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
Owner	Stephen M. Ross
Head coach	Brian Flores
General manager	Chris Grier
Home field	Hard Rock Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	CB Xavien Howard
AP All-Pros	CB Xavien Howard (1st team) K Jason Sanders (1st team) PR Jakeem Grant (2nd team)
Uniform

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 5 Super Bowl appearances, winning back-to-back 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.

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 their 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

2020 Miami Dolphins Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	5	Tua Tagovailoa	QB	Alabama
	18	Austin Jackson	OT	USC	from Pittsburgh
	30	Noah Igbinoghene	CB	Auburn	from Green Bay
2	39	Robert Hunt	OT	Louisiana
	56	Raekwon Davis	NT	Alabama	from New Orleans
3	70	Brandon Jones	FS	Texas
4	111	Solomon Kindley	G	Georgia	from Houston
5	154	Jason Strowbridge	DE	North Carolina	from Jacksonville via Pittsburgh
	164	Curtis Weaver	OLB	Boise State	from Baltimore via Los Angeles Rams
6	185	Blake Ferguson	LS	LSU
7	246	Malcolm Perry	WR	Navy	from Kansas City

Draft trades

• The Dolphins traded their second-round and fourth-round selections in the 2019 NFL Draft to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for their second-round and sixth-round selections in 2019, as well as their second-round selection in 2020.[1]
• The Dolphins traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a fourth-round selection, and a seventh-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a first-round and fifth-round selection in 2020 as well as a sixth-round selection in 2021.[2]
• The Dolphins traded offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round selection, and a 2021 sixth-round selection to the Houston Texans in exchange for their 2020 first-round selection, as well as their first-round and second-round selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Julién Davenport, and cornerback Johnson Bademosi.[3]
• The Dolphins traded a 2019 second-round selection, as well as their 2020 fifth-selection to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for quarterback Josh Rosen.[4] They regained this selection after trading running back Kenyan Drake to Arizona.[5]
• The Dolphins traded a seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for cornerback Aqib Talib and a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.[6]
• The Dolphins traded a sixth-round selection to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a conditional seventh-round selection and center Evan Boehm.[7]
• The Dolphins traded a seventh-round selection to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for guard Danny Isidora.[8]
• The Dolphins traded safety Jordan Lucas to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a seventh-round selection.[9]
• The Dolphins traded a seventh-round selection (251st) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round selection.[10]

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 Head Coach – Brian Flores Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Chan Gailey Quarterbacks – Robby Brown Running Backs – Eric Studesville Wide Receivers – Josh Grizzard Tight Ends – George Godsey Offensive Line – Steve Marshall Assistant Offensive Line – Lemuel Jeanpierre Quality Control – Kolby Smith			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  5 Jake Rudock  1 Tua Tagovailoa Running backs 26 Salvon Ahmed 22 Matt Breida 37 Myles Gaskin 32 Patrick Laird 31 DeAndré Washington Wide receivers 15 Lynn Bowden 84 Isaiah Ford 19 Jakeem Grant RS 86 Mack Hollins 11 DeVante Parker 10 Malcolm Perry Tight ends 88 Mike Gesicki 80 Adam Shaheen 81 Durham Smythe		Offensive linemen 70 Julién Davenport T 77 Jesse Davis G 63 Michael Deiter C 75 Ereck Flowers G 68 Robert Hunt T 73 Austin Jackson T 66 Solomon Kindley G 67 Ted Karras C 78 Adam Pankey G Defensive linemen 98 Raekwon Davis NT 95 Benito Jones NT 91 Emmanuel Ogbah DE 92 Zach Sieler DE 58 Jason Strowbridge DE 94 Christian Wilkins DE		Linebackers 55 Jerome Baker ILB 49 Samuel Eguavoen OLB 51 Kamu Grugier-Hill ILB 90 Shaq Lawson OLB 48 Calvin Munson ILB 43 Andrew Van Ginkel OLB 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB Defensive backs 42 Clayton Fejedelem SS 35 Kavon Frazier FS 36 Nate Holley S 25 Xavien Howard CB 23 Noah Igbinoghene CB 29 Brandon Jones FS 24 Byron Jones CB 28 Bobby McCain FS 40 Nik Needham CB 33 Jamal Perry CB 21 Eric Rowe SS Special teams 50 Blake Ferguson LS  2 Matt Haack P  7 Jason Sanders K		Reserve lists 47 Vince Biegel OLB (IR) 14 Ryan Fitzpatrick QB (COVID-19) 56 Davon Godchaux NT (IR) 17 Allen Hurns WR (Opt-out) 96 Jonathan Ledbetter DE (NF-Inj.) 44 Elandon Roberts ILB (IR) 18 Preston Williams WR (IR) 15 Albert Wilson WR (Opt-out) Practice squad 97 Nick Coe DE 41 Brian Cole II S 38 Javaris Davis CB 45 Tino Ellis CB 74 Tyler Gauthier C 71 Jonathan Hubbard T 59 Kylan Johnson ILB 16 Marcus Kemp WR 46 Akeem King CB 83 Kirk Merritt WR 85 Chris Myarick TE 87 Andre Patton WR 69 Durval Queiroz-Neto G (Int.) 52 Tyshun Render DE 17 Reid Sinnett QB 60 Rex Sunahara LS 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.[11]

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.[11]

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	3	0	8	11
Patriots	0	7	7	7	21

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Adrian Hill
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, and Gene Steratore
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NE – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 13:12 Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:11. MIA – Jason Sanders 46-yard field goal, 3:53 Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:16. Third quarter NE – Cam Newton 11-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 10:14 Patriots 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:46. Fourth quarter MIA – Jordan Howard 1-yard run (Ryan Fitzpatrick run), 10:31 Patriots 14–11. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:23. NE – Sony Michel 1-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 5:23 Patriots 21–11. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:08. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 20/30, 191 yards, 3 INT NE – Cam Newton – 15/19, 155 yards Top rushers MIA – Myles Gaskin – 9 rushes, 40 yards NE – Cam Newton – 15 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 4 receptions, 47 yards NE – Julian Edelman – 5 receptions, 57 yards

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. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	7	10	0	14	31
Dolphins	7	3	3	15	28

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 90 °F (32 °C)
• Game attendance: 11,075
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter BUF – Reggie Gilliam 1-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 4:55 Bills 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 5:19. MIA – DeVante Parker 2-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 0:38 Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:17. Second quarter BUF – Stefon Diggs 22-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 11:40 Bills 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:58. BUF – Tyler Bass 39-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 2:30 Bills 17–7. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:13. MIA – Jason Sanders 52-yard field goal, 0:02 Bills 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 0:31. Third quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 45-yard field goal, 11:18 Bills 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:42. Fourth quarter MIA – Jordan Howard 2-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 10:11 Dolphins 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:13. BUF – Gabriel Davis 6-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 5:55 Bills 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:16. BUF – John Brown 46-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 3:09 Bills 31–20. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:17. MIA – Mike Gesicki 8-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Ryan Fitzpatrick–Preston Williams pass), 0:49 Dolphins 31–28. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:20. Top passers BUF – Josh Allen – 24/35, 415 yards, 4 TD MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 31/47, 328 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – Devin Singletary – 10 rushes, 56 yards MIA – Myles Gaskin – 7 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers BUF – Stefon Diggs – 8 receptions, 153 yards, TD MIA – Mike Gesicki – 8 receptions, 130 yards, TD

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 0–2.

Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Three: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	14	7	7	3	31
Jaguars	0	7	0	6	13

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 16,563
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (NFLN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Preston Williams 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 8:09. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:51. MIA – Jordan Howard 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 2:37. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:17. Second quarter JAX – James Robinson 11-yard run (Brandon Wright kick), 13:04. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:33. MIA – Mike Gesicki 15-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 5:58. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 7:06. Third quarter MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 2:01. Dolphins 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:03. Fourth quarter JAX – James Robinson 1-yard run (kick failed), 9:03. Dolphins 28–13. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 3:11. MIA – Jason Sanders 30-yard field goal, 3:49. Dolphins 31–13. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:58. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 18/20, 160 yards, 2 TD JAX – Gardner Minshew – 30/42, 275 yards, INT Top rushers MIA – Myles Gaskin – 22 rushes, 66 yards JAX – James Robinson – 11 rushes, 46 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 5 receptions, 69 yards JAX – James Robinson – 6 receptions, 83 yards

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.

Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	10	7	0	14	31
Dolphins	3	6	3	11	23

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 12,369
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Sara Walsh
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter SEA – Chris Carson 1-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 10:00. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 6 play, 57 yards, 2:52. MIA – Jason Sanders 41-yard field goal, 2:33. Seahawks 7–3. Drive: 9 play, 54 yards, 4:02. SEA – Jason Myers 55-yard field goal, 0:07. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 7 play, 39 yards, 2:26. Second quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 29-yard field goal, 11:24. Seahawks 10–6. Drive: 8 play, 64 yards, 3:43. MIA – Jason Sanders 45-yard field goal, 0:24. Seahawks 10–9. Drive: 10 play, 48 yards, 4:21. SEA – Travis Homer 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 0:03. Seahawks 17–9. Drive: 4 play, 75 yards, 0:21. Third quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 43-yard field goal, 4:07. Seahawks 17–12. Drive: 10 play, 55 yards, 5:49. Fourth quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 29-yard field goal, 8:31. Seahawks 17–15. Drive: 17 play, 73 yards, 7:59. SEA – David Moore 17-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 5:24. Seahawks 24–15. Drive: 6 play, 75 yards, 3:07. SEA – Chris Carson 1-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 4:00. Seahawks 31–15. Drive: 2 play, 33 yards, 0:16. MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick 10-yard run (Ryan Fitzpatrick–Preston Williams pass), 1:50. Seahawks 31–23. Drive: 8 play, 75 yards, 2:10. Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson – 24/34, 360 yards, 2 TD, INT MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 29/45, 315 yards, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Chris Carson – 16 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 6 rushes, 47 yards, TD Top receivers SEA – DK Metcalf – 4 receptions, 106 yards MIA – DeVante Parker – 10 receptions, 110 yards

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.

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Five: Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	14	16	7	6	43
49ers	0	7	10	0	17

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Lindsay Czarniak
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Adam Shaheen 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 10:45. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:52. MIA – Myles Gaskin 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 4:14. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:19. Second quarter SF – Kyle Juszczyk 7-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 12:07. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 49 yards, 1:18. MIA – DeVante Parker 22-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 7:29. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 4:38. MIA – Jason Sanders 26-yard field goal, 2:00. Dolphins 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:40. MIA – Jason Sanders 50-yard field goal, 0:38. Dolphins 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:03. MIA – Jason Sanders 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 30–7. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:14. Third quarter SF – Kendrick Bourne 19-yard pass from C.J. Beathard (Robbie Gould kick), 8:07. Dolphins 30–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:20. MIA – Preston Williams 32-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 4:42. Dolphins 37–14. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:25. SF – Robbie Gould 37-yard field goal, 0:46. Dolphins 37–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:56. Fourth quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 31-yard field goal, 8:40. Dolphins 40–17. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 7:06. MIA – Jason Sanders 49-yard field goal, 5:52. Dolphins 43–17. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:40. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 22/28, 350 yards, 3 TD SF – C.J. Beathard – 9/18, 94 yards, TD Top rushers MIA – Myles Gaskin – 16 rushes, 57 yards, TD SF – Raheem Mostert – 11 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers MIA – Preston Williams – 4 receptions, 106 yards, TD SF – George Kittle – 4 receptions, 44 yards

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	0	0	0	0
Dolphins	7	14	3	0	24

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 10,772
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton, and Sheree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Adam Shaheen 4-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 6:55. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:44. Second quarter MIA – Preston Williams 3-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 11:16. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:44. MIA – Durham Smythe 4-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 1:53. Dolphins 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards, 0:41. Third quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 24-yard field goal, 3:49. Dolphins 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:45. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers NYJ – Joe Flacco – 21/44, 186 yards, INT MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 18/27, 191 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYJ – Frank Gore – 11 rushes, 46 yards MIA – Myles Gaskin – 18 rushes, 91 yards Top passers NYJ – Breshad Perriman – 4 receptions, 62 yards MIA – Adam Shaheen – 3 receptions, 51 yards, TD

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	3	0	7	17
Dolphins	7	21	0	0	28

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 12,397
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First Quarter LAR – Robert Woods 4-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 11:13. Rams 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:25. MIA – DeVante Parker 3-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 0:00. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:55. Second Quarter MIA – Andrew Van Ginkel 78-yard fumble return (Jason Sanders kick), 10:01. Dolphins 14–7. MIA – Jakeem Grant 88-yard punt return (Jason Sanders kick), 8:44. Dolphins 21–7. MIA – Myles Gaskin 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 2:47. Dolphins 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04. LAR – Kai Forbath 23-yard field goal, 0:11. Dolphins 28–10. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 2:36. Third Quarter No scoring plays. Fourth Quarter LAR – Robert Woods 11-yard pass from Jared Goff (Kai Forbath kick), 9:58. Dolphins 28–17. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:09. Top passers LAR – Jared Goff – 35/61, 355 yards, TD, 2 INT MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 12/22, 93 yards, TD Top rushers LAR – Darrell Henderson – 8 rushes, 47 yards MIA – Myles Gaskin – 18 rushes, 47 yards, TD Top receivers LAR – Cooper Kupp – 11 receptions, 110 yards MIA – Durham Smythe – 2 receptions, 16 yards

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. During the 2nd quarter, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scored his first NFL touchdown on an 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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	14	10	0	10	34
Cardinals	7	10	14	0	31

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/2:25 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 4,200
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Michael Grady
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Shaq Lawson 36-yard fumble return (Jason Sanders kick), 10:37. Dolphins 7–0. ARI – Maxx Williams 4-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Zane Gonzalez kick), 4:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:46. MIA – Jordan Howard 2-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 0:55. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:56. Second quarter ARI – Christian Kirk 56-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Zane Gonzalez kick), 14:23. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:32. MIA – Preston Williams 9-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 10:18. Dolphins 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:05. ARI – Zane Gonzalez 37-yard field goal, 5:10. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:08. MIA – Jason Sanders 56-yard field goal, 0:03. Dolphins 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 0:43. Third quarter ARI – Darrell Daniels 21-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Zane Gonzalez kick), 12:13. Tied 24–24. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:12. ARI – Kyler Murray 12-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 2:34. Cardinals 31–24. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 6:10. Fourth quarter MIA – Mack Hollins 11-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 11:19. Tied 31–31. Drive: 10 plays, 93 yards, 6:09. MIA – Jason Sanders 50-yard field goal, 3:35. Dolphins 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 1:40. Top passers MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 20/28, 248 yards, 2 TD ARI – Kyler Murray – 21/26, 283 yards, 3 TD Top rushers MIA – Salvon Ahmed – 7 rushes, 38 yards ARI – Kyler Murray – 11 rushes, 106 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 64 yards ARI – Christian Kirk – 5 receptions, 123 yards, TD

In a back-and-forth game, Miami pulled ahead late in the game with 10 points in the forth 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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	7	7	7	21
Dolphins	14	3	3	9	29

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

First quarter MIA – Salvon Ahmed 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 12:58. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04. MIA – Jakeem Grant 3-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 1:01. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 7:04. Second quarter LAC – Justin Herbert 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 4:25. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 5:51. MIA – Jason Sanders 50-yard field goal, 0:29. Dolphins 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 0:37. Third quarter LAC – Hunter Henry 2-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Michael Badgley kick), 7:02. Dolphins 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:38. MIA – Jason Sanders 35-yard field goal, 2:34. Dolphins 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:28. Fourth quarter MIA – Durham Smythe 2-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (pass failed), 11:38. Tied 26–14. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:32. MIA – Jason Sanders 49-yard field goal, 4:06. Dolphins 29–14. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:38. LAC – Keenan Allen 13-yard pass from Justin Hebert (Michael Badgley kick), 1:57. Dolphins 29–21. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:02. Top passers LAC – Justin Herbert – 20/32, 187 yards, 2 TD, INT MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 15/25, 169 yards, 2 TD Top rushers LAC – Kalen Ballage – 18 rushes, 68 yards MIA – Salvon Ahmed – 21 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers LAC – Keenan Allen – 3 receptions, 39 yards, TD MIA – Jakeem Grant – 4 receptions, 43 yards, TD

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	7	3	0	3	13
Broncos	7	6	7	0	20

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Mostly sunny, 45 °F (7 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,351
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – DeVante Parker 3-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 10:08. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:50. DEN – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 1:34. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:00. Second quarter DEN – Brandon McManus 29-yard field goal, 9:55. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:54. MIA – Jason Sanders 41-yard field goal, 2:39. Tied 10–10. Drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 7:16. DEN – Brandon McManus 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:34. Third quarter DEN – Melvin Gordon 20-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 2:31. Broncos 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yard, 4:46. Fourth quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 53-yard field goal, 7:51. Broncos 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:04. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 12/18, 117 yards, INT DEN – Drew Lock – 18/30, 270 yards, INT Top rushers MIA – Salvon Ahmed – 12 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Melvin Gordon – 15 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 6 receptions, 61 yards, TD DEN – Tim Patrick – 5 receptions, 119 yards

The Dolphins played without running back Jordan Howard as he got cut on November 16, 2020, after just 9 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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	10	0	7	20
Jets	3	0	0	0	3

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

First quarter NYJ – Sergio Castillo 38-yard field goal, 9:48. Jets 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 5:15. MIA – Jason Sanders 54-yard field goal, 1:17. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:18. Second quarter MIA – Mike Gesicki 13-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 8:56. Dolphins 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:11. MIA – Jason Sanders 51-yard field goal, 5:57. Dolphins 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:30. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIA – Adam Shaheen 7-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 6:54. Dolphins 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:39. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 24/39, 257 yards, 2 TD NYJ – Sam Darnold – 16/27, 197 yards, 2 INT Top rushers MIA – DeAndre Washington – 13 rushes, 49 yards NYJ – Frank Gore – 18 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 8 receptions, 119 yards DEN – Breshad Perriman – 4 receptions, 79 yards

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 2 seasons. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 7–4.

Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Thirteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	0	0	0	7
Dolphins	0	6	10	3	19

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

First quarter CIN – Tyler Boyd 72-yard pass from Brandon Allen (Randy Bullock kick), 3:31. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:20. Second quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 25-yard field goal, 11:35. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:38. MIA – Jason Sanders 48-yard field goal, 0:02. Bengals 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 0:58. Third quarter MIA – Mike Gesicki 5-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 11:35. Dolphins 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:25. MIA – Jason Sanders 23-yard field goal, 5:37. Dolphins 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:10. Fourth quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 19-yard field goal, 13:24. Bengals 19–7. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 5:31. Top passers CIN – Brandon Allen – 11/19, 153 yards, TD, INT MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 26/39, 296 yards, TD Top rushers CIN – Giovani Bernard – 12 rushes, 30 yards MIA – Myles Gaskin – 21 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers CIN – Tyler Boyd – 1 reception, 72 yards, TD MIA – Mike Gesicki – 9 receptions, 88 yards, TD

For the first time since suffering a minor thumb injury, Tua Tagovailoa returned as the Dolphins starting quarterback. 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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	14	16	3	33
Dolphins	7	3	0	17	27

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 13,057
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIA – Mike Gesicki 7-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 1:35. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:15. Second quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 31-yard field goal, 10:14. Dolphins 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:23. KC – Tyreek Hill 32-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 8:10. Dolphins 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:04. KC – Travis Kelce 6-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:37. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 2:15. Third quarter KC – Tyreek Hill 44-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 13:50. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:10. KC – Mecole Hardman 67-yard punt return (Harrison Butker kick), 12:38. Chiefs 28–10. KC – Chris Jones sacks Tua Tagovailoa in endzone for safety, 6:52. Chiefs 30–10. Fourth quarter MIA – Mike Gesicki 29-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 12:03. Chiefs 30–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:16. MIA – Tua Tagovailoa 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 4:15. Chiefs 30–24. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:52. KC – Harrison Butker 46-yard field goal, 1:08. Chiefs 33–24. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 3:07. MIA – Jason Sanders 44-yard field goal, 0:16. Chiefs 33–27. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 0:52. Top passers KC – Patrick Mahomes – 24/34, 393 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 28/48, 316 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Tyreek Hill – 1 rush, 32 yards, TD MIA – DeAndre Washington – 13 rushes, 35 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce – 8 receptions, 136 yards, TD MIA – Lynn Bowden Jr. – 7 receptions, 82 yards

Despite holding an 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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	6	3	3	12
Dolphins	0	0	7	15	22

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 13,354
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NE – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 8:55. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 6:10. NE – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 4:19. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 2:32. Third quarter MIA – Salvon Ahmed 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 10:32. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:28. NE – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 4:23. Patriots 9–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:16. Fourth quarter MIA – Tua Tagovailoa 3-yard run (Tua Tagovailoa–Salvon Ahmed pass), 12:55. Dolphins 15–7. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 6:25. NE – Nick Folk 42-yard field goal, 9:07. Dolphins 15–12. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:52. MIA – Tua Tagovailoa 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 3:17. Dolphins 22–12. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:46. Top passers NE – Cam Newton – 17/27, 209 yards MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 20/26, 145 yards, INT Top rushers NE – Sony Michel – 10 rushes, 74 yards MIA – Salvon Ahmed – 23 rushes, 122 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Jakobi Meyers – 7 receptions, 111 yards MIA – Durham Smythe – 5 receptions, 40 yards

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	3	7	13	26
Raiders	7	6	3	9	25

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

• Date: December 26
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (NFLN): Joe Davis, Kurt Warner and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter LV – Derek Carr 1-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick), 8:25. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:56. MIA – Jason Sanders 37-yard field goal, 1:28. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:57. Second quarter LV – Daniel Carlson 23-yard field goal, 6:51. Raiders 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:26. MIA – Jason Sanders 39-yard field goal, 1:47. Raiders 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:04. LV – Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal, 0:16. Raiders 13–6. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 1:26. Third quarter MIA – Myles Gaskin 10-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 10:38. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:29. LV – Daniel Carlson 20-yard field goal, 2:34. Raiders 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:17. Fourth quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 22-yard field goal, 4:05. Tied 16–16. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 5:46. LV – Nelson Agholor 85-yard pass from Derek Carr (kick failed), 3:37. Raiders 22–16. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:24. MIA – Myles Gaskin 59-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jason Sanders kick), 2:55. Dolphins 23–22. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:42. LV – Daniel Carlson 22-yard field goal, 0:23. Raiders 25–23. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:32. MIA – Jason Sanders 44-yard field goal, 0:06. Dolphins 26–25. Drive: 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:13. Top passers MIA – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 9/13, 182 yards, TD LV – Derek Carr – 21/34, 336 yards, TD Top rushers MIA – Myles Gaskin – 14 rush, 87 yards LV – Josh Jacobs – 13 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers MIA – Myles Gaskin – 5 receptions, 82 yards, 2 TD LV – Nelson Agholor – 5 receptions, 155 yards, TD

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, which Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dubbed "the greatest no-look pass of all time",[12] to set up Sanders' game-winning field goal. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 10–5.

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

Week Seventeen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	3	7	13	26
Bills	0	28	7	21	56

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

First quarter MIA – Jason Sanders 49-yard field goal, 8:07. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 2:35. Second quarter BUF – Isaiah McKenzie 7-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 12:09. Bills 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:19. BUF – Isaiah McKenzie 14-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 6:56. Bills 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 2:47. BUF – Isaiah McKenzie 84-yard punt return (Tyler Bass kick), 5:22. Bills 21–3. MIA – Jason Sanders 32-yard field goal, 1:44. Bills 21–6. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:38. BUF – John Brown 32-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 1:00. Bills 28–6. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:44. Third quarter MIA – Myles Gaskin 1-yard run (Jason Sanders kick), 11:08. Bills 28–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:52. BUF – Josh Norman 16-yard interception return (Tyler Bass kick), 8:20. Bills 35–13. Fourth quarter BUF – Antonio Williams 18-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 13:44. Bills 42–13. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:45. BUF – Antonio Williams 2-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 11:55. Bills 49–13. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:37. MIA – Salvon Ahmed 16-yard run (pass failed), 8:40. Bills 49–19. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:15. BUF – Gabriel Davis 56-yard pass from Matt Barkley (Tyler Bass kick), 6:18. Bills 56–19. Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:09. MIA – Malcolm Perry 25-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jason Sanders kick), 2:47. Bills 56–26. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:31. Top passers MIA – Tua Tagovailoa – 35/58, 361 yards, TD, 3 INT BUF – Josh Allen – 18/25, 224 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Salvon Ahmed – 6 rushes, 29 yards, TD BUF – Antonio Williams – 12 rushes, 63 yards, 2 TD Top receivers MIA – DeVante Parker – 7 receptions, 116 yards BUF – Gabriel Davis – 2 receptions, 107 yards, TD

After the embarrassing blowout loss, the Dolphins failed to win 11 games in a season for the first time since 2008. 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]
Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis based on division record. Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below). Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep. Cleveland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers 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.

References

1. "2019 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves". NFL.com. April 25, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
2. Scott, Jelani (September 17, 2019). "Dolphins S Minkah Fitzpatrick traded to Steelers". NFL.com.
3. Gantt, Darin. "Dolphins fire sale sends Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills to Texans". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
4. Poupart, Alain (April 26, 2019). "Dolphins Acquire QB Josh Rosen From Cardinals". www.miamidolphins.com. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
5. Patra, Kevin (October 28, 2019). "Dolphins trade RB Kenyan Drake to Cardinals". NFL.com.
6. Patra, Kevin (October 29, 2019). "Rams ship CB Aqib Talib, fifth-rounder to Dolphins". NFL.com.
7. "Dolphins Acquire C/G Evan Boehm". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
8. "Dolphins Trade For G Danny Isidora". MiamiDolphins.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
9. Florio, Mike (August 31, 2018). "Dolphins trade safety Jordan Lucas to the Chiefs". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
10. John Boyle (April 25, 2020). "Seahawks Trade Into Seventh Round, Select LSU WR Stephen Sullivan". Seahawks.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
11. Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
12. "Patrick Mahomes called this crazy throw by Dolphins' Ryan Fitzpatrick the best no-look pass of all-time". CBS Sports. Dec 27, 2020. Retrieved Jan 6, 2021.

External links

• Official website