| | Dolphins lose first home playoff game since '92
Associated Press
MIAMI -- Standing near the center of the almost-empty locker
room, Miami linebacker Zach Thomas tried to explain how it felt to
endure another season-ending blowout in the playoffs.
"If anyone's ever beat you down with a fist -- you're dazed.
That's how it felt. It was a beat-down," Thomas said.
|  | | Jay Fielder and the Miami offense couldn't produce a TD vs. the Ravens. |
Miami couldn't run and couldn't stop the run against Baltimore
on Sunday, a bad combination for the Dolphins that resulted in
another lopsided postseason loss.
Behind Terry Allen's between-the-tackles running and Elvis
Grbac's mistake-free passing, the defending Super Bowl champions
overwhelmed Miami 20-3. They handed the Dolphins a fifth
consecutive early exit in the postseason, this one coming a week
earlier than normal.
"When they pound you, who cares about embarrassment?" Thomas
said. "You have to ask yourself who you've been fooling all year.
You can say all you want about 11-5. I'd rather be 1-15 for a year
and get some people in here.
"I'm tired of being good and not great."
Miami's last five playoff losses have been by a combined score
of 164-16. The previous three were blowouts on the road in the
second round: losing 27-0 to Oakland last year, 62-7 to
Jacksonville the year before and 38-3 to Denver to end the 1998
season.
The Dolphins ended the 1997 season in similar fashion, losing
17-3 to New England.
"It's frustrating," Thomas said. "It's been this way five
straight years."
The Dolphins allowed a season-high 226 yards rushing. Allen ran
25 times for 109 yards and Jason Brookins added 65 yards on 10
carries. Grbac did even more damage with a pair of third-quarter
passes to Travis Taylor.
On third-and-1 from Baltimore's 10, Grbac hit Taylor in stride
down the sideline for a 45-yard gain. Eight plays later, they
hooked up again for a 4-yard touchdown that gave the Ravens a 14-3
lead.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," said cornerback Patrick
Surtain, who was beaten on both plays. "Even the best get beat in
this league. It just happened at the wrong time."
The Dolphins pointed to two key third-quarter plays as reasons
for managing just a field goal. Both plays came with Baltimore
leading 7-3.
The first was a third-and-1 play from the 36, when Lamar Smith
got stuffed for no gain. The second came on the team's next drive,
when Oronde Gadsden jumped early on fourth-and-1 and forced Miami
to punt.
"Too many mistakes, starting with myself," Gadsden said.
"That was a crucial offsides play. They have a great defense. They
put a lot of pressure on you. Being in that situation is tough. I
was anxious and trying to help the team get something started. It
didn't happen.
"Now we have to regroup and try again next year."
The Dolphins are the only team to go to the playoffs in each of
the last five seasons. They will try to do it again next season.
Getting there hasn't been the problem.
Not getting blown out has.
"All that matters is the postseason," Thomas said. "It
doesn't matter what happens in the regular season. We've just got
to get better."
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