Greatest Games: S.D. 41, Miami 38 Quiz

Answer: Both won their divisions

The 11-4-1 Dolphins won the tight AFC East race that year, beating the 10-6 Bills in the final week of the season to lock up the division. The 10-6 Chargers had the same record as their division rival Denver Broncos, but won the AFC West by virtue of a better record within the division.

Answer: Chargers, 24-0

The Chargers scored 24 first quarter points to open up a 24-0 lead. Miami then tied it at 24 in the third quarter. San Diego then went up 31-24. The Dolphins went up 38-31 and were deep in Charger territory with less than five minutes to go when they fumbled and San Diego recovered. The Chargers drove 82 yards to tie the game with less than one minute left.

Answer: It was the trick play that Miami used to score just before halftime

The "hook and ladder", alternately referred to as a "hook and lateral", was used by Miami to end the first half with a touchdown. After a San Diego punt, the Dolphins started at their 37 with less than a minute in the half. On the San Diego 40 with six seconds left, Shula ordered the team to execute the "87 lateral curl", the play's official name. Dolphin receiver Duriel Harris ran downfield and curled back toward the line of scrimmage (the "hook" part) to receive Strock's pass.

As he was about to be tackled, he lateraled (the "ladder" part) to running back Tony Nathan, who ran untouched into the end zone, bringing Miami to within 24-17 at halftime, and giving them incredible momentum going into the locker room.

Answer: David Woodley

Woodley and Strock had both started games for the 1981 Dolphins. Promising second year quarterback Woodley started the game but was ineffective (two-for-five, 20 yards, one interception). Dolphins coach Shula pulled Woodley for Strock, who had the game of his career: 29 of 43, 403 yards, three TD, one INT.

Answer: Jimmy Cefalo

Jimmy Cefalo of the Dolphins caught three passes for 62 yards, trailing Chargers Kellen Winslow (166 yards), Charlie Joiner (108), and Wes Chandler (106), and his teammates Tony Nathan (114), Duriel Harris (106), and Bruce Hardy (89).

Answer: Blocked a field goal at the end of regulation time that would have won the game for the Dolphins

After the Chargers tied the score at 38 with under a minute to go, Strock rushed the Dolphins down the field to the Charger 26, from which they attempted a 43-yard field goal that would have won the game. Winslow got enough height to block the kick, forcing overtime.

He then suffered several minutes of cramps up his entire body from dehydration and the stretching to block the kick. Winslow literally needed his teammates' help to walk off the field several times during the game, and took several hits of oxygen.

The temperature and humidity, both around 85%, took a massive toll on all the players, but probably none more than Winslow. "I've never felt so close to death before", he said after the game, paraphrasing Muhammad Ali after one of his fights with Joe Frazier.

Answer: Chuck Muncie

Muncie's 120 yards on 24 carries out-gained the combined efforts of the rest of the players in the game, who together rushed for only 107 yards.

Answer: Longest game

The NFL's longest game when the two teams played this playoff, was the 1971 double-overtime Miami Dolphins victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, in a game quite similar to this one, except that it lasted almost nine minutes longer. The playoff records set in this game included most total points by both teams (79), most total yards (1,036), and most passing yards (809).

Answer: Most of his digestive tract had been removed

Benirschke suffered painful recurring digestive problems during the 1979 season, resulting in an ileostomy, removal of most of his lower intestine. He returned to play full time in 1980, retiring after the 1986 season with 766 points, making him the leading scorer in the team's history. In 2000, he was named to the all-time San Diego Chargers team.

Answer: Chargers 1994, Dolphins 1982

The reward for the Chargers' uplifting victory was that they got to travel to Cincinnati the following weekend, playing the Bengals in a 59 degree wind chill, quite a change from the sweltering heat in the Miami game. Their next two playoff appearances were in the 1982 and 1993 playoffs, winning a first round game both times before losing in the divisional playoffs.

They finally made it to the AFC Championship and Super Bowl for the 1994 season. The Dolphins, perennial powers, played in the 1982 and 1984 Super Bowls, and had several other appearances in the AFC championship.