The 2010 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 41st 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 ...

, the 45th overall and the third under head coach

Tony Sparano Anthony Joseph Sparano III (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have l ...

. The Dolphins failed to improve upon their 7–9 record in 2009, and placed in third in the

AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the d ...

that year.

Offseason personnel moves

Staff Changes

In September 2010,

Bill Parcells Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...

, stepped down as Vice President of Football Operations, but remaining as a consultant. He was later criticised for not making the right choices to improve the team. The Dolphins lost their first coach of the offseason—outside linebackers coach

Jim Reid James McLeish Reid (born 29 December 1961) is a Scottish singer/songwriter and the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid in 1983. Career The Jes ...

—on January 8, when Reid was named defensive coordinator and associated head coach under

Mike London Michael Wilson London Sr. (born October 9, 1960) is the current head football coach for the William & Mary Tribe football program at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a former defensive back and associate head coac ...

at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

. That same week, inside linebackers coach George Edwards was named defensive coordinator at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

under

Urban Meyer Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...

and acting head coach

Steve Addazio Stephen Robert Addazio (born June 1, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He currently is the offensive line coach for Texas A&M University. Addazio served as the head football coach at Temple University from 2011 to 2012, Bos ...

. He would later go on to fill 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. ...

' defensive coordinator position. On January 11, the Dolphins fired defensive coordinator

Paul Pasqualoni Paul Lucian Pasqualoni (; born August 16, 1949) is an American football coach. He most recently was the defensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers. Pasqualoni has served as the defensive coordinator of the NFL's Miami Dolphins and Detroit L ...

after the team finished 25th in the league in points allowed during the season. He was quickly replaced by former

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

defensive coordinator,

Mike Nolan Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...

, less than 24 hours after resigning his post in Denver. Former

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. ...

defensive coordinator

Bill Sheridan William Sheridan (born January 27, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently the linebackers coach for the Arlington Renegades. Sheridan was previously the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football L ...

was named linebackers coach to replace both Edwards and Reid.

Players

Re-signings

*June 17 — Re-signed linebacker

Tim Dobbins Timothy Lance Dobbins (born December 10, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Dobbins played college football at Iowa State. Early years Dobbins atte ...

to a two-year extension. *June 18 — Re-signed punter

Brandon Fields Brandon David Fields (born May 21, 1984) is a former American football punter who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Michigan State University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He ...

to a two-year extension, and signed long snapper

John Denney John Sifford Denney (born December 13, 1978) is an American football long snapper who is a free agent. He played college football for Brigham Young University (BYU), and was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Ear ...

to a three-year extension. *July 27 — Re-signed kicker

Dan Carpenter Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...

to a three-year extension. *August 6 – Re-signed tight end

David Martin David or Dave Martin may refer to: Entertainment *David Martin (artist) (1737–1797), Scottish painter and engraver *David Stone Martin (1913–1992), American artist *David Martin (poet) (1915–1997), Hungarian-Australian poet and novelist *Dav ...

. Martin had missed the entire 2009 season with a knee injury, and was released from the team in December. *August 16 – Re-signed defensive end/outside linebacker

Ikaika Alama-Francis Brent Ikaika Alama-Francis (born December 4, 1984) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii Warriors football, Hawaii. Early y ...

to a one-year extension.

Signings

*March 5 – Signed linebacker

Karlos Dansby Karlos Montez Dansby (born November 3, 1981) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football for Auburn University and received All-American recognition. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round ...

(

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

). *March 17 – Signed guard

Richie Incognito Richard Dominik Incognito Jr. (born July 5, 1983) is a former American football guard. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played fo ...

(

). *May 20 – Signed linebacker

Zach Thomas Zachary Michael Thomas (born September 1, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Texas Tech University, and was ...

to a one-day contract (

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 ...

). *May 24 – Signed Offensive Lineman

Cory Procter Cory Procter (born October 18, 1982) is a former American football guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at the University of Montana. He currently owns a ...

(

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

). *July 25 – Signed defensive tackle

Montavious Stanley Montavious Stanley (born October 10, 1981) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the Univ ...

(

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 ...

). *July 27 – Signed defensive end

Marques Douglas Marques Lamont Douglas (; born March 5, 1977, in Greensboro, North Carolina) is a former American football defensive tackle and defensive end who played for five teams in the National Football League during an 11-year career. He was signed by 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 ...

). *July 30 – Signed defensive end

Charles Grant Charles or Charlie Grant may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Charles Jameson Grant (), American editorial cartoonist * Charles L. Grant (1942–2006), American novelist * Charles Grant (actor) (born 1957), American actor * Charles Grant (dancer ...

(

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 ...

). *September 6 – Signed inside linebacker Bobby Carpenter (

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...

). *September 8 – Signed running back/kick returner Clifton Smith (

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

). *September 21 – Signed tight end Jeron Mastrud from the practice squad.

Departures

*March 5 – Released linebackers

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 ...

Akin Ayodele Akinola James Ayodele (; born September 17, 1979) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Jacksonville J ...

and safety

Gibril Wilson Gibril Donald Wilson (born November 12, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee. W ...

. *May 20 – Announced the retirement of linebacker

. *May 27 – Terminated the contract of linebacker

Reggie Torbor Reggie Jermaine Torbor (born January 25, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn. Torbor has also played for the Mia ...

. *July 15 – Announced the retirement of defensive tackle Jason Ferguson. *September 4 – Released quarterback Pat White, guard Donald Thomas, tight end

and wide receiver

Patrick Turner Patrick Steven Turner (born May 19, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC Trojans football, Southern California. He was ...

among final roster cuts. *September 5 – Released defensive ends

and

. *September 6 – Terminated the contract of outside linebacker

Charlie Anderson Charlie Alexander Anderson (born December 8, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi. Early years Anderson attende ...

. *September 8 – Terminated the contract of center

Jake Grove Charles Jacob Grove (born January 22, 1980) is a former American college and professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Virginia Tech, and was recognized ...

Trades

*April 14 – Traded a 2nd round selection in the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

(43rd overall, traded to Baltimore –

Sergio Kindle Sergio Valent'e Kindle (born September 20, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas, and was the first player ever to be a final ...

) and the

2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...

for

wide receiver

Brandon Marshall Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted by ...

. *April 16 – Traded wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

for a fifth round selection in the

(145th overall –

Nolan Carroll Nolan Alexander Carroll II (born January 18, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland. He has also played for the Philad ...

). *April 22 – Traded the 12th overall selection ( Ryan Mathews), a 4th round selection (110th overall,

Darrell Stuckey Darrell Stuckey, Jr. (born June 16, 1987) is a former American football safety. He played college football at the University of Kansas. Stuckey was an All-Big 12 First-team selection in 2008 and was considered one of the top safeties available ...

), and a 6th round selection (173rd overall, traded to San Francisco –

Anthony Dixon Anthony Rishard "Boobie" Dixon (born September 24, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Mississippi State Univers ...

) in the

to the San Diego Chargers for the 28th overall selection (

Jared Odrick Jared Taylor Odrick (born December 31, 1987) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football ...

), a 2nd round selection (40th overall,

Koa Misi Nawa'akoa Lisiate Foti Analeseanoa "Koa" Misi (born January 17, 1987) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Utah. College career After graduation from Montgomery High School, Misi began his college car ...

), a 4th round selection (126th overall, traded to Dallas –

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Akwasi Owusu-Ansah ( ; born April 10, 1988) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and Detroit Lions. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts i ...

) and linebacker

. *May 24 – Traded guard

Justin Smiley Justin Smiley (born November 11, 1981) is a former American football guard. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama. He was a member of the Miami Dolp ...

to the

for a 7th round selection in the

. *August 25 – Traded wide receiver

Greg Camarillo Greg Camarillo ( ; born April 18, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Stanford. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Camarillo also played for the Miami Dolp ...

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 ...

for cornerback

Benny Sapp Benjamin Lee Sapp, II (born January 20, 1981) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Northern Iowa. Sapp also played for the Miami Dolph ...

. *September 3 – Acquired offensive tackle Pat McQuistan from the

for a conditional 7th-round draft choice in the

2010 NFL Draft

After finishing the 2009 season with a record of 7–9, the Dolphins were slotted for the 12th overall pick in the draft. However, on draft day, they ended up trading down with San Diego for the No.28 pick. Notes *Miami traded their 2010 first-round pick (12th overall), a fourth-round selection (110th overall), and a sixth-round selection it acquired from

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

(173rd overall) to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

for a first-round selection (28th overall), a second-round selection it acquired from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

(40th overall), a fourth-round selection (126th overall), and linebacker

. *Miami traded their second-round pick (43rd overall) and its 2011 second-round selection to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

for wide receiver Brandon Marshall. *Miami traded their fifth-round pick (142d overall) to Kansas City for quarterback

Tyler Thigpen Tyler Beckham Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first ...

. *

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

traded their fifth-round pick (145th overall) to Miami for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. *Kansas City traded their sixth-round pick (173rd overall) to Miami for offensive linemen

Andy Alleman Andrew Alleman (born November 20, 1983) is a former American football guard. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of Akron. Alleman was also a member of t ...

and Ikechuku Ndukwe. *

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

traded their sixth-round pick (174rd overall) and a 2009 second-round selection (44th overall) to Miami for defensive end Jason Taylor. *Kansas City traded their seventh-round pick (212nd) to Miami for a 2009 seventh-round selection (237th overall). *Seventh-round pick (252nd overall) is a compensatory pick. *Washington traded their fifth-round pick (163rd overall) to Miami for a sixth-round selection (174th overall) and a seventh-round selection (219th overall).

Staff

Team Captains Yeremiah Bell, Patrick Cobbs, Karlos Dansby, and Jake Long.

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

The Dolphins preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.

Regular season

The 2010 regular season schedule was announced on April 20, 2010.

Standings

Conference

Game results

Week 1: at Buffalo Bills

The Miami Dolphins began their season 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 ...

for an AFC East duel with the

. In the first quarter, Miami struck first when kicker

nailed a 32-yard field goal, which was increased in the second quarter when running back

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. The Bills replied when kicker

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 ...

made a 51-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Miami scored first with Carpenter hitting a 43-yard field goal. Then, the Bills replied with quarterback

Trent Edwards Trent Addison Edwards (born October 30, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Edwards took over the sta ...

making a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Roscoe Parrish Roscoe Parrish (born July 16, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the second round (55th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...

. The final score was made when long snapper

Garrison Sanborn Garrison Sanborn (born July 31, 1985) is an American football long snapper who is a free agent. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State. Early years Sanborn graduate ...

fumbled out of bounds for a safety. With the win, the Dolphins began the season at 1–0.

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Hoping to increase their winning streak, the Dolphins flew to Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for an interconference duel with the Vikings. In the first quarter, the Dolphins got the early lead as QB

Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman starti ...

made a 5-yard TD pass to WR

Brian Hartline Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the four ...

. In the third quarter, the Dolphins increased their lead when LB

recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown, but Minnesota scored with RB

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

completing a 1-yard TD run. The Vikings tried to fight back in the 4th quarter with kicker

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

nailing a 28-yard field goal, but Miami's defense prevented anything else from happening, giving Miami a win. It was the Dolphins' first road win over the Vikings since

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

. With the win, Miami improved to 2–0.

Week 3: vs. New York Jets

Coming off their win over the Vikings, the Dolphins went home, donned their alternate uniforms, and played their Week 3 home-opener against their AFC East foe, the

, on Sunday night. Miami trailed early in the first quarter as Jets quarterback

Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...

completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Dustin Keller Dustin Kendall Keller (born September 25, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue. Keller has also been a member of the Mia ...

. The Dolphins' deficit would increase in the second quarter as Sanchez hooked up with Keller again on a 3-yard touchdown pass. Miami would respond with quarterback

completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Anthony Fasano Anthony Joseph Fasano (born April 20, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Fasano also played for the Kansas City ...

, followed by kicker

making a 44-yard field goal. The Dolphins would take the lead in the third quarter as Henne connected with wide receiver

on an 11-yard touchdown pass, but New York would immediately respond as Sanchez found wide receiver

Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...

on a 67-yard touchdown pass. Miami would answer with Carpenter's 20-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Jets would add onto their lead as kicker

Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...

got a 30-yard field goal. The Dolphins would chip away as their deficit as Carpenter booted a 50-yard field goal, but New York would pull away as running back

LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run. Miami tried to rally, but the Jets' defense held on for the win. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. New England Patriots

Hoping to rebound from their divisional loss to the Jets, the Dolphins stayed at home for a Week 4 AFC East duel 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 ...

on Monday night. Miami delivered the opening punch in the first quarter as quarterback

hooked up with wide receiver

Davone Bess Davone Atrayo Bess (born September 13, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hawaii. Early years Bess attended Skyline High Scho ...

on a 19-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, the Patriots answered with 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 ...

making a 23-yard and a 30-yard field goal. New England took the lead in the third quarter as wide receiver

Brandon Tate Brandon Tate (born October 5, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina. Early years and family Tate a ...

returned the second half's opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, followed by running back BenJarvis Green-Ellis' 12-yard touchdown run. The Dolphins responded with Henne completing a 28-yard touchdown pass to running back

Ricky Williams Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). After playing baseball an ...

, but the Patriots came right back with quarterback

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 ...

's 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Danny Woodhead Daniel Jacob Henry Woodhead (born January 25, 1985) is an amateur golfer who has qualified for the United States Golf Association championship tournaments, and was a former professional American football running back. He played college football a ...

. New England would continue its dominance on special teams in the fourth quarter as cornerback

Kyle Arrington Kyle Chandler Arrington Sr. (born August 12, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Hofstra University#Athletics and mascots, Hof ...

returned a blocked field goal 35 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, the Patriots sealed the win as safety

Patrick Chung Patrick Christopher Chung (born August 19, 1987) is a Jamaican-American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Oregon and wa ...

returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown. With the loss, Miami went into its bye week at 2–2.

Week 6: at Green Bay Packers

Coming off their bye week the Dolphins flew to

Lambeau field Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...

for an Interconference duel against the Packers. In the first quarter the Dolphins trailed early with kicker

Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...

nailing a 46-yard field goal. But they replied with QB

making a 2-yard TD pass to WR

. The lead didn't last very long after QB

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

made an 86-yard TD pass to WR

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...

. The Dolphins tied the game in the second quarter with kicker

hitting a 53-yard field goal. He also made a 41-yard field goal to put the Dolphins up 13–10. In the fourth quarter the Packers tied the game with Crosby making a 46-yard field goal, but the Dolphins got the lead back when Henne found TE

on a 22-yard TD pass. Green Bay replied with Rodgers scrambling 1 yard to the endzone for a touchdown to put the game in overtime. After overtime, the decision was made when Carpenter successfully put away a 44-yard field goal to give the Dolphins the win. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 3–2.

Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off their road win over the Packers, the Dolphins went home for a Week 7 intraconference duel with 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 ...

. The Dolphins delivered the opening splash in the first quarter with a 39-yard and a 23-yard field goal from kicker

. In the second quarter, the Steelers took the lead with kicker Jeff Reed getting a 22-yard field goal, followed by quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...

completing a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Hines Ward Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ...

. Miami would respond with Carpenter's 22-yard field goal, but Pittsburgh struck back with Roethlisberger's 53-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...

. The Dolphins would close out the half as quarterback

found wide receiver

on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Steelers added onto their lead in the third quarter as Reed got a 39-yard field goal. Miami would answer with Carpenter's 37-yard field goal. The Dolphins regained the lead in the fourth quarter as Carpenter booted a 40-yard field goal, but Pittsburgh answered with Reed making an 18-yard field goal. The Dolphins tried to rally, but the Steelers' defense held on for the win. With the loss, Miami fell to 3–3.

Week 8: at Cincinnati Bengals

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Steelers the Dolphins flew to

Paul Brown Stadium Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...

for an AFC duel with the Bengals. In the first quarter the Dolphins trailed early as QB

Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...

got a 7-yard TD pass to WR

Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...

. They soon replied with kicker

hitting a 38- and a 42-yard field goal. The Dolphins fell further behind with Palmer finding Owens again on a 37-yard TD pass. The Dolphins caught up and eventually took the lead with Carpenter hitting a 24, 54, and a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter to put the Dolphins up 15–14. They increased their lead with RB

making a 1-yard TD run. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 4–3.

Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens

The Dolphins' eighth game was an AFC duel with the Ravens. The Dolphins trailed early after QB

Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...

completed a 32-yard TD pass to RB

Willis McGahee Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Miami, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of t ...

. They replied with RB

getting a 12-yard TD run. The Ravens got the lead back after kicker

Billy Cundiff William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002. College career Cundiff played for ...

made a 26 and a 39-yard field goal. The Dolphins narrowed the lead with kicker

nailing a 19-yard field goal. The Dolphins fell further behind after Flacco found WR

Derrick Mason Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...

on a 12-yard TD pass. This was followed in the 4th quarter by Cundiff hitting a 20 and a 24-yard field goal. With the loss, Miami fell to 4–4.

Week 10: vs. Tennessee Titans

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Ravens the Dolphins played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Titans. In the first quarter the Dolphins took the lead as RB

got a 2-yard TD run. The Titans replied with RB Chris Johnson getting a 17-yard TD run. They fell behind after 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 ...

nailed a 40-yard field goal. They eventually took the lead after kicker

made a 23 and a 26-yard field goal, which was soon followed by QB

completing a 13-yard TD pass to RB

Patrick Cobbs Stanley Patrick Cobbs (born January 31, 1983) is a former American football running back. He most recently was a member of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free age ...

. The Titans replied with QB

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...

completing a 14-yard TD pass to WR

Nate Washington Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...

, but the Dolphins continued to score after Carpenter got a 42-yard field goal, followed by QB

making a 9-yard TD pass to TE

(With a failed 2-point conversion). Then FS

Reshad Jones Reshad Monquez Jones (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football strong safety. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia. Early years Resha ...

intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchback. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 5–4.

Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears

Coming off their win over the Titans, the Dolphins stayed at home for a Week 11 interconference duel with the

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 ...

on Thursday night. Miami trailed early in the first quarter as Bears kicker

Robbie Gould Robert Paul Gould III (; born December 6, 1982) is an American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2015, during which he became the franchise's all ...

got a 46-yard field goal. Chicago added onto their lead in the second quarter with Gould making a 24-yard field goal. The Bears continued to increase their lead with Gould's 50-yard field goal, followed by a touchdown scored by running back Matt Forté. This was the final score of the game, with Chicago's defense preventing any score by the Dolphins. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–5.

Week 12: at Oakland Raiders

The Dolphins' eleventh game was an AFC duel with the Raiders. In the first quarter the Dolphins trailed immediately as

Jacoby Ford Jacoby Ford (born July 27, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was also an accomplished track and field athlete. He playe ...

returned a kick-off 101 yards to their own endzone for a touchdown. They overcame this deficit with kicker

nailing a 49-yard field goal, followed by QB

completing a 29-yard TD pass to RB

. The Raiders replied as QB

Bruce Gradkowski Bruce Raymond Gradkowski (born January 27, 1983) is a former American football quarterback and current offensive coordinator for the St. Louis BattleHawks. He played college football at Toledo. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the ...

made a 44-yard TD pass to Ford. The Dolphins got the lead back as Carpenter got a 23-yard field goal, followed by Henne getting a 57-yard TD pass to WR Marlon Moore, and with Carpenter nailing a 44-yard field goal. The lead was narrowed when kicker

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

hit a 30-yard field goal, but the Dolphins pulled away with Carpenter getting a 25-yard field goal, and with RB

getting a 45-yard TD run. With the win, Miami improved to 6–5.

Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns

Coming off their win over the Raiders the Dolphins played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Browns. The second quarter saw the Dolphins trailing early as kicker

Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...

made a 32-yard field goal. They replied with kicker

hitting a 60-yard field goal. They trailed again with QB

Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisian ...

completing a 3-yard TD pass to TE

Benjamin Watson Benjamin Seth Watson (born December 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots over the Philadel ...

. But they replied in the fourth quarter with QB

making an 11-yard TD pass to TE

. The Browns scored again after Dawson nailed a 23-yard field goal. With the loss, Miami fell to 6–6.

Week 14: at New York Jets

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Browns the Dolphins flew to

New Meadowlands Stadium MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants ...

for an AFC East rivalry match against the Jets. The Dolphins took the lead with kicker

nailing a 47-yard field goal, followed by QB

completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR

. The Jets responded with kicker

hitting a 35 and a 42-yard field goal. With the win, Miami improved to 7–6.

Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills

The Dolphins' fourteenth game was a must-win matchup against the

. The Dolphins lost. The final score was seventeen (17) to fourteen (14) and the Dolphins never lead during the game. The second quarter saw Miami trailing early with QB

Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...

completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson. This was followed by kicker

nailing a 29-yard field goal. The Dolphins responded with RB

getting a 6-yard TD run, but trailed further in the third quarter with Fitzpatrick throwing a 15-yard TD pass to WR

Stevie Johnson Steven John Johnson Jr. (born July 22, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draf ...

. The Dolphins tried to cut the lead with QB

getting a 9-yard TD pass to WR

, but the Bills defense denied any more offensive chances. With the loss, Miami fell to 7–7, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention. Reaction around the

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 ...

area was palpable, with many fans and the media calling for head coach

to resign at the end of the season.

Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions

The Dolphins fifteenth game was an inter-conference duel against the Lions. The Dolphins trailed early as kicker

Dave Rayner David Michael Rayner (born October 26, 1982) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan ...

nailed a 39-yard field goal. They re-tied the game with kicker

hit a 40-yard field goal. The Lions scored again with QB

Shaun Hill Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...

completing a 20-yard TD pass to TE

Brandon Pettigrew Brandon Dennard Pettigrew (born February 23, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Oklahoma State. He was drafted in the first round (20th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, and spent his e ...

, but the Dolphins got the lead back with FB

Lousaka Polite Lousaka Romon Polite (born September 14, 1981) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football ...

getting a 4-yard TD run, followed by QB

getting a 13-yard TD pass to WR

. The Lions tied the game with RB

Maurice Morris Maurice Autora Morris (born December 1, 1979) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft and also played for the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon ...

getting a 5-yard TD run, but the Dolphins scored to take the lead again with RB

getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Carpenter hitting a 28-yard field goal. They failed to maintain this lead after QB

completed a 53-yard TD pass to RB

Jahvid Best Jahvid Andre Best (born January 30, 1989) is an Olympic track and field athlete, a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at California, set ...

, followed by Rayner making a 47-yard field goal, then with MLB

DeAndre Levy DeAndre Levy (born March 26, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Early years Levy was born in Milwaukee, Wiscons ...

returning an interception 30 yards for a touchdown. With the loss, Miami fell to 7–8.

Week 17: at New England Patriots

The Dolphins' final game was an AFC East rematch against the Patriots. They trailed early with QB

throwing a 13-yard TD pass to WR

Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...

, followed by

BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football running back who played for the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played co ...

getting a 1-yard TD run, then with kicker

Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...

nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Dolphins continued to struggle after a three-and-out was converted into a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown by

Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Kent State as a Quarterback and ...

, followed by Brady making a 10-yard TD pass to TE

Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...

, then with QB

Brian Hoyer Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for seven different ...

completing a 42-yard TD pass to WR

. The Dolphins made their only score of the game with QB

throwing a 21-yard TD pass to WR

. With the loss, Miami finished their season with a 7–9 record.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 Miami Dolphins Season

Miami Dolphins seasons