Few plays in Dolphins history get replayed more than Dan Marino's fake spike against the Jets, and for good reason. With Miami trailing 24-21 on Nov. 27, 1994, Marino sold a clock-stopping spike and instead hit Mark Ingram for an 8-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left, turning a first-place AFC East game into one of the defining moments of the rivalry.
But, the part that often gets missed is who helped put that play in Marino's mind: former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Bernie Kosar.
Kosar had already cemented his place in UM history by leading Miami to its first national championship in 1983, but this helped him gain an extra level of "legend" status.
The clock play that Marino used was something Kosar had carried with him long before
Marino later gave Kosar credit because Kosar brought the spike concept from Cleveland and reminded him over the headset, "Think about the clock play."
Kosar had used the concept in the Browns-Jets playoff game in 1986 and had practiced it for years with Cleveland, Dallas and then Miami before the right moment finally arrived. The staff always referred to it as "Bernie's play," even if Don Shula, Gary Stevens and Marino were all in on the call once the situation developed.
The play has become immortal because Marino and Ingram were shredding the Jets by that point. Marino logged 31 completions on 44 attempts for 359 yards and four touchdowns. Ingram caught nine passes for 117 yards, and every single Dolphins touchdown went through him.
Miami trailed 24-6 late in the third quarter before Marino led the comeback.
The win ended up reviving a Dolphins team that entered the day 7-4 and on a two-game skid, and Miami eventually won the AFC East at 10-6. On the other side, the loss sent the Jets into a collapse. New York lost its final four games, Pete Carroll was fired after the season, and the franchise spiraled through a miserable stretch before Bill Parcells arrived a few years later.
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