| 1983 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Joe Robbie |
| Head coach | Don Shula |
| Home field | Orange Bowl |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 20–27 |
| Pro Bowlers | 7 QB Dan Marino WR Mark Duper G Bob Kuechenberg C Dwight Stephenson G Ed Newman DE Doug Betters DT Bob Baumhower |
The 1983 Miami Dolphins season was the 18th season in football for the Miami Dolphins and they sought to return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. It was also a turning point in the team's history, as in the 1983 NFL draft a young quarterback slipped to deep in the opening round, being passed over by such teams as division rivals New York who drafted Ken O'Brien and New England who drafted Tony Eason. With the 27th pick, the Dolphins decided to take a chance on Dan Marino. In the draft's eighth round the Dolphins also selected receiver Mark Clayton.
David Woodley started the team's first five games but despite wins over Buffalo, New England and Kansas City the offense did not move to Don Shula's liking. So in Week Six, with the Dolphins hosting the Bills the rookie Marino started. Marino had completed two touchdown passes in relief of Woodley in a 27–14 loss to the Raiders and then replaced Woodley during a 17–7 loss to the Saints with a touchdown and an interception, so the game against Buffalo was the third game of his career but his first start. The game proved to be a wild affair as Robb Riddick of the Bills fumbled the opening kickoff at his own 17 but Marino was intercepted by Steve Freeman on the next play. The Bills clawed to a 14–7 halftime lead but the Dolphins behind Marino stayed toe to toe as Marino threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns while handing off to Mark Clayton on an option pass for a touchdown to Mark Duper. The Bills tied the game in the final seconds and two Uwe von Schamann field goal attempts missed before Joe Danelo ended the game in a 38–35 Bills win.
Despite the loss Marino's performance cemented his role as the team's starter, and the Dolphins raced to win nine of their last ten games. Marino finished with 2,210 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. With the division wrapped up following a 26–17 win over the Oilers at the Astrodome Marino sat for the final two games of the season as Don Strock quarterbacked the Dolphins to wins over the Falcons and New York Jets. Despite a very successful season, the Dolphins were eliminated in the Divisional round of the playoffs by the underdog Seattle Seahawks, 27–20.
| 1983 Miami Dolphins draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Dan Marino * † | Quarterback | Pittsburgh | |
| 2 | 55 | Mike Charles | Defensive tackle | Syracuse | |
| 3 | 76 | Charles Benson | Defensive end | Baylor | |
| 6 | 167 | Reggie Roby * | Punter | Iowa | |
| 7 | 195 | Keith Woetzel | Linebacker | Rutgers | |
| 8 | 223 | Mark Clayton * | Wide receiver | Louisville | |
| 9 | 250 | Mark Brown | Linebacker | Purdue | |
| 10 | 278 | Anthony Reed | Running back | South Carolina State | |
| 11 | 306 | Joe Lukens | Guard | Ohio State | |
| 12 | 334 | Anthony Carter * | Wide receiver | Michigan | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
| Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
| Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
| Reserved
Rookies in italics |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4 | at Buffalo Bills | W 12–0 | 1–0 | Rich Stadium | 78,715 |
| 2 | September 11 | New England Patriots | W 34–24 | 2–0 | Miami Orange Bowl | 59,343 |
| 3 | September 19 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 14–27 | 2–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 57,796 |
| 4 | September 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 14–6 | 3-1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 50,785 |
| 5 | October 2 | at New Orleans Saints | L 7–17 | 3-2 | Louisiana Superdome | 66,489 |
| 6 | October 9 | Buffalo Bills | L 35–38 (OT) | 3-3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 59,948 |
| 7 | October 16 | at New York Jets | W 32–14 | 4-3 | Shea Stadium | 58,615 |
| 8 | October 23 | at Baltimore Colts | W 21–7 | 5-3 | Memorial Stadium | 32,343 |
| 9 | October 30 | Los Angeles Rams | W 30–14 | 6-3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 72,175 |
| 10 | November 6 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 20–17 | 7-3 | Candlestick Park | 57,832 |
| 11 | November 13 | at New England Patriots | L 6–17 | 7-4 | Sullivan Stadium | 60,771 |
| 12 | November 20 | Baltimore Colts | W 37–0 | 8-4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 54,482 |
| 13 | November 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 38–14 | 9-4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 74,506 |
| 14 | December 4 | at Houston Oilers | W 24–17 | 10-4 | Houston Astrodome | 39,434 |
| 15 | December 10 | Atlanta Falcons | W 31–24 | 11-4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 56,725 |
| 16 | December 16 | New York Jets | W 34–14 | 12-4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 59,975 |
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| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Miami Dolphins (2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 389 | 250 | W5 |
| New England Patriots | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 274 | 289 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 283 | 351 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 5–9 | 264 | 354 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 313 | 331 | L2 |
| Player | Att | Comp | Yds | TD | INT | Rating |
| Dan Marino | 296 | 173 | 2210 | 20 | 6 | 96.0 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
The Seahawks converted three turnovers in the second half into 13 points, while running back Curt Warner rushed for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter: A 19-yard pass to Johnson and a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Mark Duper. Seattle's only score in the first half was quarterback Dave Krieg's 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Cullen Bryant. In the third quarter, a fumble led to Warner's 1-yard touchdown. A fourth quarter interception from Marino then led to Norm Johnson's 27-yard field goal to give Seattle a 17–13 lead. After the Dolphins regained the lead off running back Woody Bennett's 3-yard touchdown, Seattle responded with Warner's 2-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Miami returner Fulton Walker fumbled, setting up Norm Johnson's 37-yard field goal. Barely enough time remained for the Dolphins to tie the game, but Fulton Walker fumbled the next kickoff as well, which sealed the game for the Seahawks.
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the strike-shortened 1982 season. The Redskins defeated the Dolphins, 27–17, to win their first Super Bowl championship. The game was played on January 30, 1983, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
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Mark Gregory Clayton is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL draft. He played with the Dolphins until 1992, earning five Pro Bowl and three second-team All-Pro selections. He finished his career playing one season with the Green Bay Packers in 1993.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1999 season began on January 8, 2000. The postseason tournament concluded with the St. Louis Rams defeating the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, 23–16, on January 30, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1992 season began on January 2, 1993. The postseason tournament concluded with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, 52–17, on January 31, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
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Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in the 1983 NFL draft, he was one of the six quarterbacks selected during the first round. Eason served as New England's primary starter from 1984 to 1986, where he helped the team make their Super Bowl debut in Super Bowl XX. Competing as the starter with Steve Grogan throughout his Patriots tenure, Eason was released during the 1989 season. He spent his final two seasons as a backup with the New York Jets.
David Michael Krieg is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Milton College in his home state of Wisconsin and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. In his 19-year NFL career, Krieg played for the Seahawks (1980–1991), Kansas City Chiefs (1992–1993), Detroit Lions (1994), Arizona Cardinals (1995), Chicago Bears (1996), and Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998).
The Epic in Miami was the National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl. The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the enormity of scoring, the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set.
The Dolphins–Jets rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and has worked with them since 2014 as a special advisor. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, earning first-team All-American honors in 1981. Marino was the last quarterback taken in the first round of the famed quarterback class of 1983. He held or currently holds dozens of NFL records associated with the quarterback position, and despite never being on a Super Bowl-winning team, he is recognized among the greatest quarterbacks in American football history.
The 1984 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 19th season, and 15th in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the 15th season with the team for head coach Don Shula. The Dolphins sought to build on a spectacular 1983 season where they went 12–4 with rookie quarterback Dan Marino.
The 1994 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 29th season of existence and 25th in the National Football League (NFL). On March 23, the NFL approved the transfer of majority interest in the team from the Robbie family to Wayne Huizenga. The team's playoff win on New Year's Eve 1994 vs. Kansas City is now famous as the last NFL game that Joe Montana ever played, as the superstar QB retired in the off-season.
The 2000 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League, the 35th overall and was their first under new head coach Dave Wannstedt who was named the fourth head coach in franchise history on January 16, 2000, the same day that Jimmy Johnson announced his retirement from coaching. For the first season since 1982, Dan Marino was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement prior to the season. Believed by many as the greatest Miami Dolphin of all time, Marino led the Dolphins to ten playoff appearances, one of which ended in Super Bowl XIX, and is the winningest quarterback to have not won a Super Bowl. Jay Fiedler, who left the Jacksonville Jaguars, succeeded Marino as starting quarterback. Damon Huard remained a backup quarterback and started for Fiedler in one game during the season.
The 1999 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 34th campaign, and 30th in the National Football League (NFL). It was the 17th and final season for Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. Marino suffered an injury on October 17 against the New England Patriots, with Damon Huard taking over at quarterback. The team would go 4–1 under Huard, including a 17–0 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Marino would return on November 25, against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing five interceptions in the 20–0 loss.
The 1996 season was the Miami Dolphins' 31st season in the National Football League (NFL), their 27th overall, their seventh under general manager Eddie Jones and their first under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 9–7, winning only eight games. The team failed to qualify for the postseason.
Earl Winty Thomas III is an American former professional football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and received consensus All-American honors and played in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. He left after his redshirt sophomore year and he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. During his time with the Seahawks, he made 6 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pro teams as he was a core member of the Legion of Boom defense, winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos and started in Super Bowl XLIX. After nine seasons with Seattle, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent and played one season while earning his 7th Pro Bowl invite.
Byron S. Maxwell is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft, where he was a member of the Seahawks' defensive group known as the Legion of Boom. Maxwell also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.
