Visitor:  Kansas City Chiefs

Home:  Miami Dolphins

Date:  December 24, 1989

 

Scoring:

Team               1          2          3          4          Final

KC                  0          21        3          3            27                 

MIA                7          7          0          10          24

 

Visitor playmakers:

WR Stephone Paige, RB James Saxon, RB Christian Okoye, CB Stan Petry, CB Albert Lewis, DE Mike Bell, LB Chris Martin,

 

Home playmakers:

WR Jim Jensen, TE Ferrell Edmunds, WR Mark Clayton, DB Louis Oliver, LB Hugh Green

 

Network:  NBC (KDLT Mitchell/Sioux Falls)

Announcers:  Tom Hammond, Joe Namath

 

Pregame:  Yes – The NFL Today, then game JIP in 1^st quarter no score.

Halftime:  Yes, including news updates on the fighting in Romania and Panama.

Postgame:  Yes – including ESPN NFL Primetime highlights

Commercials:  Yes

 

Grade:  8/10

 

Notes:  Miami scores on their first drive of the game with a short toss to Jensen.  Kansas City, fruitless on their first possession, goes on a 9-play, 71-yard drive to the end zone, tying the score.  Miami quickly takes the lead again, but the Chiefs climb on Okoye’s back and ride into Miami territory, scoring with James Saxon.  The KC defense clamps down after that, sacking Marino on the Miami 5 and forcing a punt.  The resulting field position allows the Chiefs to pound the ball into the end zone again, this time with Okoye.  On Miami’s next drive, Lewis intercepts Marino on a 4^th-and-8 pass.  Louis Oliver returns the favor on the Miami 12, but it is too little too late and the Chiefs go into halftime with the lead.

 

The 3^rd quarter moves a little slower, each team doing a better job on defense.  Pete Stoyanovich misses a long field goal, and when Lowery’s chance comes he adds 3 points to KC’s lead.  Kansas City stops Miami after a 13-play drive and the Phins have to settle for a field goal.  The Dolphins force KC to punt next, and it appears the momentum has shifted.  Marino finds his receivers, the run is successful, and the drive ends with a Clayton touchdown, tying the score again.

 

The Chiefs are able to move downfield easily on their next drive despite the first sack in the game on DeBerg, and Lowery tacks on three more to give KC the lead.  Miami threatens with a huge completion to the KC 45, giving Clayton 1,000+ yards on the season.  Three incompletions force a 4^th-and-10, however, and Clayton drops it and the ball goes over on downs.  Marino finishes the season with 3,997 yards.

 

QB Dan Marino passes Joe Namath to become the all-time passing yards leader.  K Nick Lowery ties Jan Stenerud’s NFL record with his 7^th 100-point season.  RB Christian Okoye becomes the AFL rushing leader.

 

Thanks Greg!

 

Running time:  3:12 (3 discs)