The Miami Dolphins have a rich history that includes the only undefeated team in NFL history and a pair of Super Bowl victories. But in recent years, Miami has struggled to contend for titles or even win a playoff game. Let’s examine the last time the Dolphins hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
How Long Has It Been Since the Dolphins Won It All?
The Dolphins have won two Super Bowl Championships in franchise history, plus five conference titles. And to this day, the 1972 Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to post a perfect season.
In 1970, the first season after the NFL/AFL merger, the Dolphins fired head coach George Wilson, who had coached the team since 1966. Wilson was 15-39-2 while coaching the Dolphins, and Miami hired legendary coach Don Shula to replace him.
In Shula’s first season, he led the Dolphins to a 10-4 record, but they lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
But in 1971, Shula and the Dolphins began their legendary run of three straight Super Bowl appearances. The Dolphins went 10-3-1, winning the AFC East. The team then advanced to Super Bowl VI, where they fell to the Dallas Cowboys. Miami went 26-2 over the next two seasons, winning both Super Bowl VII and VIII.
That win in Super Bowl VIII on Jan. 13, 1974, is Miami’s most recent title. Shula remained the head coach until 1995 when he retired. He reached the playoffs 12 more times, including two more Super Bowl appearances in 1983 (Super Bowl XVII) and 1985 (Super Bowl XIX), but Miami lost to Washington and San Francisco, respectively. Shula finished his Dolphins career with a 257-133-2 record.
Following Shula’s retirement, the team hired two-time Super Bowl champion Jimmy Johnson as their new coach. He would spend four seasons with Miami before retiring. During his time in Miami, he went 36-28. He led Miami to three playoff appearances and zero division titles.
After the retirements of Shula and Johnson, Miami would go through 11 different head coaches over 23 seasons. They won the AFC East twice in that span and appeared in the playoffs just five times, only winning one game in 2000. The Dolphins’ last playoff victory came over the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17, in overtime.
Miami currently holds the longest playoff win drought in the NFL. With the Detroit Lions ending their 32-year postseason win drought last year, Miami’s 23-year drought is now No. 1. The Dolphins’ most recent postseason appearance came last season, but they lost to the eventual-champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round 26-7.
This season, it remains to be seen if Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Co. can sneak into the playoffs and end the franchise’s NFL-worst drought.