The 2006 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 37th season in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), the 41st overall and the second and final under head coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
. The team failed to improve on their 9–7 record in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, and they finished the season 6–10 after being hyped by some to represent the AFC in the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
, and saw their coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
abandon his contract to coach college football for the
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...
, despite saying repeatedly that he would stay in Miami.
This season was also best known for the Dolphins almost signing former
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
quarterback
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
, as they were one of the two teams (the other being the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
) interested in acquiring the released quarterback. However the Dolphins later declined the idea after doctors informed them that Brees’ shoulder injury was too severe, and they ended up signing
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
instead. Brees ended up signing with the Saints instead, led them to their first Super Bowl title in
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, and is believed by many to be the greatest Saint of all time. Many believe that if Brees signed with the Dolphins, they would've made it to a Super Bowl, would
compete with the Patriots for the AFC East title, and that Saban and Brees would've been the Dolphins' best team since the
Shula/
Marino eras, with some also believing the
Alabama dynasty might've never happened, or that the Saints would relocate from New Orleans.
Offseason
On March 14, 2006, the Dolphins traded a second-round draft pick to the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
to acquire quarterback
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
. Miami also acquired tackle
L. J. Shelton from Cleveland and cornerback
Will Allen from the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, replacing longtime Dolphin
Sam Madison
Samuel Adolphus Madison, Jr. (born April 23, 1974) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as th ...
, who had taken Allen's old spot with the Giants. The Dolphins had also nearly signed former-
Saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
quarterback
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
, following his release by the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
and prior to the signing of Culpepper.
In the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
, the Dolphins used their first pick on Tennessee safety
Jason Allen. They then used their next pick on Arizona State wide receiver
Derek Hagan
Derek Steven Hagan Jr. (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State University. Hagan has also pr ...
. The rest of their picks included Washington offensive tackle
Joe Toledo
Joseph Christopher Toledo (born October 20, 1982) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.
Toledo has also been a m ...
, Texas State/San Marcos defensive tackles
Fred Evans and
Rodrique Wright
Rodrique Charles Wright (born July 31, 1984) is an American former college and professional football player who currently serves as defensive end coach for the University of Miami football team. He was a defensive end in the National Football Lea ...
, and Auburn wide receiver
Devin Aromashodu
Gbolahan Devin Aromashodu (born September 25, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.
Aromashodu has also been a m ...
.
On May 12, 2006, the Dolphins completed a trade with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
for quarterback
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
, and the Lions received a fifth-round pick after Harrington met performance stipulations in Miami. They also signed
Marcus Vick
Marcus Deon Vick (born March 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech, following the career path of his older brother Michael. However, several legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play le ...
(ex-Virginia Tech quarterback and younger brother of
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
star
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
) to a contract after he attended their annual rookie mini-camp.
On August 12, Miami lost, 23–19, to the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
in their first preseason game of the year. The Dolphins' pulled out starting QB Daunte Culpepper after throwing only two passes. (1–2, 2 yds) All of the opposing Jaguars' touchdowns came on plays longer than 25 yards.
On August 14, the Dolphins signed free agent defensive tackle
Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson, a former 1st overall draft pick of the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
(1994), and who had last played for the Detroit Lions.
On August 14, perennial All-Pro linebacker
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969May 2, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a ...
(who had been with the Dolphins for three seasons until he was released in March 2006) announced his retirement after 16 years in the NFL. However, he eventually joined the Dolphins' division rival, the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
.
Staff
Roster
Schedule
Standings
Regular season
Week 1: at Pittsburgh Steelers
''at
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
''
The Dolphins opened the regular season in the annual Thursday NFL Kickoff Game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
on September 7. Even though newly acquired QB
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
was doing a pretty good job on the pass and RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
provided a touchdown, the Dolphins trailed 14–10 going into the second half, until Brown got another rushing touchdown. An 87-yard touchdown pass to Steeler tight end
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football fo ...
and a 42-yard interception return by ROLB
Joey Porter
Joseph Eugene Porter (born March 22, 1977) is an American former football outside linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and is a former outside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After playing coll ...
sealed the Dolphins' fate. Head coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
attempted to challenge Miller's touchdown reception on the grounds that he stepped out of bounds before reaching the goal line (which television replays proved was correct), however, officials failed to see Saban throw the red flag before the Steelers kicked the
extra point
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
, and the Dolphins were unable to challenge the call.
Of more concern than simply the loss was the performance of the Dolphins' prized offseason acquisition. Daunte Culpepper threw two interceptions, and floated several passes that were almost intercepted. This performance has sparked debate as to whether he will be able to return to his 2004 form or if he will have a repeat of his terrible 2005 campaign.
One positive from the game was slot WR
Wes Welker
Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
. He had 67 yards receiving and set up the first TD for Miami.
With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
The Dolphins were hoping to rebound by playing an AFC East bout with the visiting
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in their Week 2 home-opener. From the start, the Dolphins were unable to get anything going, as the Bills'
Rian Lindell
Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State.
Early years ...
kicked a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter, while Buffalo's defense prevented Miami from getting any points throughout the first half. In the third quarter, things only got worse, as opposing QB
J. P. Losman
Jonathan Paul Losman (born March 12, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback. Losman played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at UCLA and Tu ...
threw a 4-yard TD pass to opposing WR
Josh Reed
Joshua Blake Reed (born May 1, 1980) is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 2000s. He played college football for Louisiana State University ...
, while Lindell booted two field goals (45 & 43-yarders). The Dolphins finally managed to get some points as WR
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. Chambers (born August 12, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisconsin. He ...
caught a 23-yard TD pass, but Miami failed on the two-point conversion. What made this loss even more frustrating was that Dolphins QB
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
got sacked seven times and fumbled twice, making Miami wonder if acquiring Culpepper was the right idea in the first place. With the loss, the Dolphins were 0–2.
Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
The Dolphins, still looking for their first win of the year, stayed at home for a Week 3 match-up with the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. Miami drew first blood in the first quarter with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
kicking a 40-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Dolphins got a bit of a scare as Titans QB
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...
completed a 27-yard pass to TE
Bo Scaife
Oliver Edward "Bo" Scaife, III (born January 6, 1981) is a former American football tight end. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.
Early years
Scaife a ...
for a touchdown and the lead. In the third quarter, Miami reclaimed the lead with QB
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
getting a touchdown on a 5-yard scramble. However, the Titans didn't go down quietly, as kicker
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
kicked a 22-yard field goal for Tennessee, putting the game in a 10–10 tie. In the fourth quarter, Mare finally helped Miami get win their first win of the season with a 39-yard field goal.
Week 4: at Houston Texans
''at
Reliant Stadium
NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...
,
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
''
The Dolphins hoped to carry the momentum from their Week 3 victory, as they traveled to
Reliant Stadium
NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...
to take on the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. After a scoreless first quarter, Miami got on the board first with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
getting a 52-yard field goal, but the Texans got a field goal for themselves, as kicker
Kris Brown
Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Neb ...
got one from 32 yards out. In the third quarter, the Dolphins got another field goal, as Mare got one from 29 yards out for the only score of the period. However, in the fourth quarter, things got very ugly as the Texans got two touchdowns, with QB
David Carr on a 1-yard run and WR
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
getting a 3-yard touchdown reception. Miami valiantly tried to fight back, as Mare got a 22-yard field goal and QB
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
completed a 16-yard TD pass to WR
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. Chambers (born August 12, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisconsin. He ...
, but in the end, a failed two-point conversion spelled doom for the Dolphins, as Miami failed to come back and fell to 1–3.
Week 5: at New England Patriots
''at
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Footb ...
,
Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 at ...
''
With
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
being ineffective, QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
got the start for Week 5 as the Dolphins flew to
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Footb ...
for an AFC East match-up with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Miami got off to a rough start, as they fell behind 3–0 with Patriots kicker
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots.
He was selected in the fourth round of th ...
kicking a 35-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Miami continued to trail, as Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal, while Pats QB
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
completed a 10-yard TD pass to WR
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and ki ...
. The Dolphins got back in the game before halftime, as RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
got a 2-yard TD run and kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
got a 40-yard field goal to help the Dolphins trail by three at halftime. In the third quarter, the defense ruled as both teams failed to get a single point. In the fourth quarter, New England scored another touchdown, as Brady completed a 1-yard strike to FB
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans (born December 30, 1978) is a former American football running back and former analyst on NFL Network. After playing college football at Auburn he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He ...
. From there, Miami failed to catch up, and their record fell to 1–4.
Week 6: at New York Jets
''at
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. ''
Still searching for win #2, the Dolphins kept QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
in the starting line-up as they flew to
The Meadowlands for an AFC East fight with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. From the get-go, the Dolphins struggled as Jets kicker
Mike Nugent
Michael Nugent (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round o ...
kicked a 33-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter and of the half. In the third quarter, Nugent increased New York's lead again with another 33-yard field goal. The Dolphins finally got on the board, as kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
got a 21-yard field goal. However, the Jets didn't let Miami regain itself, as QB
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selecte ...
completed a 58-yard TD pass to WR
Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Leon Coles (; born December 29, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football for ...
. In the fourth quarter, they hooked up with each other again on a 22-yard TD pass. The Dolphins attempted a fourth-quarter comeback, with Harrington completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. Chambers (born August 12, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisconsin. He ...
and RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
ran 1 yard for a TD, but when Mare missed a field goal attempt in the final minute, and the Dolphins sank to 1–5.
Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
had 414 yards off a record 62 attempts (33 of them were complete), but he also threw 3 INT's (one returned for a TD). Packers RB
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd ro ...
rushed for about 100 yards, including a 70 yd TD. Packers QB
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
had 206 yards throwing and two 2 TD's and is closing on
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
's all-time completions and touchdown records. Meanwhile, Favre's favorite WR
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. ...
had 10 receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. With the Dolphins, RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
was limited to just 59 yards rushing on 15 carries and 63 yards receiving on 5 receptions. The leading receiver for Miami was WR
Marty Booker
Marty Montez Booker (born July 31, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Louisiana-Monroe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bear ...
, who had 7 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–6.
Week 9: at Chicago Bears
''at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
''
Coming off their bye week, the Dolphins got their second win of the season against the previously undefeated
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
. Just as the 1985 Dolphins ended the Bears' attempt at a perfect season (they finished 18–1), this year's Dolphins again protected the 1972 Perfect Season on their own. QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
was 16/32, for 137 yards, and 3 touchdowns, despite 2 interceptions. The Dolphins fumbled twice, but recovered both times, and the Bears also fumbled twice, but both times Miami came away with the ball. The Dolphins were also able to capitalize on 3 interceptions on
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...
passes.
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
rushed for a career-high 157 yards, carrying 29 times.
Jason Taylor forced a fumble and returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown, helping Miami in its 31–13 victory. The spirit of the 1972 Dolphins looked alive and well as Miami improved to 2–6 on the year.
Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
Coming off their amazing upset road win against the Bears, the Dolphins returned home for a Week 10 match-up with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. The Dolphins dominated the first half with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
getting a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 22-yarder in the second quarter. Also in the second period, RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
got a 1-yard TD run. After a scoreless third quarter, the Chiefs offense finally got going in the final period. Kicker
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy ...
nailed a 27-yard field goal, while RB
Larry Johnson got a 2-yard TD. Miami held on to its small lead and advanced to 3–6 on the year.
Week 11: vs. Minnesota Vikings
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
Coming off a two-game winning streak, the Dolphins stayed at home for a Week 11 fight against teammate
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...
's former team, the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. In the first quarter, the Vikings struck first as RB
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...
got a 1-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Dolphins took to the water as kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
nailed a 44-yard field goal, while QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
got an 11-yard TD pass to TE
Justin Peelle
Justin Morris Peelle (born March 15, 1979) is a former American football tight end who is currently the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for Oregon, he was drafted b ...
. In the third quarter, Minnesota came closer with kicker
nailing a 35-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings took a three-point lead, as Longwell kicked a 19-yard field goal. However, the Miami defense stepped up and made decisive plays. Free safety
Renaldo Hill
Renaldo Hill (born November 12, 1978) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive backs coach for the ...
returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown, and DE
Jason Taylor returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota got one more touchdown (another 1-yard TD run by Taylor), but Miami ran out the clock to preserve their third victory in a row. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 4–6. The Dolphins' rushing yardage was a franchise low (−3 yards), and a team record for the Vikings' defense
NFL.com , Official Site of the National Football League
Week 12: at Detroit Lions
''at
Ford Field
Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
''
Going for their fourth-straight win, the Dolphins traveled to
Ford Field
Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...
for a Thanksgiving fight with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. This game was Dolphins' QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
's return to Detroit, and he was constantly booed throughout the contest. In the first quarter, Miami trailed as Lions QB
Jon Kitna
Jon Kelly Kitna (born September 21, 1972) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Central Washington ...
got Detroit off to a fast start. Kitna completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE
Dan Campbell
Daniel Allen Campbell (born April 13, 1976), nicknamed "Motor City Dan Campbell", or "MCDC" for short, is an American football coach and a former tight end who is the head coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He pr ...
, while kicker
Jason Hanson
Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washi ...
nailed a 52-yard field goal. Afterwards, Harrington started to get the Dolphins back into business as he completed his first-ever Thanksgiving touchdown pass on an 8-yard strike to WR
Marty Booker
Marty Montez Booker (born July 31, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Louisiana-Monroe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bear ...
. In the second quarter, Harrington acquired the only score of the period on a 5-yard TD pass to TE
Randy McMichael
Randy Montez McMichael (born June 28, 1979) is a former American football tight end in the National Football He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Early years
McMi ...
. In the third quarter, kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
nailed a 42-yard field goal, while Harrington and Booker connected with each other again on a 19-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter, Mare managed to put the game away with a 28-yard field goal.
RB
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...
only had 68 yards rushing (with 5 yards receiving), as he left the game early with a broken left hand. He is currently week-to-week and will likely miss the team's next game against Jacksonville.
With the Dolphins victory, not only did the Dolphins improve to 5–6, but Harrington also got his second-ever Thanksgiving Day victory and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd touchdown pass ever on Thanksgiving Day.
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
After a fine performance on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions, the Dolphins returned home for a Week 13 got off to a good start when QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
completed a 17-yard TD pass to WR
Marty Booker
Marty Montez Booker (born July 31, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Louisiana-Monroe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bear ...
. The Jaguars responded with kicker
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at L ...
's 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, things started looking grim for Miami as QB
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...
completed two TD passes to WR
Matt Jones (for 15 yards) and TE
George Wrighster
George Frederick Wrighster III (born April 1, 1981) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon. Wrighster has also been a me ...
(for 16 yards). After a scoreless third quarter, Jacksonville continued its dominance with RB
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unan ...
getting a 32-yard TD run. The Dolphins' only response was kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
getting a 42-yard field goal. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–7.
Week 14: vs. New England Patriots
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
Hoping to rebound from their loss to Jaguars, the Dolphins stayed at home for an AFC East rematch with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. From start to finish, Miami stayed in the driver's seat and lead throughout the game. In the first quarter, the Dolphins' dominating day began with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
getting a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter, while also getting a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Miami continued their hot day as QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
completed a 32-yard TD pass to WR
Marty Booker
Marty Montez Booker (born July 31, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Louisiana-Monroe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bear ...
for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, RB
Sammy Morris
Samuel Morris III (born March 23, 1977) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fif ...
got a 3-yard TD run, which was followed up by a completed 2-point conversion pass from Harrington to Booker. An impressive Dolphins defense held the Patriots to just 189 total yards of offense, while sacking Pats QB
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
four times. With the win, Miami improved to 6–7.
Week 15: at Buffalo Bills
''at
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. The stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium and is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). It was kn ...
,
Orchard Park, New York
Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York. It is an outer ring suburb southeast of Buffalo. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,054, representing an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village als ...
''
Coming off their dominating win over the Patriots, the Dolphins flew to
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. The stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium and is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). It was kn ...
for an AFC East rematch with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. After a scoreless first quarter, Miami trailed early as in the second quarter, Bills QB
J. P. Losman
Jonathan Paul Losman (born March 12, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback. Losman played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at UCLA and Tu ...
completed a 33-yard TD pass to TE
Robert Royal
Robert Shelton Royal (born May 15, 1979) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU Tigers football, Louisiana State. He also pl ...
for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, things got worse as Losman completed a 27-yard TD pass to WR
Josh Reed
Joshua Blake Reed (born May 1, 1980) is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 2000s. He played college football for Louisiana State University ...
for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins' playoff hopes were completely erased when Losman completed a 21-yard TD pass to WR
Lee Evans. With the loss, not only did Miami fall to 6–8, but they were unable to make the playoffs (and thus unable to play
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
on their home turf as they were the host city for that game) as the Jets (8–6) and Jacksonville (8–6) would win by tiebreakers even if they lost their remaining two games.
Week 16: vs. New York Jets
''at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
,
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
''
Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Bills, the Dolphins played their final home game of the year on a rainy Monday Night in an AFC East fight with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. After a scoreless first half with QB
Joey Harrington
John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...
playing a mediocre 7/15 for 42 yards, back-up
Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon Jr. (born August 16, 1979) is a wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks and former American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He most recently played for the Toronto Arg ...
came in to begin the second half. In the third quarter, New York broke first with kicker
Mike Nugent
Michael Nugent (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round o ...
getting a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Miami finally went on the attack with Lemon completing a 7-yard TD pass to TE
Randy McMichael
Randy Montez McMichael (born June 28, 1979) is a former American football tight end in the National Football He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Early years
McMi ...
. However, the Jets responded with QB
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selecte ...
completing a 32-yard TD pass to WR
Jerricho Cotchery
Jerricho Cotchery (born June 16, 1982) is a coach and former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004 to 2015. He played college ...
. Even though the Dolphins managed to tie the game with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
's 25-yard field goal. New York made sure that head coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
got his first losing season with the Dolphins after Nugent nailed the game-winning 30-yard field goal with ten seconds left. With the loss, Miami fell to 6–9.
Week 17: at Indianapolis Colts
''at the
RCA Dome
The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984– 2007).
It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Ce ...
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
''
Trying to end their season on a high note, the Dolphins flew to the
RCA Dome
The RCA Dome (originally Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis. It was the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons (1984– 2007).
It was completed at a cost of $77.5 million, as part of the Indiana Convention Ce ...
to take on the playoff-bound
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. In the first quarter, Miami struck first with kicker
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse Orange#Football, S ...
getting a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Colts respond with QB
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
completing a 2-yard TD pass to DT
Dan Klecko
Dan Klecko (born January 12, 1981) is a former American football defensive tackle and fullback. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Temple.
Klecko has also been a me ...
. The Dolphins answered with Mare kicking a 38-yard field goal. However, Indianapolis struck back with Manning getting an 11-yard TD run, while kicker
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest kick ...
getting a 46-yard field goal to end the half. In the third quarter, Miami tried to fight back with Mare's 42-yard field goal, yet the Colts matched them with Vinatieri's 34-yard field goal. The Dolphins got another field goal from Mare as he kicked one from 27 yards out. In the fourth quarter, Mare and Miami drew closer with a 34-yard field goal, yet Indianapolis ran away with the win as Manning completing a 27-yard TD pass to WR
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who played 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), much of it with Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton ...
. The Dolphins got a touchdown as QB
Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon Jr. (born August 16, 1979) is a wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks and former American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He most recently played for the Toronto Arg ...
completed a 6-yard TD pass to TE
Randy McMichael
Randy Montez McMichael (born June 28, 1979) is a former American football tight end in the National Football He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Early years
McMi ...
. However, the Colts' performance showed why they continue to be an elite NFL team.
With the loss, Miami ended its season at 6–10 and out of the playoffs.
Random facts
* In 2006, the Dolphins shut out the New England Patriots 21–0 the previous week and were shut out by the Buffalo Bills by the same deficit the next week.
* Starting quarterback Joey Harrington won the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
All-Iron Award
Since its inception in 1920, the National Football League (NFL) has played games on Thanksgiving (United States), Thanksgiving Day, patterned upon the historic playing of college football games on and around the Thanksgiving holiday. The NFL's Th ...
for his performance on
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
and got to sample
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former football quarterback who spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a television sport ...
' mother's blackberry cobbler.
* When Daunte Culpepper was signed by the Dolphins,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
odds-makers elevated the Dolphins'
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
chances from 25-to-1 to 10-to-1.
* Since the Dolphins last played in the
AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
in 1992, all but two AFC teams have made it that far. The exceptions are the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
and the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
* In the Thanksgiving game against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
,
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
sang the national anthem.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2006 Miami Dolphins Season
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
Miami Dolphins seasons
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...