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This is a list of seasons completed by the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins, an American football franchise based in the Miami metropolitan area. The list documents the season-by-season records of the Dolphins franchise from 1966 to present, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches.
Although the Miami Dolphins were not successful before joining the NFL, from 1970 when they played their first season after the AFL–NFL merger until 2001 they were one of the most successful teams in the league, playing in the postseason on 22 occasions over those 32 years, winning 335 and tying two of 527 games for an overall win percentage of 63.75, and suffering a mere two losing seasons out of 32. Early in this period the Dolphins won their only two Super Bowls in consecutive seasons (becoming the second team to do so in the Super Bowl era), in the process achieving the only modern-day perfect season in any major professional sports league during only their third year in the NFL. Much of this success was orchestrated by coach Don Shula who joined the team in 1970 and stayed with them until his retirement in 1995.
After Shula retired in 1995, the Dolphins remained a force for six years under successors Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt, but since 2002 and especially since 2004 have fallen on harder times, reaching the postseason only twice in the eighteen seasons since, and during the mid-2000s, briefly intensifying the Dolphins-Patriots rivalry, when Nick Saban, a former Bill Belichick assistant, was hired as the Dolphins head coach in 2005; Saban spent two seasons as the head coach of the dolphins before leaving for Alabama.In 2007, they narrowly avoided an imperfect season by beating the Baltimore Ravens for their first and only win of the year. The next year, the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to win their division following a 1–15 season; until 2020, it was the last time when the AFC East was not won by the New England Patriots. Since 2000 (the last season they won a playoff game), the Dolphins have made the postseason five times, but never progressed past the Wild Card round.
For complete team history, see History of the Miami Dolphins.
Super Bowl champions * | Conference champions # | Division champions † | Wild Card berth ^ |
Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coach | Refs. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | W | L | T | |||||||||
1966 | 1966 | AFL | Eastern | 5th | 3 | 11 | 0 | George Wilson | [1] | |||
1967 | 1967 | AFL | Eastern | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | [2] | ||||
1968 | 1968 | AFL | Eastern | 3rd | 5 | 8 | 1 | [3] | ||||
1969 | 1969 | AFL | Eastern | 5th | 3 | 10 | 1 | [4] | ||||
1970 | 1970 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 14–21 | Don Shula | [5] | |
1971 | 1971 | NFL | AFC # | East | 1st† | 10 | 3 | 1 | Won Divisional Playoffs (at Chiefs) 27–24 (2 OT) Won AFC Championship (Colts) 21–0 Lost Super Bowl VI (vs. Cowboys) 3–24 |
[6] | ||
1972 | 1972 | NFL * | AFC # | East | 1st† | 14 | 0 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) 20–14 Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 21–17 Won Super Bowl VII (1) (vs. Redskins) 14–7 |
Don Shula (COY) Jake Scott (SB MVP) Earl Morrall (CBPOY) |
[7][8] | |
1973 | 1973 | NFL * | AFC # | East | 1st† | 12 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Bengals) 34–16 Won AFC Championship (Raiders) 27–10 Won Super Bowl VIII (2) (vs. Vikings) 24–7 |
Dick Anderson (DPOY) Larry Csonka (SB MVP) Garo Yepremian (PB MVP) |
[9][10] | |
1974 | 1974 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 11 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 26–28 | [11] | ||
1975 | 1975 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 10 | 4 | 0 | [12] | |||
1976 | 1976 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | [13] | |||
1977 | 1977 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 10 | 4 | 0 | Bob Griese (Bell Awd) A. J. Duhe (DROY) |
[14][15] | ||
1978 | 1978 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers) 9–17 | [16] | ||
1979 | 1979 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 14–34 | Larry Csonka (CBPOY) | [17][18] | |
1980 | 1980 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [19] | |||
1981 | 1981 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 11 | 4 | 1 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 38–41 (OT) | [20] | ||
1982 | 1982 | NFL | AFC # | 2nd1 ^ | 7 | 2 | 0 | Won First Round Playoffs (Patriots) 28–13 Won Second Round Playoffs (Chargers) 34–13 Won AFC Championship (Jets) 14–0 Lost Super Bowl XVII (vs. Redskins) 17–27 |
[21] | |||
1983 | 1983 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) 20–27 | Doug Betters (DPOY) | [22][23] | |
1984 | 1984 | NFL | AFC # | East | 1st† | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) 31–10 Won AFC Championship (Steelers) 45–28 Lost Super Bowl XIX (vs. 49ers) 16–38 |
Dan Marino (MVP, OPOY) | [24][25] | |
1985 | 1985 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) 24–21 Lost AFC Championship (Patriots) 14–31 |
Dwight Stephenson (WPMOY) | [26][27] | |
1986 | 1986 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [28] | |||
1987 | 1987 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 7 | 0 | Troy Stradford (OROY) | [29] | ||
1988 | 1988 | NFL | AFC | East | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | [30] | |||
1989 | 1989 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [31] | |||
1990 | 1990 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 17–16 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bills) 34–44 |
[32] | ||
1991 | 1991 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [33] | |||
1992 | 1992 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 31–0 Lost AFC Championship (Bills) 10–29 |
[34] | ||
1993 | 1993 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | [35] | |||
1994 | 1994 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) 27–17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Chargers) 21–22 |
Tim Bowens (DROY) Dan Marino (CBPOY) |
[36][37] | |
1995 | 1995 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd ^ | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Bills) 22–37 | [38] | ||
1996 | 1996 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | Jimmy Johnson | [39] | ||
1997 | 1997 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Patriots) 3–17 | [40] | ||
1998 | 1998 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bills) 24–17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Broncos) 3–38 |
Dan Marino (WPMOY) | [41][42] | |
1999 | 1999 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd ^ | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Seahawks) 20–17 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Jaguars) 7–62 |
[43] | ||
2000 | 2000 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23–17 (OT) Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Raiders) 0–27 |
Dave Wannstedt | [44] | |
2001 | 2001 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 3–20 | [45] | ||
2002 | 2002 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Ricky Williams (PB MVP) | [46][47] | ||
2003 | 2003 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | [48] | |||
2004 | 2004 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | Dave Wannstedt (1–8) Jim Bates (3–4) |
[49] | ||
2005 | 2005 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Nick Saban | [50] | ||
2006 | 2006 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | Jason Taylor (DPOY) | [51][52] | ||
2007 | 2007 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 1 | 15 | 0 | Jason Taylor (WPMOY) | Cam Cameron | [53] | |
2008 | 2008 | NFL | AFC | East | 1st† | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 9–27 | Chad Pennington (CBPOY) | Tony Sparano | [54][55] |
2009 | 2009 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | [56] | |||
2010 | 2010 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | [57] | |||
2011 | 2011 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | Brandon Marshall (PB MVP) | Tony Sparano (4–9) Todd Bowles (2–1) |
[58] | |
2012 | 2012 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 7 | 9 | 0 | Joe Philbin | [59] | ||
2013 | 2013 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [60] | |||
2014 | 2014 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | [61] | |||
2015 | 2015 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | Joe Philbin (1–3) Dan Campbell (5–7) |
[62] | ||
2016 | 2016 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Steelers) 12–30 | Adam Gase | [63] | |
2017 | 2017 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | [64] | |||
2018 | 2018 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 7 | 9 | 0 | [65] | |||
2019 | 2019 | NFL | AFC | East | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | Brian Flores | [66] | ||
2020 | 2020 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | [67] | |||
2021 | 2021 | NFL | AFC | East | 3rd | 9 | 8 | 0 | [68] | |||
2022 | 2022 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 9 | 8 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Bills) 31–34 | Mike McDaniel | [69] | |
2023 | 2023 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd ^ | 11 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Chiefs) 7–26 | [70] | ||
2024 | 2024 | NFL | AFC | East | 2nd | 8 | 9 | 0 | [71] | |||
505 | 408 | 4 | Regular season | |||||||||
20 | 23 | — | Postseason | |||||||||
524 | 431 | 4 | Total |
Note: Records current through the end of the 2024 NFL season
1 Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, teams were ranked by conference instead of division