Montana magic lifts Chiefs past Steelers in '93

	BEST WILD CARD GAMES
	This is the second in a five-part ESPN SportsCenter series on the best NFL Wild Card Games of all-time, selected by a vote of ESPN.com users earlier this month. Follow the series on-air and on-line as ESPN brings you the best of the best.

The Kansas City Chiefs -- absent from the postseason since 1986 -- advanced to the 1990 AFC Wild Card Game under the direction of second-year coach Marty Schottenheimer. The Chiefs' last postseason victory? Try Super Bowl IV.

But the Chiefs came in hot, having won six of their last seven games to close the season. The site was the new Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, where Dan Marino and Co. are playing host to a playoff game for the first time.

The Chiefs, however, weren't the only team ending a playoff drought. It was the Dolphins' first winning season since 1987 and their first playoff game since 1986 -- when they beat Schottenheimer's Cleveland Browns in the Division Playoffs.

As is the case with most Schottenheimer teams, the Kansas City defense set the tone for the 1990 Chiefs. But, while their defense held the high-powered Miami offense in check early in this playoff game, one Dolphin booted his way into the record books.

	Dan Marino threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally the Dolphins past the Chiefs, 17-16.

Pete Stoyanovich, who entered the game with a 59-yard field goal to his credit, nailed a 58-yarder to get Miami on the board first. But, as the half wound down, the Kansas City combination of Steve DeBerg and Stephon Paige answered back.

The Chiefs drove to the Miami 26 with the game tied 3-3, and DeBerg got K.C. into the end zone. Paige blew by Miami cornerback J.B. Brown as DeBerg dropped back. Paige, about as wide open as a receiver can get, caught the perfect delivery from DeBerg for a 10-3 Chiefs' lead.

In the second half, the Chiefs put their coach's words into action.

"Stay with it no matter what happens," Schottenheimer told his team. "The end will be there, and we'll be on top if you take it one play at a time."

As the second half opened, the momentum stayed with Kansas City. Miami's miscues turned into two more Nick Lowery field goals and a 16-3 fourth-quarter lead.

But the Dolphins had No. 13 on the sideline, and he had 15 minutes to work another comeback.

"Everybody just sucked it up and said we need two scores to win," said Marino. "Everybody in the fourth quarter was talking about just two touchdowns to win."

The task facing Marino and his offense? Well, the Kansas City defense had allowed two touchdowns in a quarter just once during the regular season.

Still, Marino went to work. A touchdown to Tony Paige cut the deficit to six. Then an 11-play drive nearly ended in disaster when Chiefs defensive back Albert Lewis went for the pick. But Mark Clayton hauled in the touchdown catch as Lewis gambled and lost.

In two drives, Marino brought the Dolphins back to take a 17-16 lead with three minutes to play.

There was still enough time, however, for DeBerg to lead the Chiefs to within field-goal range. But a crucial holding penalty on Kansas City moved Lowery's game-winning attempt back to 52 yards.

Three years later, in the 1993 AFC Wild Card Game, Lowery would hit a game-winner in overtime to beat the Steelers. But on this day, his kick fell just short, and the Dolphins survived 17-16 to move on in the playoffs.

"I felt like I hit it pretty well," said Lowery. "It's a very disappointing feeling, because we came that close to going on, and we know we're a good enough team to go all the way."

"I was just hoping gravity would pull the ball down," said Dolphins defensive back Louis Oliver. "Once he kicked it, I turned around and I was like, 'please gravity, please gravity pull it down.' Gravity pulled it down."

The Dolphins moved on in the playoffs to play at Buffalo the next week, but their season ended there as the Bills won a wild Divisional Playoff, 44-34.

Marino, however, proved on this day that no lead is safe when time remains on the clock.