1984 Miami Dolphins season
Encyclopedia
1984 was the 18th season in football for the Miami Dolphins
and the fifteenth for coach Don Shula
with the club. The Dolphins sought to build on a spectacular 1983 season where they went 12–4 with rookie quarterback Dan Marino
only to be upended by the Seattle Seahawks
in the playoffs. Marino's passing ability became the focal point of Miami's offense and in 1984 he exploded to set league records with 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns; the yardage record still stands while his touchdown record was broken by Peyton Manning
(49) twenty years later. The Dolphins made a run at a perfect season
twelve years after pulling off the feat
as they won their first eleven games but were upended in overtime by the San Diego Chargers
. The Dolphins broke 500 points scored for the first and to date only time in their history as they scored 513 points and finished 14–2, their best record since the undefeated season.
the Dolphins routed Seattle 31–10. Dan Marino
threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns despite being intercepted twice by Seahawks defensive back John Harris
. The Dolphins rushed for 143 yards and a Tony Nathan
rushing score as well.
led the Dolphins to a victory by throwing for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception. Steelers quarterback Mark Malone
recorded 312 yards and 3 touchdowns, but was intercepted 3 times.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the fifteenth for coach Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
with the club. The Dolphins sought to build on a spectacular 1983 season where they went 12–4 with rookie quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
only to be upended by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the playoffs. Marino's passing ability became the focal point of Miami's offense and in 1984 he exploded to set league records with 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns; the yardage record still stands while his touchdown record was broken by Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
(49) twenty years later. The Dolphins made a run at a perfect season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
twelve years after pulling off the feat
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
as they won their first eleven games but were upended in overtime by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Dolphins broke 500 points scored for the first and to date only time in their history as they scored 513 points and finished 14–2, their best record since the undefeated season.
NFL Draft
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Jackie Shipp Jackie Shipp Jackie Renardo Shipp is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League. He is currently the defensive line coach for the Oklahoma Sooners football team. He has been on the Sooners' coaching staff since the arrival of Bob Stoops in 1999.Shipp played high school... |
Inside Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
University of Oklahoma |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 2, 1984 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 35–17 | |
| 2 | September 9, 1984 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 28–7 | |
| 3 | September 17, 1984 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 21–17 | |
| 4 | September 23, 1984 | Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
W 44–7 | |
| 5 | September 30, 1984 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 36–28 | |
| 6 | October 7, 1984 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 31–7 | |
| 7 | October 14, 1984 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 28–10 | |
| 8 | October 21, 1984 | at New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
W 44–24 | |
| 9 | October 28, 1984 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–7 | |
| 10 | November 4, 1984 | at New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31–17 | |
| 11 | November 11, 1984 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24–23 | |
| 12 | November 18, 1984 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–34 | |
| 13 | November 26, 1984 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28–17 | |
| 14 | December 2, 1984 | Los Angeles Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 34–45 | |
| 15 | December 9, 1984 | at Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
W 35–17 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1984 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 28–21 | |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Jon Giesler Jon William Giesler is a former American football offensive tackle who played ten seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He was selected by the Dolphins in the first round as the 24th overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft.... T Eric Laakso Eric Henry Laakso was a retired NFL offensive tackle and guard who played seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, a tenure which included two Super Bowls... T Dwight Stephenson Dwight Eugene Stephenson is a former American football offensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 1998... C Jeff Toews Jeffrey Mark Toews is a former NFL offensive tackle and guard who played seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He is the younger brother of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Loren Toews.... C Ed Newman Ed Newman is a former Offensive Guard who, from 1973 to 1984, played 12 seasons with the Miami Dolphins.-Early life:... G Ronnie Lee (American football) Ronnie Lee is a former American football offensive tackle who played 14 seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Miami Dolphins. He started his career as a tight end.... G/T/TE Cleveland Green Cleveland Green is a former tackle who played eight seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. He started in Super Bowl XIX.... T Defensive Linemen
Linebackers
|
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics |
||||
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 29, 1984 | Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
W 31–10 | |
| Conference Championship | January 6, 1985 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 45–28 | |
| Super Bowl | January 20, 1985 | N San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 16–38 | |
Standings
| AFC East AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 513 | 298 |
| New England Patriots 1984 New England Patriots season The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1984 season with a record of nine wins and seven losses, and finished second in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 362 | 352 |
| New York Jets 1984 New York Jets season The 1984 New York Jets season was the 25th season for the team and the 15th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 7–9 record from 1983 under head coach Joe Walton... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 332 | 364 |
| Indianapolis Colts 1984 Indianapolis Colts season The 1984 Indianapolis Colts season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 1st in Indianapolis, as they moved from Baltimore after the 1983 NFL season... |
4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 239 | 414 |
| Buffalo Bills 1984 Buffalo Bills season The 1984 Buffalo Bills season was the 25th season for the club and its 15th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:- Standings :-References:* * *... |
2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 250 | 454 |
Passing
| Player | Att | Comp | Yds | TD | INT | Rating |
| Dan Marino | 564 | 362 | 5084 | 48 | 17 | 108.9 |
AFC Divisional Playoff
A year after being upended in the playoffs by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
the Dolphins routed Seattle 31–10. Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns despite being intercepted twice by Seahawks defensive back John Harris
John Harris
-Politics and government:*John Harris , English MP for Grampound in 1555*John Harris English MP for Bere Alston in 1640*John Harris , English MP for Liskeard...
. The Dolphins rushed for 143 yards and a Tony Nathan
Tony Nathan
Tony Curtis Nathan is an American football coach and former running back.Nathan was a running back from Alabama who was selected in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, with whom he played from 1979-1987...
rushing score as well.
AFC Championship Game
In a shootout, quarterback Dan MarinoDan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
led the Dolphins to a victory by throwing for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception. Steelers quarterback Mark Malone
Mark Malone
Mark M. Malone is a former American football quarterback in the NFL.-Playing career:Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California...
recorded 312 yards and 3 touchdowns, but was intercepted 3 times.
Scoring summary
- MIA – FG: Uwe von Schamann 37 yards 3–0 MIA
- SF – TD: Carl Monroe 33 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) 7–3 SF
- MIA – TD: Dan Johnson 2 yard pass from Dan Marino (Uwe von Schamann kick) 10–7 MIA
- SF – TD: Roger Craig 8 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) 14–10 SF
- SF – TD: Joe Montana 6 yard run (Ray Wersching kick) 21–10 SF
- SF – TD: Roger Craig 2 yard run (Ray Wersching kick) 28–10 SF
- MIA – FG: Uwe von Schamann 31 yards 28–13 SF
- MIA – FG: Uwe von Schamann 30 yards 28–16 SF
- SF – FG: Ray Wersching 27 yards 31–16 SF
- SF – TD: Roger Craig 16 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) 38–16 SF
Awards and honors
- Dan Marino, 1984 NFL MVP
- Dan Marino, 1984 PFWA MVP
- Dan Marino, 1984 NEA MVP
- Dan Marino, 1984 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- Dan Marino, 1984 UPI AFL-AFC Player of the YearUPI AFL-AFC Player of the YearFrom 1960 to 1969, the United Press International gave the annual AFL Player of the Year award in the American Football League, whose teams in 1970 became the American Football Conference of the new National Football League ....
- Dan Marino, Bert Bell AwardBert Bell AwardThe Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. This award is named in honor of Bert Bell , Commissioner of the National Football League and founder of the Maxwell Club...