Fins Flashback - Dolphins Bills Rivalry with John Offerdahl

rivalry with John Offer Doll, former Dolphins linebacker. We're gonna talk about that rivalry, some of the best games, best moments for him over the course of his career up in Buffalo. Plus, we'll get you the latest on the Dolphins current injury report and Buffaloes report heading into the Week seven team game as the regular season finale is upon us. All of that and more on this Friday,

January the first edition of the Drive Time Podcast. Let's go ahead and kick this podcast off by getting you the latest on the Dolphins and Bills for Friday from Orchard Park from Bill Stadium on January three. On Sunday, we have the latest injury report on this Friday for you, and it looks like this four Dolphins are going to be questionable for the game. Wide receivers Jachem Grant and DeVante Parker, defensive and Shack Lawson and rookie guard Solomon Kinley.

All four of those guys will be questionable for the game. On Sunday, Buffalo is gonna be without three players. Wide receiver Cole Beasley, offensive lineman John Feliciano, and tight end Reggie Gilliam will all miss Sunday's game. And joining me now on the Drivetime podcast is five time Pro bowler spent all eight of his NFL years with the Miami Dolphins. He is John offerd All, John, how you doing today, sir? It's good to be on on with I'm doing great.

I was looking forward to getting you on. We we were looking back at some of these nineties Buffalo Bill's rivalries and and you know, Scott Stone, our buddy here at the Miami Dolphins, said John offered would be great for it, and I said, we haven't had him on the podcast yet, haven't had a chance to meet him. I would be more than happy to do that. I told you before you came on that I grew up in the nineties of Dolphins fan all the way out here in Washington State. But hey, I would love to

talk to John Offerd Doll. And the first thing I always asked my guests, the alumni, guess, is what's life like now for John Offerd Doll. Huh, Well, life is uh right now in the COVID mode. It's a little challenging, it is. I'm in the restaurant business, as is some of my other fellow alumni. And uh, the restaurant business has been challenged with COVID nineteen, but that's a one year element. Life after football has now been thirty years.

I mean I I played in so yeah, I'm about twenties seven to thirty three years older than I was when I played at the young age of twenty. So my life is a slower, it is softer, thank God, and it's challenging, but in a different way. I don't get hurt as much in the kitchens of my restaurants as I do on the field of football, and for that I am thankful. At the age of what's interesting about this year is it's it's my number. I'm the big fifty six. I'm fifty six years old. This year.

So first half of fifty six kind of challenging. Second half January to August is gonna be unbelievably stullar. That's the attitude you have to have. That's exactly why we got you here. We got the upbeat attitude heading into an important game Sunday for the Dolphins up in Buffalo. And you know it's to me, John, as a Dolphins fan life long, I wasn't really you know, privy to the eighties rivalry with the Jets or maybe the Patriot you know, the Patriots now coming in later into the fold.

But in the nineteen nineties, it was the Buffalo Bills. And so I just want to first off here with what do you remember most about those trips up to Buffalo, the games on the road in Buffalo. Yeah, so, first of all, let me tell you that I I absolutely respected the Buffalo Bills, the organization, the talent they had um, the offense and the defense. But the offense Jim Kelly, unbelievable offensive line, Terman Thomas Um, great receivers. So when we went up to Buffalo, there were two parts. There

was the fan experience and the field experience. All right, First of all, the fan experience was unbelievably, unbelievably Buffalo. Let's just say that I'm not really gonna be heard in Buffalo on this interview, this podcast. So but but you never know, right, But I tell you, when I would go up to Buffalo, I would see things that

I hadn't seen before. And I grew up and was gott since so I can kind of consider myself a Northern But um, you know, let's say that the women, uh, they were as aggressive a fan as I've ever seen in the NFL, and oftentimes. I mean I remember bus rides to and from the stadium where I saw things I probably shouldn't have seen I wouldn't want to see again in Buffalo. Uh, that's being very nice, I'm being nice. Um.

I remember going onto the field for pregame warmups. That's the stadium was so close to the players, and it still is. You literally were practicing and hitting and doing things in pregame warmups, you know, five feet away from the fans that were either spitting on your throwing things at you, or showing things you don't want to see. So it wasn't a crazy environment to play football in.

You had the cold weather, you had just the fall feel of Buffalo and then the fan experience in your walk away saying, oh, you either love that or get intimidated by it. Certainly it was entertaining. Um. The field experience wasn't as entertaining for us. However, we did do amazingly well a couple of games in Buffalo. Buffalo had an amazing team. Just an amazing team. They went to the Super Bowl four years in a row when I played, and all four of those years I thought they were

the best team in the league. And they didn't win one game in the Super Bowl. They should have. They had an unbelievable team. And uh they put together through Jim Kelly and the no huddle offense. Uh, such an effective offense that from a defensive players perspective, if you weren't on the top of your game, you're gonna get shredded. Um. So you know that when it got to the field time. Uh. Uniquely and unusually, we had some great games in Buffalo. I remember, UH, two years in a row we beat

them soundly in Buffalo. Games that we were expected to lose, we won and surprised people. Our defense came alive. I remember a hunted yard return. I don't know, I'm exaggerating, maybe by Louis Oliver. In one of those games. Brian Cox alongside me was just fun to play with. And although they were so explosive and potentially damaging to us, we put together a package that I kind of think threw them off. We put together a new defensive scheme

that they hadn't seen before. I think it was very effective with the talent that we had on our team, and we caught them by surprise. Typically, if I remember correctly, the first game in the series, the second game in the series down in Miami, I don't remember having such great success, and the third game for a couple of years, sadly in the playoffs, and we didn't have the success

we would have loved. And you know, I look at those years as the prime years for Damn Rain on the offense and UH as challenging or as talented as that offense was for the Miami Dolphins. UH, the Buffalo Bills knew how to keep Dan off the field and their team on the field, and sadly, I think, you know, both those games I would have loved to have won, but we didn't, and that was the end of our playoff experience in my career. Those are the two years

we got to the playoffs. I think they were nine, Yeah, they were, they were, and you had you had mentioned that you guys kind of caught them off guard. There a couple of times I'm wondering, like, because you guys play each other so much, and in the playoffs again, you know, those three games of seasons, sometimes I have to imagine it's it's pretty hard to have to have

mystery between the two of those two teams. Like, was it one of those cases of like we knew what we know what you're gonna do, you know what we're gonna do, and it's just best man wins type of deal. Well, to some degree, yes, but I mean, like I think both years, quite honestly, we put together a defensive package that kind of caught them off guard. They were prepared for it the second time, and they were probably fine tuned by the third time, so that the first games

of those years we won. In the second and the third games of those years we didn't. But you know, I do feel like our defense just wasn't up to their offense. Although we every year, don't forget now, we brought in new talent that you know. I remember Brian Cox was a very talented player. He comes into our system. We put together a package that surprises them with new talent, and I think we we were fortunate to soundly defeat

them up in Buffalo. But as the year went on and they prepared for us and knowing what we were coming with, uh, you know, they got the better of us. And quite honestly, not as an offense, but as a defense and a total team. Uh, you know, they were better than us. And and in that season you had mentioned the affair you played in the week fifteen game that was right before the season finale, and then you go back in the playoffs and you didn't play in

that game. Does that do you ever think about that? John? Like what if I could have been out there for that game? Like? How does that kind of stick with you? So, yeah, it sticks with me, not in a really sweepful way, because in my prime of my career, uh, my fifth year in the NFL, I was fortunate to be All Pro and UM Pro Bowl and I just had a

great year leading up to that playoff game. That playoff game, previous playoff game, I think it was against Kansas City but whatever, the game before I just tore up my ankle and I couldn't play. So we had a great team, we were prepared and ready, and I couldn't play in the biggest game of the year the I think it was maybe I don't know, it could have been a wild card game, but it was against Buffalo and we got beat up in Buffalo. And then the second time

in the playoff game against Buffalo. It was another, you know, great year for me, but I wasn't able to play in the playoff game because of my health as my health started fading away in the last couple of years. So both of those unbelievably special games, you know, the defensive captain, the leader, um, the player who was at his peak except for a couple of games when I

couldn't play. They were the Buffalo Bills games. So I feel like I let not only let the team down, and let myself down because I wanted to play in the big games and I wasn't able to. Yeah, because you guys allow them just or hold them rather to just twenty four points in that Week fifteen game, they come back and score forty in the postseason. I have to imagine not having your defensive captain out there. I mean,

it's a big deal. It's a big deal. It's a big deal in so like, I can just imagine how how that you and at the time, and I'm sure your teammates as well, that you weren't able to be out there. But you know you mentioned reminding me again, Travis that often too good, John too good. You did mention something earlier about kind of their up tempo and aggressive attack, and a couple of the notes I read was they would come out to these these early sevens

ago starts, they would march down the field. What was it about their offense that gave opposing defenses so much challenges of the in those you know, four Super Bowl year runs they had. Yeah, so Jim Kelly and there's they kind of had a spread offense before there was a spread offense, and they could take their Thurman Thomas and make him receiver in a second, and defenses weren't

prepared for that. We were still in our base defense and all of a sudden, you know, me and the other linebackers are covered in Thurman Thomas uh in a slot position. I'm like, gosh, I've never been on this far away from the ball in my life, So you know, it definitely put pressure on players who um weren't used to being in that situation. And then if you if you brought in a strong safety or any type of slot defender, they would just run the ball so effectively

up the middle. So I do want to give credit where it's new. And they had a player like people ask me John, who is the best running back? John, who's the best lineman? Um Thurman Thomas was definitely one of the best top five running backs that went up against. But they had an offensive alignman Jim Richter, who I just respected uh so much. He was by far the best run blocker in the league, the best run blocker

I've ever played against. And we I mean I remember going to games and just saying, this is a war against one person, Jim Richter, you know, and he just happens to wear Buffalo Bill's hot. But I mean that was the kind of respect I had for him as an individual, and it goes past him to the team. But you know that type of talent where you can say, the best player I ever played up against in in a run defense was a player against the UM you know,

a division opponent the Buffalo Bills. That kind of shows you the town for the team too, because boy, if he's the best player, then you got Jim Kelly, you got Andre Reid, Thurman Thomas. It just goes on and on, and you just realize that this day you better show

up to play. Yeah, and an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the football there, and you mentioned that, you know, they were this team that was a little bit more modern ahead of their time as far as the spread out attack, when you would have teams that were in based defenses to defend a fullback in a running back because that's when two backsets were those were prevalent. That was a common thing. Now it's obviously changed a lot.

So I'm wondering because you know, talking about modern day football, teams talk about or at least maybe media and analysts and that type of thing, talk about how you have to play to win your division. You have to be able to beat the teams in your division to get to the playoffs. That's how you make a run to the Super Bowl. Did you guys go into offseason workouts or off season programs or into training camp saying we

gotta find a way to beat those Buffalo Bills. Like, was that something you thought of or was it just there another one of the sixteen teams in the schedule. Well, you know, divisional opponents um and highly talented. The divisional opponents become, uh, certainly on the top of the priority list for players. But I think that ends up being more of coaching and drafting and free agency and who are who are we going to bring on our team that twice a year can defend or perform against the

Buffalo Bills. So you know, I left that up to the coaches and the personnel directors. But as a player, you know, certainly those games, you know, become important. It was kind of funny, I'm wandering now, but my son and I were talking about football and how you looked at the preparation and the performance of a game. And I'm the I'm one of I fall into the slot that I prepared for every game like it was life or death. It was a war. I had to defeat my player in front of me, be a part of

the team, lead the team towards victory. And I quite honestly, I think I did that regardless of who I played. Now, on the flip side, you know might be you know, a team that you might take advantage of, uh the

percent might be the Buffalo Bills. There is always an enlightened mindset and you know, adrenaline that comes along with the game that matters, and uh, you know, not only do you prepare for it more maybe during the week, but it comes game time, you know, you're just that much more alert of the unbelievable importance of this game. And uh, you know to me that that's acceptable. I don't you know, I'd like to think I'm a great player every game and I, uh prepare equally, but let's

not you know, let's not fool ourselves. I only give myself a one one percentage point advantage for a game against the Buffalo Bills, and probably Buffalo would be the number one team in my era that I felt that extra That's that's a really cool inside note. And I'm sure for a professional athlete, you know, a highly tuned machine as far as your body goes, and all the preparation that goes into that. I mean, I'm sure that one percent is is considerable, especially more so than the

regular person who would have that same analogy. So I'm sure that that ramp up, it matters and you can definitely see the way it plays out on the field. So we talked John a little bit earlier about how you missed some of the games up in Buffalo in your career, but you did make seven trips to Buffalo in your eight year career, missed a couple of playoff game or two and a couple of regular season games up there as well. Do you mentioned the drive in You mentioned you told me a story off the air

about a flag that hits you. Um, do you have a favorite moment in your Dolphins Buffalo rivalry when you went to Buffalo the road games? Yeah? So, I, um, I do? I do? I have a bunch of You know, I have a photo in my in my office at

home that is a uh how do what I say? Well, it's a photo of a lifetime, I think because I was walking into the Buffalo bill Stadium right behind Brian Cox and that that moment is frozen and into me because Brian was talking to the crowd with his middle finger up and I was in the background just looking at him, going what are you doing? And then somebody took a photo of that and it just cracks me up. Every time I look at it, because it's it's it kind of I want to get Brian Cox where the

credit that he deserves. He took football to another level that I wasn't used to and it was a little bit more emotional than for me. That than me than me, I mean for me, I wasn't as emotional. He was a very emotional player and he shared that emotion with the Buffalo bill fans and it was just great to be behind him that moment, to just get in the

picture with that middle finger. Now, I don't I don't want to put the middle finger up to Buffalo because I absolutely I don't want to respect them and love them. But h I played in the game there there that Thurman Thomas spread out a little bit, I had to cover him in a man and man uh, I didn't really like to be in a man of man situation at any time in the NFL, but especially against Therman Thomas.

Right the Thurman Thomas, the ball's high. Therman Thomas goes up our sideline kind of jukes mean goes up our sideline and I'm in a trail technique about ten yards behind him and so so, and it was Jim Kelly throws the ball and as I'm chasing Thurman Thomas up the sideline and uh, I know he's gonna catch the ball. I see Coach Shula and he's on the sideline and he you know you and I for whatever reason, I feel like I see his face and he's not too happy at me. But little did I know the next second,

I fall on the ground and excruciating pain. And I look up and you know, thankfully Louis Oliver probably tackled him for attendant fifteen their gain. And I look up and Coachula has kind of got a smile on his face and he's laughing a little bit, and I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna get chewed out by Coach. But he's laughing and I'm I'm excruciating pain. I looked out and there's a yellow flag between my legs. I couldn't believe what happened. I'm like, what the heck do

I have a yellow flag between my legs? And the film the next day proved that the raf through it like a fifty yard pass. I think came wailing across the field and hit me right with the sun. Does he sign as I'm chasing Thurman Thomas in a trail technique and I fall in front of Coach Shula's feet and I look up and he's laughing at me, and I, you know, I use that as an example for my kids and others. That says and life as in football,

you better watch out. You gotta keep your eyes and your head on a swivel because from left field, they're gonna come at you right when you're you're not expecting it. And thankfully, in my life, I've had good coaches who can actually laugh at something like that in the midst of getting you know, bottom line, I got beat. So keep your eyes open. You had on a swivel, You

better watch out. I can't help but think of the Forest Gump story when he said it felt like a dog jump up and bit him in the backside there. That's kind of what that reminds me of. You tell him that story there. But that's great, John, that's great. He was an All Pro in spent all eight of his NFL years here with the Miami Dolphins. John Offer Doll, thank you so much for your time today, so we really appreciate it. Uh well, I appreciate being on the

podcast with your Travis and go fins fins up. Hey, Hello, you mentioned Brian Cox. We have. We had him on The Fish Tank, our other podcast here in the network on Tuesday. That's available and I'm sure you would love to hear that. Can you shoot me at linking You heard it here first, folks, John offer doll fins up. Let's see you guys on Sunday. Take down the Buffalo Bills. John, thank you again, sir, and away he goes, John offered doll. That's gonna finish up our Friday edition here of the

Drivetime Podcast, our first podcast of the new year. We'll see you guys back here on Sunday for the recap podcast. Do not miss that. Also check out today's top news story up on Miami Dolphins dot com, as well as all the content for the course of the week for Week seventeen until next time. That's gonna be my time

you all. Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review the podcast, check out the Fish Tank, check out the audible, follow me on Twitter at Winkfold NFL, follow the team at Miami Dolphins, and of course, last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot Com until next time. Until Sunday, fins up,