1998 Miami Dolphins season

The 1998 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 33rd overall and 29th as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 9–7, winning ten games.[1] The team qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year. The Dolphins defeated the Buffalo Bills 24–17 in the Wild Card round, but lost to the defending and eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos 38–3 in the Divisional Playoff Game.

1998 Miami Dolphins season
OwnerWayne Huizenga
General managerEddie Jones
Head coachJimmy Johnson
Home fieldPro Player Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd AFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Bills) 24–17
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Broncos) 3–38
Pro Bowlers3
DT Tim Bowens
LB Zach Thomas
DB Sam Madison

The 2012 Football Outsiders Almanac states that the 1998 Dolphins had the single biggest defensive improvement (from the previous season) from 1991 to 2011.[2]

As with the 1985 Bears, the Dolphins defeated a team (the Broncos) widely tipped a few weeks earlier to beat their unbeaten 1972 season,[3][4] although this time the Dolphins were not defending their status as the only unbeaten team since the Giants had already beaten the Broncos. Because, before the admission of the Texans in 2002, scheduling for NFL games outside a team's division was subject to much greater influence from table position during the previous season,[5] that game was the first time the Dolphins had opposed the Broncos since that same 1985 season.[6]

This season marked the last time the Dolphins finished with the #1 Defense in the NFL.

Offseason

NFL Draft
1998 Miami Dolphins draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 29 John Avery  Running back Ole Miss
2 44 Patrick Surtain *  Cornerback Southern Miss
2 49 Kenny Mixon  Defensive end LSU
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster
1998 Miami Dolphins final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists
  • 77 Jeff Buckey G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 56 Mike Crawford LB (PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform)
  • 63 Mark Dixon G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  •  7 Craig Erickson QB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 87 Yatil Green WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 88 Charles Jordan WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • -- Larry Shannon WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  •  9 Derrick Steagall WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 64 Randy Wheeler G (NF-Inj.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness)
  • 22 Shawn Wooden S (IRTooltip Injured reserve)


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 10 inactive, 5 practice squad


Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 6 at Indianapolis Colts W 24–15 1–0 RCA Dome 60,587
2 September 13 Buffalo Bills W 13–7 2–0 Pro Player Stadium 73,097
3 September 20 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–0 3–0 Pro Player Stadium 73,948
4 Bye
5 October 4 at New York Jets L 9–20 3–1 Giants Stadium 75,257
6 October 12 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 21–28 3–2 Alltel Stadium 74,051
7 October 18 St. Louis Rams W 14–0 4–2 Pro Player Stadium 65,418
8 October 25 New England Patriots W 12–9 OT 5–2 Pro Player Stadium 73,973
9 November 1 at Buffalo Bills L 24–30 5–3 Ralph Wilson Stadium 79,011
10 November 8 Indianapolis Colts W 27–14 6–3 Pro Player Stadium 73,400
11 November 15 at Carolina Panthers W 13–9 7–3 Ericcson Stadium 67,887
12 November 23 at New England Patriots L 23–26 7–4 Foxboro Stadium 58,729
13 November 29 New Orleans Saints W 30–10 8–4 Pro Player Stadium 73,216
14 December 6 at Oakland Raiders W 27–17 9–4 Network Associates Coliseum 61,254
15 December 13 New York Jets L 16–21 9–5 Pro Player Stadium 74,369
16 December 21 Denver Broncos W 31–21 10–5 Pro Player Stadium 74,363
17 December 27 at Atlanta Falcons L 16–38 10–6 Georgia Dome 69,754

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
Wild Card January 2 Buffalo Bills W 24–17 1–0 Pro Player Stadium 72,698
Division January 9 at Denver Broncos L 3–38 1–1 Mile High Stadium 75,729

Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(2) New York Jets 1240.750416266W6
(4) Miami Dolphins 1060.625321265L1
(5) Buffalo Bills 1060.625400333W1
(6) New England Patriots 970.563337329L1
Indianapolis Colts 3130.188310444L2

References
  1. 1998 Miami Dolphins
  2. Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 (ISBN 1478201525), p. 102
  3. “Denver eyes 19–0, but there's no rush” in Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 16, 1998
  4. Freeman, Mike; “Chasing Perfection and Taking Questions; Voluble Broncos Are 13–0 and Ready to Talk” in The New York Times, December 9, 1998
  5. History of the NFL's Structure and Formats
  6. Denver Broncos v Miami Dolphins
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