NFL FANS VOTE ’81 CHARGERS-DOLPHINS
 DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF
 NINTH MOST MEMORABLE GAME OF CENTURY

 Courage. Perseverance. Heart.

 Those were among the qualities on display during the  four-hour, three-minute 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff  Game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers that today  was announced as the ninth Most Memorable NFL Game of the Century.

 On a hot, humid Saturday in Miami on January 2, 1982, the Dolphins and  Chargers played to the point of exhaustion, both mentally and physically,  until the game was decided by a 29-yard field goal 13 minutes into  overtime to give San Diego a 41-38 victory.

 To commemorate the end of the century, the National Football League invited fans to vote on nfl.com, the league’s official website, for the 10
 most memorable games of the century. Fan voting began on October 13 and ended on November 19. Nearly 35,000 votes were cast. Each
 Wednesday, the next “most memorable” game will be announced, culminating in the announcement of the Most Memorable NFL Game of the
 Century during Super Bowl XXXIV week on Wednesday, January 26.

 “A great game,” said Dolphins head coach DON SHULA of the ’81 Divisional classic, despite being on the losing end. “Maybe the greatest
 ever.”

 The game is remembered not so much for the records it set -- most points scored in a playoff game (79), most total yards (1,036) and most
 passing yards (809) -- but more because it pushed every player involved to his limits.

 “I never felt so close to death before,” said Chargers tight end KELLEN WINSLOW. “That’s what MUHAMMAD ALI said in Manila and that’s how I felt out there at the end.”

 Winslow’s performance will forever be remembered as symbolic of the game. During the contest, he was treated for a pinched nerve in his
 shoulder, dehydration, severe cramps, and received three stitches in his lower lip. He was helped off the field numerous times only to continually return to set an NFL playoff record with 13 catches (for 166 yards). Winslow also added a 25-yard touchdown and had arguably the most famous blocked field goal in NFL history.

 FIRST QUARTER – LIGHTNING BOLT
 The Chargers got off to a lightning-quick start. ROLF BENIRSCHKE kicked a 32-yard field goal on the team’s opening drive. Then wide receiver
 WES CHANDLER returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, the ball bounced backwards and San Diego recovered,
 setting up a one-yard scoring run by CHUCK MUNCIE. An interception on the next series led to a DAN FOUTS eight-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back JAMES BROOKS.

 Before anyone could wipe the sweat off their brow, the Chargers led 24-0. “I wanted to dig a hole and crawl in it,” said Dolphins tight end JOE ROSE
 .
 SECOND QUARTER – DOLPHINS “STROCK” BACK
 Early in the second quarter, Shula replaced quarterback DAVID WOODLEY with 31-year old DON STROCK, a veteran who had
 successfully relieved second-year pro Woodley numerous times throughout the regular season.

 Strock quickly led the club to its first points of the day, a 34-yard field goal by kicker UWE VON SCHAMANN.

 Miami’s “Killer Bees” defense awoke and forced a fumble at the Chargers’ 39-yard line. Seven plays later, Strock hit Rose for a one-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-10.

 “You could just sense the difference,” said Chargers linebacker LINDEN KING. “Strock had a real presence out there.”

 Near the end of the first half, the Chargers gambled and let Benirschke attempt a 55-yard field goal. He missed. Three plays later, the Dolphins
 had the ball at the Chargers’ 40-yard line with six seconds left.

 With nothing to lose, Miami called for a “hook-and-ladder” play. Strock fired a pass to wideout DURIEL HARRIS, who caught the 15-yarder while falling back towards the line of scrimmage. In one motion, he lateraled to running back TONY NATHAN, who streaked 25 yards down the sideline for a spectacular touchdown to cut the deficit to seven.

 “It was a beautiful, beautiful play,” said Chargers head coach DON CORYELL. “Perfectly executed.”

 THIRD QUARTER – TIE GAME
 The lateral signaled a momentum swing and the Dolphins capitalized. Strock continued his brilliance and hit Rose for a 15-yard TD, his second
 touchdown of the game to equal his regular-season total. Miami had come all the way back. The game was tied – 24-24.

 But Fouts led the Chargers on a 60-yard, six-play drive, culminating with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Winslow and a 31-24 lead. Strock followed with five completions in a row, then a 50-yard touchdown pass to BRUCE HARDY. Tie game (31-31). Again.

 FOURTH QUARTER – MISSED CHANCES
 The Dolphins took their first lead with less than five minutes remaining on a 12-yard run by Nathan set up by a LYLE BLACKWOOD interception. Then, with Miami marching on a stake-in-the-heart drive deep in Chargers territory with less than five minutes left, safety PETE SHAW recovered a fumble to keep San Diego’s hopes alive.

 The Chargers began at their own 18, needing a touchdown to tie. Fouts marched them down the field and hit Brooks in the back of the end zone
 for a nine-yard TD pass. The score was tied 38-38 with 58 seconds left.

 San Diego squibbed the kickoff and Miami took over at their own 40, needing only a field goal for the win. The Dolphins drove to the Chargers’
 26. They called time out with four seconds left in regulation. Von Schamann had won seven games over the past two seasons (1980-81)
 and was poised to win this one with a 43-yard kick.

 Winslow, exhausted and cramping, reached for everything he had and got his hand on the ball. “It was the biggest thrill of my life,” said Winslow of the block. “I felt like I scored three touchdowns.”

 OVERTIME – RELIEF
 Players were dehydrated, cramping and just dead tired. San Diego won the toss and again marched down the field. They set up for a 27-yard field goal that would win the game and the battle of attrition. But the snap and hold were off and Benirschke pulled the kick left – no good.

 “I was totally frustrated,” said Benirschke. “Especially after these guys put out that kind of effort all day. It was a very lonely feeling. But the coaches and players told me I’d get another chance.”

 Von Schamann would get his chance first. After having the game-winner in regulation blocked, Miami had moved downfield to set up a 34-yard chance for von Schamann. With everything on the line, the kick was blocked – again -- this time by defensive end LEROY JONES. “He kicked it kind of low,” said Jones. “I stuck my arm up and got it.”

 The Chargers took over on their own 16 and marched 74 yards to the Dolphins’ 10 on the strength of consecutive passes to Chandler and
 CHARLIE JOINER of 20 and 29 yards, respectively. On first down, Coryell called for Benirschke. His game-winning kick sailed through the uprights so routinely that it defied the abnormality that dominated the day. Players didn’t move. They had trouble celebrating or mourning.

 “I have coached for 31 or 32 years and this is tremendous,” said Coryell after the game. “There has never been a game like this. It was probably
 the most exciting game in pro football history.”

 No. 9: Pure Heart

                 San Diego Chargers 41, Miami Dolphins 38  Jan. 2, 1982
                 By Phil Barber                  NFL Publishing

                 (Dec. 1, 1999) — "Great game?" Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula growled after his team had
                 fallen in overtime in a 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff Game. "We lost."

                 In hindsight, even Shula would have to admit that this one had everything, including dramatic
                 comebacks, schoolyard plays and more sweat than has ever been poured into a single sporting
                 event, unless you count the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. The editors of Sports Illustrated
                 recently called it their "Favorite Game" of the 20th Century in any sport. NFL.com fans didn't
                 quite go that far, but they did place it ninth among the Most Memorable NFL Games of the Century.

                 The setting was Miami in all its subtropical glory. Temperature and humidity at game time both
                 hovered around 85. Add the sandy-based surface of the Orange Bowl, and there wasn't a muscle on
                 either sideline that didn't threaten to cramp.

                 Throughout the first 15 minutes of play, however, the visiting San Diego Chargers of Air Coryell
                 appeared to be feeling just fine. They burst from the gates with three touchdowns (including a 56-yard punt
                 return by Wes Chandler) and a field goal for a 24-0 first-quarter lead.

                 The home crowd was stunned.

                 Shula stemmed the flow not with a change of strategy but with a  personnel move. He benched 23-year-old David Woodley (at the time
                 the youngest quarterback ever to start an NFL playoff game) in favor of Don Strock, an eight-year veteran and career backup. Strock
                 turned in the best game of his life, completing 29 of 43 passes for 403  yards and four touchdowns. His counterpart, San
                 Diego's Dan Fouts, passed for 433, making it the first NFL game in which two quarterbacks exceeded 400 yards.

                 The score was 24-10 with six seconds left in the first half, the ball at the San Diego 40, when Strock went to the sideline to huddle with
                 Shula. Rather than lobbing a Hail Mary pass, Shula authorized 87 Circle Curl Lateral — a classic hook-and-ladder play. Strock
                threw short to Duriel Harris, who immediately lateraled the ball to halfback Tony Nathan, who sprinted unimpeded into the end zone.

                 "On the hitch-and-lateral play, I was standing next to [wide receiver] Charlie Joiner on the sidelines," says Fouts, who
                 now analyzes college football games for ABC. "We weren't happy. But in a sick way, we kind of admired it."

                 Miami tied the game 24-24 in the third quarter, and later took a 38-31 lead. The Chargers, who recently had acquired
                 a reputation for folding in tight games, looked like they were letting another one slip away.

                 But they recovered a fumble at their own 18-yard late in regulation play. Fouts then led them on a hurried
                 drive down the field, capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to James Brooks with 58 seconds left. "That pass was not intended for
                 James," Fouts says. "Now if Don Shula were on the phone I'd say, 'Screw you. I was throwing to Brooks all the way.'

                 "I saw Shula at the Pro Bowl a month later. He didn't congratulate me, didn't say 'Nice game.' He said, 'You threw it to Winslow, didn't
                 you?' I guess the statute of limitations has run out, so I can admit it now."

                 The intended receiver indeed was Kellen Winslow, San Diego's gifted tight end. And it was Winslow who saved the day moments
                 later, blocking Uwe von Schamann's 43-yard field-goal attempt with four seconds remaining.

                 The block was an exclamation point to Winslow's heroic day. Despite constant bumping at the line, he beat the Dolphins for 13
                 receptions, 166 yards and a touchdown. Already nursing a pair of shoulder injuries, he went through three pairs of shoulder pads in
                 the game. He also got three stitches after linebacker A.J. Duhe gave him a forearm to the lip.

                 After the game, Winslow had to be assisted from the field by two teammates. He limped off a winner. Both teams missed field goals in
                 overtime, but the Chargers' Rolf Benirschke finally hit one from 29 yards, mercifully releasing the exhausted combatants.

                 "That game," Fouts says, "was like, 'We won!' 'We lost!' 'We're tied!'  'We won!' We were on the brink of elimination half a dozen
                 times."

                 The Chargers' reward was a trip to Cincinnati, where the wind-chill factor would take the temperature down to a startling 59 degrees
                 below zero for the AFC Championship Game. They survived the fire, but they couldn't make it through the ice.

                 (Dec. 1, 1999) — Jim Harbaugh may have gotten his first 400-yard passing game in a 35-27 loss to
                 the Minnesota Vikings last week. However, Harbaugh was not the first San Diego Charger to accomplish the feat.

                 Dan Fouts, the franchise's all-time leading passer, reached the mark seven times in his
                 career. In a 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Miami Dolphins, Fouts threw for 433
                 yards and three touchdowns as the Chargers won 41-38 in overtime, in a game selected by
                 fans as the Ninth Most Memorable NFL game.

                 The 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and ABC college football analyst dropped by the
                 NFL.com chat room to discuss that game as well as todays NFL quarterbacks.

                 "I was lucky enough to play in a lot of exciting games & the Miami one, without question, had the most drama and
                 significance," Fouts told fans in the chat room.

                Fouts was the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season  while having a trio of 1,000-yard receivers (Wes Chandler, Charlie
                 Joiner, and Kellen Winslow) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Chuck Muncie).

                 The following is an edited transcript:

              Fernando: Many people in Miami believe that the overtime game between the Chargers and the Dolphins was one of the most
                 exciting and memorable ones. Do you agree? If not, which was the most exciting and memorable game of your NFL career?

              Dan Fouts: I do agree that this was one of the most memorable ones. I was lucky enough to play in a lot of exciting games. I defined
                 exciting games as anywhere we scored more than 40, and that happened often.

                 The Miami one without question had the most drama and significance.

              Dave Sewell: Of all the receivers you played with, if you had only one chance at scoring from the 50 yard line, whom would you
                 want on the other end of your long pass?

                 Dan Fouts: I'd like it to be a Hail Mary. Kellen Winslow down the middle, with Wes Chandler, John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner on the
                 edge. Each had their own skills; they were all great.

              Tim Chavez: Hi.Dan how are you, I was always a big fan of yours. My question to you is what memories do you have playing at
                 Mile High Stadium with the Broncos. I'm from Denver and I always enjoyed watching the Chargers and the Broncos play.

              Dan Fouts: They were 90 percent bad! The most difficult stadium I ever played in, without a doubt, was Mile High, primarily because
                the team we were playing against was always good. But there was always a little eerie electricity.

                 Dave Raskin: Regarding that famous 1981 playoff game with the Dolphins, did you feel confident you had the game in hand early
                 in the first half when the Chargers were up 24-0, or did you think at the time you would lose the lead?

                 Dan Fouts: I don't think we thought we'd lose the lead at any point.  It was 24-0 in the first quarter, so we knew that the game was far
                 from over.

              Driveboy: In your opinion who's the greatest quarterback ever? Is it you or the legendary John Elway? I value your opinion. You
                 were a pretty good QB. What do you think?

                 Dan Fouts: I think John Unitas was the best ever, because growing up — and it all depends on when you grow up, because there are
                 no greater fans than kids — my favorite was Unitas. I was lucky enough to play with him in my first year in the NFL (1973).
                That cemented it.

                 Tim Dale: Can the 1981 Chargers compete with todays NFL teams?

                 Dan Fouts: Oh, no question! Because of the players we had. If you look at a team like Minnesota or the 49ers, they have great WRs.
                 But what we had was a great tight end. I don't think anybody has a tight end like Winslow, because he could be a TE, WR, slotback, a
                 lot of things.

                 So many of the teams do the same type of things that we started.

                 F.J. Rainville: Hello Dan, In the 1981 playoffs, what was it like going from the heat in Miami to the arctic temperatures in
                 Cincinnati?

                 Dan Fouts: Well, it wasn't easy. In between we got to go home, but I  don't think we handled the cold very well. I know I didn't. More
                 than cold, it was windy. Trying to throw a cold ball in the wind wasn't easy, although Kenny Anderson didn't have a problem. I think it
                 definitely affected us.

              Upstae: I think Kellen Winslow is the greatest TE ever. What do you think?

              Dan Fouts: No question that he was. I think the way you judge that is when you talk to pro scouts nowadays and you talk about tight
                 ends, they all are looking for a Kellen Winslow. His talents are just so unique.

              Frank Copus: Hey Dan happy holdays. I'm a Bucs fan, how do you think Mr.Shawn King will do Monday night?

                 Dan Fouts: Knowing what a great senior season he had at Tulane, with Tommy Bowden down there — he had a lot of responsibility,
                 he handled it well; they're undefeated. I hear the word "poise" with him a lot. But they've got such a great defense, and if he makes a
                 mistake, the defense can cover for him. I think they'll do well with him.

                 Jerry: Dan, I'll say again you were a great QB. What do you think of Payton Manning?

              Dan Fouts: I like him a lot. Number one, he's a good kid! Number two, he's smart, he's tough, he enjoys playing, and he's physically
                gifted. He's got some players around him. I like Peyton Manning a lot.

              Mark Bua: Should coach Don Coryell be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton?

                 Dan Fouts: Yes, he should. The Hall of Fame is about contribution and influence on the game of pro football. Don's contribution is
                 immeasurable and his influence is seen everywhere. If you look up the stats of his teams — not just the Chargers, but the St. Louis
                 Cardinals — and you look at the influence that he had on the game today, you've got to put him in the Hall of Fame. A lot of people
                 have kind of forgotten about him, because they talk about the West Coast offense and Bill Walsh and his influence, which has been
                great. But if you look at the different styles of those offenses, it's like night and day. The West Coast game is lateral, short passes. The
                Coryell offense is bombs away, but also lateral.

              Victor: Was it as much fun making that beer commercial and razzing Kenny Stabler as it looked?

              Dan Fouts: No question. The hardest part about the beer commercial was when it was over, and we had to get back to reality. Hopefully
                 we can do another one and he can razz me a little bit.

                 Mark Eckblad: Dan, there are some interesting personal rivalries in today's NFL, such as that between Brett Favre and Warren
                 Sapp. Did you have such rivalries with particular opposing players?

              Dan Fouts: It seemed like on every team that we faced, there was a guy that was chatty. (laughter) With the Raiders it was Matt Millen,
                 with the Broncos it was Tom Jackson.

                 Dave Harris: Dan I'm a huge fan of yours. I was 10 years old living in KY, and my mom let me stay up to watch the game. My
                 question to you is what kind of things did you guys say to Rolf to get him motivated once more to go out and try to win the game?

              Dan Fouts: I didn't say anything to him, because I was out there trying to get the ball back down the field. He missed, so now we go
                 out and try again. We had confidence in him, because he made more than he missed throughout his career. When he missed, sure he
                 disappointed us, but we figured we could get another chance and connect.

              Craig: Dan, I want to know your opinion on Kordell Stewart playing QB in the NFL. Do you feel that he will ever mature into a
                 solid starting QB or just be effective mainly as "slash" or at WR? Thanks!

              Dan Fouts: I think what's hurt him is that they've changed coordinators on him a couple of times. That's difficult on any QB,
                 especially a young one. If he's going to have any success, they're going to have to settle down and keep a coach. I think he can do it.
                 He's done it before, he can do it again.

                 Danny: Dan, I'm a huge Charger fan and have been for many years. I can remember watching that Miami game as teenager in
                 my grandparents living room like it was yesterday. As the world's biggest Charger fan I am also the world's biggest Raider
                 Hater, did you have a team that you got the most satisfaction out of beating?

              Dan Fouts: We did get more satisfaction out of beating the Raiders, because we didn't beat them very often. They were so good for so
                 long, and we had so many games, and when we beat them, it was great. In my last game against them, we beat them, so that makes
                 me feel good sitting here on the couch.

                 Craig: I feel that your QB "style" of play is very similar to Dan Marino. Neither of you were "fleet of foot" but by displaying
                 "precision passing" neither of you had to be. How do you feel about these similarities?

                 Dan Fouts: I'm flattered, number one, because I've been a big Dan Marino fan since he came into the league. I just like the way he
                 plays, with fire in his eye and a bounce in his step. Plus, he throws the ball better than anyone else has, so that's a good comparison
                 for me.

                 Garin: Dan, alot of people are stating that there is too much parity in the NFL , do you see that or do you see there being a
                 changing of the guard , for instance with the Rams this year?

              Dan Fouts: I don't think there's anything wrong with parity, because it gives more fans more chances to be happy. The changing of the
                 guard with the Rams and also the Titans and others is a very accurate statement.

                 It shows that with the rules in the league, you can turn things around and you can be contenders. On the flip side, you can also fall,
                you can be like the 49ers and go from awesome to awful.

                 Rob: Hi Dan, I have been a huge Seahawks fan since 1980 but always had so much respect for you as a QB. I was wondering
                 which receiver in the NFL you would have liked to play with but never had the chance (from the 80's)?

                 Dan Fouts: Man, there are so many good ones! I've never thought about it, because I was happy and thrilled with the guys I had, so
                 I'm not going to insult my guys by saying I wanted to play with anyone else. My guys were the best.

              Mark Bua: Do you feel that NFL teams are rushing rookie QB's too soon to produce for their franchises? I know that you took a
                 little longer to get going with your pro career with the mentoring of Johnny Unitas.

              Dan Fouts: They're almost forced to, though. You give them $10 million, you draft them number one, you trade guys to get the pick,
                 you alter your team to get them and you're forced to play them. There's no question, it's not easy. Even Shaun King was thinking he
                 would sit and watch, and now he's the man.

                 Mark: Who was the toughest defensive player you faced?

              Dan Fouts: Hmmm...not one comes to mind. It's like comparing my own wide receivers; I'd have to qualify the answer. When you play 15
                 years, you see great ones. Maybe it's the offensive mind that I possess that will never give credit to any defensive players!

              Dylan: Dan , I am a fellow QB from high school. I love the game to death. I feel that having an idol helped me a lot in my game.
                 Who is your idol?

                 Dan Fouts: I grew up as a 49ers fan; my dad was the voice of the 49ers, his name was Bob Fouts. I was a ballboy for the 49ers a lot of
                 years in my youth. Tittle and Brodie and McElhenny. It's not so much that they were idols, it's that they were my heroes. I still think
                 that Unitas was the greatest, because he beat the 49ers all the time, but I
                 enjoyed my heroes.

              Moderator: Thanks for dropping by, Dan. Any final thoughts?

              Dan Fouts: I appreciate all the responses, I think it's great, and it just reinforces in my own mind that the teams I played for and the era
                 I played in was memorable. I want the fans to know that it's truly appreciated that they remember some of us old-timers. Thanks for the
                 questions!

               All the drama of this historic game is relived in this 90-minute special as NFL FILMS reconstructs the game using archival footage and the original radio calls. Considered one of the most exciting games in the annals of NFL history, the 1981 playoff game between the Chargers and the Dolphins was played amid high drama and even higher humidity.

               This game was Chargers’ Hall-of-Fame tight end Kellen Winslow’s defining performance. Playing through injuries to both shoulders and extreme dehydration, Winslow caught an NFL playoff record 13 catches for 166 yards against a defense designed to stop him. Still, even more incredible was his block of what would have been Miami’s game-winning field goal near the end of regulation.

               Don Shula, Head Coach, Dolphins 1970-95: Every time I think about that game, I think of Kellen Winslow and what a fantastic day that he had against us. He was so tired that he possibly couldn’t get up by himself. We’d help him up and then he’d come back and make another great play against us. So, when (my defense) came over to the sideline, I said, “Let him get up by himself, please.”

               After 74 minutes of game action, the two offenses had accounted for 1,030 yards and 79 points. However, the most startling statistic was that players had lost as much as 10 pounds during the game.

               Kellen Winslow, Tight End, Chargers 1979-87: I saw a lot of players on our team drag a little bit. But again, they would go out there and do their jobs for those four or five seconds that a play would last. Everyone was going 100%, and then afterward it was back to slow motion so you could gather yourself for the next play.

               The Chargers exploded to a 24-0 lead in just the first quarter alone. A stunned Don Shula replaced quarterback David Woodley with Don Strock and got immediate results and improbable 38-31 lead before the Chargers tied the game late in the fourth quarter.

               After both teams missed point-blank attempts in overtime, the Chargers finally won well into overtime on Rolf Benirschke’s 29-yard field goal.

               Hank Bauer, Running Back, Chargers 1977-82: The locker-room celebration was more low key than other locker rooms I’d been in. It was
               more of “Thank God that’s over. Thank God we got out alive.”

               Interviews with Winslow, Shula, Strock, Dan Fouts, Rolf Benirschke, Joe Rose, Charlie Joiner and others there that day give important perspective to this unforgettable game.

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