QUICK GAME SUMMARY:

The Dolphins beat the Vikings 24-17 in a messy preseason game at Joe Robbie Stadium on Monday night. As much as I'd like to say that the Dolphins really improved with this game and proved that they are going to be good this year, I can't do that. The game conditions were so bad that it was practically impossible to determine how much the Dolphins had improved and how much they were helped (or hindered) by the rain and the field.

The problem was that Joe Robbie stadium still has the baseball field in place and it was raining off and on for the whole game. It started just before kickoff and soaked the dirt part of the field, making footing impossible and handling the ball treacherous. These conditions caused 6 turnovers in the first half, 3 by each team and resulted in the only touchdown of the first half when Warren Moon lost the ball attempting to pass and Trace Armstrong recovered it and ran into the endzone.

However, the Dolphins did manage to finally show some good running. Spikes managed to run for about 36 yards on 8 carries ( a 4.5 yard/carry average ) and probably solidified his starting position. Also, Stanley Pritchett finally showed some good moves, running, catching the ball and actually blocking.

The first half was a comedy of errors, with each of the first 4 possessions ending in turnovers as the players slipped all over the field and dropped the ball at every opportunity. The Vikings finally managed to put together a long drive at the end of the first quarter and got a field goal that put them ahead 3-0.

The second quarter started out pretty much like the first, with the second and third drives of the quarter ending in fumbles. However, the Dolphins finally managed to put on a sustained drive, but stalled out at the Vikings 25, where Pete Stoyanovich bounced a field goal attempt off the left upright. Then, on the next drive, Moon had the ball slip out of his hand on a pass attempt and Trace Armstrong picked it up and ran into the endzone for a 7-3 lead. The half then ended with a long Viking drive which ended in a blocked field goal attempt by Stubbs.

In the second half, Charles Jordan played his first downs as a Dolphin and dropped his first pass from Dan Marino. Karim Abdul-Jabbar also got to play, with mixed results. Each team had one possession without scoring, before the Dolphins drove down for a perfect field goal from Joe Nedney. On the next series, the Viking running back had the ball stripped from his hands and Buckley picked up the fumble and returned it to the Viking 16.

Two plays later, Marino hit Charles Jordan on a perfect quick slant over the middle for a touchdown on what was, for me, the best play of the game by the Dolphins. Marino hit Jordan in full stride and he ran away from the Vikings DB for a touchdown, giving the Dolphins a 17-3 lead.

In the fourth quarter, both teams sat their important starters, and the quality of play deteriorated on both sides, particularly when it started raining again. The Dolphins would score once more when Kosar hit Lamar Thomas streaking down the sidelines for a 71 yard TD play and the Vikings would score twice more, both scores coming when JB Brown blew coverage assignments on receiver in the endzone.

Overall, the Dolphins did improve their play in this game, but because of the conditions, it's hard to say whether or not they accomplished what they set out to do.

Standout players in this game included Gene Atkins, Tim Bowens, Trace Armstrong, Irving Spikes, Stanley Pritchett, Louis Oliver, Charles Jordan, and Lamar Thomas. Guys who could have played better included JB Brown, Dan McGwire and Pete Stoyanovich.