Game story
In Week 14 of the 2004 NFL season on 2004-12-12, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the Miami Dolphins, pulling away with a 20–17 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 21 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
A. Feeley (Miami Dolphins) paced the passing game, with -5.84 total EPA.
On the individual side, R. Smith (Denver Broncos) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +7.62 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-17.2% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Denver Broncos changed the game: (6:14) 16-J.Plummer pass INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Williams (91-J.Williams) at DEN 34. 91-J.Williams to DEN 34 for no gain (72-G.Foster).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Denver Broncos | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 R. Smith · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +7.62 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.95 EPA/play
- 2 T. Bell · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +7.39 total EPA · 17 snaps · +0.43 EPA/play
- 3 C. Chambers · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +6.15 total EPA · 5 snaps · +1.23 EPA/play
- 4 M. Booker · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +5.69 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.42 EPA/play
- 5 J. Putzier · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +4.52 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.26 EPA/play
- 6 A. Lelie · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +4.25 total EPA · 2 snaps · +2.12 EPA/play
- 7 R. McMichael · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +4.22 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.84 EPA/play
- 8 K. Johnson · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +1.92 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.96 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
R. Smith — DEN · Receiving
R. Smith posted the highest total EPA (+7.62) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Denver Broncos's efficiency. Across 8 counted snaps, they averaged +0.95 EPA per play.
The signature play (-4.86 EPA) came from Denver Broncos: (6:14) 16-J.Plummer pass INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Williams (91-J.Williams) at DEN 34. 91-J.Williams to DEN 34 for no gain (72-G.Foster).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Miami Dolphins — M. Booker (A. Feeley pass)
- Denver Broncos — T. Bell
- Miami Dolphins — S. Morris
- Denver Broncos — T. Bell
Field goals
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
- Miami Dolphins — O. Mare
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 7–0. Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the DEN 8 (Q1 48:05) — (3:05) 7-A.Feeley pass to 86-M.Booker for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q1 48:01) — 10-O.Mare extra point is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk..
The second quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 14–7. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the MIA 7 (Q2 43:12) — (13:12) 26-T.Bell up the middle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the MIA 2 (Q2 43:08) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker.; Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the DEN 11 (Q2 38:43) — (8:43) 31-S.Morris left guard for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 38:38) — 10-O.Mare extra point is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the MIA 11 (Q2 31:25) — (1:25) 26-T.Bell up the middle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the MIA 2 (Q2 31:21) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the MIA 1 (Q3 27:47) — (12:47) 1-J.Elam 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker.; Miami Dolphins connected on a field goal from the DEN 13 (Q3 19:39) — (4:39) 10-O.Mare 32 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk..
The fourth quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 3–0. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the MIA 32 (Q4 2:55) — (2:55) 1-J.Elam 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 51:14) — (6:14) 16-J.Plummer pass INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Williams (91-J.Williams) at DEN 34. 91-J.Williams to DEN 34 for no gain (72-G.Foster).
- Denver Broncos (Q4 2:55) — (2:55) 1-J.Elam 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker.
- Miami Dolphins (Q4 2:03) — (2:03) 7-A.Feeley pass incomplete to 88-D.Thompson (31-K.Herndon).
- Denver Broncos (Q4 8:19) — (8:19) (Shotgun) 16-J.Plummer pass to 88-J.Putzier to MIA 15 for 19 yards (27-W.Poole).
- Denver Broncos (Q4 6:59) — (6:59) 16-J.Plummer pass intended for 80-R.Smith INTERCEPTED by 24-S.Knight at MIA 3. 24-S.Knight to MIA 3 for no gain (80-R.Smith). Penalty on DEN, Illegal Formation, declined.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Denver Broncos (Q1 51:14) — (6:14) 16-J.Plummer pass INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Williams (91-J.Williams) at DEN 34. 91-J.Williams to DEN 34 for no gain (72-G.Foster).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 55:11) — (10:11) 34-R.Droughns right guard to MIA 19 for no gain (31-S.Morris). FUMBLES (31-S.Morris), RECOVERED by MIA-58-E.Moore at MIA 17. 58-E.Moore to MIA 17 for no gain (66-T.Nalen).
- Miami Dolphins (Q3 29:55) — (14:55) 7-A.Feeley pass intended for 84-C.Chambers INTERCEPTED by 56-A.Wilson at MIA 46. 56-A.Wilson to MIA 36 for 10 yards (28-T.Minor).
- Denver Broncos (Q4 8:19) — (8:19) (Shotgun) 16-J.Plummer pass to 88-J.Putzier to MIA 15 for 19 yards (27-W.Poole).
Quarterback report card
A.Feeley led all passers in efficiency for Miami Dolphins, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- A.Feeley (Miami Dolphins) · 40 dropbacks · 42.5% completion · -0.15 EPA/play · -5.84 total EPA
- J.Plummer (Denver Broncos) · 33 dropbacks · 48.5% completion · -0.16 EPA/play · -5.25 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Miami Dolphins | Denver Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.044 | -0.032 |
| Offensive success rate | 41.8% | 46.1% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.151 | -0.169 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.030 | +0.067 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.032 | +0.044 |
| Defensive success rate | 53.9% | 58.2% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Miami Dolphins -0.04, Denver Broncos -0.03) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Denver Broncos: 14 drives, -2.86 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Miami Dolphins: 13 drives, -3.47 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- R. Smith (Denver Broncos) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q1 48:05 · DEN 8 · Score 6-0
(3:05) 7-A.Feeley pass to 86-M.Booker for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q1 48:01 · DEN 2 · Score 7-0
10-O.Mare extra point is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 43:12 · MIA 7 · Score 7-6
(13:12) 26-T.Bell up the middle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 43:08 · MIA 2 · Score 7-7
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker. - Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q2 38:43 · DEN 11 · Score 13-7
(8:43) 31-S.Morris left guard for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q2 38:38 · DEN 2 · Score 14-7
10-O.Mare extra point is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 31:25 · MIA 11 · Score 14-13
(1:25) 26-T.Bell up the middle for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 31:21 · MIA 2 · Score 14-14
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q3 27:47 · MIA 1 · Score 14-17
(12:47) 1-J.Elam 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker. - Miami Dolphins FG (+3) — Q3 19:39 · DEN 13 · Score 17-17
(4:39) 10-O.Mare 32 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-89-E.Perry, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q4 2:55 · MIA 32 · Score 17-20
(2:55) 1-J.Elam 50 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-83-M.Leach, Holder-6-J.Baker.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
The Denver Broncos beat the Miami Dolphins 20-17 in Week 14, 2004 on 2004-12-12.
What was the final score of Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
The final score was Miami Dolphins 17, Denver Broncos 20 (MIA 17-20 DEN) in Week 14, 2004 on 2004-12-12.
What was the score by quarter in Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
Q1: Miami Dolphins 7, Denver Broncos 0; Q2: Miami Dolphins 7, Denver Broncos 14; Q3: Miami Dolphins 3, Denver Broncos 3; Q4: Miami Dolphins 0, Denver Broncos 3; Final: Miami Dolphins 17, Denver Broncos 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
Miami Dolphins touchdown — M. Booker (A. Feeley pass) (Q1 48:05) Denver Broncos touchdown — T. Bell (Q2 43:12) Miami Dolphins touchdown — S. Morris (Q2 38:43) Denver Broncos touchdown — T. Bell (Q2 31:25) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q3 27:47, 3 pts) Miami Dolphins field goal — O. Mare (Q3 19:39, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q4 2:55, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
A. Feeley (Miami Dolphins), 42.5% completion, -0.15 EPA per dropback, -5.84 total passing EPA. J. Plummer (Denver Broncos), 48.5% completion, -0.16 EPA per dropback, -5.25 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos?
R. Smith (Denver Broncos) led the game in total EPA with +7.62 on receiving plays. across 8 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-4.86 EPA): (6:14) 16-J.Plummer pass INTERCEPTED by 91-J.Williams (91-J.Williams) at DEN 34. 91-J.Williams to DEN 34 for no gain (72-G.Foster).. The biggest win-probability swing was -17.2%.
Was Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. Denver Broncos won 20-17 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Miami Dolphins
Entered 2-10 Now 2-11 L
Denver Broncos
Entered 7-5 Now 8-5 W
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