| The Monday Night Miracle | |
| Visitor: | Miami Dolphins |
| Visitor Abbr: | MIA |
| Visitor Coach: | Dave Wannstedt |
| Visitor Record: | 5–1 |
| Home: | New York Jets |
| Home Abbr: | NYJ |
| Home Coach: | Al Groh |
| Home Record: | 5–1 |
| Visitor Qtr1: | 17 |
| Visitor Qtr2: | 6 |
| Visitor Qtr3: | 7 |
| Visitor Qtr4: | 7 |
| Visitor Qtr5: | 0 |
| Visitor Total: | 37 |
| Home Qtr1: | 0 |
| Home Qtr2: | 7 |
| Home Qtr3: | 0 |
| Home Qtr4: | 30 |
| Home Qtr5: | 3 |
| Home Total: | 40 |
| Date: | October 23, 2000 |
| Stadium: | Giants Stadium |
| City: | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Referee: | Walt Coleman |
| Odds: | Jets by 3[1] |
| Network: | ABC |
| Announcers: | Al Michaels, Dan Fouts, and Dennis Miller |
The Monday Night Miracle was an NFL Monday night game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins played at Giants Stadium on October 23, 2000.[2] The Jets scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, twice tying the score, and sending the game into overtime, where they defeated the Dolphins, 40–37.
Like their 1994 showdown at Giants Stadium which was made famous by Dan Marino's "fake spike", this game was for first place in the AFC East as the Jets were 4-1 and the Dolphins were 5-0. But unlike the 1994 game which featured the Jets failing to hold a double-digit (18) lead in the second half, it was the Dolphins who failed to hold the lead.
The game is notable for having the second largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history and the largest comeback in Jets history. It was also voted the greatest game televised on ABC's Monday Night Football,[3] along with being #5 on NFL Top Ten's Top Ten Comebacks.[4]
At the end of the third quarter with the score 30–7 in Miami's favor, Jets broadcaster Howard David announced, "And with a whole quarter to go, this game is over."
The Jets proceeded to stage a furious rally in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 unanswered points to tie the game at 30. They scored three touchdowns and a field goal, but a two-point conversion attempt to Curtis Martin was stopped. On the Dolphins' first play from scrimmage after the game was tied, they took the lead on a long touchdown pass by Jay Fiedler to Leslie Shepherd. However, the Jets still managed to drive downfield and tie the game. One of the key plays was a 4th down catch at the Dolphins 2-yard line by Richie Anderson as he caught the ball despite a head-on hit by Zach Thomas and Dolphins defensive back Jerry Wilson. Improbably, the tying touchdown was caught by offensive tackle John "Jumbo" Elliott, playing as a tackle-eligible.[5] After Elliott caught the touchdown pass, Dennis Miller remarked how opposing defenses, "couldn't keep him down forever." In the overtime Fiedler was intercepted by Marcus Coleman but Coleman was hit by Thurman Thomas and fumbled the ball back to the Dolphins. Several plays later, Coleman intercepted Fiedler again and this time held on. An eventual Vinny Testaverde pass to Wayne Chrebet put the Jets in field goal range, and a pass that was nearly intercepted by Jerry Wilson hit the ground first, nullifying the turnover. Jets kicker John Hall then won the game with a field goal with 8:13 remaining in the extra session.[5]
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, while visiting the ABC broadcast booth, said after halftime,
The Monday night game for the Jets was in between Games 2 and 3 of the All New York (Yankees vs. Mets) 2000 World Series. The series overshadowed the game. In fact, the crowd broke out into "Let's Go Yankees" chants countered by "Let's Go Mets" chants during the third quarter.
| Miami | Position | New York Jets | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | ||||
| WR | Dedric Ward | |||
| LT | Jason Fabini | |||
| LG | Kerry Jenkins | |||
| C | Kevin Mawae‡ | |||
| RG | Randy Thomas | |||
| RT | Ryan Young | |||
| TE | Fred Baxter | |||
| WR | Wayne Chrebet | |||
| QB | Vinny Testaverde | |||
| FB | WR | Laveranues Coles | ||
| RB | Curtis Martin‡ | |||
| Defense | ||||
| LE | DE | Rick Lyle | ||
| LT | DT | Jason Ferguson | ||
| RT | DE | Shane Burton | ||
| Jason Taylor‡ | RE | LB | Mo Lewis | |
| Zach Thomas‡ | MLB | LB | Bryan Cox | |
| WLB | LB | Marvin Jones | ||
| SLB | LB | James Farrior | ||
| LCB | CB | Aaron Glenn | ||
| RCB | CB | Marcus Coleman | ||
| FS | Kevin Williams | |||
| SS | Victor Green | |||
| Miami Dolphins | New York Jets | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 31 | |
| Third down efficiency | 5/17 | 4/16 | |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 1/2 | |
| Total yards | 433 | 455 | |
| Passing yards | 235 | 376 | |
| Passing – completions/attempts | 16/35 | 36/59 | |
| Rushing yards | 198 | 79 | |
| Rushing attempts | 38 | 22 | |
| Yards per rush | 5.2 | 3.6 | |
| Penalties–yards | 13–95 | 3–30 | |
| Sacks against–yards | 2–15 | 1–2 | |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 1–1 | |
| Interceptions thrown | 3 | 3 | |
| Time of possession | 36:11 | 30:36 |
| Dolphins Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | C/ATT* | Yds | TD | INT | |
| 16/35 | 250 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Dolphins Rushing | |||||
| Player | Cara | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| 23 | 155 | 2 | 68 | ||
| Jay Fiedler | 4 | 24 | 0 | 15 | |
| 5 | 11 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Dolphins Receiving | |||||
| Player | Recc | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| 7 | 119 | 0 | 29 | ||
| 3 | 94 | 2 | 46 | ||
| 2 | 13 | 0 | 8 | ||
| Lamar Smith | 2 | 9 | 0 | 12 | |
| Thurman Thomas | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | |
| Rob Konrad | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Jets Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT* | Yds | TD | INT | ||
| 36/59 | 378 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Jets Rushing | |||||
| Player | Cara | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| 14 | 65 | 0 | 34 | ||
| Vinny Testaverde | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Jets Receiving | |||||
| Player | Recc | Yds | TD | LGb | |
| Richie Anderson | 12 | 109 | 0 | 19 | |
| Curtis Martin | 8 | 72 | 0 | 15 | |
| 6 | 104 | 2 | 28 | ||
| 4 | 55 | 1 | 30 | ||
| 3 | 40 | 0 | 27 | ||
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | -6 | 0 | -6 | ||
aCarriesbLongest playcReceptions