Dan Marino’s public image is that he was a “true gunslinger,” one of the best quarterbacks ever. Let’s deconstruct that image.
Dan Marino is widely praised as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and arguably is the greatest quarterback “never” to win a Super Bowl. There are numerous theories as to why he never won a Super Bowl. Or are they myths? A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person. Or are they excuses? Marino was a great regular-season quarterback, but in the post-season, not so much. I’ll explore and expose the myths about Dan Marino and why he never won a Super Bowl.
Myth #1: Marino Never Had a Good defense at Miami
The Miami Dolphins drafted Dan Marino in the 1983 NFL draft. In January of 1983, the Miami Dolphins lost to the Washington Redskins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. He was drafted by a team just in the Super Bowl!
Does any knowledgeable fan believe that a team reaches the Super Bowl without a good defense? It’s a preposterous notion.
Five times in his career, Marino had a defense that ranked in the top 10 in points allowed (1983, 1984, 1990, 1995, and 1998). Three times, he had a defense that ranked in the top five (1983, 1990, and 1998), and twice, his defense led the league in fewest points (1983 and 1998).
That destroys the myth that Dan Marino never had a good defense to win a Super Bowl. By the way, Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XLI despite the Colts’ defense being 23rd in the NFL in points allowed.
Myth #2: You Need a Good Running Game or Star RB to Reach/Win a Super Bowl
The 1966 Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl with team-leading rusher Jim Taylor averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, and as a team, the Packers averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. The 1967 Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl. Jim Grabowski was their leading rusher, rushing for 466 yards and averaging 3.9 yards per carry.
The 1970 Baltimore Colts won the Super Bowl with Norm Bulaich as their leading rusher of the year, with 426 yards, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. As a team, the Colts averaged just 3.3 yards per carry.
The 1981 San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl with Ricky Patton as their leading rusher, gaining only 543 yards, and Patton had a 3.6 yards per carry average. Their second-leading rusher, Earl Cooper, rushed for just 330 yards and had a 3.4 yards per carry average. On the year, the 49ers averaged just 3.5 yards per rushing attempt.
John Riggins (photo, Sports Illustrated)
The 1982 Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl with team-leading rusher John Riggins averaging just 3.1 yards per carry and just 3.6 yards per carry as a team.
The 2003 New England Patriots won the Super Bowl with Antowain Smith being their leading rusher with 642 yards with a 3.5 yards per carry average. The Patriots, as a team, averaged just 3.4 yards per attempt.
The 2011 New York Giants won the Super Bowl with Ahmad Bradshaw rushing for a team-leading 659 yards on the season with a 3.9 yards per carry average. The Giants, on the year, averaged just 3.5 yards per attempt.
The 2019 Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Darrien Williams was their leading rusher during the regular season, with 498 yards rushing.
There are also other examples of teams that averaged less than four yards per carry as a team that went on to win the Super Bowl.
As for Marino and Miami’s running backs, in 1983, Andra Franklin rushed for 746 yards, and Tony Nathan had 685 yards and a 4.5 yards per carry average. In 1984, Woody Bennett rushed for 606 yards with a 4.2 yards per carry average, and Tony Nathan rushed for 558 yards with a 4.7 yards per carry average.
In 1985, Nathan again had a 4.7 yards per carry average. In 1986, Lorenzo Hampton rushed for 830 yards and had a 4.5 yards per carry average. In 1987, Troy Stradford had a 4.3 yards per carry average.
In 1991 and 1992, Mark Higgs rushed for 905 and 915 yards, respectively. In 1994, Bernie Parmalee rushed for 868 yards with a 4.0 yards per carry average.
In 1996, Karim Abdul-Jabbar rushed for 1,116 yards, and in the next two seasons, he ran for 892 and 960 yards.
Throughout Marino’s career, there were talented running backs behind him who had good rushing years and averaged more than four yards per carry, more than some teams that won a Super Bowl. Still, it’s worth asking how many times Marino audibled from a pass to a running play. Marino loved to throw the football, and Shula let him.
As for myth number two, which is that you need a good running game or star running back game to reach and win a Super Bowl, it’s precisely that – a myth and untrue.
Myth #3: Coaching Let Marino Down
Marino played for not just one but two hall-of-fame coaches, both of whom won two Super Bowls without Dan Marino. Don Shula and Jimmy Johnson both knew how to win the Super Bowls. Dan Marino did not because he did not play well in big games.
Myth #4: Miami’s O-Line Didn’t Provide Quality Pass Protection
Marino had one of the quickest releases in NFL history and provided outstanding pass protection during his career. Despite his lack of mobility, from 1988 to 1989, Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins put together one of the most remarkable streaks in NFL history. The Dolphins went 759 consecutive pass attempts without allowing a sack, a record that will likely never be broken. Yet despite that excellent pass protection, Marino threw a career-high 23 interceptions in 1988 and led the NFL in interceptions with 22 in 1989.
Myth #5: It wasn’t Marino’s Fault that Miami Reached Only One Super Bowl
Myth #6: The Opposing team had a Better Defense
It’s been said that a quarterback cannot win a game by himself. This is true. A quarterback needs his offensive line to provide pass protection for him to throw and his receivers to catch his passes. However, a quarterback can lose a game by himself if he makes errant throws, foolishly throws into double coverage, or throws interceptions.
Marino did not play well in big games. The stats don’t lie. Let’s look at Marino’s play in his post-season losses.
–In 1983, Miami lost 27-20 at home against Seattle. Marino threw two interceptions in 25 passes with a passer rating of 77.6, wasting Miami’s number-one defense in the NFL. Seattle’s defense was ranked 24th out of 28 in the NFL in points given up.
–In 1984, in Super Bowl XIX against San Francisco, despite having the highest scoring team in the NFL and a top-10 defense, Marino would lead Miami to only one touchdown and generate only 16 points. Marino would throw two interceptions that day and had a passer rating of 66.9.
–As a point of reference regarding how badly Marino played on the brightest stage, Trent Dilfer, in Super Bowl XXXV, had a passer rating of 80.9 for the Baltimore Ravens against the New York Giants. Dilfer’s career regular-season passer rating is 70.2. Dilfer raised his game in the Super Bowl. Marino’s career regular-season passer rating is 86.4. His Super Bowl passer rating is 66.9.
–In 1985, in the AFC Championship Game at home in Miami, Marino would complete only 20-of-48 passes and throw two interceptions. The Dolphins could only score 14 points against the New England Patriots. Marino’s passer rating that day was 54.9. In comparison, the great Tony Eason was unfazed by big game jitters and outplayed Marino badly, throwing three touchdowns, no interceptions, and had a passer rating of 130.9.
–The Dolphins wouldn’t make the playoffs during the 1986-1989 seasons. In 1990, in a playoff game at Buffalo, Marino would again throw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 72.1. The Dolphins that year had the fourth-best scoring defense in the NFL. The Bills had the sixth-best scoring defense in the NFL.
–The Dolphins would not make the post-season in 1991. In 1992, at home against the Bills in the playoffs, Marino would throw, you guessed it, two interceptions and had a passer rating of 56.5. Miami would not make the playoffs in 1993.
–The 1994 season ended in a playoff game at San Diego, and Marino played well. It was the only time his Dolphins team lost in the post-season. Marino was 24-of-38 for 262 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions and had a passer rating of 109.8.
–With that sole exception, Marino would throw at least two interceptions in every one of Miami’s season-ending playoff games throughout his entire career. It’s hard to win when your quarterback throws two interceptions in any game, especially a more pressure-packed post-season one. Let’s continue.
–The 1995 season ended with a playoff loss at Buffalo, where Marino would throw three interceptions and had a passer rating of just 63.4. Miami had the 10th-best scoring defense in the NFL. Buffalo had the 12th-best scoring defense in the NFL. So much for the myth Marino didn’t have a better defense than Miami’s playoff opponent.
Miami did not make the playoffs in 1996. The 1997 season ended with Miami’s playoff loss at New England. Marino could only lead Miami to three points in the loss, as he was 17 of 43 passing for just 141 yards and two interceptions. His passer rating that day was a miserable 29.3.
–The 1998 season ended with a loss at Denver, where Marino would again only lead the Dolphins to just three points, losing 38-3. Marino would throw two interceptions and had a passer rating of just 65.5, wasting his team’s number-one scoring defense in the NFL in 1998.
–In Marino’s final season of 1999, the Dolphins would lose to Jacksonville 62-7 as Marino was just 11-of-25 passing for only 95 yards, throwing two interceptions. Marino’s passer rating was a putrid 34.6 that day. Here is a chart comparing career regular season quarterback rating to their career post-season quarterback rating. As you can see, Marino’s QBR decreased significantly in the post-season.
Marino did not play well in big games, time and time again, and it wasn’t because the opponent had a better defense than Miami.
Myth #7: Marino Never had a Great Team Around Him
He was drafted by a team that was just in the Super Bowl. The teams that make it to the Super Bowl can be good. He played for two Hall of Fame head coaches. His offensive line set pass protection records. He twice had the best scoring defense in the NFL, and five times he had a top-10 defense.
What was the excuse at Pitt when he had one of the greatest teams in college football history? No one ever answers that question.
In 1979, Pitt’s defense gave up only 8.8 points per game, which was fifth best in the country. In 1980, the Panthers gave up only 10.1 points per game, the seventh-best in the country. In 1981, Pitt’s defense gave up the 12th fewest points in the country, and in 1982, Pitt’s defense gave up the fifth-fewest points in the country. What was Marino’s excuse for not winning a ring?
Bowden’s FSU team upset Pitt at Pitt in 1980. What made the game especially memorable for Bowden is that he believes the ’80 Pitt team was the best team he ever faced as a head coach (photo, TribLive, and FSU Sports Info)
Bobby Bowden said the 1980 Pitt team was the best he had ever faced as a head coach and the best college football team he had ever seen. That year, the Panthers’ roster included four future NFL Hall of Famers, 30 draft picks, seven first-round picks, the Outland Trophy winner, the Maxwell Award winner, the Lombardi Award winner, and the Heisman Trophy runner-up.
That Pitt team had 23 future NFL starters. All five of Pitt’s defensive line and the entire offensive line started in the NFL, and what a great offensive line! Jimbo Covert, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Rob Fada, and Ron Sams protected Marino, giving him time to eat Primanti sandwiches in his pocket. Three defensive backs, two of Pitt’s wide receivers, the fullback, the kicker, and five other players didn’t even start at Pitt.
Therefore, it wasn’t that Marino didn’t have a defense or a great team around him; he had everything. Marino threw three interceptions in the 1980 game against Florida State as Pitt lost 36-22. Also, in 1980, Marino threw FIVE interceptions in a game against Boston College and FOUR interceptions against the Army.
In 1981, with Pitt undefeated and ranked #1 in the country, the Panthers hosted #11 Penn State. They win at home, and Pitt will play in a bowl game for the national championship. In what would be and still is the most significant margin of defeat for a number-one ranked team ever, Pitt would lose 48-14 as Marino threw four interceptions.
That was not the first time Marino threw four interceptions in a game in 1981, but the third time that season! The other two, against Syracuse and Temple, hardly had football powers that paled in talent compared to Pitt. Marino would throw 21 interceptions in 1981.
In 1982, his senior year, Marino threw 22 interceptions in 11 games, compared to 17 touchdown passes. That is an average of two interceptions per game. Marino threw three interceptions against Temple, Syracuse and Army and four against North Carolina and Illinois.
Marino threw 74 touchdown passes in college at Pitt and 64 interceptions. That’s not a typo. 64 interceptions despite missing time with various injuries. 11 times Marino threw for three or more interceptions in his college career, and SEVEN times he would throw FOUR or more interceptions in a game!
Marino’s teammate Bill Fralic was known for his pancake blocks and had a publicity photo made of him making pancakes. Perhaps Marino should have had one with a baker’s cap on since he created so many turnovers.
It’s a repeated fact that Marino did not play well in big games. The stats don’t lie. Marino never won a title at any level, even in high school, where quarterbacks dominate play. His Central Catholic team lost to Penn Hills in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Conference (WPIAL) championship game in 1978. In the WPIAL final, Marino completed only six of 18 passes and was intercepted THREE times.
As you can see, the statement that Marino never had a good defense or a great team around him is also untrue and a myth. In the biggest games, it was almost a given that Marino would throw two or more interceptions.
Conclusion
Indeed, Dan Marino was one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, especially during the regular season, a true gunslinger at quarterback.
Still, it’s a myth if you think he was great in big games, or it wasn’t his fault that he never won a ring at any level, year after year after year, from high school through college and in the NFL.
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John Baranowski is a sports historian and contributor to newspapers, sports publications, and sports websites. This and other articles written by him can be found on his blog. This article was published there on May 9, 2024.
