By Darin Introduction to The Snowplow Game
On a frigid, snow-choked Sunday—December 12, 1982—the New England Patriots and the undefeated Miami Dolphins clashed in one of the most bizarre and controversial games in NFL history. This wasn’t just a football contest; it was a battle against nature itself. With a blizzard rendering the field at Schaefer Stadium nearly unplayable, the score remained stuck at 0-0 late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots, desperate for a decisive moment, orchestrated a move that remains infamous four decades later: the introduction of mechanical intervention. This game didn’t just showcase grit and defense; it fundamentally changed NFL rules, thanks to a single, audacious decision that involved a snowplow.
Article from Dec 13, 1982 The Daily Breeze (Torrance, California)
The Most Controversial Play of 1982
With the game winding down, Patriots Head Coach Ron Meyer knew his team desperately needed a field goal against Don Shula’s Dolphins. Kicker John Smith, however, faced an impossible task: kicking a 33-yarder through several inches of dense snow. In a stroke of pure ingenuity—or blatant rule-bending—Meyer summoned Mark Henderson, a correctional facility inmate driving a small John Deere snowplow, onto the field. Henderson drove the tractor directly in front of the uprights, clearing a precise, dry patch of turf. After the controversial move, Smith successfully converted the kick, giving the Patriots the decisive 3-0 victory and delivering the Dolphins their first loss of the season. The Snowplow Game instantly became a defensive legend and a textbook example of exploiting a loophole.
Conclusion
The 1982 Snowplow Game remains one of the NFL’s most endearing oddities. Though the score was a meager 3-0, the drama—fueled by a blizzard and a brazen use of heavy equipment—was unforgettable. Miami protested the result, but the score stood. However, the game forced the NFL to immediately adjust its rulebook, banning any team from using mechanical equipment to clear snow or water from a specific spot on the field to gain an unfair advantage. Today, the legendary game serves as a fun reminder that in the face of extreme weather, sometimes, victory belongs to the most resourceful—or the coach with the most convenient access to a snowplow.
