# 1977 Miami Dolphins season

The 1977 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 12th as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 6–8, winning ten games.

## Season summary

After suffering their first losing season under Coach Don Shula, the Dolphins bounced back to finish 10–4. Bob Griese had a stellar year, despite being forced to wear thick eyeglasses due to a problem with his contacts. Griese, whose season was highlighted by a six touchdown game in St. Louis against the Cardinals, was named Player of the year by the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia. Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

1977 Miami Dolphins draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | A.J. Duhe * | Linebacker | LSU |
| 2 | 40 | Bob Baumhower * | Nose tackle | Alabama |
| 3 | 71 | Mike Watson | Offensive tackle | Miami (OH) |
| 5 | 113 | Mike Michel | Punter | Stanford |
| 5 | 123 | Leroy Harris | Running back | Arkansas State |
| 7 | 180 | Bruce Herron | Linebacker | New Mexico |
| 8 | 207 | Horace Perkins | Defensive back | Colorado |
| 9 | 237 | Robert Turner | Running back | Oklahoma State |
| 10 | 264 | Mark Carter | Offensive tackle | Eastern Michigan |
| 11 | 291 | John Alexander | Defensive end | Rutgers |
| 12 | 321 | Terry Anderson | Wide receiver | Bethune-Cookman |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese would throw for six touchdown passes in a Thanksgiving Day match versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dolphins would set a franchise record for most points scored in one game with 55. Of note, the Dolphins would score eight touchdowns and accumulate 34 first downs.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 18 | at Buffalo Bills | W 13–0 | 1–0 | Rich Stadium | 76,097 |
| 2 | September 25 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 19–15 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | 40,503 |
| 3 | October 2 | Houston Oilers | W 27–7 | 3–0 | Miami Orange Bowl | 49,619 |
| 4 | October 9 | at Baltimore Colts | L 28–45 | 3–1 | Memorial Stadium | 57,829 |
| 5 | October 16 | New York Jets | W 21–17 | 4–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 43,446 |
| 6 | October 23 | Seattle Seahawks | W 31–13 | 5–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 29,855 |
| 7 | October 30 | San Diego Chargers | L 13–14 | 5–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | 40,670 |
| 8 | November 6 | at New York Jets | W 14–10 | 6–2 | Shea Stadium | 51,582 |
| 9 | November 13 | New England Patriots | W 17–5 | 7–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | 67,502 |
| 10 | November 20 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–23 | 7–3 | Riverfront Stadium | 46,733 |
| 11 | November 24 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 55–14 | 8–3 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,269 |
| 12 | December 5 | Baltimore Colts | W 17–6 | 9–3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 68,977 |
| 13 | December 11 | at New England Patriots | L 10–14 | 9–4 | Schaefer Stadium | 61,064 |
| 14 | December 17 | Buffalo Bills | W 31–14 | 10–4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 39,626 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Results
#### Week 11

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Dolphins | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 55 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
* Bob Griese 15/23, 207 Yds, 6 TD, INT

### Standings

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Baltimore Colts$^{(2)}$ | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 295 | 221 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 313 | 197 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 278 | 217 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 191 | 300 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 160 | 313 | L1 |

## Awards and honors

* Bob Griese, Bert Bell Award