Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 15, 1993 TAG: 9311150027
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA LENGTH: Medium
Practice squad refugee Doug Pederson, whose name Shula barely could remember a month ago, directed two late drives to field goals as the Miami Dolphins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 19-14.
After Scott Mitchell separated his throwing shoulder on the second play of the second half, Shula was forced to break his tie at 324 with Halas by using Pederson, who never had thrown a pass in an NFL game.
"It's really a tremendous relief and I feel really emotional right now," Shula said after being carried off the field by his team for the first time since the Dolphins won the Super Bowl to conclude a 17-0 season in 1972. It was his second attempt at Victory No. 325 - he lost 27-10 on Nov. 7 to the New York Jets, who have inflicted both the Dolphins' losses in a 7-2 season.
"This one will be special because of the way we won it. They hung so tough to win a game that meant so much to me, especially winning with a third-string quarterback again. It reminds you of the Matte days, when we were looking for someone and we found Tom."
The Matte days, of course,were the days that set the tone for Shula's career. Tom Matte was a running back forced into duty in the playoffs when John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo were injured in 1965. That was with Baltimore, in Shula's third year as a head coach - when he had 30 victories.
Now? He's 29-8 in games with backup QBs, a better winning percentage (.784) than his overall 325-153-6 (.678).
Pederson made two major mistakes - a fumbled snap on an extra-point attempt and a fumble at the Philadelphia 1-yard line. He also threw what could have been an interception and a Philadelphia touchdown, but it was dropped by the Eagles' Andre Waters.
But Pederson ended up directing the time-consuming, game-clinching drive after Pete Stoyanovich's 46-yard field goal in the third quarter put Miami ahead 16-14. That kick was set up when Bryan Cox's hit forced a fumble by former Virginia Tech standout Vaughn Hebron and Troy Vincent recovered at the Eagles' 29.
The clinching drive forced the Eagles to use all three timeouts and was capped by Stoyanovich's 45-yarder with 3:36 left.
"Doug did a heck of a job," Shula said. "He kept his cool and he made the plays. He hadn't played any kind of real football to speak of, but he got the job done."
Real football? Pederson, who completed three of six passes for 34 yards, was a backup for the New York-New Jersey Knights of the World League in 1992. When starter Dan Marino suffered a season-ending injury to an Achilles' tendon in Cleveland on Oct. 10, Shula couldn't remember the name of his third quarterback until someone reminded him.
"When I went in, in the back of my mind I told myself, `Let's not lose my cool. Let's not do anything stupid. Let's not make mistakes,' " said Pederson, who played at Northeast Louisiana. "It was one of the best feelings I ever had. The guys rallied around me, they encouraged me, they supported me. They said, `You have the ability. You know what you can do.' I thought to myself, `Hey, now's my opportunity, my chance to play, my chance to shine.' "
Still, it didn't come easy against a Philadelphia team that lost its fifth in a row after winning its first four - quarterback Randall Cunningham was injured in that fourth game.
"One of these days, we're going to win one of these games," said Rich Kotite, Philadelphia's coach. "Our team rose to the occasion. We did everything we could to win."
The Eagles also made some big mistakes. James Lofton dropped a pass wide-open at the Dolphins' 5-yard line with 2:25 left. Then, Jeff Cross, who had three of the Dolphins' four sacks, got to Ken O'Brien on fourth down and forced a fumble. That clinched No. 325 for Shula.
"I am certain Papa Bear Halas would be pleased that Don Shula was the individual who broke his record," said Paul Tagliabue, the NFL's commissioner. "Don represents the highest standards of excellence by virtually every measure. He has contributed to the NFL and the game of football far beyond his victory total. Don is also an all-time winner when it comes to integrity and service to the game."
For a while, it looked as if the Dolphins might once again be wilting before O'Brien, who hurt them so often in his years with the New York Jets.
O'Brien, who finished 23-of-37 for 189 yards, threw touchdown passes of 11 and 8 yards to Calvin Williams as Philadelphia took a 14-13 halftime lead.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB