Welcome to The Finsiders Awards, where our analysts, and you, the fans, decide which Dolphins players will receive recognition for their play this past season. Throughout the week, we’ll be honoring players in four categories: Most Improved Player, Defensive Player Of The Year, Offensive Player Of The Year, and Play Of The Year.
Our final award will be given out to the best play of the year.
The nominees for Best Play Of The Year are…
October 19th- Dolphins at Bears: Tannehill Needing One, Gets 30 (Highlight occurs at the 1:47 mark)
- With 1:54 left in the third quarter, the Miami Dolphins led the Chicago Bears 14-7 in the Windy City. Encountering a 4th and one on the edge of field goal range, Coach Joe Philbin decided to send out the offense instead of punting to try to get the first down and extend Miami’s lead. Calling a zone read, Ryan Tannehill kept it himself and faked out Chicago’s front seven, and found nothing but green grass off the right side of the offensive line. Tannehill would get the first down, and a whole lot more, finally getting taken down after a 30-yard run. The Dolphins would eventually score on the drive, and defeat the Bears 27-14.
November 9th- Dolphins at Lions: Optimus Grimes Defeats Megatron
- Going into the Dolphins-Lions game, there was a marquee matchup that everyone wanted to see, one that was David vs. Goliath in its essence. The towering Calvin Johnson going up against a pint-sized powerhouse in Brent Grimes. While Megatron was able to catch a touchdown early on in the game over Grimes, it would be diminutive Pro Bowl cornerback that would make one of the plays of the year in the NFL. After a Detroit interception, the Lions took over at Miami’s 31 yard line, and looked to go straight for paydirt. Matthew Stafford took the shotgun snap and turned towards Megatron, hoping to find the NFL’s premier receiver for his second score of the game. But Grimes would have nothing of the sort, rising up for a ridiculous one-handed interception and coining the nickname “Optimus Grimes.”
December 14th- Dolphins at Patriots: Look Ma, One Hand!
- Mike Wallace had been making some memorable catches throughout the 2014 season, but the one most likely to stand out came in the home of the eventual Super Bowl Champs. With just 11 seconds remaining in the first half of Miami’s game in New England in Week 15, and the Dolphins sitting at the Patriots’ 32 yard line, the offense was trying to get down the field in hopes of getting into field goal range to minimize the half-time deficit…or that’s what it appeared to be. But instead of playing it safe, Ryan Tannehill saw Wallace in single coverage against Malcolm Butler. Taking advantage of the matchup, Wallace took off downfield, and Tannehill dropped a dime of pass in between Butler and oncoming safety Devin McCourty, and Wallace went up and snagged it with one hand. Wallace brought in the ball, and somehow dragged both feet in bounds for the touchdown, making one of the best catches of the season
December 21st- Dolphins vs. Vikings: The Unlikliest Of Heroes
- In a thrilling back and forth contest between the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings at Sun Life Stadium in Week 16, it appeared as though we were heading towards a possible overtime period with 45 seconds left in regulation with the score knotted at 35. The Dolphins had forced a three and out, making Minnesota punt the ball away inside their own 10-yard line, and it looked like Ryan Tannehill – in the midst of a career day in which he threw four touchdowns – would have a shot at leading the Dolphins to a win. It turns out they wouldn’t need Tannehill’s heroics, as rookie defensive end Terrence Fede was able to beat his man off the edge and block Jeff Locke‘s punt through the back of the end zone, earning a safety, and Miami’s 8th win of the season.
December 28th- Dolphins vs. Jets: Miller Goes The Distance
- Lamar Miller came into the final game of the season needing just 79 yards to eclipse the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the first time in his career. He would end up getting that and much more as part of a 178-yard day on the ground against the New York Jets. How he broke that 1,000-yard mark was a play he’ll never forget. Early in the 3rd quarter, Miami was backed up against its own goal line at the three-yard line. Ryan Tannehill took a shotgun snap, made a read of Jets linebacker Calvin Pace, and handed it off to Miller. The University of Miami product bursted through the middle of the Jets line, made a safety miss at the 2nd level, and was off to the races, going 97 yards all the way into the end zone. His run produced the longest play from scrimmage in Dolphins history, and in the NFL during the 2014 season.
UPDATE: Brent Grimes’ one-handed interception against Calvin Johnson has been named The Finsiders’ Play of The Year.
