained by 127 yards.

The play: The Dolphins led 3-0 late in the first quarter when DB Jimmy Wilson ended a Jets drive with a sack of Mark Sanchez on third-and-7 from the New York 28. But Wilson was just getting started. On the ensuing punt, he blew by up-back Tim Tebow (yes, that Tim Tebow) to block the kick from Robert Malone and Olivier Vernon recovered the ball in the end zone for a 10-0 lead on the way to a 30-9 victory.

34. Koa Misi TD at Minnesota in 2010

Setting the stage: Looking to rebound from the disappointing 2009 season, the Dolphins opened the following season with a road victory at Buffalo but faced a tough challenge in Week 2 against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, who had lost their opener but were coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance. No problem. The Dolphins defense got three picks and three sacks, none bigger than the one midway through the third quarter.

The play: The Dolphins led 7-0 when they decided to punt on fourth-and-6 from the Minnesota 39-yard line instead of going for the first down or attempting a 57-yard field goal, and the decision paid off big time. Brandon Fields pinned Minnesota at its 5-yard line and it got to third-and-10 after two plays gained 4 yards and a false start penalty pushed the Vikings back. Cameron Wake then did what Cameron Wake does, blew past the right tackle and nailed Favre to force a fumble in the end zone. The ball went to linebacker Koa Misi, and just like that the Dolphins had a 14-0 lead that they would make stand in a 14-10 victory.

33. Jevon Holland’s forced fumble vs. Jacksonville in 2024

Setting the stage: The Dolphins’ 2024 season opener was shaping up to be a really depressing affair with Jacksonville shutting down their offense and seemingly on its way to a 24-7 lead when Travis Etienne found an opening in the middle of the line on a first-down run from the Miami 13-yard line. That’s when safety Jevon Holland save the day.

The play: Etienne was inside the 5-yard line with a clear path to the end zone when Holland arrived from the side and punched at the ball. Holland got a clean hit and the ball squirted loose toward the Dolphins end zone, where cornerback Kader Kohou beat everybody to fall on the ball for the touchback. Dolphins fans know the rest: Tua hit Tyreek Hill for an 80-yard touchdown on the next play and Miami rallied for a 20-17 victory.

32. Booker bomb to Chambers vs. St. Louis in 2004

Setting the stage: The 2004 season always will be remembered for Ricky Williams abruptly retiring on the eve of training camp and leaving the Dolphins offense and team in disarray. The Dolphins began the season with six consecutive losses, never scoring more than 13 points in the process, before they finally put it all together — at least for one day against the Rams.

The play: The Dolphins and Rams, who came into the game with a 4-2 record, traded punts on the first three possessions of the game before the Dolphins reached into their bag of tricks on a first-and-10 from their own 44. Marty Booker got the ball on a double reverse and set himself up way deep in the offensive backfield before unleashing a bomb downfield that Chris Chambers caught inside the 10-yard line. The pass traveled 55 yards in the air, which is where we point out that Booker had been a high school quarterback. The long completion to the Rams 8-yard line set up the first touchdown of the game and the Dolphins were on their way to a 31-14 victory.

31. Xavien Howard’s INT vs. New England in 2017

Setting the stage: Xavien Howard was a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, but it wasn't until Dec. 3, 2017 that he recorded his first career interception. He actually had two picks that day against the Denver Broncos, though it would be the following Monday night when Howard would have his coming-out party. The Dolphins came into the game with a 5-7 record but were able to upset the 10-2 Patriots thanks in large part to Howard shutting down speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who had one catch for 38 yards on seven targets while Howard had two picks and one defensive pass interference penalty.

The play: The Dolphins led 13-10 when the Patriots faced a third-and-16 on their first possession of the second half. Brady went after Howard again, throwing a deep pass downfield after Cooks seemingly had gotten behind the Miami defense. But Howard closed the gap, turned around at the last second and played the role of wide receiver to come up with his second interception of the game. His pick and 29-yard return set up a touchdown that gave Miami a 20-10 lead on its way to a 27-20 victory.

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