Miami Dolphins
| Miami Dolphins | ||
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| Founded in 1965 playing in Miami Gardens , Florida |
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American Football League (1966-1969)
National Football League (1970-present)
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| Current uniforms | ||
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| Team colors | Aqua, white | |
| mascot | TD | |
| staff | ||
| owner |
Stephen M. Ross (95%) H. Wayne Huizenga (5%) |
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| General manager | Chris Grier | |
| Head coach | Brian Flores | |
| Team history | ||
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| Nicknames | ||
| The Fins / Phins | ||
| successes | ||
NFL Champion (2)
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| Conference winner (5) | ||
| Division Winner (13) | ||
| Play-off appearances (23) | ||
| Stages | ||
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The Miami Dolphins are an American football team from the US professional league National Football League (NFL) from Miami , Florida . They are named for the dolphins that inhabit the coastal waters of Florida. The team colors have always been aqua and orange, a color combination that is unique in the world of professional US sports.
They belong together with the Buffalo Bills , the New England Patriots and the New York Jets of the East Division within the American Football Conference (AFC). From their founding in 1965 or their first season in 1966 to moving to Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987, they played at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Downtown Miami. The team has been owned by Stephen Ross since 2009 , who also owns the team's stadium , which is currently called Hard Rock Stadium . Also from 2009, Gloria Estefan , Emilio Estefan , Marc Anthony , Serena Williams , Venus Williams and Fergie were prominent co-owners as part of an unknown minority stake. Previous owners were founder Joe Robbie, who died in 1990, and Wayne Huizenga between 1994 and 2008 . According to Forbes Magazine , the Dolphins are the NFL's 16th most valuable franchise at an estimated $ 2.8 billion (as of September 4, 2019).
The Dolphins originally played in the American Football League (AFL) and joined the NFL after its dissolution in 1970. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys ( Super Bowl VI ) in 1971 , the Dolphins succeeded in 1972 as the first, and so far only, NFL team to have a " perfect season " ( Super Bowl VII against the Washington Redskins ) and in 1973 one successful title defense ( Super Bowl VIII against the Minnesota Vikings ). In 1982 they were beaten in the final by the Washington Redskins ( Super Bowl XVII ), which - just like in 1984 ( Super Bowl XIX against the San Francisco 49ers ) - has been denied another title win so far.
history
No football team rose from newcomer to dominator as quickly as the Miami Dolphins. Within just six years, the franchise developed from an expansion team to an unbeatable league leader. In 1970 Don Shula took over the coaching position and in 1972 the Dolphins became the only team in NFL history to achieve a "perfect season", a season without a loss or a draw. Under Shula's 26-year leadership, only two seasons ended with a negative balance. From 1983 a new quarterback shaped the team in addition to Shula. With Dan Marino , a young playmaker was hired who was preparing to rewrite the record books of the National Football League (NFL). After Coach Shula had resigned in 1995 and " Dan the Man " announced his resignation in 1999 , the Dolphins sank into the gray mediocrity of the league and have been trying desperately for more than 20 years to reconnect with the glory days.
The early years in the AFL (1966–1970)
On August 16, 1965, the American Football League (AFL) awarded lawyer Joe Robbie and television star Danny Thomas the first expansion franchise in the still young league history for 7.5 million US dollars, with the actor receiving his shares a short time later Robbie resigned. In order to find a name for the new team in Miami, a large fan vote was carried out, from which the winning name Dolphins emerged . The first coach presented was NFL-experienced George Wilson , who coached the Detroit Lions for eight years and even led them to the championship in 1957. In terms of sport, the Dolphins got off to a dream start when running back Joe Auer carried the opening kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown in their first regular AFL game. The game against the Oakland Raiders was lost in the end with 14:23 and made it clear that the newly formed team from South Florida, as expected, was facing a difficult first season. Ultimately, the Dolphins got three wins in their opening season, which they finished in last place in the Eastern Division.
The following three years under Wilson were also not very successful and all ended with a negative season balance. Overall, the Dolphins were able to record just 15 wins in the first four seasons. Nevertheless, during this time the foundation stone for their later dominance was laid. So they fished in the 1967 NFL Draft quarterback Bob Griese and only a year later running back Larry Csonka . In 1969, Guard Larry Little , who moved to Florida from the San Diego Chargers , and linebacker Nick Buoniconti , who was also signed by the Boston Patriots by trade , joined the team. And finally, Don Shula, a new head coach from the Baltimore Colts came to Miami, who turned a team of losers into a winning team.
After the merger of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), the Miami Dolphins played from 1970 together with the previous AFL teams Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets as well as the NFL team Baltimore Colts in the East Division the newly founded American Football Conference (AFC). Already in the first season with Shula on the sidelines, his hard work bore fruit and Miami improved to a 10-4 record, which the franchise could qualify for the playoffs for the first time . There they lost 14:21 at the Oakland Raiders.
"Perfect Season" and Super Bowls (1971–1974)
In the 1971 season, the Dolphins secured their first AFC East title. Fullback Larry Csonka became the first Dolphins player to reach more than 1,000 rushing yards in one season. A week later, Miami won the longest game in NFL history with 82 minutes and 40 seconds with 27:24 against the Kansas City Chiefs . The historic AFC Divisional Playoff Game also marked the first post-season victory in the Dolphins' franchise history, which Cyprus-born kicker Garo Yepremian secured with a field goal in the second extension. Led by Csonka, quarterback Griese, running back Jim Kiick and wide receiver Paul Warfield , the team then secured its first AFC championship with a 21-0 win over the Baltimore Colts and moved into Super Bowl VI. There they were, as expected, inferior in the entire game and lost the duel with the Dallas Cowboys on January 16, 1972 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans , Louisiana, clearly 3:24.
In 1972 the Miami Dolphins achieved the first and to date only “perfect season” in NFL history. They won all 14 games of the season, two playoff games and finally crowned the season with a 14: 7 win against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, played on January 16, 1973 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coloseum in Los Angeles , California . After Bob Griese was injured in the game against the San Diego Chargers, he had to be replaced by veteran Earl Morrall for the remainder of the regular season . At the end of the season, Morrall was the first NFL player ever to receive the newly introduced NFL Comeback Player of the Year award . It was not until the AFC Championship Game at the Pittsburgh Steelers that Starter Griese returned to the field during the third quarter and led the Dolphins to a 21:17, making the team again as AFC Champion in the NFL final. In the regular season, the two running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris were the first teammates to each run more than 1,000 yards in one season. Later “ Hall of Famers ” like Jim Langer and Larry Little as well as the pro bowlers Bob Kuechenberg and Norm Evans were on the offensive line . The NFL's best defense of the year, known as " no-name defense, " was led by linebacker Nick Buoniconti, defensive end Bill Stanfill , nose tackle Manny Fernandez, and safeties Dick Anderson and Jake Scott .
The Dolphins ended the 1973 regular season on a 12-2 record and set the best NFL team record ever with 24-2 wins in two seasons. In the AFC Championship Game they defeated the Oakland Raiders 27:10 and became the first team to win the AFC championship for the third time in a row. Then they were also the first NFL team for the third consecutive time in the final, where they could repeat their success from last year and on January 13, 1974 Rice Stadium in Houston , Texas with a 24: 7 against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII again became NFL champions. Just a week later, Garo Yepremian kicked five field goals in the Pro Bowl at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City , Missouri , including the decisive one to win the 15:13, and became the first Dolphins player to become the Pro Bowl MVP in space -Star Games chosen by the National Football League (NFL).
In the 1974 season, Miami reached the post-season again with a record of eleven wins and three defeats as AFC East Champion, but lost in the Divisional Playoffs the game that went down in NFL history as " The Sea of Hands " game with 26:28 with the Oakland Raiders. This bitter defeat, which Don Shula described as the worst in his coaching career, marked the end of the Dolphins dynasty. The team never reached this level after that and it would take eight years to win a play-off game again.
After the championships (1975–1982)
After this great disappointment, the Dolphins lost three of their most important players, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield and Jim Kiick, all of whom joined the newly formed World Football League (WFL). Thanks to the outstanding performance of Bob Griese and wide receiver Nat Moore , Miami won ten season games in 1975, but missed the playoffs because they had lost the direct comparison against the Baltimore Colts. With just six wins and eight losses, the Dolphins had their first negative season record in 1976 under Coach Shula and since the merger of the NFL and AFL, which led to some changes within the team. Shula formed a new strong defense around linebacker AJ Duhe and defensive linemen Bob Baumhower and Doug Betters and in 1977 the Dolphins were able to achieve ten wins again. Nevertheless, they lost in the end the division title and thus a playoff place again to the Baltimore Colts. 1978 Griese missed the first seven games of the season due to a knee injury. Backup quarterback Don Strock led the team to a 5-2 record before Griese returned and ended the season with a total of eleven wins and five losses. This brought the New England Patriots, who had won the AFC East for the first time, into the playoffs via the wild card, but lost 9:17 at home to the Houston Oilers . After his brief stint in the WFL and three years with the New York Giants , Fullback Larry Csonka returned to Miami in 1979 for one season. After winning the division with a 10-6 record, the Dolphins lost the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers with 14:34. Csonka was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year after the season, and then retired.
The new decade began with the resignation of a Dolphins legend. After 14 years in the NFL, Bob Griese, who had badly injured his shoulder in the game against the Baltimore Colts, had to retire after the season. With the new starting quarterback rookie David Woodley , the 1980 season did not go as well as expected and the Dolphins missed qualifying for the playoffs with a balanced record of eight wins and eight defeats. But by 1981 the Dolphins were back at the top of the AFC East with an 11-4-1 record. They reached the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Diego Chargers, which went down in NFL history as " The Epic in Miami ". After a 0:24 deficit at the end of the first quarter, backup quarterback Don Strock came onto the field and started an incredible comeback. With a field goal in extra time, the game ended with 41:38 in favor of the Chargers.
In the 1982 season, which was shortened to nine games due to a player strike, the Dolphins, led by their defense line known as " Killer-B's " around Bob Baumhower, Doug Betters, Kim Bokamper , Bob Brudzinski and the two brothers Glenn Blackwood and Lyle Blackwood , were on the Way to her fourth Super Bowl participation. With seven wins, the Dolphins ended up in second place in the AFC behind the Los Angeles Raiders and were able to take revenge for previous defeats during the first two playoffs. First they beat the New England Patriots 28:13 and took revenge for the infamous " Snowplow Game " from the regular season. Because of the completely snow-covered playing field, this game remained without points until five minutes before the end, before a section of the field was cleared with a snowplow on the instructions of the Patriots and New England won the game 3-0 with a field goal. In the second round, the Dolphins kept the dreaded offensive of the San Diego Chargers in check and won with a clear 34:13. With this successful revenge for the bitter defeat in the previous year, the team reached the Conference Championship Game for the fourth time in its history. Here they beat the New York Jets in the so-called “ Mud Bowl ” and took the AFC crown 14-0. The star of the game was linebacker AJ Duhe, who brought back a 35 yard touchdown of his three interceptions and thus made the entry into Super Bowl XVII perfect. This was lost on January 30, 1983 at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena , California, however, at 17:27 against the Washington Redskins.
The "Dan Marino Era" (1983–1999)
From 1983, in addition to head coach Don Shula, a new quarterback shaped the Dolphins. With Dan Marino, a young playmaker was hired in the first round of the draft, who was preparing to rewrite the NFL record books. After starting the season as a substitute for the regular starter David Woodley, he was allowed to make his debut with the Los Angeles Raiders during the third game and was used as starting quarterback shortly afterwards. Due to his good performance, he was allowed to play as the first rookie quarterback as a starter in the Pro Bowl, the season final game of the best players of the season. Another milestone was set by wide receiver Mark Duper , who was the first Dolphins player to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in one season. Despite the good regular season with twelve wins and four losses, Miami failed in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Orange Bowl Stadium with 20:27 at the Seattle Seahawks .
In his second season, Dan Marino produced the most impressive pass statistics in NFL history to date. As the first quarterback, he passed in 1984 for more than 5,000 yards in a season (5,084) and set new records for touchdown passes (48) and complete passes (362). He led the Dolphins to the playoffs with a 14-2 record as the best team in the AFC and was deservedly voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the league. The “ Marks Brothers ” wide receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper also played an outstanding season and set new Dolphins records for captured passports and receiving yards. In the playoffs, Miami first took revenge against the Seattle Seahawks with 31:10 for their loss from the previous season and then prevailed in the AFC Championship Game with 45:28 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, making them the fifth time in the Super Bowl . In Super Bowl XIX they faced the San Francisco 49ers on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California . Led by star quarterback Joe Montana, however, they shattered the Dolphins' title dreams and won with a sovereign 38:16. It should be Marino's only guest appearance in the grand NFL final.
After the Super Bowl defeat, Miami closed the 1985 season with 12-4 wins and was the only team to defeat the Chicago Bears (15-1 record) that year . On December 2, 1985, the Dolphins triumphed in the Monday Night Game with 38:24, ensuring that they themselves remained the only team that was unbeaten in a season. After beating the Cleveland Browns 24:21 in the Divisional Playoffs, everything looked like a rematch against Chicago in Super Bowl XX , but the New England Patriots surprised the Dolphins in the AFC final. In 1986, the Dolphins made a classic false start with only two wins from their first seven games, and at the end of the season they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1980 with a balanced 8-8 record. In the strike year 1987, which was shortened by one season game, the Dolphins moved from the Orange Bowl to the new Joe Robbie Stadium. In terms of sport, the season was again very disappointing with 8-7 wins. The problems persisted in 1988 as well and in the end the first negative seasonal balance (6-10) since 1976 was recorded. The 8-8 record of the 1989 season marked the end of the decade for the fourth year in a row in which the play-offs could not be reached.
On the business side of the franchise, there were big changes right at the start of the new decade. Joe Robbie, founder and owner of the Dolphins, and the driving force behind the construction of Joe Robbie Stadium, died of heart failure in January 1990 at the age of 73. His family then took over the management of the Dolphins organization for a short time, but looked for a successor as club owner as quickly as possible, as they did not want to continue the franchise. In the businessman Wayne Huizenga, an investor was found who bought half of the shares in Robbie Stadium Corporation and also acquired 15 percent of the shares in the Dolphins. In terms of sport, Miami returned to the playoffs in 1990 after a four-year absence. In the wild card round, the team, which despite an impressive 12-4 record only finished second in the AFC East, won 17:16 against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the extremely exciting encounter, kicker Pete Stoyanovich converted a field goal attempt from 58 yards and set a new NFL playoff record. In the following guest appearance at the AFC East Champions Buffalo Bills, however, it was the end of the line with 34:44. 1991 ended disappointingly, as the Dolphins lost the all-or-nothing game for a wild card place at home to the New York Jets at 20:23 after extra time at the season finale. In 1992, the Dolphins secured the AFC East title on the final day of the game with a 16:13 overtime win at the New England Patriots. They ended the regular season with eleven wins and five losses and won thanks to the simultaneous defeat of the Buffalo Bills at the Houston Oilers their first division title since 1985. After a convincing 31-0 shootout win against the San Diego Chargers, the season ended for quarterback Dan Marino and the Dolphins ended up with a 10:29 loss in the AFC Championship Game to arch-rivals Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills.
Before the next season the receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper left the team after ten years together and were replaced by Irving Fryar and Mark Ingram . But even without the " Marks Brothers " Miami was traded as a Super Bowl candidate. However, 1993 was a disastrous year for the Dolphins after a brilliant 9-2 start, as Dan Marino was injured in the fifth game of the season at the Cleveland Browns and was out for the rest of the season. Backup quarterback Scott Mitchell initially represented him very impressively, but injured himself a few weeks later and missed the post-season with a 9-7 record. So the guest appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles on November 14, 1993 was the only highlight in an otherwise messed up season. In this game Head Coach Don Shula surpassed the record of the legendary George S. Halas and with 325 wins he became the most successful coach in the history of the National Football League (NFL).
In 1994 Wayne Huizenga took over the remaining 85 percent of the Dolphins from the Robbie family and acquired the remaining 50 percent of Joe Robbie Stadium, making him sole owner of both the team and the stadium. With that, everything was settled in the franchise environment, but for the first time in a decade you had a quarterback problem on the pitch. Nobody knew whether Marino would be as strong as before after his injury. But with Marino back on board, the Dolphins were up again in 1994. They won their division with a 10-6 record and defeated the Joe Montana-led Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card game 27:17. They lost the AFC Divisional Playoff Game despite a 21: 6 lead at halftime in a heartbeat final at the San Diego Chargers with 21:22. Due to the outstanding performance after his return, Dan Marino was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Above all, the " Fake Spike Game " at the New York Jets remained unforgettable . After a sensational race to catch up, he fooled into throwing the ball on the ground 22 seconds before the end to stop the clock. Instead, he took the snap and threw the touchdown pass to 28:24 victory.
In 1995, Dan Marino broke Fran Tarkenton 's records for yards thrown (48,841), touchdown passes (348) and complete passes (3,913). Thanks to the strong performance of the new running back Bernie Parmalee , the Dolphins finished the season in second place with nine wins and seven defeats in the AFC East and qualified as a wild card team for the post-season. There they were defeated by the Buffalo Bills with 22:37. After the season, long-time head coach Don Shula took his hat and switched to the management of the club. Under the 26-year-old direction of the most successful coach in NFL history with 347 wins, only two seasons ended with more defeats than wins.
For the 1996 season, Jimmy Johnson signed a contract as the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins, becoming the team's third head coach. His philosophy of betting on a strong running game had worked so well with the Dallas Cowboys in the early 1990s that he was able to celebrate two Super Bowl titles with the Texans. Although the tactic was in contrast to Dan Marino's pass-oriented style of play, another Super Bowl victory was expected in Miami. At the beginning of the 1996 season, Miami's home ground was renamed Pro Player Stadium , while the team missed the playoffs with a balanced 8-8 record. One of the few highlights was the strong rookie season of running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar , who was able to book 1,116 rushing yards straight away in his first year. 1997 were the Dolphins with 9-7 wins back in the playoffs, but lost in the wild card round 3:17 at the New England Patriots. At the end of the 1998 season, wide receiver OJ McDuffie managed to lead the NFL with 90 passes captured in the “Receptions” category. A solid 10-6 record wasn't enough for Miami, however, to overtake the New York Jets in the AFC East. The Dolphins won the wild card game against the Buffalo Bills with 24:17, but then conceded a 3:38 swatter against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos with star quarterback John Elway . In 1999 Dan Marino had to struggle with injuries again and had to be replaced by backup Damon Huard time and time again. After a good start, Miami collapsed at the end of the season, winning only two of their last eight games. With nine wins and seven losses, the Dolphins somehow stumbled into the playoffs. The 20:17 win in the AFC Wild Card Game at the Seattle Seahawks was not only Marino's last in his long career, but also Miami's first playoff away win since the 1972 AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. After the narrow success, the Dolphins had to accept the second highest playoff defeat in NFL history in the following guest appearance at the Jacksonville Jaguars . At 62: 7 they were literally torn to pieces by the "big cats". For Marino, who was substituted at halftime, it was the disastrous end to a glamorous, spectacular career. In addition to the quarterback, who announced his resignation after 17 years at the helm of the Dolphins, head coach Jimmy Johnson also threw the chunks down and ended his coaching career.
As one of the most productive pass throwers in the NFL, Marino held the records for yards thrown (61,361), touchdown passes (420), complete passes (4,976) and attempted passes (8,358) as well as various other important pass records until 2007. Although he was never able to receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy for winning the Super Bowl , despite all his individual successes, he is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time and was also elected to the NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019 .
The Quarterback Curse (2000-2011)
Finding a third franchise quarterback after Bob Griese and Dan Marino would prove to be an impossible mission for the Miami Dolphins in the coming seasons. No less than twelve playmakers have been worn out in twelve years. At the beginning of the new millennium, Dave Wannstedt , previously a trainer with the Chicago Bears, was introduced as the new head coach. He made ex-Jacksonville Jaguars backup Jay Fiedler the new starting quarterback, although the previous substitute Damon Huard was the favorite for the Marino successor. Despite low expectations, the Dolphins achieved their best record in almost ten years with 11-5 in 2000 and were able to secure the AFC East title. In the post-season they won against the Indianapolis Colts with a touchdown from running back Lamar Smith in overtime with 23:17. With the 0:27 in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at the Oakland Raiders, however, the first to zero defeat followed in 38 playoff games. In 2001, the Dolphins were able to repeat their previous year's record, but this time only finished second in the AFC East behind the eventual Super Bowl winner, the New England Patriots. In the wild card play-offs they met Super Bowl defending champion Baltimore Ravens and lost 3:20 despite their home advantage. For the 2002 season Ricky Williams was signed by the New Orleans Saints and hit South Florida like a bomb. For the first time since Larry Csonka in the 1970s, the Dolphins again had an absolute top running back. In his first season he broke pretty much all of the team's rushing records and, as the best ball carrier in the NFL, pulverized the franchise record with 1,853 yards. At the Pro Bowl on February 7, 2003 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu , Hawaii , Williams came as the second Dolphins player after kicker Garo Yepremian in 1974 to MVP honors. Due to an unfortunate defeat on the last day of the game against the New England Patriots, both the Dolphins and the "Pats" missed the finals with 9-7 wins each. In the fourth quarter they had carelessly given up an 11-point lead and were only a spectator for the first time in six years in the post-season.
With Linebacker Junior Seau , the Dolphins, who already had one of the best defensive rows in the NFL with defensive end Jason Taylor , linebacker Zach Thomas , cornerbacks Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, and Free Safety Brock Marion , received another prominent influx in 2003. In addition to the twelve-time Pro Bowler of the San Diego Chargers, Brian Griese , whose father Bob led the Dolphins to two Super Bowl victories in 1972 and 1973, was another sonorous name introduced as a new addition. The Filius, who also played on the position of quarterback, could not prevail in Miami. With ten wins and six defeats in 2003 they missed the playoffs for the second time in a row. After all of the first six games were lost in 2004 and the worst start in franchise history with just one win out of nine games, the little-loved head coach Dave Wannstedt announced his resignation. As interim coach, club owner Wayne Huizenga appointed the previous defensive coordinator Jim Bates . Miami's first negative seasonal balance sheet since 1988, however, could no longer prevent him and was no longer employed. Instead, management hired Nick Saban from Louisiana State University as the sixth head coach in the team's history. And right at the beginning of his term in office, he made things clear in Miami. The quarterback carousel, which had been spinning diligently over the past season, should finally come to a standstill. Jay Fiedler, who was never particularly popular with fans, was fired after five years and replaced by veteran Gus Frerotte . The playmaker, who came from the Minnesota Vikings, won the duel for the starter job against AJ Feeley , which in 2004 had been one of the biggest disappointments. Although they had signed a promising running back with Ronnie Brown in the draft , the Dolphins were also out of the playoff race in 2005 with a 9-7 record. In 2006, the Dolphins showed a keen interest in signing Drew Brees from the San Diego Chargers for the position of quarterback , but ended the negotiations due to the playmaker's unclear health and brought Daunte Culpepper from the Minnesota Vikings instead . A momentous decision that still makes the fans in Miami bitter today. Because Culpepper had to be replaced by Joey Harrington after four games due to an injury and the season ended with a negative record of six wins and ten losses, while Brees went to the New Orleans Saints and become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history should.
After only two seasons, Dolphins head coach Nick Saban left Florida and moved to the University of Alabama as the highest paid college coach of all time , where he rose to become the most successful coach in US sports. Shortly thereafter, Cam Cameron, who was employed as offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers, signed a contract with the Dolphins, making him the fifth head coach since the legendary Don Shula left the coaching chair in 1995 after 26 seasons and two Super Bowl victories. The creeping decline of the franchise finally culminated in 2007 with the worst record in the club's history. Thanks to a touchdown pass from quarterback Cleo Lemon , who replaced the injured Trent Green shortly after the start of the season , the Dolphins were only able to stop their 13-game losing streak at 22-16 after overtime against the Baltimore Ravens and avoided this success with difficulty Not the opposite of a "perfect season". After this disastrous season with only one win and 15 losses, no stone was left unturned in South Florida. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga signed the long-time successful coach Bill Parcells as Executive Vice President of Football Operations and made him the new strong man of the football club. " The Big Tuna " fired Cam Cameron, with him almost all of his coaching staff and also the general manager Randy Mueller , who has been working for the Dolphins since 2005, had to resign. Jeff Ireland , who was previously employed by Parcell's ex-team Dallas Cowboys, was signed as a replacement . As the new head coach, the Dolphins also presented Tony Sparano , a former "cowboy" and confidante of Parcells. In the course of the rebuilding, well-deserved veterans such as linebacker Zach Thomas or defensive end Jason Taylor were sacked and a new quarterback was pulled ashore with Chad Pennington from arch rival New York Jets. In addition, due to the disastrous performance as the worst team in the preseason, the Dolphins had the "first overall pick" in the draft for the first time and thus selected the offensive tackle Jake Long . A rather unexpected move, after all, many fans and experts had expected that Miami will secure Matt Ryan as the new franchise quarterback. Still, the Dolphins had eleven wins and five losses at the end of the 2008 season, just one year after the 1-15 underground record. After seven seasons they reached the playoffs for the first time and won the first AFC East title since 2000. With a 9:27 defeat in the wild card round against the Baltimore Ravens, the impressive "turnaround season" came to an abrupt end The End.
In January 2009, the sale of the Miami Dolphins, which had already become apparent in the previous year, and the Dolphin Stadium, which was unnamed after the sponsorship agreement expired in 2006, was completed. The previous owner Wayne Huizenga sold the New York real estate agent Stephen Ross - after half of the franchise and the stadium in February 2008 - another 45 percent of his shares, whereby Ross now controlled a total of 95 percent of the organization. In June 2009, the new Dolphins owner announced that, in addition to Huizenga, the Cuban pop singer Gloria Estefan will co-own the Dolphins, who, together with her husband Emilio Estefan, bought a small portion of the team. On the pitch, the 2009 season was extremely disappointing for the team, which started with great ambitions, as the playoffs were missed. Above all, the offensive was not effective enough without the long-term injured key players Brown and Pennington. Directed by backup quarterback Chad Henne , Miami ended the decade on a 7-9 record. In his intention to bring glamor to South Florida, owner Stephen Ross was able to win other prominent minority shareholders with the tennis sisters Serena and Venus Williams as well as the singers Marc Anthony and Fergie. In addition, Miami's Land Shark Stadium was given a new name in time for the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl in 2010 after the eight-month sponsorship contract with Land Shark Lager, the brewery brand of musician Jimmy Buffett , expired . Sun Life Financial bought the rights for five years, after which the arena was renamed Sun Life Stadium . Despite the signing of wide receiver Brandon Marshall , the 2010 season ended just like last year with only seven wins. In 2011 Reggie Bush delivered a strong playing time with over 1,000 rushing yards, but the newcomer from the New Orleans Saints could not stop Miami's downward trend towards the table basement. After the first seven games were all lost, head coach Tony Sparano had to vacate his place during the season and was replaced for the last three games by Todd Bowles , under whom the team ended the year with a record of six wins and ten losses . Brandon Marshall posted a new Pro Bowl record with four touchdown passes and was named the third Dolphins player to be the MVP of the annual All-Star Spectacle.
The "Ryan Tannehill Era" (2012-2018)
At the beginning of the 2012 season, Dolphins owner Ross finally wanted to guide a superstar to Miami as the new franchise quarterback. With that, the time of Chad Henne, who had already been replaced by Matt Moore for much of the preseason , was up. In the race for Peyton Manning , however, they were inferior to the Denver Broncos and the full-bodied announcement of a star coach's engagement failed because the coach Jeff Fisher preferred to accept an offer from the St. Louis Rams . Instead, the Dolphins hired the long-time offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers Joe Philbin as their tenth head coach and secured the services of the young playmaker Ryan Tannehill in the draft , in which the fans saw the incarnation of Dan Marino and thus the supposed savior. The first first-round quarterback since Marino 1983 was also awarded the starter job, which was the first time in the history of the franchise to start a new season with a rookie quarterback. Although Tannehill had a solid first year as a professional, the Dolphins ended with seven wins and nine defeats for the fourth time in a row a season with a negative season record.
With a new team logo, the Dolphins were seen in the 2013 season as the team in the AFC East that could most likely challenge the New England Patriots. However, the season ended with a balanced 8-8 record only in third place. Again with eight wins and eight losses, the Miami Dolphins again played a pretty solid 2014 season, but were still too inconsistent to attack larger targets. Miami hit the headlines in 2015 with the signing of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh , whom they made the highest-paid defender in NFL history with a mega-contract. Defensive end Cameron Wake in particular benefited from the presence of the multiple Pro Bowlers , who had so far too often stood alone on the defensive. After a bad start to the season with only one win from the first four games, head coach Joe Philbin was fired, unsurprisingly. Dan Campbell was used as interim coach , under whom Miami could no longer meet the high expectations issued before the season. With 6-10 victories in the end, the big season goal of playoffs was once again clearly missed. Individually advanced slot receiver Jarvis Landry with 110 catches to become the first Dolphins player with more than 100 captured passes.
After this further disappointing season there were big changes at the sporting management level. After Mike Tannenbaum had been hired as Executive Vice President of Football Operations last year , General Manager Dennis Hickey had to leave the franchise after only two years and was replaced by Chris Grier . As the new head coach, the 37-year-old Adam Gase was presented as the youngest coach in the league and the previous team history. In addition, after the renovation and renovation work completed in summer 2016, the Dolphins managed to sell the naming rights to their stadium for 18 years to the well-known restaurant chain Hard Rock International , whereupon the home ground was renamed Hard Rock Stadium. On the field, running back Jay Ajayi advanced to the top performer with three 200-yard games, before the team had to cope with the loss of quarterback Ryan Tannehill three game days before the end of the season, who was out with a serious knee injury for the rest of the season. Long-time backup Matt Moore took over the team and completed the first playoff qualification since 2008. After starting the season 1-4, the Dolphins won six games in a row and ended the 2016 season with nine wins from their last eleven games. The 10-6 record was the first positive balance in eight years. Without their regular playmaker, the main burden in the post-season was on Ajayi and Landry, but they too could not prevent the bitter 12:30 bankruptcy in the AFC Wild Card Game at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After Tannehill was seriously injured again in the training camp and was also canceled for the entire 2017 season, the Dolphins brought Jay Cutler back from retirement to the field. The long-time playmaker of the Chicago Bears had actually wanted to tackle the season as a commentator for a US TV station, but instead he continued his active career for a year on sunny South Beach. The sporty but rather weak performances went hand in hand with his bad reputation with the fans and so in the end there was only a meager 6-10 record. Despite a team without a big name, the Dolphins managed to start the 2018 season with three wins, including the longest game in NFL history at eight hours and seven minutes. The game against the Tennessee Titans had to be interrupted twice due to storms before the hosts were able to celebrate a 27:20 win. This encounter should not remain the only mad game in Miami, because on December 9, 2018, the clash with the New England Patriots went down in the history books of the NFL as the " Miami Miracle ". With 28:33 behind and only seven seconds on the clock, quarterback Ryan Tannehill briefly passed Kenny Stills deep in his own half of the field , before after two laterals with the stopover DeVante Parker , then running back Kenyan Drake had the ball in his hands and after a total of 69 yards reached the end zone of the Patriots for the winning touchdown. Despite this "miracle in Miami" and the good start to the season, the Dolphins landed again only in second place in the AFC East and with a 7-9 record far away from the playoff places, which resulted in one after three Years separated from Adam Gase as Head Coach and also put the President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum, who is responsible for the composition of the roster, at the door.
Rebuilding (2019-today)
After many years of mediocrity with only two playoff appearances in 17 years, the franchise decided for a complete upheaval, which began with the engagement of Brian Flores , previously playcaller of the defensive with the New England Patriots, as the new head coach. Then numerous expensive players and service providers were given up. For example, long-time quarterback Ryan Tannehill and defensive end Cameron Wake moved to the Tennessee Titans. With the trades from offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Houstons Texans and from linebacker Kiko Alonso to the New Orleans Saints and Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dolphins also secured three more first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft the rebuild they took on South Beach in buying a possibly incredibly bad season to deliver, so that even during the off-season in the media again and again by " Tanking for Tua " the speech was - a reference to the at the Draft 2020 quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of from the University of Alabama. It was already clear before the first game of the season that it would not be a good 2019 season for Miami. After a disastrous start, when they delivered shocking performances at 10:59 against the Baltimore Ravens and at 0:43 against the New England Patriots, they even had to fear a season without a single win. Led by the new experienced quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick , who threw over 3,000 yards and was also the best runner on the team, the Dolphins were able to record five successes with eleven defeats in the end.
Team owner
The founder of the Miami Dolphins, Joe Robbie, who died in 1990, held all property rights during his lifetime. The businessman Wayne Huizenga , born in 1937, bought 15% of the Dolphins in 1990, and since 1994 he has been the new sole owner. In total, he paid $ 168 million for his shares . In early 2008, he sold 50 percent of the club and stadium to real estate agent Stephen M. Ross for $ 550 million . In addition, Ross acquired an option for an additional 45%. As of January 2009, Ross holds 95% of the shares in the Miami Dolphins and the stadium. Huizenga retained 5% of the shares, and as of 2009, Gloria Estefan , Emilio Estefan , Fergie , Marc Anthony , Venus Williams and Serena Williams have been co-owners under an unknown minority stake.
Great bowls
- Super Bowl VI : 3:24 against the Dallas Cowboys
- Super Bowl VII : 14: 7 against the Washington Redskins
- Super Bowl VIII : 24-7 against the Minnesota Vikings
- Super Bowl XVII : 17:27 against the Washington Redskins
- Super Bowl XIX : 16:38 against the San Francisco 49ers
player
Dolphins in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
| Pro Football Hall of Fame members | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey number | Surname | position | Active for Miami | Year of admission |
| 42 | Paul Warfield 1 | WR | 1970-1974 | 1983 |
| 39 | Larry Csonka 1 | FB | 1968–1974, 1979 | 1987 |
| 62 | Jim Langer 1 | C. | 1970-1979 | 1987 |
| 12 | Bob Griese 1 | QB | 1968-1980 | 1990 |
| 66 | Larry Little 1 | G | 1969-1980 | 1993 |
| - | Don Shula 1 | Trainer | 1970-1990 | 1997 |
| 57 | Dwight Stephenson 1 | C. | 1980-1987 | 1998 |
| 85 | Nick Buoniconti 1 | LB | 1969-1976 | 2001 |
| 13 | Dan Marino 1 | QB | 1983-1999 | 2005 |
| 34 | Thurman Thomas | RB | 2000 | 2007 |
| 88 | Cris Carter | WR | 2002 | 2013 |
| - | Bill Parcells | official | 2008-2009 | 2013 |
| 55 | Junior Seau | LB | 2003-2005 | 2015 |
| 99 | Jason Taylor | DE | 1997-2007, 2009, 2011 |
2017 |
Jersey numbers that are no longer assigned
| Retired Numbers of the Miami Dolphins | ||||
| No. | player | position | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Bob Griese | QB | 1968-1980 | |
| 13 | Dan Marino | QB | 1983-1999 | |
| 39 | Larry Csonka | FB | 1968–1974, 1979 | |
Current squad
Trainer (Head Coaches)
| # | Order of trainers |
| Games | Play as a coach |
| S. | Victories |
| N | Defeats |
| UE | draw |
| Won% | Win rate |
| Exclusively active as head coach for the Dolphins |
| # | Surname | Period | Regular season | Play-offs | Achievements / Awards | reference | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | S. | N | UE | Won% | Games | S. | N | ||||||||||
| Miami Dolphins | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | George Wilson | 1966-1969 | 56 | 15th | 39 | 2 | .278 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 2 | Don Shula | 1970-1995 | 392 | 257 | 133 | 2 | .659 | 31 | 17th | 14th |
UPI NFL Coach of the Year (1970, 1972) Super Bowl VII , VIII |
||||||
| 3 | Jimmy Johnson | 1996-1999 | 64 | 36 | 28 | 0 | .563 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| 4th | Dave Wannstedt | 2000-2004 | 73 | 42 | 31 | 0 | .575 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 5 | Jim Bates | 2004 | 7th | 3 | 4th | 0 | .429 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 6th | Nick Saban | 2005-2006 | 32 | 15th | 17th | 0 | .469 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 7th | Cam Cameron | 2007 | 16 | 1 | 15th | 0 | .063 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 8th | Tony Sparano 1 | 2008-2011 | 61 | 29 | 32 | 0 | .475 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 9 | Todd Bowles | 2011 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 10 | Joe Philbin | 2012-2015 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 0 | .461 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 11 | Dan Campbell (interim coach) | 2015 | 12 | 5 | 7th | 0 | .417 | - | - | - | |||||||
| 12 | Adam gases | 2016-2018 | 48 | 23 | 25th | 0 | .479 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 13 | Brian Flores | 2019– | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
cheerleader
The team's cheerleaders are now known as Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders . From the founding of the Miami Dolphins in 1966 to 1977, the cheerleading group of the "Dolphin Dolls" consisted of 125 girls and women between the ages of eight and 18. This amateur group was replaced in 1978 by the "Dolphin Starbrites", whose 30 or so members were professional cheerleaders of the team for the first time. After a competition to name the cheerleading formation, it was renamed in 1983 in "Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders". In addition to participating in home games of the Miami Dolphins and various local appearances in Miami-Dade County , international appearances, photo shoots and visits to US military units overseas and various aid organizations are carried out throughout the year.
Web links
- Website of the Miami Dolphins (English)
- Website of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders (English)
- Full information on the Miami Dolphins
Individual evidence
- ^ Miami Dolphins uniform and uniform color history. Retrieved January 25, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Miami Dolphins on the Forbes NFL Team Valuations List. Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
- ^ History. Retrieved January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ 1966 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1967 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1968 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1969 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1970 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1971 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1972 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1973 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1974 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1975 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1976 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1977 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1978 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1979 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1980 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1981 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1982 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1983 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1984 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1985 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1986 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1987 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1988 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1989 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1990 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1991 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1992 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1993 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1994 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1995 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1996 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1997 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1998 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 1999 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Dan Marino Selected To NFL 100 All-Time Team. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2000 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2001 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2002 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2003 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2004 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2005 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2006 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2007 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2008 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Singer Estefan buys minority stake in Dolphins. June 25, 2009, accessed January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ 2009 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Singer Marc Anthony buys stake in Dolphins. July 21, 2009, accessed January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Williams sisters latest stars to buy into Dolphins. August 25, 2009, accessed January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Fergie approved for Dolphins stake; no deal yet. October 14, 2009, accessed January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ Dolphins' home renamed Landshark Stadium. May 7, 2009, accessed January 29, 2020 .
- ↑ 2010 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2011 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2012 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2013 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2014 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2015 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2016 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2017 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2018 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 2019 | Miami Dolphins Communications Portal. Retrieved January 29, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Miami Dolphins sold for half a billion dollars ( Memento of August 3, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Stephen M. Ross ( memento of October 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) miamidolphins.com
- ↑ Staff directory miamidolphins.com
- ↑ Stefan Feldmann: Numbers that are no longer assigned: Miami . bigplay.ch. February 28, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
- ^ Statistics by George Wilson . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics from Don Shula . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics from Jimmy Johnson . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics by Dave Wannstedt . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ↑ Statistics by Jim Bates . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics from Nick Saban . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics from Cam Cameron . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ↑ statistics Tony Sparano . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Statistics by Todd Bowles . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ↑ Dolphins end Sparano's stay; Bowles becomes interim coach nfl.com. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ↑ Statistics by Joe Philbin . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ↑ Joe Philbin Named Dolphins Head Coach. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on May 4, 2012 ; Retrieved January 21, 2012 . miamidolphins.com. Accessed May 1, 2019
- ^ Statistics from Dan Campbell . Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ↑ Dolphins name Campbell interim head coach ( Memento from October 6, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (English) miamidolphins.com, accessed on April 13, 2019
- ^ Statistics from Adam Gase . Retrieved January 5, 2019.
- ↑ dolphins hire adam gase (English) nfl.com, accessed on January 9, 2016
- ^ Statistics from Brian Flores . Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ↑ History of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
