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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – The Miami Dolphins won a playoff victory on Christmas Eve 47 years ago, in a game that has since been remembered as the longest in the NFL.
Sunday's opening season victory took more than twice as long.
They started at 1:02, suffered two weather delays and played until 8:10 to beat the Titans of Tennessee 27-20.
"There is no manual for that," said Cameron Wake, Dolphins defensive end.
The lightning caused a delay of nearly two hours late in the first half and another stop more than two hours in the middle of the third quarter. Players would go to their locker rooms and have lunch breaks, rest, listen to music, watch the video of the game, watch other games or ride a stationary bike to stay free.
"I ate a PBJ, and that was just about everything," said Titans quarterback Malcolm Butler.
During the first delay, the expected restart time continued to be delayed. Before the second reboot, there was little warning.
"All of a sudden, that's the time," said Wake. "You have to access it. It is necessary that you resume the hair on fire, the blood moves after.
The teams had 10 minutes to warm up each time they returned to the field. Due to the saves, the half time was reduced to 3½ minutes with the players remaining on the field.
FOX had few television cameras to cover the arrival because some were blocked due to lightning.
While the radar in the area was threatening and the thunder sizzled from time to time, there was actually little rain during the delays – and even some sun.
"He stinks sitting in the locker room, looking at the sky and thinking," There is no storm everywhere. Why can not we go? Said Titan linebacker Wesley Woodyard.
Former Dolphins back Larry Csonka was not impressed by the marathon and did not think former coach Don Shula would be.
"Game delay for the weather ??" Csonka tweeted. "Shula did not even cancel the lightning practice!"
The two players in the Professional Football Hall of Fame were part of the Dolphins team that beat the Kansas City Chiefs in two overtime at Christmas 1971. This match only took 3 hours and 21 minutes.
The longest previous match since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 was a Bears overtime victory over the Ravens in 2013, which lasted 5 hours and 16 minutes.
"It's a bit weird to play, cool off, go back, play," said Kenny Vaccaro, Titans goalkeeper. "But that's not an excuse. We have to find a way to win this game. "
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