Here’s the final installment about the longest NFL game ever played.
Although the Chiefs had outplayed Miami in the first half, they went into the locker room tied at ten. Three crucial mistakes had cost KC dearly. First, the interception when they were deep in Miami territory, the miscommunication on the fake field goal, and lastly, the fumble that allowed Miami to tie the score just before halftime.
The Chiefs began the third quarter on their 25-yard line. On third and eleven, Dawson hit Elmo Wright for a 15-yard gain. Mixing the run with short passes, the Chiefs got the ball into Miami territory. From the Miami 45, Dawson connected with Otis Taylor at the 36. Taylor lateraled the ball to Podalak, who ran it down to the five-yard line. But the play was wiped out due to a clipping penalty.
The Chiefs returned to the run and got the ball down to the Miami 22-yard line. The announcers did a great job of pointing out how well every player on the Chiefs offense was blocking. A penalty against Miami put the ball at the 17-yard line.
Going exclusively to the running game, KC scored their second touchdown to go up 17–10. The 15-play drive took almost ten minutes off the clock. A good kickoff return by Mercury Morris gave Miami the ball at their 29-yard line. Griese connected with Howard Twilley for a 23-yard gain. Two runs and a pass gained another 17 yards before Griese connected with Warfield for a 23-yard gain. Two plays later, the Dolphins tied the score 17 to 17.
Yepremiun’s kickoff went into the end zone, and KC took possession at their 20-yard line. Two runs and then a fourteen-yard reception by Ed Podolak put the ball at the 46-yard line. A jarring tackle by Dick Anderson caused Wendell Hayes to fumble the ball, and Miami Recovered it. Miami got it down to the KC 15-yard line before linebacker Jim Lynch intercepted a Bob Griese pass.
Starting from their 9-yard line, two runs by Wendell Hayes gained 15 yards, and a pass to tight end Willie Frazier gained another 13 yards. After a short run and a delay of game penalty, Dawson went for it all and connected with Elmo Wright for a 63-yard gain. A pitchout to Hayes from the two-yard line put the Chiefs back in front 24–17.
Miami took possession at their 29-yard line. A quick pass to Marv Fleming gained 13 yards. A reverse to Warfield almost spelled disaster for the Dolphins when he fumbled, but Miami recovered. An incompletion on second down put Miami in a third-and-thirteen situation. A completion to Warfield gave Miami a first down. Miami got the ball to the KC 38 before facing another third down. A completion to Warfield brought the ball down to the twelve-yard line. Two plays later, Griese connected with Marv Fleming for a touchdown. The successful extra point tied the score at twenty-four all.
Miami kicked off, and Ed Podalak returned the kick 78 yards to the Miami 22-yard line. Three straight runs lost two yards, and the Chiefs set up for a 31-yard game-winning field goal with 35 seconds left. Stenerud, who was the best kicker in the NFL, missed it to the right. Said Stenerud, “I make that kick 49 out of 50 times. To this day, I still have no idea how I missed it.”
The Dolphins took possession at their twenty-yard line with 31 seconds remaining. Three straight runs gained nothing, and since the Chiefs had all three timeouts remaining, they forced Miami to punt. Kansas City received the punt with a fair catch and five seconds left in the game. NFL Films captured Coach Hank Stram conversing with Jan Stenerud about possibly attempting a 68-yard field goal. But Stram did not risk it, and the game went into overtime.
Kansas City won the coin toss, and Garo Yepremiun kicked a line drive to keep the ball away from Ed Podalak. Defensive tackle Buck Buchanon caught the ball, calmly turned around, and lateraled it to Podalak, who ran it to the Chief’s 47-yard line. A screen pass and four straight runs gave Stenerud another chance to kick a game-winning 42-yard field goal. This time, the kick was blocked by defensive back Tim Foley.
Miami took possession on their 25-yard line, and two good runs brought it out to the forty. After an incompletion made it third and six, Griese connected with Howard Twilley for twelve yards. Griese, who was playing this game with an injury to his shoulder, took a big hit and was slammed to the ground. The following two plays lost 5 yards, and the Dolphins faced a third and fifteen. An incompletion forced a Dolphins punt.
KC took possession on their seventeen-yard line. A ten-yard pass completion to Podolak brought it out to the 27-yard line, but the Dolphins no-name defense allowed nothing more. KC’s Jerrell Wilson punted for the first time in the game. Miami started from their 38-yard line, and on a third and four, Griese connected with Howard Twilley for a first down. Miami could get no further, and Yepremiun missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.
From their 20-yard line, the Chiefs moved to midfield, but on third and five, defensive back Jake Scott intercepted a Dawson pass. Miami had excellent field possession at their 45-yard line but went three and out and punted. KC took possession at their 15-yard line, but they, too, went three and out.
After a booming 50-yard punt by Jerrel Wilson, Miami took over at their 30-yard line. A five-yard run by Jim Kiick was followed by a draw play to Csonka, who gained 29 yards. Three straight runs gained another six yards. Garo Yepremiun ended the game with a successful 37-yard field goal.
The Chiefs gained 213 yards rushing in this game and outgained the Dolphins in total yardage 451 to 407. But they had four costly turnovers at inopportune times. There were some impressive individual performances in this game, most notably Ed Podolak, who gained 85 yards rushing, 110 yards receiving, and 154 yards on returns. His 350 all-purpose yards remain an NFL record. Chiefs running back Wendell Hayes gained 100 yards rushing on 22 carries, while Chiefs receiver Elmo Wright gained 104 yards receiving. Dolphins middle linebacker Nick Buonniconti had twenty tackles, while Dolphins receiver Paul Warfield had seven receptions for 140 yards. Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud was so upset about his performance in this game that he considered retiring during the off-season and is still bothered by it to this day.
The following week, Miami defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion, the Baltimore Colts, before losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl Vl. The Dolphins won the next two Super Bowls and remain the only NFL team with a perfect season. The Chiefs’ fortunes went in the opposite direction, and KC would not make another playoff appearance until 1986.
Here’s an interesting side note about the longest game in NFL history. When Don Shula arrived at the Miami airport, his car wouldn’t start, and he hitch-hiked a ride back to his house. My, my, how times have changed?!
