Fins Flashback 2001 Dolphins Raiders with Jay Fiedler

your daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, we're gonna welcome and Jay Fiedler on this podcast to talk about the two thousand one victory over the Oakland Raiders. As the Dolphins head to Las Vegas and take on the Raiders on Saturday for a special primetime game. We'll hear from Jay on that very unique and special game and big time Dolphins win, coming back after nine eleven his touchdown run to win that game late against the Raiders.

Let's go ahead and jump right into that here on this Monday, December the twenty one edition of the Drive Time Podcast. We already had the earlier podcast for you

guys today talking to Kyle van Noy. Let's go ahead and jump right into this interview with Jay Fiedler talking about two thousand one, the victory over the Oakland Raiders, and I'm thrilled to be joined now by former Dolphins quarterback a man that needs no introduction thirty six and twenty three as the Dolphins starting quarterback from two thousand to two thousand and four, The last Dolphins QB to win a playoff game, Jay Fiedler. Jay, what's up man?

Welcome back in Dravis. Thanks man. How you doing. I'm doing good, better than you, apparently, because I heard you're stuck in some snow up there in the northeast. Yeah. I just I just finished shoveling the driveway and had a little hot Coco get ready for you. Hey, the hot coco part, I will envy a little bit. I don't miss the cold weather, but you know, those those techniques to get back to being warm, those are certainly missed. Yeah. Well, we we needed them when we had a all up

the Buffalo and New England in December every year. Yeah, there you go. I was actually watching a YouTube clip the other day. I think it was like one of those Twitter vintage accounts where they showed you on the field pregame up in Buffalo, and I want to say it was maybe two thousand and you were saying beautiful day out here, and it was like probably twenty degrees. Yeah. Well, you know, I played college up at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, so I was used to the cold, you know, going

up there. I think the old line loved it when I went out there in shorts and just a lightweight long sleep T shirt for warm up. So uh yeah, I definitely got the guys fired up, and uh we had a great game that day. Yeah, you're a little bit ahead of your time. I recall seeing some some of the college kids these days, they'll they'll make it a point to go out their shirt lists and get like some push ups and stuff like that to try

to I guess set the tone. But you did it on your own, in your own way back in those days. But um, you know, the last we talked, j And we were on the same season, or not the same season. Rather we were in the two thousand season talking about the finale against the Patriots and cold weather game. But today we're gonna go to the beginning of the two thousand one season. And as I can see in your background there, you still have the poster up. Now, last time we talked, it was your your sun shade from

the window. But now it's a little more prominently displayed there. J. Well, yeah, you know, I used to do the zooms up my office where my computer was, and uh, I just decided that that shade in the background kept giving a glare, kept giving a glare, and uh, you know, rather than taking taking the poster to block the shade, rock block the sun, I think I'll just take my computer and

come downstairs, you know, to the basement. Well, I'm glad to see that it still looks great because there's obviously no sun spots on it. It looks fantastic. I think most Dolphins fans remember that game and that Sports Illustrated cover with J and the end zone kind of pumping the fist after a game winning touchdown run. But you know, I'm sure Dolphins fans remember this game for that reason, A big reason why, but also a major, major, you know,

life changing period in our country here. And I think to start off here, Jay, and you know, if this is a tough transition to make, I'd like to kind of just give you the floor. Maybe we can go back and forth, but I want to know, like, what was that week like leading up to this game? Because you know, the nine eleven tragedy had just happened. You guys, I want to know, like, how did you find out? What was the scheduling, like the communication as far as

what you're gonna do? What was it like when you guys first found out about you know, nine eleven and the schedule afterwards? Yeah, well, you know, I remember it was you know, we had two weeks because they actually canceled the week of the season. Uh. You know when after nine eleven happened, and and we didn't know what was you know, what was going on, what was going to happen. Uh. Uh you know nine eleven ended up that year coming on an off day on a Tuesday.

So you know, I remember being at home and uh uh you know, waking up to to to get up to go into the facility to to watch some film and get prepared for uh for the next week, and uh you know, turn the TV on and see what's going on, and uh, you know it took me a while to get in that. Uh. You know I had uh you know, being from New York and uh growing

up in the area. You know, I knew one of my best friends from college actually worked in the world trade Center at CANi fis Gerald, Uh, you know, up on the hundred something floor and uh, you know, if you if you remember anything about you know, nine eleven Candor you know, was one of those companies that that lost you know, probably of the company there and uh, you know, luckily he was still working some overnight hours

and uh got out of there in the morning. But I didn't know that, you know, so you know, I spent a good part of the day trying to connect with him or or you know other people friends and family that uh uh you know, can can find out what was happening. And you know, the phones were all messed up that day, uh, with everyone trying to communicate with with with their family and with their friends. Uh. So it took a while to to finally get the good news that that he wasn't there and uh and survived.

But you know, over the next day or two, you find out stories of other people and other friends who you know, friends of friends or or you know, people that are connected with with with with close friends and family that uh, you know, it was just such a tragic day and uh and aftermath beyond that, so you know, after after it happened, you know, we Actually we had to go in you know, the following day for practice on Wednesday, and you know, there was a somber mood.

No one really felt like practicing. Uh. I don't recall. I think we just did just cancel that practice that day, and we were kind of waiting for the NFL and make a decision on uh, you know, on what they were going to do uh with the week. I think every sports organization during that time period was was trying to figure it out. Um. You know, I know Baseball, you know, it was getting towards the end of their season, and you know, they didn't know what was going on.

Football didn't know what was going on. And took a day or two to the NFL to finally say, you know, let's cancel this week and you know, we'll we'll let you know, and and uh ended up coming back the following week, uh to play the game. So uh, you know, it's definitely a surreal time and you know, and then the preparation getting back uh, you know, even a couple of weeks later after after it happened. Uh, Um, you know, you still had you know a lot of things going on.

You know, air travel was was different. Uh. Um, you know everything. You know, it was a bit different that at that point. You know, I know my dad used to make it down to every single game and mine uh uh you know, he traveled whether it was home

or away. Uh, you know, and he he hopped on a Jet Blue flight to come down, uh for the Radar game, and he said there were about four people on the flight, you know, and it was you know, the people were that scared of of getting on planes and uh, you know, I didn't want to resume you know, the travel, so uh, you know, it was it was

just a crazy time. But you know, as as an athlete, you always you know, use uh you know, use your sport and use your your profession as a way too, you know, for for a few hours a day, and you know, to to kind of get away from, you know,

the distractions of life. And and it allows, you know, it allowed us as as athletes to you know, be able to to you know, get our focus away from what was going on in the tragedy that was happening and uh, you know realize that life does move on and and you know you have to keep pushing forward. And you know, we translated that into you know, coming back on the field and and really allowing America to heal and uh uh you know, give them, you know, a bit of normalcy again after a couple of weeks

of grieving. I'm glad you mentioned that because you know, I wasn't. I mean, I was in sixth grade, Jay, so I didn't really you know, have the full grasp of the concept of what was happening as far as the gravity of the situation. But you know, I do remember watching sports as a kid that only really cared

about sports at that time in my life. And remember like the Andrewsie brothers for the Patriots coming onto the field with the American flags and uh, you know, Rudy Giuliana throwing out the first pitch of the Yankees game in the playoffs and they came back to play, or even even this game they showed John Gruden on the sideline and he was, you know, he was tearful as an emotional moment for him and I'm sure everybody else involved. I was wondering you mentioned, because you had that connection

back to New York. Did the coaches ask you or maybe anybody else to kind of get up and address the team, like what was there some some type of therapy session coming back in because you know, like you mentioned, this is so unprecedented, maybe you have to find a new way to approach it. Yeah, you know, we we

we did talk about, you know, as a team. Uh uh you know, I mean we were talking about whether you know, we even you know, before the NFL made their decision, you know, whether we even you know I

wanted to go back and play. And you know that was a team discussion on you know, what we would recommend to the NFL and uh you know, even uh you know, even getting back out the practice was a discussion that that we had when was the right time to you know, to to return and uh, you know it was you know, I mean for me, I remember, you know, because of my New York connection and and uh you know connection there. Uh you know, and also

just being a team captain. You know, it was an honor for me when the team came out, when we were announced in the pregame, you know, to to be out front with the American flag and uh you know lead the team out from from the locker room, uh,

you know, right before the national anthem. And you know there was a time that again, like I said, you know, the country was really coming together and everyone you know was was patriot out of at that time, you know, feeling for you know, whether it was New York or or d C that got hit or you know, the Pennsylvania crash. Uh, you know, it really affected everyone across

the country. Uh uh you know it was a time that you know, the the US came together to unite and uh uh you know, united around uh you know, sports and uh, you know that was kind of the big catalyst for you know, returning like I said, returning to a normal activity. Yeah, I was gonna say that had to have been a motivation for you guys, right, like kind of not taking the honest to be the ones that you know, turned things back to normal. But

you had to take some pride in that, right. Oh yeah, absolutely, you know it was it was, like I said, an honor to to to be in that situation, to be in that in that moment, uh uh, to to show the country that, uh, you know, we're we're going up against the raiders and you know we we can't stand them, but you know we're all together and uh, you know and bringing America back together, you know, back to normal. So we do want to talk about this game at some point, I'll kind of I guess trying to make

this relation in the transition. Was there like kind of a sluggish feel to it at the beginning, or did you have a moment where you kind of got back into the game or was it once the ball kicked off you're ready to go? Like was how had you been different to start that game off? Uh? Yeah, you know, the the emotions of the of the national anthem definitely hit a chord with a lot of people. Um, you know, just uh, you know, being back out on the field.

I think they had a big flyover for for that game, uh you know, which was you know, energetic and emotional at the same time that the huge you know, American play got them out there and uh you know, I think they invited some some first responders you know, down to the game and military to be out there. So you know, there was definitely a lot of pageantry around uh you know, the Patriots is of coming back and playing.

But you know, like you said, I think you know, you get that fly over in the national anthem and uh and uh you know the energy that's that's built from all the emotion you know that that went through getting to that point. You know, once the game starts, you know, there was a lot of built up emotion to to to get into the game. And so you know, that was the first thing I learned in podcasting j was to play the hits, talk about the most pressing

issues first. I think that was obviously first and second would take us all the way to the very end of the game. So I think most people remember this game for obviously at the nine eleven return, but also the game winning touchdown. This post right behind you here where you're lying in the end zone celebrating game winning touchdown. Rush I had, I had one question I'd love to get an answer on here, but I think that's kind

of part of the larger equations. So it's it's third down, which means you've got to plays to get across the goal line. And you know what, let's let's go ahead and do this chronologically. So you're in the huddle, it's third and goal from the two yard line, no time outs. You've got no time out in your back pocket, so Chan the offensive arditor has to be in your ear telling you, hey, if it's not there, throw that thing away right Well, yeah, you know, I mean I knew

the situation. Uh you know I knew I knew what was involved. Uh and what I did make that decision to to run for it. You know, I knew the consequences if if I wasn't able to get there. Uh So you know in the back of my head, you know, going into that play coming out of the huddle. Uh, you know that was really like our two point play. Uh. You know that that that we worked on, you know

for a two point situation. Obviously we're down in that uh in that part of the field, uh to to do it, and you know when you when you think about it, you know your two point play is you know, really going to be your best play for that situation. Uh. So you know we dialed it up at at that point, and uh, it really gave me a lot of options on that play. You know, it was a full bootleg,

but you know there were three four receivers. Uh you know that that we're in my line of sight for that play in addition to the run and uh and a throwaway option. So uh, you know all all were available to me. Uh. You know I came out, I think I saw a Hunter Goodwin kind of flashed in front of me. Uh, you knows as a first option, he was covered. Uh. You know, I kind of continued out out towards the sideline and Trace Armstrong kind of you know, mirrored me out there, started rushing to me.

I looked in the end zone, no one was open. Uh. And as I ducked inside of Trace, I just saw, you know, plenty of green grass, uh and enough room for me to to to beat whatever defender was gonna, you know, come off of their man to get there. So you know, made that decision to uh to take off and run and uh and uh you know, thankfully it was the right decision. And uh, I was able to dive and get that ball over the end zone

before anyone came to hit me. Yeah. I took a bunch of notes here, and I know a lot of the things that you just talked about their twenty one personnel offset. I play action. You'd fake the toss, sweep to the to the strong or to the field side, and you rolled naked to the to the boundary and the clamped I think it was. Was it Rob Conrad in the flat? I have to it was a fullback and so that was that. The first reader was a

Hunter good one. Uh, you're you're actually right. It was Rob Conrad in the in the flat was the first read, you know, it was him coming back to Hunter, and then uh, I think it was a Rhanda in the back of the end zone. Uh, you know it was was probably third read. But you know, I remember, I know I came off a robb real quick and Hunter was kind of the guy that was, you know, iffy whether I could get it to him and uh uh you know, and then coming off of him to make

the decision to run. So I'd love to just go further intode the mind of the quarterback for someone that's never gonna experience, you know, I think the closest experience fans have to the NFL experience is that old Michael Vick commercial the roller coaster that takes the kid around for the Michael Vick experience. But I'm curious because you mentioned Trace Armstrong and I had to go back and look up. I was like the neck roll that looks

like it might be Trace. I had to go look at ninety three on the roster card and sure enough it was him. And like you mentioned, you you made a split decision where you're kind of angling towards the pylon and then he's gonna try to get the outside pursuit angle on you. And you made a decision like snap, once you cut back inside you that was it, like you had to commit at that point. How how fast

does that happen? Like you actually have a chance to sit there and be like, okay, I'll if I cut inside hearing me that can throw it away, maybe I can find a target somewhere else. Or does it just kind of happen instinctually for you? Uh? You know, I

think it happens instinctually. I think you know what, like I said, in the back of my mind, I knew all the decisions that that that I had to make, uh and those of flashed decisions, and as an athlete, you know, you gotta take all that process it and uh and it happens just you know, just like that, the snap of the snap of a finger. And uh.

Uh you know, when like I said, you know, when I did cut inside, you know that split this second decision was you either throw it away or you see green grass, you can get it, get it, get into the end zone and you go uh you know, and and and hesitation is what really causes, you know, mistakes out on the football field. So you know, you gotta make that decision. You gotta commit to it, and you gotta go with it. And you know, you learn as a quarterback, you know when it's time to pull the trigger,

you gotta pull it. Uh, you know, whether it's throwing the ball into a window, or whether it's you know, making that decision to to to to to run for it and and and go for a touchdown or a first down or whatever this situation might pay. When you made the decision, was there ever a point in your mind we were like ship, I might not get in. You know, I don't think so. I mean I I saw the goal line as as clear as day. I

saw a clear path to it. Uh. You know, it probably looked a lot closer on the film, but uh, you know, I knew in the back of my mind that that that that I was gonna be able to get there. So you do you do? Dive in get across us the goal line. We have again the image behind your right shoulder there is is you lying in the end zone. Can you take us through your thoughts in that moment? I don't know if I had anythings you four. Yeah, I guess, uh, you know you dive.

You know, I was, you know, just looking up, you know, to make sure that the referee gave the touchdown signal. And as I'm looking up, you know, everyone's jumping all over me, and I think when my hand goes up, it's when I see the referee you know, actually make you know, come in and give the touchdown signal. You know, my hand goes up. I know it's you know, uh uh you know it's a game winning touchdown. And then you know, I'm getting attacked by everyone on the offensive side,

you know, jumping all over me. And you know, it was just the energy and the building and and uh in the stadium, the energy from from the teammates and from the sideline. You know, that was That was one of the loudest I heard. The Pro Player Dolten you know, the Pro Player Stadium, Joe Robbie Stadium, whatever you want call it. Uh went through about six different names while

I was there. I think, yeah, that was before the camp he got added on for what it is now hard Rock Stadium, so the noise didn't get trapped in the same way. But when when the seventies seven thousand whatever it has got got going. It was you could definitely hear them. So that the next part I want to ask is the kind of the aftermath, because you know we talked about third the third down situation. Obviously you have your your checklist, you have in your mind

that you talked about. But you know, it reminds me when I played basketball back in my day. J Like, if I if I jacked up a shot that was maybe off balance, or the coach wasn't a big fan of the low presentag shot I was taking, it was no, no, no, no, and then it goes and yes, yes, good shot, good choice. Did you have that moment in the film room with Chan at all or like, was it just all all celebration? No,

you know, I think it would be the end. Z always justify the means, right, uh uh you know, but but you know that's that was a choice on that play, So you know, it's not it was a choice that was available to me. It was an option that was that was there to take, and uh uh, you know, I think I made the right choice. Yeah, you definitely did Dolphins get the second victory of the season. It was a big, big game with the Raiders, who were obviously, you know, in that era, uh pretty much perpetually a

Super Bowl contender. So you guys were right there with him too and playing playing a tight game with those guys. And you know it was your second rushing touchdown of the game. You took a draw in earlier in the game. And I want to finish with this, Jay, you had the two rushing touchdowns. You had a huge conversion before the touchdown, also with your legs, and earlier on the drive you got absolutely walluped on a hit that wasn't flagged. And I mean, I cannot believe that hit was not flagged.

Today they would have there would have been thirty flags pouring in on that guy. But you just bounced right up. And I'm going somewhere with this, so just stay with me for a second. You just kept getting up and all of this came after a pick six you threw with a one point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, And to me, man Like, it just speaks to your resilient character and toughness. I guess what I want to know is where did that kind of develop

for you? Where you become this in this guy who was known for always getting up off the mat and always being competitive in those big moments Like that's kind of what defines you for Dolphins fans in that era. Where does that come from? Uh well, look, it comes initially as an athlete, you know, with a desire and and uh uh you know I hate to lose mentality. Uh you know it's uh we had a lot of guys on on that team. You know you think about a Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, uh you know the uh

you know, the defensive guys, I mean, Lamar Smith. I mean these are hate hate to lose tech guys. Uh. You know that that would do anything to to go out there and and uh you know, do whatever it takes to get a win. And uh you know I was also you know playing you know at that point

with a little chip on my shoulder. Was undrafted, you know, free agent quarterback guy who was uh you know, passed around for for a few different teams, and you know, finally got my opportunity with Miami and I wasn't gonna let it up. Uh you know, I was gonna do whatever it took. And uh, you know they knocked me down, I'm getting right back up. And you know it's funny.

I mean you talk about the one hit. Uh you know that you know it should have been a flag and uh you know, these days would be a fine ejection. Uh you know, uh whatever it is. Uh you know, but but these days I'd probably also be taken out of the out of that game because the concussion protocol. Uh you know, because I mean you mentioned it that I popped right back up. But I don't know if you saw on the on the replay, you know when

I popped back up, I took a little stumble. Uh. Uh you know, I was a little I think I was still a little bit dizzy at the time. And uh you know this was before any of the concussion uh uh you know, uh talk you know ever came up, and uh you know, for me, it was you know, shake my head, shake it off, get back out there

and continue to drive, and let's go. And I remember, uh you know, James McKnight came up from from behind me and kind of steadied me as I got up, and and he called to the uh you know, to the trainers to come out, and that kind of just righted me, you know, right up. You know. When I heard him calling for the train I turned back around.

I told him, you know, and I don't know if there's a PG show or not, but uh, you know I I thought I told him to get his ask back and then back in the huddle and let's go down and uh and when this, you know, win this game because you know the no one's, no one's taking me out of the game right now. Uh you know, I'm ready to go and uh you know, I feel good.

Let's let's let's get after it. So uh, um you know, was that and then you know, I remember the you know, we had a fourth down play, uh hit TD reward on that drive a couple of plays before the touchdown. Uh you know, so we came back and uh you know, obviously whatever hit to the head I got and I was was back and ready to go, and you know I had my full capabilities, uh you know, to be back out play. That's a great spot to end the

podcast right there. You guys go on to convert the two point conversion, go up eighteen fifteen, and win by that final big big win back in the second game of the season that year. Jay Fiedler Dolphins quarterback from two thousand to two thousand four. Jay, It's always a pleasure man, be will and thank you so much for your time today. Same at Travis, thank you you as well. And there he goes Jay Feeler, Man, how cool was that that was? I remember that game to this day.

I'll never forget it. I'm sure that's how it is for most of you Dolphins fans out there as well. The two thousand one victory over the Raiders, A very very emotional day, a big time performance there from Jay Fiedler. Let's go ahead and wrap this podcast up again. If you haven't heard the flashback podcast from today, go ahead and check that out here on the Miami Dolphins podcast network on Drive Time. Also subscribe to the podcast as

well as the Fish Tank and the Audible podcast. Give me a follow on Twitter, It's at Wingfield NFL, follow the team at Miami Dolphins, and of course check out Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time finds up