2020 Miami Dolphins season

Last updated

2020 Miami Dolphins season
Owner Stephen M. Ross
General manager Chris Grier
Head coach Brian Flores
Home field Hard Rock Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers CB Xavien Howard
AP All-Pros CB Xavien Howard (1st team)
K Jason Sanders (1st team)
PR Jakeem Grant (2nd team)
Uniform
Miamidolphins uniforms13.png

The 2020 season was the Miami Dolphins' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th overall and their second under head coach Brian Flores.

Contents

This was the first season since the 2016 season that the Dolphins finished with a winning record.

Despite being 2nd in their division, and having double digit wins, the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs due to Indianapolis beating the Jaguars in the last week of the season. This was the fourth time in franchise history that the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs with ten wins. Additionally, the Dolphins were the only team to finish the season with a winning record but fail to qualify for the playoffs.

The Dolphins ranked 6th in defense this season. [1]

Season Summary

The Dolphins dedicated their 2020 season in memory of legendary Dolphins' head coach Don Shula, who died on May 4, 2020, at the age of 90, at his Indian Creek, Florida home. At both home and away games, the Dolphins wore patches bearing Shula's surname and the number 347, the number of Shula's all-time number of wins in his 32 years as an NFL head coach. Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, served as Dolphins' head coach from 1970 to 1995 and had led the franchise to five Super Bowl appearances, winning back-to-back championships in 1972 and 1973. Famously, in 1972, Shula led the Dolphins to their first Super Bowl title, as well as the only perfect season by a team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

The Dolphins improved on their 5–11 record from the previous season, following a Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. After beginning the season 1–3, the Dolphins established themselves as playoff contenders by winning five straight games and starting with a 6–3 record for the first time since 2001. They also started 8–4 for the first time since 2003. The team clinched their first winning season since 2016 after a Week 15 win over the Patriots, which eliminated the Pats from the playoffs for the first time since 2008. On December 26, the Dolphins clinched their first 10-win season since 2016 with a 26–25 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

A significant factor in Miami's dramatic improvement over their 2019 season of 5–11 was the story of their defense. In 2019, the Dolphins allowed more points than any other team in the NFL. In 2020, only five teams allowed fewer points-per-game than the Dolphins. [2]

However, despite the improvements, the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts' victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, becoming the first team to miss the playoffs with 10+ wins since the 2015 Jets, which, coincidentally, were also led by Ryan Fitzpatrick. Despite their elimination from the playoffs, 5th-year cornerback Xavien Howard joined Antonio Cromartie as the only players since the 1970 merger to record at least 10 interceptions in a season, and was the most by a Dolphins player since Dick Westmoreland in 1967. The Dolphins also clinched the rights for the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, which is one of the two first-round picks they received from trading Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans a season prior. The Dolphins had also finished the 2020 season by scoring a total of 404 points, which is their third highest-scoring total in a season in franchise history (the franchise's highest being 513 total points in 1984).

This season was also highlighted by the emergence of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the 5th pick in the 2020 draft, who was named the Dolphins' starter in Week 8, after the team began 3–3 under the leadership of Ryan Fitzpatrick. As the Dolphins' starting quarterback, he went 6–3 and also became the fifth rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger to win his first three starts.

Signings

The Dolphins signed former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones, former Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard, and former New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The Dolphins also picked up San Francisco 49ers' RB Matt Breida in a trade for a fifth-round draft pick which later became Colton McKivitz.

Free agent signings

PositionPlayerAge2019 TeamContract
RB Jordan Howard 25 Philadelphia Eagles 2 years, $9.75 million
CB Byron Jones 27 Dallas Cowboys 5 years, $82 million
OLB Kyle Van Noy 29 New England Patriots 4 years, $51 million
C Ted Karras 27 New England Patriots 1 year, $4 million
G Ereck Flowers 26 Washington Redskins 3 years, $30 million
ILB Elandon Roberts 26 New England Patriots 1 year, $2 million
SS Clayton Fejedelem 26 Cincinnati Bengals 3 years, $8.55 million
DE Emmanuel Ogbah 25 Kansas City Chiefs 2 years, $15 million
OLB Shaq Lawson 25 Buffalo Bills 3 years, $30 million
ILB Kamu Grugier-Hill 26 Philadelphia Eagles 1 year, $3 million
FS Kavon Frazier 25 Dallas Cowboys 1 year, $1 million

Draft

2020 Miami Dolphins Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
1 5 Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama
18 Austin Jackson OT USC from Pittsburgh
30 Noah Igbinoghene CB Auburn from Green Bay
239 Robert Hunt OT Louisiana
56 Raekwon Davis NT Alabama from New Orleans
370 Brandon Jones FS Texas
4111 Solomon Kindley G Georgia from Houston
5154 Jason Strowbridge DE North Carolina from Jacksonville via Pittsburgh
164 Curtis Weaver OLB Boise State from Baltimore via Los Angeles Rams
6185 Blake Ferguson LS LSU
7246 Malcolm Perry WR Navy from Kansas City

Draft trades

Staff

2020 Miami Dolphins staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Final roster

2020 Miami Dolphins final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
52 active, 8 inactive, 15 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Preseason

The Dolphins' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13]

WeekDateOpponentVenueResult
1August 14at Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2August 20 Philadelphia Eagles Hard Rock Stadium
3August 27 Detroit Lions Hard Rock Stadium
4September 3at New Orleans Saints Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Regular season

Schedule

The Dolphins' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7. [13]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 13at New England Patriots L 11–210–1 Gillette Stadium Recap
2 September 20 Buffalo Bills L 28–310–2 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
3 September 24at Jacksonville Jaguars W 31–131–2 TIAA Bank Field Recap
4 October 4 Seattle Seahawks L 23–311–3Hard Rock Stadium Recap
5 October 11at San Francisco 49ers W 43–172–3 Levi's Stadium Recap
6 October 18 New York Jets W 24–03–3Hard Rock Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 November 1 Los Angeles Rams W 28–174–3Hard Rock Stadium Recap
9 November 8at Arizona Cardinals W 34–315–3 State Farm Stadium Recap
10 November 15 Los Angeles Chargers W 29–216–3Hard Rock Stadium Recap
11 November 22at Denver Broncos L 13–206–4 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
12 November 29at New York Jets W 20–37–4 MetLife Stadium Recap
13 December 6 Cincinnati Bengals W 19–78–4Hard Rock Stadium Recap
14 December 13 Kansas City Chiefs L 27–338–5Hard Rock Stadium Recap
15 December 20 New England Patriots W 22–129–5Hard Rock Stadium Recap
16 December 26at Las Vegas Raiders W 26–2510–5 Allegiant Stadium Recap
17 January 3at Buffalo Bills L 26–5610–6 Bills Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New England Patriots

Week One: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins030811
Patriots077721

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

This was the Patriots' first game without long-time quarterback Tom Brady since October 2, 2016, and their first without Brady on the roster since January 2, 2000. The 2020 season opener featured quarterback Cam Newton taking the reins of the New England offense in his inaugural game as a member of the Patriots. Newton looked crisp in his first game in over a year as he scored twice on the ground in an offensive ground attack that compiled 217 yards rushing. Cam Newton scrambled for 75 yards on the ground and completed 15 of 19 passing, which left Miami's defense frustrated the entire day. Miami's offense struggled as well due to three interceptions thrown by veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans were in the stands and fake crowd noise was piped onto the playing field. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–1. [14] [15]

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Bills71001431
Dolphins7331528

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Before play began, both teams stayed in their respective locker rooms for the playing of the national anthem. Miami, hoping to recover from their Week 1 loss, kept it close, but no cigar. Josh Allen, improving his offensive gamesmanship for a third NFL season, threw for a career-best 417 yards and four TDs extending the Bills’ winning streak to four-straight against the Fins. With 5:55 remaining in the 4th quarter and trailing 20-17, Allen threw a strike to the endzone for the score, after which, Buffalo never looked back. Buffalo's offense rolled over Miami for 524 total yards; 342 in the first half. At one point the Dolphins were poised to score from the Buffalo one-yard-line in the third quarter, but failed to connect on a 4th-down toss to the endzone. After the game, Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores said. “You've got to finish in this league if you want to win." Nevertheless, Miami stayed in the game to the finish. Ryan Fitzapatrick completed 31 of 47 pass attempts, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Buffalo offense that had a banner day in South Florida. The Bills-Dolphins rivalry has undeniably been reignited. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–2. [16]

Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Three: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins1477331
Jaguars070613

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

In this nationally-televised Thursday night match-up, a dominant Ryan Fitzpatrick-led offense scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, pummeling a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that had been a three point favorite at home. On the opposite side of the ball, Gardner Minshew threw two picks and zero TDs, settling the pre-game argument over whose facial hair made them a better QB. Minshew, who came into the game confident after two strong performances to start the 2020 season, looked uncomfortable all night as Miami's defense garnered two sacks and limited the Jaguars to only 13 total points. This was the Dolphins' first win over the Jaguars since 2014 and their first win by 10+ points since a 2017 win over the Denver Broncos. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 1–2. [17] [18]

Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Seahawks10701431
Dolphins3631123

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

On a hot day in south Florida, the Seahawks came in to Hard Rock Stadium unbeaten and left with an unblemished record of 4-0. The Fins were unable to stop Russell Wilson's air offensive allowing him 360 yards passing and two completions to the endzone. Miami's defense had no answers as the ‘Hawks continued their streak of scoring 30 points or more in every game this season. The Dolphins were able to score on their first five possessions, but all five trips into Seattle territory ended disappointingly with a field goal. Ryan Fitzpatrick might have had a solid performance (29 of 45 passing), but two interceptions ultimately resulted in a dispiriting home-field loss for his squad. This was the Seahawks' first road win over the Dolphins since 1996, when the Seahawks were part of the AFC West. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–3. [19]

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Five: Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins14167643
49ers0710017

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

The Miami Dolphins engineered a good old-fashioned beatdown as they imposed their will on the reigning NFC Champions in Levi's Stadium, California. Ryan Fitzpatrick was magic as he threw 22 of 28 for 350 yards including three touchdowns and no interceptions. Jimmy Garoppolo was hideous and was benched halfway through the game after putting up 7 of 17 passing for a measly 77 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Fins’ defense carved up the Niners’ offense all day, recovering a fumble, stealing two interceptions, forcing five sacks and allowing a third-down efficiency of only 20%. [20] [21] [22] In this rematch of Super Bowl XIX, this was the Dolphins' first road win over the 49ers since 2004, also their first time since October 25, 2015 scoring over 40 points in a game, and their largest blowout win since December 3, 2017. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 2–3.

Week 6: vs. New York Jets

Week Six: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Jets00000
Dolphins7143024

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

This was the Dolphins' first shutout win since November 2, 2014, when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 37–0. Jets quarterback Joe Flacco also lost to the Dolphins for the first time in his 12-year career. Rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft made his NFL debut during the final seconds of the game, where he relieved Ryan Fitzpatrick and completed 2 passes for 9 passing yards, also Tua's first game since November 16, 2019 when he suffered a season-ending hip injury as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 3–3.

Week 8: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week Eight: Los Angeles Rams at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams730717
Dolphins7210028

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

This was rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's first NFL start, with Ryan Fitzpatrick returning to his backup role for the first time since October 13, 2019. The Dolphins also defeated the Rams for the 5th time since 2001. The game was dominated by the Dolphins' defense, which forced the Rams into four first-half turnovers, and allowed the Dolphins to win with only 145 yards of total offense, the lowest yardage compiled by a winning team all season. During the 2nd quarter, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scored his first NFL touchdown on a 78-yard fumble recovery, the second-longest fumbled return in franchise history since Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor ran on an 85-yard fumble return in 2005. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 4–3.

Week 9: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins141001034
Cardinals71014031

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

In a back-and-forth game, Miami pulled ahead late in the game with 10 points in the fourth quarter, taking the lead with a 50-yard field goal from Jason Sanders after the two-minute warning. Kyler Murray drove the Cardinals into field goal range in the final seconds, but kicker Zane Gonzalez missed the potential game-tying field goal short, sealing a 34–31 Miami victory. With the win, the Dolphins not only improved to 5–3 for the first time since 2014, but also earned their first 4-game winning streak since 2016 and a win in Phoenix for the first time since 1996.

Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week Ten: Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Chargers077721
Dolphins1433929

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,751
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a compelling battle between rookie quarterbacks, Miami's Tua Tagovailoa (2020 draft #5 overall) was the victor over Justin Herbert (2020 draft #6 overall). Miami quickly leapt to a 14-0 advantage forcing Herbert & company into struggling after the Dolphins for the entire game. Despite throwing two touchdowns, Herbert also tossed an interception forced by a Miami defense that hounded him all day. Tagovailoa threw for two scores and zero interceptions which culminated in his third-straight victory as a rookie QB. By defeating the Chargers, the Fins have won five straight games. [23] [24] The Dolphins began the season 6–3 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa also became the 5th rookie quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to begin 3–0, after Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Sanchez, Carson Wentz, and Lamar Jackson.

Week 11: at Denver Broncos

Week Eleven: Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins730313
Broncos767020

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

The Dolphins played without running back Jordan Howard as he got cut on November 16, 2020, after just nine games with the Dolphins. In the fourth quarter, Tua was replaced by Fitzpatrick after Tua got hurt. Fitzpatrick attempted a comeback but threw an interception in the red-zone ending any chances of a comeback and dropping the Dolphins 6–4. Not only did the Dolphins fail to win in Denver for the first time since 2008, but Tua failed to join Ben Roethlisberger as the only rookie quarterbacks to begin 4–0.

Week 12: at New York Jets

Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins3100720
Jets30003

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first start since Week 6, as rookie Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out after suffering a minor injury during practices. Wide receiver DeVante Parker became the 9th player in franchise history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards, and the Dolphins swept the Jets for the first time in two seasons. This was also Fitzpatrick's final full game of his career, as he retired from the NFL 2 years later on June 2, 2022. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 7–4.

Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Bengals70007
Dolphins0610319

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,577
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

For the first time since suffering a minor thumb injury, Tua Tagovailoa returned as the Dolphins' starting quarterback. The Bengals jumped out to an early lead of 7-0, but were unable to add to that score for the rest of the contest. Officials were kept busy maintaining order in this game that came to blows between players and culminated in entire teams storming the field to face off with one another. After players were finished trading blows and referees were finished ejecting five of them from the contest, Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins emerged victorious in arguably the best performance, thus far, of Tua Tagovailoa's nascent career by going 26 of 39 for 296 passing yards, one TD and no interceptions. The Fins continued their domination of other teams by allowing only seven points maintaining a hold on second overall in the NFL in scoring defense. [25] The Dolphins began 8–4 for the first time since 2003 and also clinched a non-losing season for the first time since 2016.

Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Fourteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Chiefs01416333
Dolphins7301727

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Despite holding a 10–0 lead during the first quarter and attempting a comeback down 30–10 in the 4th quarter, the Dolphins not only failed to beat the Chiefs for the first time since 2011, but they also failed to beat them at home for the first time since 2006, and to beat an Andy Reid-coached team for the first time since 1999, which was Reid's first year coaching the Philadelphia Eagles. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 8–5.

Week 15: vs. New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period1234Total
Patriots063312
Dolphins0071522

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Not only did the Dolphins clinch their first winning season since 2016, but they defeated the Patriots at home for the first time since the Miracle in Miami, and defeated a Cam Newton-led team for the first time in franchise history. The Dolphins also eliminated the Patriots from postseason contention for the first time since 2008, and ensured their first non-winning season since 2000. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became the 6th rookie quarterback to defeat Bill Belichick's Patriots, after Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Sanchez, Colt McCoy, Russell Wilson, and Geno Smith. Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick also finished with a winning record in his career for the first time since 2015, when he played for the New York Jets, and for only the second time in his 15-year career. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 9–5.

Week 16: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week Sixteen: Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins3371326
Raiders763925

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

Game information

Despite not holding a lead for much of the game and not scoring a touchdown in the first half, the Dolphins defeated the Raiders in a last-minute field goal made by Jason Sanders. Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved a struggling Tua Tagovailoa in the 4th quarter and threw to Myles Gaskin for a touchdown to hand the Dolphins their first lead of the game, 23–22. After the Raiders retook the lead with only 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick threw a no-look pass to Mack Hollins while his facemask was being tugged by a defender, a pass which Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes dubbed "the greatest no-look pass of all time", [26] to set up Sanders' game-winning field goal. This would also be Fitzpatrick's last appearance as a Dolphin, as he tested positive for COVID-19 5 days later, which caused him to miss the season finale versus the Buffalo Bills, and would sign with the Washington Football Team as a free agent on March 15, 2021, the 9th team he has played for in 16 years. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 10–5.

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

Week Seventeen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins3371326
Bills02872156

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: January 3, 2021
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After the embarrassing blowout loss, the Dolphins failed to win 11 games in a season for the 12th consecutive year, when the 2008 Miami Dolphins won 11 games. After the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars the same day, the Dolphins were eliminated from postseason contention for the 4th consecutive season. The Dolphins had also failed to become the first team since the 1999 Washington Redskins to clinch both a playoff berth and a top-3 pick in the upcoming draft, which is the first-round pick they acquired from trading Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans the season prior. With the loss, the Dolphins finished the 2020 season at 10–6.

Standings

Division

AFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(2) Buffalo Bills 1330.8136–010–2501375W6
Miami Dolphins 1060.6253–37–5404338L1
New England Patriots 790.4383–36–6326353W1
New York Jets 2140.1250–61–11243457L1

Conference

AFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West1420.8754–210–2.465.464L1
2 Buffalo Bills East1330.8136–010–2.512.471W6
3 Pittsburgh Steelers North1240.7504–29–3.475.448L1
4 [lower-alpha 1] Tennessee Titans South1150.6885–18–4.475.398W1
Wild Cards
5 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3] Baltimore Ravens North1150.6884–27–5.494.401W5
6 [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4] Cleveland Browns North1150.6883–37–5.451.406W1
7 [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 4] Indianapolis Colts South1150.6884–27–5.443.384W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 Miami Dolphins East1060.6253–37–5.467.347L1
9 Las Vegas Raiders West880.5004–26–6.539.477W1
10 [lower-alpha 5] New England Patriots East790.4383–36–6.527.429W1
11 [lower-alpha 5] Los Angeles Chargers West790.4383–36–6.482.344W4
12 Denver Broncos West5110.3131–54–8.566.388L3
13 Cincinnati Bengals North4111.2811–54–8.529.438L1
14 Houston Texans South4120.2502–43–9.541.219L5
15 New York Jets East2140.1250–61–11.594.656L1
16 Jacksonville Jaguars South1150.0631–51–11.549.688L15
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 6]
  1. 1 2 Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis based on division record.
  2. 1 2 Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below).
  3. 1 2 Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. 1 2 Cleveland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  5. 1 2 New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Related Research Articles

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The 2017 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 52nd overall and the second under head coach Adam Gase. The team came off from a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance for the first time since 2008. They were seen as potential playoff contenders and looked to make consecutive playoff seasons for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. However, the team was affected by the loss of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who tore his ACL during practice and was ruled out for the season. The team turned to former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who came out of retirement to become Tannehill's replacement and team's starter. After Tannehill got injured, coach Adam Gase called former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning about possibly coming out of retirement and taking Tannehill's place. However Manning later declined the idea of coming out of retirement. Gase was the QB coach and offensive coordinator of Peyton's Broncos between the 2012 and 2014 seasons. Additionally, the Dolphins were also one of the teams Peyton considered signing with following his release by the Colts in 2012. Later during the season, the team traded starting running back Jay Ajayi to the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2018 fourth round draft pick on October 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Miami Dolphins season</span> 53rd season in franchise history

The 2018 season was the Miami Dolphins' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 53rd overall and their third and last under head coach Adam Gase. During the offseason, the Dolphins tweaked their uniforms' orange color to better align with their classical past and history. For the second straight season, they also brought back their throwback uniforms from the Shula/Marino eras and wore them for three games.

The 2018 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth under the leadership of general manager Jason Licht, their 21st playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium and their third and final under head coach Dirk Koetter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Miami Dolphins season</span> 54th season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the Miami Dolphins' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 54th overall and their first under new head coach Brian Flores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 New York Jets season</span> 60th season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the New York Jets' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 60th overall in professional football, their 10th playing home games at MetLife Stadium, their first under general manager Joe Douglas and their first under head coach Adam Gase. This year the team began featuring a new logo and uniform for the first time since 1998. With this new uniform design, the Jets began going for a modern appearance, tweaking the shade of green and adding a black accent similar to what the Arizona Cardinals did in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Buffalo Bills season</span> 61st season in franchise history; first division title and playoff win since 1995

The 2020 season was the Buffalo Bills' 61st as a franchise, 51st in the National Football League (NFL), the sixth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. After acquiring players such as Stefon Diggs, Mario Addison, and A. J. Klein during the offseason, the Bills offense, led by quarterback Josh Allen, took another step forward, scoring a franchise-record 501 points and leading the Bills to 13 wins in the regular season, and their first playoff wins and first AFC Championship appearance of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Buffalo Bills season</span> 62nd season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Buffalo Bills' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), seventh full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their fifth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Miami Dolphins season</span> 56th season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Miami Dolphins' 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 56th overall, and their third and final year under head coach Brian Flores, and sixth under general manager Chris Grier. Despite a 1–7 start to the season, Miami then won the next seven games, becoming the first team in NFL history to lose seven straight games and then win seven straight games in the same season. The 7-game win streak was their first since the 1985 season. They also became the sixth team in NFL history to win four or more consecutive games after losing seven in a row, after the 2009 Cleveland Browns, 1994 New York Giants, 1993 New England Patriots, 1984 Green Bay Packers, and the 1978 St. Louis Cardinals. However the Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year after their win streak ended in Week 17 to the Tennessee Titans, combined with a win by the Los Angeles Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Miami Dolphins season</span> 57th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Miami Dolphins' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 57th overall, the first under new head coach Mike McDaniel, and seventh under general manager Chris Grier. It also set out with the acquisition of 3x All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, who joined Jaylen Waddle as Tua Tagovailoa's receiving duo after breaking contract talks with the Chiefs and being traded in March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Baltimore Ravens season</span> 27th season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 27th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 15th under head coach John Harbaugh. They improved on their 8–9 record from the previous season and qualified for the postseason after missing the playoffs the previous season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Chicago Bears season</span> 103rd season in franchise history

The 2022 season was the Chicago Bears' 103rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. They failed to improve upon their 6–11 record from the previous season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Miami Dolphins season</span> 58th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the Miami Dolphins' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 58th overall, their eighth under general manager Chris Grier and their second under head coach Mike McDaniel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 New York Jets season</span> 64th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the New York Jets' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 64th overall, their fifth under general manager Joe Douglas and their third under head coach Robert Saleh. The season, which was entered with Super Bowl aspirations, was a major disappointment for the team, finishing at 7–10 for the second consecutive season, and failing to improve on their record from 2022. It was also the Jets' fourth consecutive season with at least ten losses.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  2. ↑ Inabinett, Mark (June 2, 2021). "Dolphins' Raekwon Davis: 'You can see him getting better'". AL.com. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  3. ↑ "2019 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves". NFL.com. April 25, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Scott, Jelani (September 17, 2019). "Dolphins S Minkah Fitzpatrick traded to Steelers". NFL.com.
  5. ↑ Gantt, Darin (August 31, 2019). "Dolphins fire sale sends Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills to Texans". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  6. ↑ Poupart, Alain (April 26, 2019). "Dolphins Acquire QB Josh Rosen From Cardinals". www.miamidolphins.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  7. ↑ Patra, Kevin (October 28, 2019). "Dolphins trade RB Kenyan Drake to Cardinals". NFL.com.
  8. ↑ Patra, Kevin (October 29, 2019). "Rams ship CB Aqib Talib, fifth-rounder to Dolphins". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Dolphins Acquire C/G Evan Boehm". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Dolphins Trade For G Danny Isidora". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  11. ↑ Florio, Mike (August 31, 2018). "Dolphins trade safety Jordan Lucas to the Chiefs". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  12. ↑ John Boyle (April 25, 2020). "Seahawks Trade Into Seventh Round, Select LSU WR Stephen Sullivan". Seahawks.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Newton runs for 2 TDs, Patriots hold off Dolphins 21-11". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  15. ↑ Joe, Schad. "Dolphins prepare to face oddity of no fans, fake crowd noise at New England". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Allen reaches career high in passing, Bills beat Dolphins". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  17. ↑ Gordon, Grant. "What we learned from Dolphins' 31-13 win over Jaguars". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Long, Mark. "Fitzpatrick, Fins Handle Jaguars". Wheeling News-Register. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Wilson leads Seahawks to first 4-0 start since 2013". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "The Dolphins Wiped the Floor with the 49ers and it was Awesome". The Phinsider. October 13, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  21. ↑ Smith, Michael David (October 11, 2020). "Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins dominate the 49ers". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Dolphins at 49ers 2020 recap". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  23. ↑ Davis, Jarred (November 16, 2020). "Tagovailoa, Dolphins Win Fifth Straight; Defeat Chargers 29-21". lasentinel.net. Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Dolphins earn 5th straight win by beating Chargers 29-21". CBSsports.com. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Tua throws for 296 yards as Dolphins beat Bengals 19-7". CBSsports.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Patrick Mahomes called this crazy throw by Dolphins' Ryan Fitzpatrick the best no-look pass of all-time". CBS Sports. December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
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