Gritty Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly defied injury scare to lead Bills to stunning come-from-behind win over rival Dan Marino’s Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins face off in a divisional clash on ‘Thursday Night Football’ to get Week 2 underway in the NFL.
The Bills-Dolphins AFC East rivalry has ebbed and flowed over the years and was perhaps never more intense than during the Jim Kelly-Dan Marino years.
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Kelly led the Bills to a record four Super BowlsCredit: GettyFrom 1990 to 1993, quarterback ‘Machine Gun Kelly’, a nod to his gun-slinging abilities, helped guide the Bills to a record four consecutive Super Bowls, losing all four.
On the other side, NFL all-time great Marino was trying to steer ‘The Phins’ to the promised land after coming up short in his one Super Bowl appearance in 1985.
The big-armed signal callers battled for division supremacy and that elusive Super Bowl ring during the 1980s and 1990s as their storied careers overlapped.
READ MORE NFLThey faced each other three times in the postseason where Kelly was 3-for-3 against ‘Dan the Man’.
However, one of their most memorable showdowns came in September 1991 when Kelly defied an injury scare to mount a stunning come-from-behind victory over his AFC rival.
The Dolphins raced to a 14-0 lead in the game after Marino threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton and Mark Higgs dived into the end zone from the three-yard-line.
The Dolphins led 17-7 four minutes into the third quarter, at which point Kelly was struggling after re-injuring his badly sprained left ankle for the second time in the game.
No.12 was knocked down and seemingly defeated as Bills trainers subsequently escorted him to the bench where it was assumed he would sit for the remainder of the game.
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Marino was one of the best QBs of the 80s and 90s a big rival of the BillsCredit: Getty
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Kelly overcame a brutal ankle injury to stun Marino’s Dolphins in 1991Credit: GettyBackup QB Frank Reich filled in for Kelly and helped cut the score to 17-14.
Meanwhile Kelly, desperate to get back into the action, was back on his feet on the sidelines, throwing balls and trying to gingerly walk off the ankle injury that would have ended most other players’ games.
Five-time Pro Bowler Kelly personified toughness throughout his illustrious career, and somehow managed his way back onto the field — to a standing ovation — for the Bills’ next possession.
“It’s going to take a lot more than a bum ankle to keep me out of a game,” he later said.
Minutes later, Kelly found Thurman Thomas who ran 50 yards into the endzone to give Buffalo their first lead of the game.
The nip and tuck fourth quarter saw Miami re-establish their lead after Marino connected with wide receiver Mark Clayton on a five-yard TD pass.
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The legendary QBs have enjoyed a close relationship in retirement and have a wager on the Bills-Dolphins games every yearCredit: GettyKelly then put the Bills on his back like he did so often, hitting three passes for 52 yards before rookie Carwell Gardner dived in from the one-yard line.
Thomas scored what proved to be the winning touchdown with 3:55 left as the Bills secured a stunning 35-31 come-from-behind victory.
Kelly completed 29 of 39 passes in the game and threw a regular season career-high 381 yards for two touchdowns.
His performance was the perfect example of the gritty nature and never-say-die attitude that encapsulated his legendary career.
“If I can take the field … This is my club, I’m going to do it,’’ he said after the win.
“I’m not going to lay down. I’m not going to stand up here and say I’m a hero, but I know what type of football player I am and I know what my offensive line and the other players on the team expect of me.’’
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Josh Allen is now the Bills starting QB and has an excellent record over MiamiCredit: Getty
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Tua has only beaten Allen and the Bills once in the regular seasonCredit: GettyPro Football Hall of Famers Kelly and Marino are two of the greatest quarterbacks to never win a Super Bowl.
Now retired and with their rivalry long over, the iconic field generals enjoy a friendly relationship that includes an annual wager based on the outcome of the Bills-Dolphins games.
If the Dolphins sweep the season series from the Bills, Kelly would owe Marino strip steaks. If the Bills swept the Dolphins, Marino would owe Kelly stone crab.
It’s now more than a quarter of a century since their epic encounters, but thankfully the Bills-Dolphins rivalry remains thanks to Sean McDermott and Josh Allen going up against Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel.
The AFC East clash has been dominated by one team in recent years though – over the last 15 matchups, the Dolphins are 2-13 against the Bills, including a playoff loss during the 2022 season.
Perennial MVP candidate Allen has also dominated the head-to-head quarterback battle against Tua.
He has a 6-1 regular season record against the Dolphins star.
Both teams overcame 14-point first-half deficits in Week 1 of the new NFL season to pick up important victories.
Allen had four total touchdowns in a 34-28 win over the Arizona Cardinals while Tua threw for 338 yards and a passing TD in the Dolphins’ narrow 20-17 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Read More on talkSPORTThe Dolphins-Bills Thursday Night Football showdown takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with an early AFC East lead on the line.
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