Monday Night Miracle (American football)
Jets rallied from 23 down to win in overtime.
On October 23, 2000, at Giants Stadium, the New York Jets mounted a stunning comeback on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins. Trailing late, they erupted for 30 points in the fourth quarter, tying the game twice to force overtime, where they won 40–37.
Quick Facts
- Visitor
- Miami Dolphins
- Visitor abbr
- MIA
- Visitor coach
- Dave Wannstedt
- Visitor record
- 5–1
- Home
- New York Jets
- Home abbr
- NYJ
- Home coach
- Al Groh
- Visitor total
- 37
Facts from the source article.
Background
The game was for first place in the AFC East, as both teams entered with a 5–1 record. Unlike their 1994 meeting at Giants Stadium, where the Jets lost an 18-point lead, the Dolphins failed to hold the lead this time. The comeback was the second largest in NFL history and the largest in Jets history. ABC's Monday Night Football viewers later voted it the greatest game televised on that program, and it ranked fifth on NFL Top Ten's Top Ten Comebacks. At the end of the third quarter, with Miami ahead 30–7, Jets broadcaster Howard David declared the game over.
Jets comeback
The Jets scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 30 with three touchdowns and a field goal, though a two-point conversion attempt to Curtis Martin was stopped. On Miami's first play after the tie, Jay Fiedler threw a long touchdown pass to Leslie Shepherd, giving the Dolphins the lead again. The Jets drove back down, helped by a fourth-down catch by Richie Anderson at the Dolphins 2-yard line despite a head-on hit from Zach Thomas and Jerry Wilson. The tying touchdown was caught by offensive tackle John 'Jumbo' Elliott, playing as a tackle-eligible; Dennis Miller remarked that opposing defenses 'couldn't keep him down forever.' In overtime, Marcus Coleman intercepted Fiedler but was hit by Thurman Thomas and fumbled back to Miami. Coleman then intercepted Fiedler again and held on. Vinny Testaverde passed to Wayne Chrebet to set up field goal range; a pass that nearly became an interception by Jerry Wilson hit the ground first, nullifying the turnover. John Hall kicked the winning field goal with 8:13 left in the extra session. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, visiting the ABC broadcast booth to promote his film The 6th Day, spoke after halftime. The game fell between Games 2 and 3 of the 2000 World Series (Yankees vs. Mets), and during the third quarter the crowd chanted 'Let's Go Yankees' and 'Let's Go Mets'.
Aftermath
The Jets finished the season 9–7, third in the AFC East. The Dolphins won the division at 11–5 but entered the playoffs as a wild card because they could not catch the 12–4 Oakland Raiders or the 13–3 Tennessee Titans. Miami won its wild card playoff game 23–17 in overtime against Indianapolis, their last playoff win to date, then lost 27–0 to Oakland in the divisional round.
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