Snowplow Game

{{Infobox NFL single game

| name = Snowplow Game

| image = Snowplow_Game_screenshot.jpg

| caption = The snowplow—actually a tractor with a snow sweeper—clearing an area for a field goal attempt

| visitor = Miami Dolphins

| visitor_abbr = MIA

| visitor_coach = Don Shula

| visitor_record = 4–1

| home = New England Patriots

| home_abbr = NE

| home_coach = Ron Meyer

| home_record = 2–3

| visitor_qtr1 = 0

| visitor_qtr2 = 0

| visitor_qtr3 = 0

| visitor_qtr4 = 0

| visitor_total = 0

| home_qtr1 = 0

| home_qtr2 = 0

| home_qtr3 = 0

| home_qtr4 = 3

| home_total = 3

| date = December 12, 1982

| stadium = Schaefer Stadium

| city = Foxborough, Massachusetts

| referee = Bob Frederic

| attendance = 25,716

| odds = Miami by 6{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-news-the-odds/161844577/ |title=The Odds |newspaper=The Miami News |page=Inside Football 12 |date=December 11, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

| network = NBC

| announcers = Jay Randolph and Bob Griese

}}

The Snowplow Game was a regular-season National Football League (NFL) game played between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots on December 12, 1982, at Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Due in part to icy conditions, the game remained scoreless until late in the fourth quarter, when the snowplow{{efn|The equipment in question was actually a snow sweeper, not a bladed snowplow. The contest was referred to as the "snowplow" game as early as January 1983,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-stuart-news-photo-caption/161818218/ |title=(photo caption) |newspaper=The Stuart News |location=Stuart, Florida |page=B1 |date=January 6, 1983 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} a name that has persisted.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-stuart-news-wind-chill-minus-11-for/161818473/ |title=Wind chill minus-11 for Miami-KC game |newspaper=The Stuart News |location=Stuart, Florida |page=4C |date=January 12, 2024 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}}} operator was called in to clear a spot on the snowy field specifically for New England kicker John Smith so he could kick the game-winning field goal to give the Patriots a 3–0 win.

Background

File:Foxborostade.png, site of the game]]

The game took place during the 1982 NFL season, which had been interrupted for eight weeks due to a player's strike. The December 12 game between the New England Patriots and visiting Miami Dolphins was the sixth game for each team. New England, led by head coach Ron Meyer, came into the contest with a record of 2–3, while Miami was 4–1 and led by head coach Don Shula.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/record-journal-patriots-dolphins-to-cla/161853379/ |title=Patriots, Dolphins to clash in Foxboro |agency=UPI |newspaper=Record-Journal |location=Meriden, Connecticut |page=14 |date=December 11, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

The night before this game, heavy rains soaked the AstroTurf surface at New England's Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The field froze over, and conditions were made worse when a snowstorm hit during the game.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-surprise-storm-strikes/161840394/ |title=Surprise storm strikes southern New England |first=Jonathan |last=Kaufman |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=1 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Attendance at the game was 25,716 people, the smallest crowd for a regular-season NFL game at the venue to that point in time; there were 8,961 no-shows.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/morning-sentinel-patriots-weather-upset/161853161/ |title=Patriots, weather upset Miami Dolphins, 3-0, on 33-yard Smith field goal |agency=AP |newspaper=Morning Sentinel |location=Waterville, Maine |page=22 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

Description

Given the weather conditions, an emergency ground rule was put into play where the officials could call timeout and allow the grounds crew to use equipment to clear the yard markers. Despite this, the grounds crew could not move snow often enough to keep the field clear. The teams remained scoreless late into the fourth quarter.

With 4:45 remaining, Patriots head coach Meyer motioned to equipment operator Mark Henderson to clear a spot on the field for placekicker John Smith.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-henderson-patriots-mv/161820137/ |title=Henderson: Patriots' MVP (cont'd) |first=Leigh |last=Montville |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=1 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{efn|Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan later said that he waved Henderson on the field, although "at this point I don’t remember if it was my idea or Ron Meyer’s."{{cite news |url=https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/2007/12/08/25-years-ago-patriots-won/48592473007/ |title=25 years ago, Patriots won infamous 'Snowplow Game' |first=Glen |last=Farley |website=The State Journal-Register |location=Springfield, Illinois |date=December 8, 2007 |accessdate=December 29, 2024}}}} As Henderson drove across the field—his equipment was a tractor with a snow sweeper—he veered left and departed from the yard markers, clearing a patch of ground that gave Smith a clean spot from which to kick.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-patriots-sweep-to-3-0-w/161821739/ |title=Patriots sweep to 3-0 win (cont'd) |first=Michael |last=Madden |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=40 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} The kick was good.

As the Dolphins drove down the field for a potential game-tying field goal, Henderson stayed near them, remaining at the ready for the call from the referee to clear a spot for Dolphins kicker Uwe von Schamann. The referee later noted, "We very clearly told coach Shula we would also have swept their area."{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-no-314-was-out-of-con/161819557/ |title=No. 314 was 'out of control' |first=Michael |last=Madden |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=37 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} The Dolphins advanced the ball to just inside the Patriots' 20-yard line, but on a third-down-and-nine play, a pass from quarterback David Woodley was intercepted by linebacker Don Blackmon.{{Cite web|title = Today in Pro Football History: 1982: Patriots Beat Dolphins in "Snowplow Game"|url = http://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2015/12/1982-patriots-beat-dolphins-in-snowplow.html|website = Today in Pro Football History|date = 2015-12-12|access-date = 2015-12-14|first = Keith|last = Yowell}} With less than a minute left to play, Miami used their timeouts to stop the clock and forced New England to punt after three rushing attempts, but a Dolphins Hail Mary pass on the game's final play was intercepted by the Patriots' Roland James. The Patriots won by a final score of 3–0.

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle= {{NFLPrimaryStyle|New England Patriots 71thru92|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=1982 Week 6: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary

|date=December 12, 1982

|time=1:00 p.m. EST

|road=Dolphins

|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0

|home=Patriots

|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=3

|stadium=Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

|attendance=25,716

|weather=Snow{{bullet}} Temperature: {{convert|26|F|C}}{{bullet}} Wind: {{convert|16|mph|kph|abbr=on}}

|referee=Bob Frederic

|TV=NBC

|TVAnnouncers=Jay Randolph and Bob Griese

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198212120nwe.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

NE – John Smith 33-yard field goal.

|stats=

Officials

Referee: Bob Frederic (#71)
Umpire: John Keck (#67)
Head linesman: Jerry Bergman (#17)
Line judge: Bob Beeks (#59)
Back judge: Bill Swanson (#38)
Side judge: Gary Lane (#120)
Field judge: Don Hakes (#96)

}}

=Statistics=

{{AmFootballGameStatistics

| Float = left

| Level = nfl

| Visitor = Miami Dolphins 1974thru1988

| VisitorDisplay = MIA

| Home = New England Patriots 1971thru1992

| HomeDisplay = NE

| VisFirsts = 16

| VisPlaysYds = 56–235

| VisRushing = 38–176

| VisPassYds = 59

| VisPassing = 9–18–2

| VisTOP = 31:05

| HomeFirsts = 13

| HomePlaysYds = 48–212

| HomeRushing = 43–199

| HomePassYds = 13

| HomePassing = 2–5–1

| HomeTOP = 28:55

}}

{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers

| Float = right

| Level = nfl

| Visitor = Miami Dolphins 1974thru1988

| VisitorDisplay = Miami

| Home = New England Patriots 1971thru1992

| HomeDisplay = New England

| VisPasser = David Woodley

| VisPassStats = 9/18, 76 yards, 2 INT

| VisRusher = Andra Franklin

| VisRushStats = 23 carries, 107 yards

| VisReceiver = Duriel Harris

| VisReceivingStats = 2 receptions, 33 yards

| HomePasser = Steve Grogan

| HomePassStats = 2/5, 13 yards, 1 INT

| HomeRusher = Mark van Eeghen

| HomeRushStats = 22 carries, 100 yards

| HomeReceiver = Lin Dawson

| HomeReceivingStats = 2 receptions, 13 yards

}}

Source:{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-dolphin-game/161841412/ |title=Dolphin game |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |location=Orlando, Florida |page=C-6 |date=December 13, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

Aftermath and legacy

The equipment operator, Mark Henderson, a convict on work release, jokingly remarked, "What are they gonna do, throw me in jail?"{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Bruce |title=Football Hall of Shame |url=https://archive.org/details/footballhallofsh0000nash |url-access=registration |date=May 1, 1991 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0-671-74551-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/footballhallofsh0000nash/page/32 32] }}{{cite news |last1=Grossfeld |first1=Stan |title=Brush with immortality Tractor driver cleared his way into history |url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2010/01/03/brush_with_immortality/ |newspaper=Boston.com |date=3 January 2010 |publisher=Boston Globe |access-date=15 June 2019}}

Both teams went on to qualify for the playoffs, with the Patriots finishing seventh in the AFC, and the Dolphins finishing second. The normal division-oriented playoff format was scrapped, due to the shortened regular season, in favor of an expanded playoff, dubbed the "Super Bowl Tournament". The Dolphins exacted revenge by eliminating the Patriots in the first round, 28–13 at the Miami Orange Bowl,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news-the-jinx-continues-dolphins/161827907/ |title=The Jinx Continues: Dolphins Oust Patriots 28-13 |newspaper=Valley News |location=Lebanon, New Hampshire |page=8 |date=January 10, 1983 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} en route to the Dolphins reaching Super Bowl XVII.

The game itself was the longest that any NFL contest after the AFL–NFL merger (1970) went without a score. The record stood for 25 years, until 2007. Coincidentally, the Dolphins were also the visiting team and losing team in the game that superseded it, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 3–0, on Monday Night Football, with Steelers kicker Jeff Reed registering the only points with 17 seconds left in regulation.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-reeds-fc-enough/161825567/ |title=Reed's FC enough for Steelers |first=Alan |last=Robinson |newspaper=Asheville Citizen-Times |location=Asheville, North Carolina |page=D3 |date=November 27, 2007 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} The most recently that any NFL game has ended in a scoreless tie is 1943.{{cite news |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/last-0-0-nfl-game-tie-history-raiders-vikings/74316911d138e6828278e259 |title=Has an NFL game ever ended 0-0? Last time a scoreless tie happened before Raiders, Vikings flirt with history |first=Jacob |last=Camenker |website=The Sporting News |date=December 10, 2023 |accessdate=December 29, 2024}}

In a 2007 interview for an NFL Network segment about the game, Shula recalled protesting the act under Rule 17 (the unfair act clause), which allows the league commissioner to overturn the results of a game if an event extraordinarily outside the realms of accepted practice, such as "non-participant interference," has an effect on the outcome of a game. Commissioner Pete Rozelle responded that, while he agreed wholeheartedly, without a rule explicitly barring the use of such equipment, there was nothing he could do. Meyer, who was also interviewed, said that he didn't see why it was such a controversy at the time, saying, "The only thing I could see (the Dolphins) arguing about was 'unfair competitive advantage'."{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smb0ItO_w-o |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630070213/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smb0ItO_w-o&feature=related |archive-date=2014-06-30 |url-status=dead|title=Top Ten Bad Weather Games: #7 The Snow Bowl |publisher=YouTube.com |date=2010-01-10 |access-date=2012-07-28}}

The incident is commemorated with an exhibit at the Patriots Hall of Fame within the Patriots' current home, Gillette Stadium. The equipment, a John Deere Model 314 tractor with sweeper attached, hangs from the ceiling.{{cite news|last=McCarthy|first=Michael|work=USA Today|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/12/happy-anniversary-to-nfls-infamous-snowplow-game/1#.UqUbpqVn994|title=Happy anniversary to NFL's 'Snowplow Game'|date=2010-12-12}}{{cite web |url=https://www.patriotshalloffame.com/exhibit-patriots-memories-weather-clear-a-path/ |title=Clear A Path |first=Warren |last=Macfarland |website=patriotshalloffame.com |date=June 10, 2010 |accessdate=December 29, 2024}}

=NFL rule changes=

Before the end of December 1982, the NFL banned the use of snow-clearing equipment on the field during a game.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-snowplow-heros-j/161831829/ |title=Snowplow hero's job is rendered obsolete |first=Bob |last=Duffy |agency=Field News Service |newspaper=Press & Sun-Bulletin |location=Binghamton, New York |page=5C |date=December 26, 1982 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

Until 2018, teams were given a sideline warning on the first offense if a non-player attempted to clear the playing field before being penalized, a situation that came up during the 2017 "Snow Bowl", an Indianapolis–Buffalo contest played in a heavy snowstorm. In 2018, the rule was adjusted, making it "impermissible for the grounds crew or other team personnel to clear away snow", with a 15-yard penalty being immediately enforced for a violation.{{cite web|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2018/07/snowclearing-ban-sneaks-into-the-2018-rulebook/|title = Snow-clearing penalty drifts into the 2018 rulebook |first = Cameron|last = Filipe|website = Football Zebras|date = July 8, 2018|access-date=November 23, 2021}}

NFL rules now further prohibit attempts to improve field conditions—during a 2022 game, the Chicago Bears were assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when, prior to a field goal attempt during heavy rainfall at Soldier Field, holder Trenton Gill attempted to use a towel on the field to create a dry patch for kicker Cairo Santos.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-review-15-yard-penalty-for/161833585/ |title=15-yard penalty for ... toweling? |newspaper=Herald & Review |location=Decatur, Illinois |page=A7 |date=September 12, 2022 |accessdate=December 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUngl0SKd2I |title=Bears get penalized for trying to dry off the field before kick |website=YouTube |date=September 11, 2022 |accessdate=December 29, 2024}}