AFC Championship - "Mud Bowl"
AFC Championship - "Mud Bowl"
1982 - Jets vs. Dolphins

AFC Championship - "Mud Bowl"

"The Jets gave you that one moment of glory, but a lot of pain over the years." -George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin
by George R.R. Martin

The AFC Championship Game in January 1983 between the Dolphins and the Jets became known as the Mud Bowl because heavy rain in South Florida – combined with some questionable groundskeeping at the Orange Bowl – had transformed the field into a muddy swamp. Since the Jets were the faster team, this played to Miami’s advantage – and the Jets’ offense went dormant. A major reason was Dolphins linebacker A.J. Duhe, who prior to the game intercepted just two passes in 6 NFL seasons but in this game picked off three. The most important one occurred in the fourth quarter, with the Jets down 7-0. With his jersey, like all other players,’ dirtied by mud, Duhe leapt up and batted a pass attempted by Jets QB Richard Todd. Duhe then bobbled and caught the ball himself, returning it 35 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins won, 14-0, but lost in the Super Bowl; for Jets fans, the game was among the most frustrating in franchise history.

George R.R. Martin
George
R.R. Martin
George R. R. Martin is a fantasy writer and best-selling author whose series of novels, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” were the basis for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” A New Jersey native, Martin is a Jets and Giants fan who has maintained a blog about both teams, often writing about their respective woes. Martin has been photographed at MetLife stadium and in a Jets cap, and has described life as a Jets fan as one of “unending torment.”
Profession:
celebrity
Place of Birth:
Bayonne, NJ
Preferred Team:
New York Jets