NFL Recap (Miami-Carolina)
Posted: Sun November 15, 1998 at 11:33 p.m. EST
MIAMI 13, CAROLINA 9
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Miami Dolphins moved
into sole possession of first place in the AFC East with another strong
defensive effort, holding the Carolina Panthers to 210
total yards en route to a 13-9 victory.
The Dolphins (7-3) snapped a three-game road losing streak in the
first-ever meeting between the teams and moved one game ahead of the New York Jets (6-4), who
were beaten in Indianapolis, 24-23. Buffalo (6-4) also trails Miami by one
game in the AFC East.
"We're trying to peak in December for the playoffs," said Dolphins
running back Karim
Abdul-Jabbar. "The Super Bowl means everything to us."
Leading 7-3 early in the second quarter, Miami turned over the ball at
its own 15-yard line but the AFC's fourth-best defense held the Panthers to
a field goal. The Dolphins preserved a 10-6 lead in the third, stopping
running back Tim
Biakabutuka for no gain on 4th-on-1 from the 17.
"We knew we had to step up and we challenged them," siad Miami
cornerback Terrell
Buckley. "Our offense is doing a good job. But defensively, our goal
is not to give up any touchdowns."
Miami sacked Steve
Beuerlein four times and intercepted him twice -- both by safety Brian Walker, who picked
off a pass at the Dolphins 35 with 5:03 left.
Future Hall of Famer Dan
Marino threw for fewer than 160 yards for the sixth time this season,
completing 14-of-21 passes for 140 yards. But Abdul-Jabbar picked up the
slack, carrying 24 times for 128 yards with the game's lone touchdown. He
capped an 11-play, 92-yard drive in the first quarter with a one-yard run.
"It's never as good or as bad as you think but things have been going
good for us," Abdul-Jabbar said. "The offensive line has really been
pushing."
Jabbar had 55 yards on five carries on the game's opening drive. His
23-yard run on 1st-and-10 gave the Dolphins possession at Carolina's 9.
The Panthers (1-9) answered on their first drive, marching deep into
Miami territory, but Miami forced Beuerlein into an incomplete pass on
3rd-and-6 from the 14. Carolina settled for John Kasay's 32-yard field
goal.
Miami started its first possession of the second quarter at its own 2
and moved 23 yards on three plays before Marino's second-down pass was
intercepted by linebacker Kevin Greene, who returned
it 18 yards to the Dolphins 15.
The Panthers hurt themselves with a holding penalty before cutting
Miami's lead to 7-6 on Kasay's 27-yard field goal.
"The frustrating thing about today was we had a number of
opportunities and didn't take them," said Carolina coach Dom Capers. "We
couldn't run the ball. They ran the ball better than us. That was the
difference in the game."
The Panthers carried 18 times for just 62 yards, while Miami picked up
184 yards on 40 carries.
Carolina later threatened the Dolphins' 10-6 lead with its first
possession of the second half, moving to Miami's 17 on 15 plays. But
defensive end Jason
Taylor stopped Biakabutuka's charge up the middle on 4th-and-1.
"Those were huge plays but there were a lot more than that," Beuerlein
said. "It's unfair to single out any one play. The bottom line is it's
hard to win games when you don't score touchdowns."
"They weren't too bad," Taylor said of Carolina's offensive line. "We
tried to keep them out of the end zone. That's what we get paid to do.
Any time we played like we played today, our team has a good chance of
winning."
With the Dolphins leading 13-9 in the fourth quarter, Winslow Oliver gave the
Panthers excellent field position with a 16-yard punt return to the
Dolphins 39. But Miami held Carolina to 14 yards on four plays before
Kasay's 43-yard field goal capped the scoring.
The Panthers got the ball back with 6:29 to play but Beuerlein's
3rd-and-23 pass was intercepted by Walker at the Dolphins 35. Offensive
lineman Frank Garcia
was whistled for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the previous
play for headbutting Taylor.
"It wasn't much of anything," Taylor said. "We had helmets and pads
on."
Miami took a 10-6 lead on the final play of the first half, a 22-yard
field goal by Olindo
Mare. The Dolphins moved the ball 45 yards to the Panthers 1, but
rookie John Avery
fumbled before the field goal.
Walker set up Miami's final three points with his first interception,
returning it seven yards to the Dolphins 47. Miami got down to the 2 before
settling for Mare's 22-yard field goal and a 13-6 lead.
"It was a tough day all the way around," Beuerlein said. "We had
chances. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot."
Beuerlein, who recently signed a three-year, $9.1 million contract
extension, completed 17-of-30 passes for 160 yards.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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