The2015 season was theMiami Dolphins' 46th in theNational Football League (NFL) and their 50th overall. The Dolphins looked to improve on their 8–8 record from2014 and return to the playoffs for the first timein seven seasons. However, Miami failed to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season after a Week 14 loss to theNew York Giants.
The Dolphins entered 2015 withJoe Philbin as theirhead coach for a fourth season. After the team started 1−3, Philbin was fired by the Dolphins.Dan Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season and recorded a 5−7 record.
The Dolphins traded their second-round selection (No. 47 overall) to thePhiladelphia Eagles in exchange for Philadelphia's second-round (No. 52 overall) and two fifth-round selections (No. 145 and 156 overall).[1]
The Dolphins traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall) to theBaltimore Ravens in exchange for offensive tackleBryant McKinnie during the2013 season.
With the win, the Dolphins started 1-0 for the second straight year. This was the Dolphins' first road win over the Redskins since their1984 Super Bowl season.
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The Dolphins were considered the home team in the season's first International Series game. They lost dropping them to 1-3 heading into their bye week. A day later, Head Coach Joe Philbin was fired following a 24–28 record with no postseason appearances. Tight Ends Coach Dan Campbell was his replacement serving as an Interim head coach.
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The Dolphins thoroughly dominated the first half, scoring 6 touchdowns for a 41–0 halftime lead. With the win, the Miami Dolphins defeated theHouston Texans for the first time in franchise history. This was also the first time since2003 that the Dolphins scored over 40 points in a game.
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The Dolphins travel to New England to take on the undefeated Patriots. The Dolphins looked to end the streak of the Super Bowl champions, but it was too late as Miami struggled offensively and defensively all game.
Cameron Wake left the game with an Achilles tear. The Dolphins later announced that he would miss the rest of the season. He finished the game with two tackles and a sack.
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The Dolphins would trail 16–3 at one point, but they would come back to beat Philadelphia. Near the end of the game,Reshad Jones intercepted Eagles backup quarterbackMark Sanchez to seal the game. This was the Dolphins' first win over the Eagles since1999.
Tony Romo started this game for Dallas, and the Cowboys would snap their 7-game losing streak, while the Dolphins failed to get into any rhythm on offense or defense in the game. The Dolphins were also seeking a home win over the Cowboys for the first time since 1984. This game is known for being Romo's last win in the NFL.
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–8, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 7th straight year, a franchise record. They also fell to 0–4 all time against the Giants at home, with2003 being the last season the Dolphins beat the Giants.
^abcDenver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3.
^abPittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2.
^abBuffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
^abJacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory.
^abCleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
