Marino did not play well in big games. Stats don’t lie. Let’s look at Marino’s play in his post-season losses:
In 1983 at home against Seattle, Miami lost 27-20. Marino threw two interceptions in 25 passes and had a passer rating of 77.6 wasting Miami’s number one ranked defense in the NFL. Seattle’s defense was ranked 24th out of 28 in the NFL in points given up.
In 1984 in Super Bowl XIX against San Francisco, despite having the highest scoring team in the NFL and a top-10 defense, Marino would lead Miami to only one touchdown and generate only 16 points. Marino would throw two interceptions that day and had a passer rating of 66.9.
As point of reference as to how badly Marino played on the brightest stage, Trent Dilfer in Super Bowl XXXV, had a passer rating of 80.9 for the Baltimore Ravens against the New York Giants. Dilfer’s career regular season passer rating is 70.2. Dilfer raised his game in the Super Bowl. Marino’s career regular season passer rating is 86.4. His Super Bowl passer rating: 66.9.
In 1985 in the AFC Championship Game at home in Miami, Marino would complete only 20-of-48 passes and throw two interceptions as the Dolphins could only score 14 points against the New England Patriots. Marino’s passer rating that day was 54.9. In comparison, the great Tony Eason was unfazed by big game jitters and outplayed Marino badly, throwing three touchdowns, no interceptions and had a passer rating of 130.9.
The Dolphins wouldn’t make the playoffs during the 1986-1989 seasons. In 1990, in a playoff game at Buffalo, Marino would again throw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 72.1. The Dolphins that year had the fourth best scoring defense in the NFL. The Bills had the sixth best scoring defense in the NFL.
The Dolphins would not make the post-season in 1991. In 1992 at home against the Bills in the playoffs, Marino would throw, you guessed it, two interceptions and had a passer rating of 56.5. Miami would not make the playoffs in 1993.
The 1994 season ended in a playoff game at San Diego, Marino played well in the only time his Dolphins team lost in the post-season. Marino was 24-of-38 for 262 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions and had a passer rating of 109.8.
With that sole exception, Marino would throw at least two interceptions in every one of Miami’s season-ending playoff games throughout his entire career. It’s hard to win when your quarterback throws two interceptions in any game, especially a more pressure-packed post-season one. Let’s continue.
The 1995 season ended with a playoff loss at Buffalo where Marino would throw three interceptions and had a passer rating of just 63.4. Miami had the 10th best scoring defense in the NFL. Buffalo had the 12th best scoring defense in the NFL. So much for the myth Marino didn’t have a better defense than Miami’s playoff opponent.
Miami did not make the playoffs in 1996. The 1997 season ended with Miami a playoff loss at New England. Marino could only lead Miami to three points in the loss as he was 17-of-43 passing for just 141 yards and two interceptions. His passer rating that day was a putrid 29.3.
The 1998 season ended with a loss at Denver where Marino would again only lead the Dolphins to just three points losing 38-3. Marino would throw two interceptions and had a passer rating of just 65.5 wasting his team’s number one scoring defense in the NFL in 1998.
In Marino’s final season of 1999, the Dolphins would lose to Jacksonville 62-7 as Marino was just 11-of-25 passing for only 95 yards throwing two interceptions. Marino’s passer rating was a putrid 34.6 that day. Here is a chart comparing career regular season quarterback rating to their career post-season quarterback rating. As you can see, Marino’s QBR decreased significantly in the post-season.
