Ranking the New England Patriots’ 9 Wild Card Game showdowns

7. Steve Grogan does what he does best … lose

Year: 1982

Score: Dolphins 28, Patriots 13

Player strikes are a common thing in other sports such as the NBA and Major League Baseball. In fact, MLB is currently going through a work stoppage right now. For the NFL, on the other hand, players have, more times than not, worked harmoniously with the owners to continually keep their game alive. In 1982, that went completely out the window.

After a 57-day player strike, the 1982 season was reduced from 16 games to nine. In spite of the shortened schedule, the Patriots did just enough to sneak into the playoffs after finishing third in the AFC East behind both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

The perpetually underachieving Steve Grogan was under center for the Patriots. Try as he might, he simply couldn’t get things going. Don Hasselbeck, their former tight end was their lone bright spot, catching seven passes for 87 yards, but Grogan constantly gave the ball away. He finished the game with 189 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

David Woodley, another notorious underachiever, might’ve played his best game ever. He sliced and diced the Patriots to the tune of 246 passing yards while completing 16 of 19 passes for two touchdowns. Andra Franklin was also a focal point of the offense that day, going for 112 rushing yards.

The Patriots had their chances early on, holding the Dolphins to zero points in the opening quarter. The problem with that is the Patriots couldn’t find the end zone, either. That appeared to be their only chance as the Dolphins scored 28 points throughout the final three frames. The Patriots still had their issues. They hit just one field goal in both the second and third quarters before eventually scoring a touchdown in the final quarter. But, by then, it was too little, too late.