Believe it or not, the Miami Dolphins used to be a fixture in the NFL’s postseason. As a matter of fact, Don Shula steered the Dolphins into the postseason through 12 of his first 16 seasons as the head coach in Miami — the team was a staple of the playoffs. And through all of those playoff appearances of old, the Dolphins seemed to escape the lore of all-time great playoff moments.
Miami’s crowning postseason moment? That would be the 1981 “hook and lateral” play against the Chargers in the AFC Divisional round. A great play? Absolutely. An all-time moment? Maybe in Dolphins history — but not across the scope of the entire league’s history.
ESPN ranked the NFL’s top 10 plays of NFL playoff history — and the Dolphins did make an appearance, although it was on the receiving end of a miraculous play, hardly the distinction one would like on such a list.
The play honored? The “Sea of Hands”, which checked in at #8 on the list. The Raiders would end the Dolphins’ bid for three consecutive Super Bowls that day, as Raiders QB Ken Stabler lobbed up a prayer while falling to the ground with just seconds left. The ball somehow fell into the hands of the Raiders in the end zone and the Raiders won, 28-26.
Miami has yet to claim another Super Bowl victory since the “Sea of Hands” — although each of the two Super Bowl appearances Miami has logged in the years since have come while the Raiders have been out of Oakland (the team moved to Los Angeles from 1982-1993). With the Raiders set to move to Las Vegas this offseason, here’s hoping the curse of the “Sea of Hands” can be put to rest.
