Late onside kick headlines Dolphins 35-9 drubbing of Broncos

In a game that featured oddities that include two safeties for one team, the one play many in Broncos Country likely will remember from Denver’s eighth consecutive loss is a Miami Dolphins onside kick.

A little more than four minutes into the fourth quarter on Sunday, following a Miami touchdown to put them up 33-9, the Dolphins executed a successful onside kick.

The special teams play, the second of its kind in the game, yielded no points, as Denver forced a punt, which subsequently returner Isaiah McKenzie fumbled during the return and recovered in the end zone for a safety.

After the game, Dolphins head coach — and former Broncos offensive coordinator — Adam Gase said the onside call was about “just playing 60 minutes.”

“We’re not going to slow down. I don’t care what the score is,” Gase said.

When asked during his postgame press conference whether the onside kick concerned him, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said, “That’s his choice. I tried one also. That’s his choice.”

Denver had attempted an onside kick earlier in the second half while kicking off with a short field.

After the game, Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, who played for Gase from 2012 through 2014 seasons, chalked it up to “Goose” being “Goose.”

“I love Goose man. That’s Goose though,” Anderson said.

However, reports after the game indicated that not everyone within the Broncos locker room took kindly to the play.

Shelby Harris extremely upset about onside kick from Dolphins when they were up 33-9 “100% disrespect…I’ll remember that forever.” #9sports

— Aaron Matas (@AaronMatas) December 3, 2017

Per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold, Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr said Gase “wanted to take it personal,” that there was “bad blood” between him and the Broncos and he was “trying to embarrass us.”

“He’s mad at somebody in this organization,” Harris told ESPN.

According to 9News’ Mike Klis, this beef between Gase and the Broncos stems from the 2015 offseason, in which the offensive coordinator followed former head coach John Fox to Chicago.

Source: Adam Gase issue w/ John Elway stems from when Gase was hot HC candidate in 2015 and his belief Elway didn’t help his cause. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) December 4, 2017

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.