Fins Flashback 2002 at Denver with Oronde Gadsden

bring you your daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, when you're flashing it back to two thousand two, taking an in depth look at Miami's thrilling win at Mile High Stadium, I'll be joined by Oronde Gadsden to tell us about that physical football game and the big place he made continuously in that win. All of that and more on this throwback Thursday, April the

ninth edition of the Drivetime Podcast Dolphins. And before I get Ronde on, I just want to say this was my favorite Dolphins game, just from start to finish, sixty minutes of good football that I personally have ever seen. I was fourteen years old at the time, so maybe my grasp of the game wasn't quite what it is now.

But watching that game, just the ups and downs, the emotions of it, the highs and the lows, and knowing that these are two teams to championship level contending teams that year with stout defenses, physical ground games, quarterbacks that could get the job done late in the game. As we saw from both of these quarterbacks. What a thrilling win that was in Denver. And I'll never forget going

back to school the next morning. I was a freshman in high school and Miami got vaulted up to number one on the ESPN Power rankings, going to five and one after that thrilling come from behind victory in the fourth quarter. And this game didn't start very pretty for Miami. They were slow to get things going offensively. Ricky Williams had almost no room to run the entire night, twenty

carries for forty nine yards on the game. But that defense, that vaunted Dolphins defense, that was a top five, top ten scoring outfit just about every year in those early two thousand seasons. They were as advertised with those two warnerbacks on the outside locking things up, and they really changed the way the Broncos had to game plan that game because you couldn't run your normal route tree against

two good press cover corners. They had to run things crossing patterns and horizontal drag routes and things that got those guys off of their initial coverage, so it definitely impacted the game. And then you had Jason Taylor who was just unblockable all night. That left tackle, that poor left tackle trying to get his initial punch on j

t was a futile effort all night long. You had Zach Thomas shooting gaps and making plays everywhere on the defensive side of the ball, and then the offense in the second half pick things up thanks to a pair of Ricky Williams touchdown runs, some big plays defensively including it pick six from Patrick Surtan, and several big time catches to move the chains to get drive started from Morande Gadsden, and of course it was capped off by Lindo Mare three yours and that was with six seconds

to go. The Dolphins took the lead late in that game. And let's go ahead now and talk about that game with former Dolphins receiver Orande Gadsden, and joining the podcast now is former Dolphins receiver. He made five catches for seventy seven yards in that two thousand to win over the Denver Broncos two and each one of those catches was begger than the last, Orande Gadsden Orande? How you doing man, hey man, thanks for having which I appreciated. Man,

I'm doing well. We we're glad to have you on. And we've got to ask you because it's, you know, unprecedented times right now with the way the world's going. How you doing. You're staying safe, You're staying healthy? Yeah, man, Uh, you know, staying inside as much as possible, Uh, trying to get out and at least, you know, dog keeps me walking, so that that's that's a good thing. And like my kids keep me active on this virtual aligning thing. But other than that, trying to stay in it and uh,

stay away from from from the virus. Yeah. Man. For me, it's like I actually look forward to going for runs these days, which is not in my character at all, just to be out of the damn house. So it's it's definitely changing times. I want to go back to two thousand two with you here, Randi, and just first start with this game. That was, for my money, one

of the best games I've ever seen. It was a big primetime spotlight a pair of four and one teams that both had championship aspirations and stylistically the matchup was so good. What was kind of the thoughts and feelings of that Dolphins team, that Dolphins locker room heading into that game. Um, we we've thought, you know at four and one that there was you know, a good start to us. So, um, you know, with everybody on the team,

we thought we had a good lineup. We we thought we can go and UH to Denver and and put out a big Sunday night game. It was it wasn't Um wasn't a lot of games that we had big primetime games. So we look forward to showing what we had on on a big, big spot on TV. And what is the adjustment for a player to go into the Mile High City because of the elevation and the air quality in terms of what you're able to do

with your breath and you're keeping your stamina up. What's the challenges for a player going going into play into Denver on the road. Well, I'm thinking it's the same for everybody. You're not used to it. It's tough to get used to. I think you know, you have to use your time wisely when you're on the sideline and UH offense sitting down and then the defense is up. You may get a little oxygen and get something to drink. Um, But I think, uh, you know, using get breathing method

is change a little bit. You do big deep breaths and and do you know that through your mouth, and you just try to try to accomplished getting getting your stamina of just the best way you could. Well, the mental hurdle is certainly one aspect of it. But this game was eighteen years ago, and I still stand by the fact, as a fan of person watching on my television that this was the most physical game I've ever seen.

Would you agree with that? Um? I played in quite a few games and it's definitely up you know, in my top three, I think we played a game, uh maybe at the Jets that was probably a little bit

more physical. But I think as far as the uh hits and and the way we played that game smash mouths at the end and came out with a field goal to win the game, was was probably uh physically the most the most physical as far as it heard our team because we had three key players go down and so that being said, it probably was the most physical at the time. So you said something in there that was gonna kind of lead into a question I have later on my list here, but let's go ahead

and talk about it now. You mentioned a game against the Jets. Now, obviously you play them twice a year, but the first game against the Jets that year, Rondo, you had the catch that I think everyone kind of knows you for that sprawled out, you know, completely extended catch you made right around the shortstop area of the infield there. I think it was Pro Player Stadium at the time. What was Can you walk us through that catch? Yeah? It was. It was a big play in the game.

I think the route was for me to run a bow route, and if I felt the coverage was playing over the top, I turned into a dig and that's what I did. And I didn't get the point that Jade thought I was gonna um still running the goal, and so it was this second needed for me to try to get, you know, all passes, whatever we can do.

We have been on a seven eight games losing the street to the Jets, and I was just tired of it, and so we were trying to get in field goal position and and so I went over and you know, did the best I could to catch the ball. I wish I had stayed on my feet in school, but in the infield is kind of icy because of the gravel and the dirt and and everything involved. But you know, that would that would how I was to win. You know, I think the kids just came, you know, in the game.

It was nothing that I planned to do. Um it would just you know, I wanted to beat the Jets that bad, and and we did. And it was one of those catches that maybe it's more common nowadays with the way those gloves are manufactured to have that sticky apparatus on them, but you made it before that was really prevalent in the NFL. And you mentioned a big victory over the Jets that was a blowout win. This game, the Denver game, the Sunday night game, and week number six,

I think it was was a closer affair. Let's go ahead and pick this thing up. Middle of the second quarter. It's third down and eleven and the offense hasn't really got much going to that point. Then they dial up number eighty six, who makes a big conversion. Of course, you then the next play is a big chunk game to really get the offense cranking. Was there an adjustment that was made on that series, on that drive to get you more involved. Um No, I think that was

the natural progression of the game. And I think, um at the time I was I don't even know it was a Chan Gailey the offense coordinator. I know he's back now, but UM, I think, you know, we always tried to, um, I guess, solidify the running game before we we started to throw passes and and and it was just trying to get the old line and the running banks Ricky at the time, you know, in the groove, and trying to see how the game was gonna be playing.

And so I think it kind of, you know, the run set up the pass, and we felt that we ran enough played that the defense was going to stay the same. And so once once we saw the defense which stayed the same, thing, we knew we could use certain,

uh certain schemes to pass. And I think one of the reasons that the offenses slow start in that game wasn't really impacted on the scoreboard was because of that vaunted Dolphins de It's led by Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, and of course the two cornerbacks and Patrick Curtain and Sam Madison What was it like for you going up against those two guys in practice every day because these guys were mugging dudes throughout that game. Yeah, they do

the same thing in practice. Man. To be quite honest, you know, if anything attributed to any success that I had, um, you know, I don't want to speak for O J. But I think at the time, like O J and Chris Chambers even, I think it was just us going up against Patt and Sam every day. Um, that that made us better, you know, especially a man you know,

and press coverage off was a different animal. But if you played press, you could batter believe we were ready for it as receivers because we saw it every day in practice against two of the best. I'm always reminded of Channing Crowder on the Fish Tank podcast when he would call Sam Madison tent on ten because he'd always called for ten on ten because he wants to go man up on this on the perimeter on his own. So you got a bunch of every day in practice.

I'm sure they had two picks in this game. We'll get to those here in just a minute. But you cap off that drive that you really got started a round with a Ricky Williams touchdown. And you mentioned Ricky earlier establishing the running game. What was it like for the offense to have a player like that, a running game like that, to lean on. Ah man, it was great. You know, I don't know if it was the best

thing to do. You know, as a receiver, we want to get the ball too, but having Ricky back there, you know, he was a workhorse. He carried a load. He definitely do a heavy lifting. Um. We we thought of it as as being, you know, a release for him, you know, give the guy a very and so we can get some passes. But you know, to have Ricky Ricky back that you knew, you know, with that defense and if we got in the lead and we had to solve the game away, well we had Ricky and

that that that was definitely a doable situation. Ricky versus Clinton Porter, she had Al Wilson going up against her on the opposite side, against Zach Thomas. Just a bunch of physical, physical aspects of that game. And because of that, you lose a couple of receivers in the game. Chris Chambers left an exited, didn't come back. James McKnight gets dinged up, but he did come back into the game. So at one point it was down to you and

Diedrich Ward. As far as the healthy receivers that were active for that game, what is it like for the offense when you're down to just two healthy, active receivers. Well, it's tough because it kind of it kind of limits you to the things that you can do. And I

think the defense knows that as well. You know, just like you said, playing ten on ten on ten, uh, you know, they would really play you know, I guess eleven on eleven on on nine, you know, um, because we only had two guys and and Diedrich was a veteran at the time and he knew what to do and we're gonna come in at but at that point we would only use uh, Diedrick to either play slot it.

To me, I don't think we really went into a bunch of him outside and me outside, So I think it was it was tough, but because we were both vets at the time, I think it made it easier on the offense. But it is tough when you kind of scale it down just so you have two healthy receivers. And then right after Sam Madison makes that interception to kind of get things going back to the Dolphins offense.

You had the you know, the drive starters, one of the most important plays of any drive, and you had the big catch to get the chains going and get the offense rolling on that series. Was was that part of the game plan at that point of the game, to say, hey, we gotta get this thing going. We have to open up the passing game. Let's go back to six because you had so many crucial catches prior to that in this game. Yeah, no, I think we

had that. This time. We knew we were in a dog fight and we had to play everything close to the vest. And and once again, you know, me being outside and you know, partly because my size, Um, we would try to get forced the defense to at least let me have the one on one matchups where everybody else wild plays on. And I think, like like I said, because we were running the ball. Um, whether we made you know, five yards or made three yards or even

made one yard, um, we were running the ball. And they knew that was out intention because of you know, obviously because of the game plans we were playing. You know, if we had to score, we score. But we wanted the game to be close and tight because our defense

was so good at the time. So um, at this point in the game, we figured that because we were running the ball effectively, the stacy to stay close to the box to try to help with run, which means they couldn't help outside and left me one on one. And you know, obviously any routes, you know outside with what I'm gonna go and say, under fifteen yards, I was pretty confident one on one I could make it happen. Nothing, nothing longer than uh listen after that, but uh, I'm

fifteen Yeah, I felt pretty confident. So then that drive gets capped off with a touchdown from Ricky Williams, and then you come back and it is uh Patrick Surtang gets the pick six after Jason Taylor hits, Brian Greasy forces an Arran throw and you get that pick six. So you come back off that drive and then the Broncos go back down and score to take the lead.

What are the thoughts going into that final drive when you guys had forty seconds on the clock and a couple of time outs to go down there and get that game winning field goal. I mean, you know, obviously we've we felt confident about it because, uh, I guess the biggest thing for us as a as a group was James McKnight came back, so we had an extra extra outside guy and he was our deep threat. So um, we felt confident that we can you know, uh go down the field and at least in position for a

field goal. And so, you know, like the series before, like all right, our defense is out there, they looked like they're gonna stop them. You know, they're not gonna go you know a d you know, we get get ourselves huddled up on the sideline and go through the game and playing and how we're gonna get uh Linda and field and field goal rain. So um, we felt pretty pretty good that we could do it. And we

went down and didn't. And the ESPN cameras actually picked up a shot on the sideline where j Fieler is getting his thumb taped. I have to assume that was the play where his thumb hits a helmet and it got broken. He missed the next five games. Did you guys know about that when that happened? Um? Yeah, you know, you know, you know about these things when when they happen, when you get to the the sideline, but you don't know

how how serious they are. Jay, it is stumb on Heilmet, you know how you know, you know, you have your own things to worry about, because I mean, I missed the next five games to sweat was like had surgery on my risk. I told a legament that my risk that game. So we it was a knockdown, drag out fight. It was. It was a bank bang kind of game. And those are games you kind of kind of live

for as a football player. I'm pretty sure half of those things probably not have I'm gonna say three forces of things that happened that game probably would not lie the day in the days and they would seriously find on to supend it. But it was just good hard those football and we you know, like I said, at the time, we were fouring one and we won that game,

but we were five and one. We were pretty much on our way to uh good playoff seed, and you know at that time, but um, coming out of game, I know, um offensively, um, I know, we myself, Chris and Jay was out for the next few games. So that was that was that was a pretty tough price to pay to win out there. In Denver. But you know, you don't think about it, uh that way when you when you're playing, you just think about going to the

next play and making it happen. I think that's why that final series was so crucial, because you guys were down so many guys or eventually would be come down so many guys, and you had a big third down conversion on a previous drive that helped move the chains and take some time off the clock, which ultimately impacted you guys negatively because you did have to go down the field in forty seconds. Of course you wouldn't know that beforehand. But that final drive, Man, that drive was

so beautiful. McMichael drops the past to start it, but it actually saves some clock, so it's a good thing. But then he comes back with that big third down conversion, catching the ball way off of his frame and then rando, the ball goes right through John Mobley's fingertips into the waiting hands of Diedrich Ward. What was what I have to imagine, So fans were like losing our minds during that. What's it like for the players when you get these just highs and lows and backs and forth. It's tough

but I don't. I don't think. Um, you know, fans take that into consideration, and I'll be the ones who can stay even keel throughout at all. You know, obviously performed performed better. Um. You know, you guys would always say he wants to be you know, the star and the spotlight. But you know, it takes a lot to get to that spotlight, you know, and even in the game, even in one game, for you to make that one catch, to make make it happen. You went through the highs

and lo you you you you're human. You go through those emotions like, oh man, what we're gonna do? Like if we get you play it through in your head, we get stop here, we go down to score and come back they hold and then you know, you go through all those scenarios of your head and and you just hope when it's your opportunity to make a play, you you make that play and and so you know,

those things happen. We we you know, I can see it from across the field, like you know, you stop and look and see where the ball is thrown and you see you know, mobile break on it, and oh yeah, good job. You know what we got. You know, like you know in basketball, no, don't shoot that. So it's the same thing. We all go through it. Like I said, the one to who you see that you know obviously you know the lead in the clubhouse with that would

be Tom Brady. They you know, they stay even key or they don't get as high as the high as loads and loads and you go down and do it. But when you have that opportunity like in this game, you made the best of it as well. You describe my entire basketball career right there, get the ball at the three point line, pull for the shot, coaches saying no, no, no, and it goes that, Okay, we're good to go. Man.

So okay, one last question for you, Randi. I always contend I was fourteen years old during that game, so give me a bit of a break here, But I always contend that was that was the best team in football that year because you guys had such a good defense, such a good running game, playmakers on the outside to move the change through the air, and you just things just didn't break right because of the injuries that you mentioned early on the game. The season didn't finish out

the way you guys probably wanted it to. But you had to have thought that way too, right, Like you had to know that team was pretty and good. No, without a doubt, I think we we we we had we had a few opportunities before. I think we were at one point once I know this is uh going back, but I think we at one point we were eating one and Cecil was the running back and uh, and we ended up and if you can believe this, we're eight one and we ended up nine and stuff. So

that's that's that's that's how little seasons go. But you know, whenever you have that uh, you know that Linda was the kicker, and we had a good defense. Obviously, that was thrilled that I had from from Jimmy Johnson on to Dave. You know, just play a good defense and keep the game close. We can pull it out over the field goal. So unfortunately, that was the way we we thought at the time, and you know, all the

things were pointed in that direction. We had a great defense. Uh, we had Ricky with you know, we were gonn run the ball. You knew that, and we can make plays outside. I could work in the middle and keep it close, and Chris and and James had the ability to take it deep, you know, anytime they got ready. So we felt good at the time and our record shoulder we were bolling one and five and one after this game. But uh, you know, nobody, nobody can nobody can tell

when those injuries are gonna happen. In that game, it took a lot out of us, but you know, we're probably we're probably the win. I mean, I think it was a fifty one fifty two yards fiel Ago that won the game. And you know, want when you go all the way out there, you want to win these a Ronde Gatson talking two thousand two Dolphins and Broncos a thrilling win almost in overtime. It came down to

the end of the fourth quarter there rounde. We really appreciate your time today, man, But before I let you go, what are you up to today? What does the Runde Gatson doing in two thousand twenty, Um, you know, teaching and coaching football here and local high school and Plantation, Florida American Heritage School. Um, we've got a few a few Dolphins over here doing the same thing. Pat Sutan is the head coach, and uh you have Anthony Harris and and and a few other Dolphins had Perry, a

few other Dolphins that coach on the same staff. So well over here, you know, trying to give the information and everything we've learned and try to pass it down to the young up and coming while I received as dbs and other young adults trying to trying to make it well. I'm sure you guys are getting plenty of WS with that coaching staff. Int, that's pretty impressive. A group of guys you got there. He is a Rende Gats and former Miami Dolphins receiver. Ronde really appreciate your

time today, Man, Hey, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Man, going down memory lane is always fun. Well, we certainly appreciate having you, Ronde. And there he goes former Dolphins receiver or Ronde Gatston on this Fins Flashback Thursday edition of the Drive Time podcast. We're gonna do this once a week going forward. We want to hear from you, the fans. Tell us which games you want to hear about. Going back over any game throughout the course of Miami

Dolphins history, we'll cover it here on the podcast. We'll get a player from that game and talk to him here on the podcast and write a story up on Miami Dolphins dot com about the same game, which you can check out on Miami Dolphins dot com Dolphins Broncos two thousand to the thrilling come from behind win in the fourth quarter. As for today's podcast, that is going to be my time you all, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple, podcast, Spotify, wherever you

get your podcast from. Go ahead and leave us a rating, leave us a five star review, give me a follow on Twitter at Wingfield, NFL, fall the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins, and of course check out the Fish Tank and the Outawo podcast part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network and Miami Dolphins dot com for all your written, video audio content needs on your Miami Dolphins. Until next time finds up