2020 Miami Dolphins season

The 2020 season was the Miami Dolphins' 51st in the National Football League, their 55th overall and their second under head coach Brian Flores.

2020 Miami Dolphins season
OwnerStephen M. Ross
General managerChris Grier
Head coachBrian Flores
Home fieldHard Rock Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place2nd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersCB Xavien Howard
AP All-ProsCB Xavien Howard (1st team)
K Jason Sanders (1st team)
PR Jakeem Grant (2nd team)
Uniform

This was the first season since the 2016 season that the Dolphins finished with a winning record.

Despite being 2nd in their division, and having double digit wins, the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs due to Indianapolis beating the Jaguars in the last week of the season. This was the fourth time in franchise history that the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs with ten wins

The Dolphins ranked 6th in defense this season.[1]

Season Summary

The Dolphins dedicated their 2020 season in memory of legendary Dolphins' head coach Don Shula, who died on May 4, 2020, at the age of 90, at his Indian Creek, Florida home. At both home and away games, the Dolphins wore patches bearing Shula's surname and the number 347, the number of Shula's all-time number of wins in his 32 years as an NFL head coach. Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, served as Dolphins' head coach from 1970 to 1995 and had led the franchise to five Super Bowl appearances, winning back-to-back championships in 1972 and 1973. Famously, in 1972, Shula led the Dolphins to their first Super Bowl title, as well as the only perfect season by a team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

The Dolphins improved on their 5–11 record from the previous season, following a Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. After beginning the season 1–3, the Dolphins established themselves as playoff contenders by winning five straight games and starting with a 6–3 record for the first time since 2001. They also started 8–4 for the first time since 2003. The team clinched their first winning season since 2016 after a Week 15 win over the Patriots, which eliminated the Pats from the playoffs for the first time since 2008. On December 26, the Dolphins clinched their first 10-win season since 2016 with a 26–25 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

A significant factor in Miami's dramatic improvement over their 2019 season of 5–11 was the story of their defense. In 2019, the Dolphins allowed more points than any other team in the NFL. In 2020, only five teams allowed fewer points-per-game than the Dolphins.[2]

However, despite the improvements, the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts' victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17, becoming the first team to miss the playoffs with 10+ wins since the 2015 Jets, which, coincidentally, were also led by Ryan Fitzpatrick. Despite their elimination from the playoffs, 5th-year cornerback Xavien Howard joined Antonio Cromartie as the only players since the 1970 merger to record at least 10 interceptions in a season, and was the most by a Dolphins player since Dick Westmoreland in 1967. The Dolphins also clinched the rights for the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which is one of the two first-round picks they received from trading Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans a season prior. The Dolphins had also finished the 2020 season by scoring a total of 404 points, which is their third highest-scoring total in a season in franchise history (the franchise's highest being 513 total points in 1984).

This season was also highlighted by the emergence of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the 5th pick in the 2020 Draft, who was named the Dolphins' starter in Week 8, after the team began 3–3 under the leadership of Ryan Fitzpatrick. As the Dolphins' starting quarterback, he went 6–3 and also became the fifth rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger to win his first three starts.

Signings

The Dolphins signed former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones, former Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard, and former New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The Dolphins also picked up San Francisco 49ers' RB Matt Breida in a trade for a fifth-round draft pick which later became Colton McKivitz.

Free agent signings
Position Player Age 2019 Team Contract
RB Jordan Howard 25 Philadelphia Eagles 2 years, $9.75 million
CB Byron Jones 27 Dallas Cowboys 5 years, $82 million
OLB Kyle Van Noy 29 New England Patriots 4 years, $51 million
C Ted Karras 27 New England Patriots 1 year, $4 million
G Ereck Flowers 26 Washington Redskins 3 years, $30 million
ILB Elandon Roberts 26 New England Patriots 1 year, $2 million
SS Clayton Fejedelem 26 Cincinnati Bengals 3 years, $8.55 million
DE Emmanuel Ogbah 25 Kansas City Chiefs 2 years, $15 million
OLB Shaq Lawson 25 Buffalo Bills 3 years, $30 million
ILB Kamu Grugier-Hill 26 Philadelphia Eagles 1 year, $3 million
FS Kavon Frazier 25 Dallas Cowboys 1 year, $1 million

Draft
Main article: 2020 NFL Draft
2020 Miami Dolphins Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
15 Tua TagovailoaQBAlabama
18 Austin JacksonOTUSCfrom Pittsburgh
30 Noah IgbinogheneCBAuburnfrom Green Bay
239 Robert HuntOTLouisiana
56 Raekwon DavisNTAlabamafrom New Orleans
370 Brandon JonesFSTexas
4111 Solomon KindleyGGeorgiafrom Houston
5154 Jason StrowbridgeDENorth Carolinafrom Jacksonville via Pittsburgh
164 Curtis WeaverOLBBoise Statefrom Baltimore via Los Angeles Rams
6185 Blake FergusonLSLSU
7246 Malcolm PerryWRNavyfrom Kansas City

Draft trades

Staff
2020 Miami Dolphins staff
Front office
  • Chairman/managing general partner – Stephen Ross
  • Vice chairman/partner – Bruce Beal
  • Vice chairman – Jorge Pérez
  • Vice chairman – Matt Higgins
  • Vice chairman, president, and CEO – Tom Garfinkel
  • General manager – Chris Grier
  • Assistant general manager – Marvin Allen
  • Vice president, football administration – Brandon Shore
  • Senior vice president, chief financial officer – Chris Clements
  • Senior personnel executive – Reggie McKenzie
  • Co-director, player personnel – Adam Engroff
  • Co-director, player personnel – Anthony Hunt
  • Special advisor to the vice chairman, president, and CEO – Dan Marino

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Josh Boyer
  • Defensive line – Marion Hobby
  • Assistant defensive line – Rob Leonard
  • Linebackers – Anthony Campanile
  • Outside linebackers – Austin Clark
  • Defensive backs – Gerald Alexander
  • Assistant defensive backs – Curt Kuntz
  • Quality control – Mike Judge

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Danny Crossman
  • Assistant special teams – Brendan Farrell

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Dave Puloka
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Jim Arthur

Final roster
2020 Miami Dolphins final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 52 active, 8 inactive, 15 practice squad (+1 exempt)

Preseason

The Dolphins' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Week Date Opponent Venue Result
1 August 14 at Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2 August 20 Philadelphia Eagles Hard Rock Stadium
3 August 27 Detroit Lions Hard Rock Stadium
4 September 3 at New Orleans Saints Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Regular season

Schedule

The Dolphins' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.[13]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 13 at New England Patriots L 11–21 0–1 Gillette Stadium Recap
2 September 20 Buffalo Bills L 28–31 0–2 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
3 September 24 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 31–13 1–2 TIAA Bank Field Recap
4 October 4 Seattle Seahawks L 23–31 1–3 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
5 October 11 at San Francisco 49ers W 43–17 2–3 Levi's Stadium Recap
6 October 18 New York Jets W 24–0 3–3 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 November 1 Los Angeles Rams W 28–17 4–3 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
9 November 8 at Arizona Cardinals W 34–31 5–3 State Farm Stadium Recap
10 November 15 Los Angeles Chargers W 29–21 6–3 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
11 November 22 at Denver Broncos L 13–20 6–4 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
12 November 29 at New York Jets W 20–3 7–4 MetLife Stadium Recap
13 December 6 Cincinnati Bengals W 19–7 8–4 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
14 December 13 Kansas City Chiefs L 27–33 8–5 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
15 December 20 New England Patriots W 22–12 9–5 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
16 December 26 at Las Vegas Raiders W 26–25 10–5 Allegiant Stadium Recap
17 January 3 at Buffalo Bills L 26–56 10–6 Bills Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: at New England Patriots
Week One: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 3 0811
Patriots 0 7 7721

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

This was the Patriots' first game without long-time quarterback Tom Brady since October 2, 2016, and their first without Brady on the roster since January 2, 2000. The 2020 season opener featured quarterback Cam Newton taking the reins of the New England offense in his inaugural game as a member of the Patriots. Newton looked crisp in his first game in over a year as he scored twice on the ground in an offensive ground attack that compiled 217 yards rushing. Cam Newton scrambled for 75 yards on the ground and completed 15 of 19 passing, which left Miami's defense frustrated the entire day. Miami's offense struggled as well due to three interceptions thrown by veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans were in the stands and fake crowd noise was piped onto the playing field. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–1.[14][15]

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 10 01431
Dolphins 7 3 31528

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Before play began, both teams stayed in their respective locker rooms for the playing of the national anthem. Miami, hoping to recover from their Week 1 loss, kept it close, but no cigar. Josh Allen, improving his offensive gamesmanship for a third NFL season, threw for a career-best 417 yards and four TDs extending the Bills’ winning streak to four-straight against the Fins. With 5:55 remaining in the 4th quarter and trailing 20-17, Allen threw a strike to the endzone for the score, after which, Buffalo never looked back. Buffalo's offense rolled over Miami for 524 total yards; 342 in the first half. At one point the Dolphins were poised to score from the Buffalo one-yard-line in the third quarter, but failed to connect on a 4th-down toss to the endzone. After the game, Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores said. “You've got to finish in this league if you want to win." Nevertheless, Miami stayed in the game to the finish. Ryan Fitzapatrick completed 31 of 47 pass attempts, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Buffalo offense that had a banner day in South Florida. The Bills-Dolphins rivalry has undeniably been reignited. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–2.[16]

Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Three: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 14 7 7331
Jaguars 0 7 0613

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

In this nationally-televised Thursday night match-up, a dominant Ryan Fitzpatrick-led offense scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, pummeling a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that had been a three point favorite at home. On the opposite side of the ball, Gardner Minshew threw two picks and zero TDs, settling the pre-game argument over whose facial hair made them a better QB. Minshew, who came into the game confident after two strong performances to start the 2020 season, looked uncomfortable all night as Miami's defense garnered two sacks and limited the Jaguars to only 13 total points. This was the Dolphins' first win over the Jaguars since 2014 and their first win by 10+ points since a 2017 win over the Denver Broncos. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 1–2.[17][18]

Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 10 7 01431
Dolphins 3 6 31123

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

On a hot day in south Florida, the Seahawks came in to Hard Rock Stadium unbeaten and left with an unblemished record of 4-0. The Fins were unable to stop Russell Wilson's air offensive allowing him 360 yards passing and two completions to the endzone. Miami's defense had no answers as the ‘Hawks continued their streak of scoring 30 points or more in every game this season. The Dolphins were able to score on their first five possessions, but all five trips into Seattle territory ended disappointingly with a field goal. Ryan Fitzpatrick might have had a solid performance (29 of 45 passing), but two interceptions ultimately resulted in a dispiriting home-field loss for his squad. This was the Seahawks' first road win over the Dolphins since 1996, when the Seahawks were part of the AFC West. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–3.[19]

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Five: Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 14 16 7643
49ers 0 7 10017

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

The Miami Dolphins engineered a good old-fashioned beatdown as they imposed their will on the reigning NFC Champions in Levi's Stadium, California. Ryan Fitzpatrick was magic as he threw 22 of 28 for 350 yards including three touchdowns and no interceptions. Jimmy Garoppolo was hideous and was benched halfway through the game after putting up 7 of 17 passing for a measly 77 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Fins’ defense carved up the Niners’ offense all day, recovering a fumble, stealing two interceptions, forcing five sacks and allowing a third-down efficiency of only 20%.[20][21][22] In this rematch of Super Bowl XIX, this was the Dolphins' first road win over the 49ers since 2004, also their first time since October 25, 2015 scoring over 40 points in a game, and their largest blowout win since December 3, 2017. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 2–3.

Week 6: vs. New York Jets
Week Six: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 0 000
Dolphins 7 14 3024

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

This was the Dolphins' first shutout win since November 2, 2014, when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 37–0. Jets quarterback Joe Flacco also lost to the Dolphins for the first time in his 12-year career. Rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the 5th overall pick in the 2020 Draft made his NFL debut during the final seconds of the game, where he relieved Ryan Fitzpatrick and completed 2 passes for 9 passing yards, also Tua's first game since November 16, 2019 when he suffered a season-ending hip injury as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 3–3.

Week 8: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week Eight: Los Angeles Rams at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 3 0717
Dolphins 7 21 0028

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

This was rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's first NFL start, with Ryan Fitzpatrick returning to his backup role for the first time since October 13, 2019. The Dolphins also defeated the Rams for the 5th time since 2001. The game was dominated by the Dolphins' defense, which forced the Rams into four first-half turnovers, and allowed the Dolphins to win with only 145 yards of total offense, the lowest yardage compiled by a winning team all season. During the 2nd quarter, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scored his first NFL touchdown on a 78-yard fumble recovery, the second-longest fumbled return in franchise history since Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor ran on an 85-yard fumble return in 2005. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 4–3.

Week 9: at Arizona Cardinals
Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 14 10 01034
Cardinals 7 10 14031

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

In a back-and-forth game, Miami pulled ahead late in the game with 10 points in the fourth quarter, taking the lead with a 50-yard field goal from Jason Sanders after the two-minute warning. Kyler Murray drove the Cardinals into field goal range in the final seconds, but kicker Zane Gonzalez missed the potential game-tying field goal short, sealing a 34–31 Miami victory. With the win, the Dolphins not only improved to 5–3 for the first time since 2014, but also earned their first 4-game winning streak since 2016 and a win in Phoenix for the first time since 1996.

Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week Ten: Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chargers 0 7 7721
Dolphins 14 3 3929

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: November 15
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,751
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a compelling battle between rookie quarterbacks, Miami's Tua Tagovailoa (2020 draft #5 overall) was the victor over Justin Herbert (2020 draft #6 overall). Miami quickly leapt to a 14-0 advantage forcing Herbert & company into struggling after the Dolphins for the entire game. Despite throwing two touchdowns, Herbert also tossed an interception forced by a Miami defense that hounded him all day. Tagovailoa threw for two scores and zero interceptions which culminated in his third-straight victory as a rookie QB. By defeating the Chargers, the Fins have won five straight games.[23][24] The Dolphins began the season 6–3 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa also became the 5th rookie quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to begin 3–0, after Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Sanchez, Carson Wentz, and Lamar Jackson.

Week 11: at Denver Broncos
Week Eleven: Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 7 3 0313
Broncos 7 6 7020

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

The Dolphins played without running back Jordan Howard as he got cut on November 16, 2020, after just nine games with the Dolphins. In the fourth quarter, Tua was replaced by Fitzpatrick after Tua got hurt. Fitzpatrick attempted a comeback but threw an interception in the red-zone ending any chances of a comeback and dropping the Dolphins 6–4. Not only did the Dolphins fail to win in Denver for the first time since 2008, but Tua failed to join Ben Roethlisberger as the only rookie quarterbacks to begin 4–0.

Week 12: at New York Jets
Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 10 0720
Jets 3 0 003

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first start since Week 6, as rookie Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out after suffering a minor injury during practices. Wide receiver DeVante Parker became the 9th player in franchise history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards, and the Dolphins swept the Jets for the first time in two seasons. This was also Fitzpatrick's final full game of his career, as he retired from the NFL 2 years later on June 2, 2022. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 7–4.

Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bengals 7 0 007
Dolphins 0 6 10319

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,577
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

For the first time since suffering a minor thumb injury, Tua Tagovailoa returned as the Dolphins' starting quarterback. The Bengals jumped out to an early lead of 7-0, but were unable to add to that score for the rest of the contest. Officials were kept busy maintaining order in this game that came to blows between players and culminated in entire teams storming the field to face off with one another. After players were finished trading blows and referees were finished ejecting five of them from the contest, Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins emerged victorious in arguably the best performance, thus far, of Tua Tagovailoa's nascent career by going 26 of 39 for 296 passing yards, one TD and no interceptions. The Fins continued their domination of other teams by allowing only seven points maintaining a hold on second overall in the NFL in scoring defense.[25] The Dolphins began 8–4 for the first time since 2003 and also clinched a non-losing season for the first time since 2016.

Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week Fourteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 14 16333
Dolphins 7 3 01727

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Despite holding a 10–0 lead during the first quarter and attempting a comeback down 30–10 in the 4th quarter, the Dolphins not only failed to beat the Chiefs for the first time since 2011, but they also failed to beat them at home for the first time since 2006, and to beat an Andy Reid-coached team for the first time since 1999, which was Reid's first year coaching the Philadelphia Eagles. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 8–5.

Week 15: vs. New England Patriots
Week Fifteen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 6 3312
Dolphins 0 0 71522

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Not only did the Dolphins clinch their first winning season since 2016, but they defeated the Patriots at home for the first time since the Miracle in Miami, and defeated a Cam Newton-led team for the first time in franchise history. The Dolphins also eliminated the Patriots from postseason contention for the first time since 2008, and ensured their first non-winning season since 2000. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became the 6th rookie quarterback to defeat Bill Belichick's Patriots, after Ben Roethlisberger, Mark Sanchez, Colt McCoy, Russell Wilson, and Geno Smith. Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick also finished with a winning record in his career for the first time since 2015, when he played for the New York Jets, and for only the second time in his 15-year career. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 9–5.

Week 16: at Las Vegas Raiders
Week Sixteen: Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 3 71326
Raiders 7 6 3925

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

Game information

Despite not holding a lead for much of the game and not scoring a touchdown in the first half, the Dolphins defeated the Raiders in a last-minute field goal made by Jason Sanders. Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved a struggling Tua Tagovailoa in the 4th quarter and threw to Myles Gaskin for a touchdown to hand the Dolphins their first lead of the game, 23–22. After the Raiders retook the lead with only 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick threw a no-look pass to Mack Hollins while his facemask was being tugged by a defender, a pass which Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes dubbed "the greatest no-look pass of all time",[26] to set up Sanders' game-winning field goal. This would also be Fitzpatrick's last appearance as a Dolphin, as he tested positive for COVID-19 5 days later, which caused him to miss the season finale versus the Buffalo Bills, and would sign with the Washington Football Team as a free agent on March 15, 2021, the 9th team he has played for in 16 years. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 10–5.

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills
Week Seventeen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 3 71326
Bills 0 28 72156

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: January 3, 2021
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After the embarrassing blowout loss, the Dolphins failed to win 11 games in a season for the 12th consecutive year, when the 2008 Miami Dolphins won 11 games. After the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars the same day, the Dolphins were eliminated from postseason contention for the 4th consecutive season. The Dolphins had also failed to become the first team since the 1999 Washington Redskins to clinch both a playoff berth and a top-3 pick in the upcoming draft, which is the first-round pick they acquired from trading Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans the season prior. With the loss, the Dolphins finished the 2020 season at 10–6.

Division
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Buffalo Bills 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 501 375 W6
Miami Dolphins 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 404 338 L1
New England Patriots 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 326 353 W1
New York Jets 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 243 457 L1

Conference
AFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 14 2 0 .875 4–2 10–2 .465 .464 L1
2 Buffalo Bills East 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 .512 .471 W6
3 Pittsburgh Steelers North 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .475 .448 L1
4[lower-alpha 1] Tennessee Titans South 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .475 .398 W1
Wild Cards
5[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] Baltimore Ravens North 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .494 .401 W5
6[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] Cleveland Browns North 11 5 0 .688 3–3 7–5 .451 .406 W1
7[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 4] Indianapolis Colts South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .443 .384 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 Miami Dolphins East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .467 .347 L1
9 Las Vegas Raiders West 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 .539 .477 W1
10[lower-alpha 5] New England Patriots East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .527 .429 W1
11[lower-alpha 5] Los Angeles Chargers West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .482 .344 W4
12 Denver Broncos West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .566 .388 L3
13 Cincinnati Bengals North 4 11 1 .281 1–5 4–8 .529 .438 L1
14 Houston Texans South 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .541 .219 L5
15 New York Jets East 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 .594 .656 L1
16 Jacksonville Jaguars South 1 15 0 .063 1–5 1–11 .549 .688 L15
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 6]
  1. Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis based on division record.
  2. Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below).
  3. Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. Cleveland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  5. New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory.
  6. 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.

References
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  3. "2019 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves". NFL.com. April 25, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. Scott, Jelani (September 17, 2019). "Dolphins S Minkah Fitzpatrick traded to Steelers". NFL.com.
  5. Gantt, Darin (August 31, 2019). "Dolphins fire sale sends Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills to Texans". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  6. Poupart, Alain (April 26, 2019). "Dolphins Acquire QB Josh Rosen From Cardinals". www.miamidolphins.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  7. Patra, Kevin (October 28, 2019). "Dolphins trade RB Kenyan Drake to Cardinals". NFL.com.
  8. Patra, Kevin (October 29, 2019). "Rams ship CB Aqib Talib, fifth-rounder to Dolphins". NFL.com.
  9. "Dolphins Acquire C/G Evan Boehm". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  10. "Dolphins Trade For G Danny Isidora". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  11. Florio, Mike (August 31, 2018). "Dolphins trade safety Jordan Lucas to the Chiefs". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  12. John Boyle (April 25, 2020). "Seahawks Trade Into Seventh Round, Select LSU WR Stephen Sullivan". Seahawks.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  13. Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  14. "Newton runs for 2 TDs, Patriots hold off Dolphins 21-11". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  15. Joe, Schad. "Dolphins prepare to face oddity of no fans, fake crowd noise at New England". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  16. "Allen reaches career high in passing, Bills beat Dolphins". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  17. Gordon, Grant. "What we learned from Dolphins' 31-13 win over Jaguars". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  18. Long, Mark. "Fitzpatrick, Fins Handle Jaguars". Wheeling News-Register. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  19. "Wilson leads Seahawks to first 4-0 start since 2013". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  20. "The Dolphins Wiped the Floor with the 49ers and it was Awesome". The Phinsider. October 13, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  21. Smith, Michael David (October 11, 2020). "Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins dominate the 49ers". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
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  23. Davis, Jarred (November 16, 2020). "Tagovailoa, Dolphins Win Fifth Straight; Defeat Chargers 29-21". lasentinel.net. Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
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  25. "Tua throws for 296 yards as Dolphins beat Bengals 19-7". CBSsports.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  26. "Patrick Mahomes called this crazy throw by Dolphins' Ryan Fitzpatrick the best no-look pass of all-time". CBS Sports. December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
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