In even the best Cinderella story the clock sometimes strikes midnight. Midnight came on Saturday afternoon for Jay Fiedler '94. Fiedler and his Miami Dolphins were shown the door by the Oakland Raiders by a tune of 27-0.
Being on the short end of that lopsided score meant the end to an improbable run by Fiedler and the Dolphins, and smashed aspirations of playoff glory.
For Fiedler, this was no way to end what had become a dream season. He completed 18-of-38 for 176, and threw three interceptions, including one that was run back for a Raider touchdown. More importantly, he couldn't jumpstart the Dolphin offense.
Miami only managed 204 total yards, as the Raider defense held Lamar Smith to a paltry four yards on eight carries. This was a far cry from the previous week against the Colts when Smith compiled 209 yards on a playoff-record 40 carries.
The stingy Raider defense also held Miami's top receiver, Oronde Gadsen, to only one reception for 33 yards.
With all his escape hatches blocked, Fiedler was unable to function. He was sacked twice, and the pressure of the Oakland defense caused the Miami offense to turn the ball over.
In addition to Fiedler's three interceptions, a fumble by Lamar Smith set the stage for an Oakland touchdown with 1:53 to go before halftime. Turnovers are costly at any time, but in the playoffs they may make or break a team. On Saturday afternoon, they broke the Dolphins.
To make matters even worse for the offense, the Dolphins managed to convert on only 2-of-12 third down opportunities.
The combination of all this meant an AFC Championship berth for the victorious Raiders, and an early trip home for the Dolphins.
Playoff futility is something Miami has been accustomed to in recent years. The Dolphins were shellacked 62-7 by the Jaguars in last year's divisional playoffs. Two years ago, they lost 38-3 to the Denver Broncos in the second round of the playoffs.
While Fiedler would have liked to change the Dolphins playoff fortunes, he can't be too disappointed when looking back on the season. For one, he has a job.
Not only did he guide the Dolphins through the wilds of the AFC East and into the second round of the playoffs, Fiedler proved he is a legitimate NFL quarterback. For an undrafted player who has bounced around the benches of several NFL teams and taken a tour of duty in Europe, this is perhaps even more of an accomplishment than winning the Super Bowl.
Of course, coming into the season Fiedler had his share of detractors and critics. Who would expect otherwise? Here was an untested quarterback, who went to an Ivy League school of all places, starting in place of all-time great Dan Marino. Talk about big shoes to fill.
To his credit, Fiedler never concerned himself with filling in the huge void Marino's departure created. Fiedler knew he was no Marino, so he just went about creating his own niche in the NFL.
The numbers, while not Hall of Fame caliber, are solid. In 15 regular season games this year, Fiedler completed 204-of-357 passes for a 57.1 completion percentage. He totaled 2,402 yards and threw for 14 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions in the season.
In the playoffs, the numbers dropped off. Fiedler connected on 37-of-71 for 361 yards. The most glaring statistics are his one touchdown and six interceptions.
While these numbers are certainly not similar to the ones he put up here at Dartmouth -- 6,684 passing yards, 456 completions, 58 touchdowns -- they beat his previous professional stats by a mile.
Prior to this season, Fiedler played a total of 15 games in four seasons with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Jacksonville, starting only once. He passed for a total of 697 yards, most of it coming last year in Jacksonville as a backup to Mark Brunell.
It wasn't pretty at times, but Fiedler found a way to win. Spurred on by a rejuvenated Lamar Smith and bolstered by the sixth-best defense in the league, Fiedler led the Dolphins to a 12-6 record and a post atop the wild AFC East.
This was no small task for a man who at this time last year didn't have a job. At least there is one thing Fiedler won't have to worry about now. Of course, he will have other things to worry about this time around. Like leading the Dolphins to next year's Super Bowl.
