The Top 100 Plays of the First Quarter of the Century: 66-70

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 66-70:

70. Noah igbinoghene’s game-clinching INT vs. Pittsburgh in 2022

Setting the stage: Noah Igbinoghene had a rough time during his stay in Miami after being a first-round pick in 2020, but he had his shining moment in this Sunday night game at Hard Rock Stadium, a game that marked the return of Tua Tagovailoa to the lineup after missing three starts with a concussion.

The play: The Dolphins offense struggled that night, but the defense came to play and two interceptions had produced a 16-10 lead heading into the final two minutes. But Pittsburgh threatened to steal the victory with rookie Kenny Pickett at quarterback after driving to the Miami 25-yard line. With 25 seconds left and no timeouts, Pickett went for the win when he tried to hit Diontae Johnson at the goal line, but Igbinoghene was the one in position for the ball and he did a great job of getting his feet in bounds to secure the victory.

69. Robert Edwards’ TD catch vs. Detroit in 2002

Setting the stage: We’ve already included one play in the countdown from the 49-21 rout in this season opener and Edwards’ touchdown late in the third quarter of a blowout didn’t have a major impact on the outcome, but this was a feel-good story. Edwards was playing his first NFL game after a devastating knee injury in a beach football game at the Pro Bowl following his impressive rookie season with New England in 1998.

The play: The play was simple enough, Edwards coming out of the backfield and catching a short pass from Jay Fiedler over the middle. While Edwards never was able to recapture the form he showed as a rookie or in college at Georgia, this at least was a feel-good moment that he followed up with a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter that day.

68. Mike Wallace TD catch vs. New England in 2014

Setting the stage: Mike Wallace didn’t have the kind of production for the Dolphins they might have envisioned when they signed him as a free agent in 2013, but he did play a role in the stirring second-half comeback that saw Miami turn a 20-10 halftime deficit into a 33-20 victory against the Patriots in the 2014 opener.

The play: Wallace always was known more for his speed than his catching ability, but his touchdown to tie the score 20-20 midway through the third quarter was some kind of impressive. Wallace ran a slant against star cornerback Darrelle Revis, who had great coverage on the play. Revis even got his hands on the ball, but Wallace got the carom and was able to secure the 14-yard touchdown after the ball bounced off him a couple of times.

67. Jaylen Waddle’s TD vs. Green Bay in 2022

Setting the stage: The Dolphins were facing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Christmas Day after coming home from a brutal three-game road trip where they went 0-3 but still with an 8-6 record on the season.

The play: After the teams traded field goals, the Dolphins showed off their big-play capability when Waddle took a pass from Tagovailoa on a short crosser and easily outran every Green Bay defender to the end zone, the only player on the field able to come close to keeping up with his speed being Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins went on to lose 26-20.

66. Zach Thomas’ pick-six at Tennessee in 2001

Setting the stage: The Dolphins entered the 2001 season with high hopes after making the playoffs the previous year and winning their first-round matchup against Indianapolis. The schedule presented a challenging opener on the road against the Tennessee Titans, who were coming off a 13-3 season. The Sunday night game was one to remember for the Dolphins, who recorded an impressive 31-23 victory complete with Zach Thomas' highlight-reel touchdown.

The play: The Dolphins were in control pretty much the entire night and they led 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter when Neil O'Donnell replaced Steve McNair. On a second-and-4 from the Tennessee 27, O'Donnell tried to squeeze a pass into tight end Erron Kinney on a slant despite tight coverage and Thomas just stepped in front from the other side. He made the easy catch on the run sprinting toward the end zone, but made sure to punctuate his pick-six by doing a forward flip into the end zone. The touchdown made it 31-14, though Tennessee had two late scores to make the final score more respectable.

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