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There's a new kid on the block: Jacksonville '97



  Saturday, Jan. 9 6:31pm ET
Chargers get just enough kick in '81
From ESPN SportsCenter

 
BEST DIVISION GAMES
  This is the fifth in a five-part ESPN SportsCenter series on the best NFL Divisional playoff 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.
In the 1981 AFC playoffs, it was Air-Coryell's San Diego offense against Miami, the league's No. 2 rated pass defense.

And from the start, it looked like a laugher. Already up 3-0, the Chargers' Wes Chandler ran back a Tom Orosz punt 56 yards for a score.

From there, things just got worse for the Dolphins.

They played the ensuing kick-off as if it was a punt, allowing the ball to hit the ground: It was now a live ball recovered by the Chargers. Seven plays later, Chuck Muncie put San Diego up 17-0. That quickly increased to 24-0 courtesy of rookie running back James Brooks -- and it still was the first quarter.

 Dan Fouts
 Dan Fouts and the Chargers aired it out in Miami.

Don Shula, looking to change the Dolphins' fortunes, replaced quarterback David Woodley with Don Strock, a move that provided an instant spark to their sputtering offense -- and led to Miami's first points.

The Dolphins' defense followed suit, forcing a Dan Fouts fumble, which eventually resulted in seven points.

But it was a Strock to Duriel Harris to Tony Nathan hook-and-ladder for a 40-yard score that seemed to swing the momentum fully toward the Dolphins. San Diego's lead was just 24-17 as the first half ended.

The second half began in the same manner in which the first had concluded. Strock hooked up with tight end Joe Rose for a second time and just as quickly as the Dolphins seemed out of it, they pulled even at 24.

Re-enter Fouts.

He connected with his favorite target, Kellen Winslow, on a 25-yard score and San Diego regained the lead.

But not to be outdone, Strock went deep to tight end Bruce Hardy for a 50-yard completion that evened things at 31.

On the fourth quarter's first play, Miami took its first lead of the game when Tony Nathan scored from 12 yards out, putting the Dolphins in front 38-31.

"Miami got all of the momentum going their way in the second and third quarter, and we just had to fight back in the fourth quarter, and we did," former Chargers receiver Charlie Joiner said.

Trailing for the first time, the Chargers capitalized on another Dolphins mistake, a fumble. Fouts engineered a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 38 with less then a minute remaining.

The Dolphins had one last chance to win it in regulation with four seconds left, but Uwe von Schamann's 43-yard field-goal try was tipped by Winslow.

Overtime.

In OT, it was Rolf Benirschke's turn to attempt the game-winner -- but he pulled a 27-yarder wide, and the game continued.

Then up stepped von Schamann again -- from 34-yards out -- and again the game-winner eluded him.

The Chargers had another chance.

"On the sidelines I was just really thankful that I was getting another chance," Benirschke said. "So often for a kicker, you miss a critical kick and the ball game ends, and yet the guys on our side wouldn't let that happen."

This time, Benirschke nailed it from 29 yards, and after a grueling 73 minutes and 52 seconds of football, the Chargers had earned a spot in the AFC Championship game.

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