1986 Miami Dolphins season
The 1986 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 21st as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 12–4, winning only eight games.[1] This was the first time in six seasons the team did not qualify for the playoffs and would mark the start of a four-season span of barren postseason chances. This was also the team's final season at the Orange Bowl before moving into their new stadium Joe Robbie Stadium the following season.
| 1986 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Joe Robbie |
| Head coach | Don Shula |
| Home field | Orange Bowl |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 4
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Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at San Diego Chargers | L 28–50 | 0–1 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 57,726 |
| 2 | September 14 | Indianapolis Colts | W 30–10 | 1–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 51,848 |
| 3 | September 21 | at New York Jets | L 45–51 (OT) | 1–2 | Giants Stadium | 71,025 |
| 4 | September 28 | San Francisco 49ers | L 16–31 | 1–3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 70,264 |
| 5 | October 5 | at New England Patriots | L 7–34 | 1–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 60,689 |
| 6 | October 12 | Buffalo Bills | W 27–14 | 2–4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 49,467 |
| 7 | October 19 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 28–30 | 2–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 53,421 |
| 8 | October 26 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 17–13 | 3–5 | Hoosier Dome | 58,350 |
| 9 | November 2 | Houston Oilers | W 28–7 | 4–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 43,804 |
| 10 | November 10 | at Cleveland Browns | L 16–26 | 4–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 77,949 |
| 11 | November 16 | at Buffalo Bills | W 34–24 | 5–6 | Rich Stadium | 76,474 |
| 12 | November 24 | New York Jets | W 45–3 | 6–6 | Miami Orange Bowl | 70,206 |
| 13 | November 30 | Atlanta Falcons | L 14–20 | 6–7 | Miami Orange Bowl | 53,762 |
| 14 | December 7 | at New Orleans Saints | W 31–27 | 7–7 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,761 |
| 15 | December 14 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 37–31 (OT) | 8–7 | Anaheim Stadium | 62,629 |
| 16 | December 22 | New England Patriots | L 27–34 | 8–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 74,516 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Rookies in italics | ||||||
Season summary
Week 1 at Chargers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 17 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 50 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium • San Diego, California
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 57,726
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jimmy Cefalo
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database
| Game information | ||
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Week 2
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Week 3 at Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 45 |
| Jets | 3 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 51 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,025
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen
- Box Score, Box Score
| Game information | ||
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The Jets-Dolphins rivalry reached an apex in this Week 3 matchup as Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino unleashed ten combined touchdowns, the last a 43-yard score to Wesley Walker and a 51–45 overtime win for the Jets.
Week 6 vs. Bills
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Week 11 at Bills
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Standings
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| New England Patriots(3) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 412 | 307 | W1 |
| New York Jets(4) | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 364 | 386 | L5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 430 | 405 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–11 | 287 | 348 | L3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–7 | 2–10 | 229 | 400 | W3 |
References
- 1986 Miami Dolphins
- The Football Database. Retrieved 2018-Jan-14.
- The Football Database. Retrieved 2018-Jan-07.
- The Football Database. Retrieved 2018-Jan-07.