# 2016 Miami Dolphins season

The 2016 season was the Miami Dolphins' 47th in the National Football League (NFL), their 51st overall, their first under general manager Chris Grier and their first under head coach Adam Gase. The season saw the Dolphins trying to improve upon their 6–10 record from 2015. After a lackluster 1–4 start, the Dolphins would claim six straight wins, and finish the season on a 9–2 run. With their Week 15 win over the New York Jets, the Dolphins clinched a winning record for the first time since 2008, and clinched a playoff berth the following week after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos, ending their 8-year playoff drought. This made Gase the Dolphins' first rookie coach since Tony Sparano to end a year-long playoff drought and also lead them to a winning record of at least 10 wins. They were also the first AFC East team, other than the New England Patriots, to qualify for the postseason since the 2010 New York Jets. However, they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, ending their season and not winning a playoff game for the 16th straight year.

## Offseason
### Organizational changes

On January 2, 2016, two-year general manager Dennis Hickey was fired. On January 4, the Dolphins promoted director of college scouting Chris Grier to replace Hickey as the new general manager. Grier has been with the Dolphins for the past sixteen seasons, nine as the director of scouting.
The Dolphins front office, which is made up of owner Stephen Ross, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, CEO Tom Garfinkel, vice chairman Matt Higgins and Grier, developed a committee to find a permanent replacement for former head coach Joe Philbin, who was fired and replaced by tight ends coach Dan Campbell on October 5, 2015.
The Dolphins conducted interviews with seven candidates. The candidates included former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith, former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone, Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and interim head coach Campbell. The Dolphins requested interviews with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, as well as Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.
Owner Ross expressed interest in New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton; however, on January 6, Payton announced he would remain in New Orleans for another season.
On January 9, Gase was hired as the twelfth head coach in Dolphins history. He was the only candidate to receive a second interview. On January 12, Gase hired Bengals' defensive back coach Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Matt Burke, who worked with Joseph in Cincinnati, in the same position. Gase also hired Washington Redskins' offensive line assistant Shane Day as tight ends coach, San Francisco 49ers' offensive line coach Chris Foerster in the same position and former NFL wide receiver Shawn Jefferson as the wide receivers coach. Assistant general manager Eric Stokes was promoted to senior personnel executive.
On August 16, 2016, the Dolphins announced the naming rights to their home stadium had been sold to Hard Rock International. The stadium, which was known as Sun Life Stadium in 2015 and was being called "New Miami Stadium" during the $500 million renovations completed during the summer of 2016, will be known as "Hard Rock Stadium."

### Roster changes

The Dolphins entered free agency with 11 unrestricted free agents.
| Position | Player | Free agency tag | Date signed | 2016 team |
| QB | Matt Moore | UFA | March 15, 2016 | Miami Dolphins |
| RB | Lamar Miller | UFA | March 9, 2016 | Houston Texans |
| C | Jacques McClendon | UFA | March 11, 2016 | Miami Dolphins |
| G | Shelley Smith | UFA | August 13, 2016 | Chicago Bears |
| WR | Rishard Matthews | UFA | March 9, 2016 | Tennessee Titans |
| DE | Derrick Shelby | UFA | March 9, 2016 | Atlanta Falcons |
| DE | Olivier Vernon | UFA | March 9, 2016 | New York Giants |
| LB | James-Michael Johnson | UFA | March 10, 2016 | Miami Dolphins |
| LB | Spencer Paysinger | UFA | March 29, 2016 | Miami Dolphins |
| LB | Kelvin Sheppard | UFA | April 10, 2016 | New York Giants |
| FS | Louis Delmas | UFA | | |
| RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent LEGEND  – Light green background indicates a player has been re-signed by the Dolphins.  – Light red background indicates a player has departed the Dolphins. |||||

#### Acquisitions

The Dolphins first addition of 2016 was the signing of wide receiver/cornerback Tyler Davis on January 4, on a futures contract. Davis became the first German Football League player to be signed by an NFL team.
March 7, 2016 – The Dolphins acquire LB Kiko Alonso and CB Byron Maxwell from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for swapping first round picks (8 and 13).
March 8, 2016 – The Dolphins sign DE Mario Williams on a 2-year, $16 million contract.
March 9, 2016 – The Dolphins sign S Isa Abdul-Quddus on a 3-year, $12.75 million contract.
May 13, 2016 – The Dolphins sign DE Jason Jones on a 1-year, $1.5 million contract.

#### Departures

The Dolphins first departure of 2016 was the waiving of offensive tackle Jason Curtis Fox, who had one year remaining on his contract, on January 12.
The Dolphins also released cornerback Brent Grimes and wide receiver Greg Jennings on March 5, 2016 after an uneventful 2015 season.
On March 9, the Dolphins lost Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, Derrick Shelby, Kelvin Sheppard, and Rishard Matthews to other teams during free agency.

## Draft

2016 Miami Dolphins Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | Laremy Tunsil | OT | Ole Miss |
| 2 | 38 | Xavien Howard | CB | Baylor |
| 3 | 73 | Kenyan Drake | RB | Alabama |
| 3 | 86 | Leonte Carroo | WR | Rutgers |
| 6 | 186 | Jakeem Grant | WR | Texas Tech |
| 6 | 204 | Jordan Lucas | CB/S | Penn State |
| 7 | 223 | Brandon Doughty | QB | Western Kentucky |
| 7 | 231 | Thomas Duarte | TE | UCLA |
Notes
* The team traded its first-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a first-round selection, cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso.
* The Baltimore Ravens traded its second-round selection to Miami in exchange for Miami's second and fourth-round selections.
* Miami traded its fifth-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for New England's 2 sixth-round selections and a seventh-round selection.
* The Dolphins acquired an additional seventh-round selection in a trade that sent cornerback Will Davis to the Baltimore Ravens.

## Schedule
### Preseason

This was the first preseason since 1999 that the Dolphins did not play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 12 | at New York Giants | W 27–10 | 1–0 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 14–41 | 1–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | Atlanta Falcons | W 17–6 | 2–1 | Camping World Stadium (Orlando) | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Tennessee Titans | L 10–21 | 2–2 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 10–12 | 0–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at New England Patriots | L 24–31 | 0–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | Cleveland Browns | W 30–24 (OT) | 1–2 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 7–22 | 1–3 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | Tennessee Titans | L 17–30 | 1–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 30–15 | 2–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | Buffalo Bills | W 28–25 | 3–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | November 6 | New York Jets | W 27–23 | 4–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | at San Diego Chargers | W 31–24 | 5–4 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 14–10 | 6–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | San Francisco 49ers | W 31–24 | 7–4 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 6–38 | 7–5 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | Arizona Cardinals | W 26–23 | 8–5 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | at New York Jets | W 34–13 | 9–5 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Buffalo Bills | W 34–31 (OT) | 10–5 | New Era Field | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | New England Patriots | L 14–35 | 10–6 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 8, 2017 | at Pittsburgh Steelers (3) | L 12–30 | 0–1 | Heinz Field | Recap |

## Game summaries
### Regular season
#### Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,012
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 39-yard field goal, 5:11. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 6:08.
Second quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal, 8:45. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:06.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
MIA – Ryan Tannehill 2-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 4:08. Dolphins 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:01.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 2-yard pass from Russell Wilson (kick blocked), 0:31. Seahawks 12–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 3:37.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 16/29, 186 yards
SEA – Russell Wilson – 27/43, 258 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Arian Foster – 13 rushes, 38 yards
SEA – Christine Michael – 15 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 7 receptions, 59 yards
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 9 receptions, 92 yards, TD :
The Dolphins opened their 2016 season at Seattle. This game would mark their first visit to Seattle since 2004. In the first quarter, the Dolphins would trail early as Steven Hauschka nailed a 39-yard field goal, giving Seattle a 3–0 lead. Miami would tie the game 3–3 on an Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal. But, the Seahawks would retake the lead on another Hauschka field goal, this time from 38 yards. After a scoreless 3rd quarter, Miami would finally take their first lead on a Ryan Tannehill 2 yard touchdown run, giving Miami a 10–6 lead with 4:08 left. However, Seattle would march down the field and take the lead for good, as Russell Wilson found Doug Baldwin from 2 yards out. With the loss, Miami started their season 0–1.

#### Week 2: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Patriots | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 66,829
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Danny Amendola 12-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:53. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:07.
NE – Martellus Bennett 20-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:22. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.
Second quarter
NE – Danny Amendola 10-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:10. Patriots 21–0. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 6:21.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 2:48. Patriots 24–0. Drive 9 plays, 36 yards, 3:01.
MIA – Andrew Franks 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 24–3. Drive 9 plays, 77 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
NE – LeGarrette Blount 9-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:44. Patriots 31–3. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:51
MIA – Kenny Stills 24-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:45. Patriots 31–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:59.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Jordan Cameron 12-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 14:51. Patriots 31–17. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 4:43.
MIA – Kenyan Drake 7-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 6:06. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:43
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 32/45, 387 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
NE – Jimmy Garoppolo – 18/26, 232 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 6 rushes, 35 yards
NE – LeGarrette Blount – 29 rushes, 123 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 10 receptions, 135 yards
NE – Martellus Bennett – 5 receptions, 114 yards, TD :
After trailing 31–3 for most of the game, Miami made the game close, but the comeback was short, as the Patriots held on for the win. With the loss, Miami fell to 0–2 for the first time since 2011.

#### Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 24 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 65,176
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – DeVante Parker 26-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 10:16. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:37.
Second quarter
CLE – Cody Parkey 46-yard field goal, 13:32. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:03.
CLE – Briean Boddy-Calhoun 27-yard interception return (Cody Parkey kick), 6:47. Browns 10–7.
MIA – Andrew Franks 37-yard field goal, 1:57. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:50.
CLE – Cody Parkey 48-yard field goal, 0:42. Browns 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
MIA – Jarvis Landry 42-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:17. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 2:10.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 10-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 14:17. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:16.
CLE – Terrelle Pryor 3-yard run (Cody Kessler–Gary Barnidge pass), 10:12. Dolphins 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:05.
CLE – Cody Parkey 38-yard field goal, 3:14. Tied 24–24. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:03.
Overtime
MIA – Jay Ajayi 11-yard run, 8:26. Dolphins 30–24. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:13.
Top passers
CLE – Cody Kessler – 21/33, 244 yards
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 25/39, 319 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 15 rushes, 79 yards
MIA – Kenyan Drake – 9 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Terrelle Pryor – 8 receptions, 144 yards
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 7 receptions, 120 yards, TD :
Cleveland kicker Cody Parkey missed three field goals in the game, including a potential game winner with no time left on the clock. After both teams failed on their opening drive of the overtime period, Jay Ajayi capped a three-play, 44-yard drive with an 11-yard run into the end zone to give Miami the win. With that, the Dolphins improved to 1–2.

#### Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Bengals | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 60,834
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 42-yard field goal, 9:51. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:09.
MIA – Kenny Stills 74-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 9:04. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:47.
CIN – A. J. Green 7-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 3:19. Bengals 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:24.
Second quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 22-yard field goal, 4:12. Bengals 13–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 8:25.
CIN – Mike Nugent 43-yard field goal, 1:06. Bengals 16–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 22-yard field goal, 6:09. Bengals 19–7. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 4:16.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 47-yard field goal, 13:30. Bengals 22–7. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:25.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 15/25, 189 yards, TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 22/31, 296 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 6 rushes, 33 yards
CIN – Jeremy Hill – 21 rushes, 71 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Kenny Stills – 1 reception, 74 yards, TD
CIN – A. J. Green – 10 receptions, 173 yards, TD :
The Dolphins wore orange Color Rush uniforms for this game. The Bengals dominated this game from start to finish, forcing two Miami turnovers. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–3.

#### Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 7 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 64,425
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Marcus Mariota 5-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 0:23. Titans 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
MIA – Jakeem Grant 74-yard punt return (Andrew Franks kick), 12:23. Tied 7–7.
TEN – Andre Johnson 5-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 5:30. Titans 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 6:53.
MIA – Jay Ajayi 4-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 2:00. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 3:30.
TEN – Delanie Walker 20-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (Ryan Succop kick), 0:47. Titans 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:13.
Third quarter
TEN – Ryan Succop 40-yard field goal, 10:33. Titans 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:25.
MIA – Andrew Franks 24-yard field goal, 5:10. Titans 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:23.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Rishard Matthews 4-yard pass from Marcus Mariota (kick blocked), 8:23. Titans 30–17. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:54.
Top passers
TEN – Marcus Mariota – 20/29, 163 yards, 3 TD
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 12/18, 191 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
TEN – DeMarco Murray – 27 rushes, 121 yards
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 13 rushes, 42 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Delanie Walker – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD
MIA – DeVante Parker – 2 receptions, 70 yards :
In the first of three games at home before their bye, the Dolphins gave up an early lead to the Tennessee Titans that they failed to overturn, as they fell to 1–4. Tannehill was sacked six times in the game.

#### Week 6: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 15 |
| Dolphins | 3 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), partly sunny
* Game attendance: 65,351
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 30-yard field goal, 8:34. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:39.
PIT – Darrius Heyward-Bey 60-yard run (Ben Roethlisberger–Le'Veon Bell pass), 5:39. Steelers 8–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:55.
Second quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 23-yard field goal, 8:18. Steelers 8–6. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 7:08.
MIA – Andrew Franks 30-yard field goal, 5:23. Dolphins 9–8. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 2:43.
MIA – Damien Williams 1-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 0:21. Dolphins 16–8. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 2:26.
Third quarter
MIA – Jay Ajayi 1-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 1:39. Dolphins 23–8. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:31.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Cobi Hamilton 23-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 1:02. Dolphins 23–15. Drive: 10 plays, 97 yards, 3:18.
MIA – Jay Ajayi 62-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 0:50. Dolphins 30–15. Drive: 1 play, 62 yards, 0:12.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 19/34, 189 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 24/32, 252 yards
Top rushers
PIT – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 1 rush, 60 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 25 rushes, 204 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 6 receptions, 55 yards
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 7 receptions, 91 yards :
Ben Roethlisberger was injured and taken out of the game briefly after throwing two interceptions and tearing his meniscus. The Steelers led 8–3 with less than 10 minutes played in the first quarter, but the Dolphins outscored the Steelers 27–7 for the remainder of the game. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 2–4, and started a six-game winning streak.

#### Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 3 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 25 |
| Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 28 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), partly sunny
* Game attendance: 65,658
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, Adam Archuleta and Kevin Manuel
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 36-yard field goal, 7:28. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 7:32.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 29-yard field goal, 0:49. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 1:59.
Second quarter
BUF – Tyrod Taylor 10-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 11:47. Bills 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:50.
MIA – Andrew Franks 33-yard field goal, 3:47. Bills 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 8:00.
Third quarter
BUF – Marquise Goodwin 67-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:51. Bills 17–6. Drive: 1 play, 67 yards, 0:09.
MIA – Jay Ajayi 4-yard run (Ryan Tannehill–Jarvis Landry pass), 0:18. Bills 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:33.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 12-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 3:56. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:49.
MIA – Kenny Stills 66-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 2:24. Dolphins 28–17. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:03.
BUF – Reggie Bush 1-yard run (Tyrod Taylor–Reggie Bush pass), 0:14. Dolphins 28–25. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 2:10.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 14/28, 221 yards, TD
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 15/25, 204 yards, TD
Top rushers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 7 rushes, 35 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 28 rushes, 214 yards, TD
Top receivers
BUF – Marquise Goodwin – 4 receptions, 93 yards, TD
MIA – Kenny Stills – 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD :
The Dolphins trailed 17–6 going into the final minute of the third quarter, but three consecutive touchdowns by the Dolphins gave them a 28–25 win and they improved to 3–4. Running back Jay Ajayi became the first Dolphins running back to rush for over 200 yards in consecutive games since Ricky Williams accomplished the feat in 2002.

#### Week 9: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 10 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,722
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 23-yard field goal, 8:26. Jets 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:34.
MIA – Jay Ajayi 20-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 4:56. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:30.
NYJ – Matt Forte 31-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 0:35. Jets 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
MIA – Dominique Jones 1-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 10:16. Dolphins 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:19.
NYJ – Nick Folk 21-yard field goal, 5:20. Dolphins 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:56.
Third quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 33-yard field goal, 5:08. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:53.
MIA – Andrew Franks 29-yard field goal, 3:22. Dolphins 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:38.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 28-yard field goal, 12:50. Dolphins 20–16. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:32.
NYJ – Jalin Marshall 18-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Nick Folk kick), 5:42. Jets 23–20. Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:10.
MIA – Kenyan Drake 96-yard kickoff return (Andrew Franks kick), 5:15. Dolphins 27–23. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:27.
Top passers
NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 16/27, 194 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 17/28, 149 yards, TD
Top rushers
NYJ – Matt Forte – 12 rushes, 92 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 24 rushes, 111 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Jalin Marshall – 3 receptions, 59 yards, TD
MIA – Dominique Jones – 3 receptions, 42 yards, TD :
The Dolphins had the lead going into the fourth quarter, only for Jalin Marshall to put the Jets ahead with less than six minutes to go; however, Kenyan Drake returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins the win, and they improved to 4–4. They also defeated the Jets at home for the first time since 2011.

#### Week 10: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 55,107
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
SD – Josh Lambo 45-yard field goal, 14:51. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:03.
SD – Antonio Gates 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 7:37. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:53.
MIA – Kenny Stills 39-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 2:50. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:47.
Third quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 2-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 12:29. Dolphins 14–10. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:31.
SD – Hunter Henry 7-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 5:36. Chargers 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:53.
MIA – Damien Williams 18-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 1:43. Dolphins 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:53.
Fourth quarter
SD – Tyrell Williams 51-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Josh Lambo kick), 4:04. Chargers 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:02.
MIA – Andrew Franks 27-yard field goal, 2:57. Tied 24–24. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 1:07.
MIA – Kiko Alonso 60-yard interception return (Andrew Franks kick), 1:01. Dolphins 31–24.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 17/24, 240 yards, 2 TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 23/44, 326 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 19 rushes, 79 yards
SD – Melvin Gordon – 24 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
MIA – DeVante Parker – 5 receptions, 103 yards
SD – Tyrell Williams – 5 receptions, 125 yards, TD :
The Dolphins would intercept Philip Rivers four times in the second half. Towards the end of the game, Kiko Alonso returned an interception 60 yards for the game-winning touchdown. With the win, the Dolphins went to 5–4.

#### Week 11: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Rams | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 83,483
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
LA – Todd Gurley 24-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 9:47. Rams 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:55.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
LA – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 1:39. Rams 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 6:05.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Jarvis Landry 10-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 4:02. Rams 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 2:38.
MIA – DeVante Parker 9-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 0:36. Dolphins 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 24/34, 172 yards, 2 TD, INT
LA – Jared Goff – 17/31, 134 yards
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 16 carries, 77 yards
LA – Todd Gurley – 20 carries, 76 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – DeVante Parker – 8 receptions, 79 yards, TD
LA – Kenny Britt – 5 receptions, 43 yards :
Miami trailed 10–0 with just over four minutes remaining, but touchdown passes from quarterback Ryan Tannehill to Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker put the Dolphins up by four points with 36 seconds left on the clock. The Rams' rookie quarterback Jared Goff attempted a hail mary pass to try and give the Rams the win, but the pass was incomplete, resulting in a 14–10 win for the Dolphins. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 6–4. They also improved to 11–2 all-time against the Rams, with 2001 being the last season the Rams defeated the Dolphins. It was also the Dolphins' first 5-game winning streak since 2008.

#### Week 12: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,856
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Holly Sonders
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Carlos Hyde 11-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 9:46. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
MIA – Jay Ajayi 2-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 12:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 5:28.
MIA – Dion Sims 16-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 2:17. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 6:50.
Third quarter
MIA – Andrew Franks 24-yard field goal, 12:31. Dolphins 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:18.
SF – Garrett Celek 4-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 7:34. Dolphins 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:57.
MIA – Kenny Stills 43-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 1:33. Dolphins 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:50.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Leonte Carroo 15-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 11:31. Dolphins 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:23.
SF – Torrey Smith 1-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 7:42. Dolphins 31–21. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:49.
SF – Phil Dawson 36-yard field goal, 2:15. Dolphins 31–24. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 3:36.
Top passers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 29/46, 296 yards, 3 TD, INT
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 20/30, 285 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SF – Colin Kaepernick – 10 rushes, 113 yards
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 18 rushes, 45 yards, TD
Top receivers
SF – Vance McDonald – 4 receptions, 60 yards
MIA – Kenny Stills – 3 receptions, 72 yards, TD :
Holding a seven-point lead inside the two-minute warning, the Dolphins stopped 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick just short of the end zone as time expired to claim a 31–24 win and their first 6-game winning streak since 2005. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 7–4.

#### Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Ravens | 14 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,916
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Chris Fischer
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Terrance West 3-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 10:57. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:03.
BAL – Dennis Pitta 13-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 3:17. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:37.
Second quarter
BAL – Dennis Pitta 9-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 2:10. Ravens 21–0. Drive: 18 plays, 88 yards, 8:57.
BAL – Justin Tucker 55-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 24–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 0:59.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
MIA – DeVante Parker 8-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (pass failed), 14:42. Ravens 24–6. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:05.
BAL – Breshad Perriman 53-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 12:49. Ravens 31–6. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:53.
BAL – Terrance West 9-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 5:55. Ravens 38–6. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 29/40, 229 yards, TD, 3 INT
BAL – Joe Flacco – 36/47, 381 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 12 rushes, 61 yards
BAL – Kenneth Dixon – 6 rushes, 56 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 11 receptions, 87 yards
BAL – Dennis Pitta – 9 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD :
With the Dolphins seeking a 7-game winning streak for the first time since 1985 and the first win in Baltimore since 1997, this loss snapped the Dolphins' 6-game winning streak and they fell to 7–5. It was also Miami’s seventh loss to the Ravens in the last nine meetings.

#### Week 14: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 6 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 26 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,750
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Kenny Stills 28-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 9:27. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 2:09.
ARI – J. J. Nelson 56-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 8:00. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:27.
Second quarter
MIA – Dion Sims 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 11:41. Dolphins 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:55.
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 56-yard field goal, 1:18. Dolphins 14–9. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:21.
Third quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 11:17. Dolphins 21–9. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:43.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Brittan Golden 9-yard pass from Carson Palmer, 7:05. Dolphins 21–15. Drive: 12 plays, 99 yards, 6:43.
MIA – Walt Aikens defensive two-point conversion, 7:05. Dolphins 23–15.
ARI – J. J. Nelson 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Carson Palmer–David Johnson pass), 3:01. Tied 23–23. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:13.
MIA – Andrew Franks 21-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 26–23. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:29.
Top passers
ARI – Carson Palmer – 18/33, 145 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 15/20, 195 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – David Johnson – 20 rushes, 80 yards
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 20 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Jermaine Gresham – 5 receptions, 45 yards
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 4 receptions, 103 yards :
On a wet day in Miami, Andrew Franks kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Dolphins a 26–23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. With the win, the Dolphins went to 8–5. The Dolphins also snapped their three-game losing streak against the Cardinals, beating them for the first time since 1999. Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending knee injury when he was hit low by Calais Campbell although the injury was diagnosed as a sprain and not a torn ACL as was originally feared.

#### Week 15: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 13 | 21 | 0 | 34 |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 78,160
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (NFLN): Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie, Tony Dungy and Heather Cox
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Robby Anderson 40-yard pass from Bryce Petty (Nick Folk kick), 11:32. Jets 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
MIA – Dion Sims 1-yard pass from Matt Moore (kick failed, hit left upright), 10:57. Jets 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:23.
MIA – Kenny Stills 52-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 1:58. Dolphins 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:51.
NYJ – Nick Folk 48-yard field goal, 0:18. Dolphins 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
MIA – Walt Aikens 11-yard return of blocked punt (Andrew Franks kick), 10:30. Dolphins 20–10.
MIA – Dion Sims 1-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 7:43. Dolphins 27–10. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:32.
MIA – Jarvis Landry 66-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 6:26. Dolphins 34–10. Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 0:10.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 5:43. Dolphins 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:08.
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore – 12/18, 236 yards, 4 TD, INT
NYJ – Bryce Petty – 20/36, 235 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 19 rushes, 51 yards
NYJ – Bilal Powell – 16 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 3 receptions, 108 yards, TD
NYJ – Robby Anderson – 4 receptions, 80 yards, TD :
With the blowout Saturday night win on the road, the Dolphins improved to 9–5, their first winning season since 2008. Matt Moore was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his four-touchdown performance.

#### Week 16: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 64,690
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Jay Ajayi 2-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 6:24. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
MIA – Kenyan Drake 45-yard run (Andrew Franks kick), 13:34. Dolphins 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 1:55.
BUF – Sammy Watkins 38-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 5:06. Dolphins 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:45.
Third quarter
MIA – DeVante Parker 56-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 12:05. Dolphins 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:55.
BUF – LeSean McCoy 19-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 6:46. Dolphins 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:19.
MIA – Kenny Stills 6-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 3:14. Dolphins 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:32.
BUF – Charles Clay 18-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:02. Dolphins 28–21. Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 28-yard field goal, 5:51. Dolphins 28–24. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:24.
BUF – Charles Clay 7-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), 1:20. Bills 31–28. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 2:40.
MIA – Andrew Franks 55-yard field goal, 0:06. Tied 31–31. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 1:14.
Overtime
MIA – Andrew Franks 27-yard field goal, 0:47. Dolphins 34–31. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:13.
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore – 16/30, 233 yards, 2 TD, INT
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 26/39, 329 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 32 rushes, 206 yards, TD
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 24 rushes, 128 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – DeVante Parker – 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD
BUF – Charles Clay – 8 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD :
Miami needed a 56-yard field goal by Andrew Franks to force overtime, and the combination of a missed Dan Carpenter FG attempt by Buffalo and a 57-yard run by Jay Ajayi set Franks up to make the game-winning kick. This clinched Miami's first 10-win season since 2008, and after the Christmas Day win by Kansas City over Denver, it also led to Miami's first playoff berth in eight years.

#### Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 14 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 35 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: January 1, 2017
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 66,163
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game book
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Martellus Bennett 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:28. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:32.
NE – Michael Floyd 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:44. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 1:59.
Second quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 14:56. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:58.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 26-yard field goal, 3:21. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 15 plays, 52 yards, 8:19.
MIA – Jarvis Landry 8-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 0:28. Patriots 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:53.
Third quarter
MIA – Kenny Stills 25-yard pass from Matt Moore (Andrew Franks kick), 8:39. Patriots 20–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:21.
NE – Julian Edelman 77-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:41. Patriots 27–14. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:58.
Fourth quarter
NE – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (Tom Brady–Julian Edelman pass), 5:33. Patriots 35–14. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 25/33, 276 yards, 3 TD
MIA – Matt Moore – 24/34, 205 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – LeGarrette Blount – 14 rushes, 51 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 16 rushes, 59 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 8 receptions, 151 yards, TD
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 9 receptions, 76 yards, TD :
With the loss, Miami ended their season 10–6 and finished as the 6th seed in the AFC.

### Postseason
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| Steelers | 14 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: January 8, 2017
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 17 °F (−8 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,726
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Antonio Brown 50-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 12:15. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:45.
PIT – Antonio Brown 62-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 6:50. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 3:10.
MIA – Andrew Franks 38-yard field goal, 3:06. Steelers 14–3. Drive: 7 play, 39 yards, 3:44.
Second quarter
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 1-yard run (kick failed, hit right upright), 12:39. Steelers 20–3. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:27.
MIA – Andrew Franks 47-yard field goal, 4:52. Steelers 20–6. Drive: 12 play, 39 yards, 7:47.
Third quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 34-yard field goal, 6:32. Steelers 23–6. Drive: 8 play, 43 yards, 4:16.
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 8-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 2:05. Steelers 30–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 4:18.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Damien Williams 4-yard pass from Matt Moore (pass failed), 5:57. Steelers 30–12. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:20.
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore – 29/36, 289 yards, TD, INT
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 13/18, 197 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 16 rushes, 33 yards
PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 29 rushes, 167 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 11 receptions, 102 yards
PIT – Antonio Brown – 5 receptions, 124 yards, 2 TD :
With the loss it marked the Dolphins 16th straight year without a playoff win. this would also be their last postseason appearance until 2022.

## Standings
### Division

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ New England Patriots | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 5–1 | 11–1 | 441 | 250 | W7 |
| $^{(6)}$ Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 363 | 380 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 399 | 378 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 275 | 409 | W1 |

### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | New England Patriots | East | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .439 | .424 | W7 |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .508 | .479 | W2 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .494 | .423 | W7 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .502 | .427 | L1 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Oakland Raiders | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 3–3 | 9–3 | .504 | .443 | L1 |
| 6 | Miami Dolphins | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .455 | .341 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .465 | .458 | W1 |
| 8 | Denver Broncos | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .549 | .455 | W1 |
| 9 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .498 | .363 | L2 |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .492 | .406 | W1 |
| 11 | Buffalo Bills | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .482 | .339 | L2 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .521 | .333 | W1 |
| 13 | New York Jets | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .518 | .313 | W1 |
| 14 | San Diego Chargers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .543 | .513 | L5 |
| 15 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .527 | .417 | L1 |
| 16 | Cleveland Browns | North | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .549 | .313 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Kansas City clinched the AFC West division over Oakland based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Houston clinched the AFC South division title over Tennessee based on record vs. division opponents. 1 2 Tennessee finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on record vs. conference opponents. 1 2 The New York Jets finished ahead of San Diego based record vs. common opponents — the Jets' cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Miami was 1–4, while San Diego's cumulative record against the same four teams was 0–5. ↑ 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. ||||||||||||