The Top 100 Plays of the First Quarter of the Century: 56-60

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 56-60:

60. Jeff Ogden’s punt return vs. Green Bay in 2000

Setting the stage: The Dolphins got off to a great start in the 2000 season with wins in five of their first six games, but then came the Monday night collapse against the New York Jets where they blew a 30-7 fourth-quarter lead. It was the kind of game that could have made the season go sideways in a hurry.

The play: Back in Miami the following week to face the 3-4 Packers, the Dolphins were sluggish early and fell behind 17-0 early in the second quarter before they rallied. The highlight play of the comeback came from unheralded wide receiver Jeff Ogden, whose punt return for a touchdown gave Miami a 28-17 late in the third quarter on their way to a 28-20 victory.

59. Lamar Smith’s 46-yard TD run at Detroit in 2000

Setting the stage: The week after that victory against the Packers, the Dolphins traveled to Detroit fo take on the Lions and took care of business early on their way to a 23-8 victory.

The play: Talk about a fast start! The only way the Dolphins could have topped what they did would have been with a kickoff return for a touchdown. What the Dolphins got instead was a 56-yard return by Autry Denson to set up the Dolphins in Lions territory for their opening snap, followed by a simple handoff to Smith, who took advantage of some great blocking from fullback Rob Konrad and right tackle Todd Wade to find a seam and race to the end without being touched.

58. Jarvis Landry end-around TD at Tennessee in 2015

Setting the stage: There was a lot of anticipation and curiosity heading into Dan Campbell’s first game as interim head coach after he replaced Joe Philbin following a lifeless loss in London against the Jets that left Miami with a 1-3 record. Campbell had been a bit of a surprise pick, but he set a tone very early with some physical practices and after a bye week it was time to see what the Dolphins would look like under him.

The play: Campbell couldn’t have asked for a better start as the Dolphins marched 80 yards on eight plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Five of those plays were runs, none sweeter than the last one, Landry taking a handoff from Ryan Tannehill on a reverse and making his way to the end zone on the right side of the formation.

57. Anthony Fasano game-winning TD at Kansas City in 2008

Setting the stage: Before the playoff game a couple of years ago, the coldest game in Dolphins history had taken place in the team’s next-to-last game of the 2008 regular season — also at Kansas City — and it was a must-win game for a Dolphins team battling the Jets and Patriots for the AFC East title.

The play: Unlike the playoff game, the cold and wind didn’t keep either team from moving the ball offensively in what became a shootout. The Dolphins got the winning touchdown on a third-and-4 to cap a 13-play, 85-yard drive when Chad Pennington quickly threw to Fasano at the 10 in the face of a blitz, Fasano shook off a tackle attempt and then ran into the end zone with 4:08 left.

56. Ryan Tannehill 48-yard keeper at Pittsburgh in 2013

Setting the stage: The 2013 season was marred by the Bullygate scandal, but the Dolphins still were in playoff position when they traveled to Pittsburgh for a December game in the snow. And while the game was remembered for what almost became a wild finish with the Steelers close to pulling off a five-later touchdown, it also featured a rare long run by a Dolphins quarterback.

The play: The Dolphins were trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter when they got a first down on when Tannehill ran for 8 yards on third-and-3. On the next play, the Dolphins perfectly executed the RPO and when the right side linebacker collapsed toward the middle thinking Tannehill had handed off, it left a wide open hole for the quarterback. By the time he was pushed out of bounds after a 48-yard gain, Tannehill had himself the record for longest run by a Dolphins quarterback and the first run of more than 30 yards since Earl Morrall went 31 yards way back in 1972.

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