| 1986 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Joe Robbie |
| Head coach | Don Shula |
| Home stadium | Miami Orange Bowl |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rdAFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | |
The1986 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 21st as a member of theNational Football League (NFL). The Dolphins failed to improve upon theirprevious 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 theOrange Bowl before moving into their new stadiumJoe Robbie Stadium the following season.
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | atSan 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 | atNew 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 | atNew 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 | atIndianapolis 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 | atCleveland Browns | L 16–26 | 4–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 77,949 |
| 11 | November 16 | atBuffalo 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 | atNew Orleans Saints | W 31–27 | 7–7 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,761 |
| 15 | December 14 | atLos 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 inbold text.
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve lists
Rookies in italics |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 17 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 50 |
atJack Murphy Stadium •San Diego, California
| Game information | ||
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| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Dolphins | 7 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
| Q1 | 10:57 | IND | Bentley 1 yard run (Biasucci kick) | IND 7–0 |
| Q1 | 0:18 | MIA | Hampton 5 yard run (Reveiz kick) | Tie 7–7 |
| Q2 | 7:40 | MIA | Moore 4 yard pass fromMarino (kick failed) | MIA 13–7 |
| Q2 | 5:03 | MIA | Pruitt 71 yard punt return (Reveiz kick) | MIA 20–7 |
| Q2 | 0:22 | IND | Biasucci 23 yard field goal | MIA 20–10 |
| Q3 | 10:45 | MIA | Hampton 21 yard run (Reveiz kick) | MIA 27–10 |
| Q3 | 3:31 | MIA | Reveiz 27 yard field goal | MIA 30–10 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 45 |
| Jets | 3 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 51 |
atGiants Stadium,East Rutherford, New Jersey
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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TheJets-Dolphins rivalry reached an apex in this Week 3 matchup asKen O'Brien andDan Marino unleashed ten combined touchdowns, the last a 43-yard score toWesley Walker and a 51–45 overtime win for the Jets.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Dolphins | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| 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 |