10 best individual player rivalries in NFL history
By Kinnu Singh
3. Jim Kelly vs. Dan Marino
After reviewing the storied quarterback rivalries of the 1940s and 1960s, it may seem like no one could measure up to what their predecessors created. But the increased popularity of the NFL over the twentieth century meant that in the 1980s and 1990s, football feuds received more media hype than ever. Long before the New England Patriots captured the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills consistently produced two of the AFC’s best offenses. Leading them was Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, two Hall of Fame passers whose intense rivalry enhanced the legend of each quarterback.
It all began in the 1983 NFL Draft, when the Bills drafted Kelly No. 14 overall and the Dolphins drafted Marino No. 27 overall. Five quarterbacks, including Kelly and No. 1 overall John Elway, were taken before Marino. According to legendary Dolphins head coach Don Shula, being passed over by so many teams “motivated [Marino] to show everybody else what a mistake that they had made.”
Marino went on to win NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1984, while Kelly had opted to play for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. Marino powered through to Super Bowl XIX in 1984, losing to Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers. Once the USFL folded in 1986, Kelly headed north to play for the Bills, who had retained his rights. Finally, the Marino-Kelly rivalry would commence.
What made this rivalry so transformative is that Kelly managed to turn the tide in a rivalry that first began in 1966. “Miami had beaten the Bills 20 consecutive times from 1970 to 1980 and only lost twice in the years between then and 1987,” recounts Buffalo Fanatics’ Iestyn Harris.
From 1988 to 1995, Kelly would win six AFC East divisional titles and represent the AFC in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990 to 1993. The two played each other 21 times, with Kelly defeating Marino in each of their three playoffs battles. Kelly bested Marino 11-7 through their 18 regular season matchups.
Although Kelly was primarily what kept Marino out of Super Bowl contention, the two quarterbacks are close friends in retirement. Marino visited Kelly when the former Bills quarterback was battling cancer, and the two frequently make public appearances together. There’s reason enough for Marino to resent Kelly and the Bills, but at the same time, Marino is remembered as the more skilled quarterback. When he retired in 1999, Marino held more than 40 single-season and career passing records, a few of which he holds to this day.
Neither quarterback ever won a Super Bowl, but Marino is widely considered to be the most gifted quarterback who never hoisted a Lombardi. Bills fans relished Kelly’s record against Marino, and while Dolphins fans despised being on the losing side, some appreciate how the rivalry motivated their quarterback.
“[Kelly] was a true competitor, and he drove Marino to be better,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Tre Wells in 2009. “In my eyes, there was no one greater than Marino, but Kelly could certainly hold his own, which made beating him even more enjoyable.”
Miami offensive lineman Richmond Webb once said, “I don’t know how it got started – it was a long time before I got here – but these two teams don’t like each other. It’s like the Game of the Year every time we play them.” Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa may be bringing glory back to this divisional rivalry, but few will ever accomplish what Jim Kelly and Dan Marino did.