# 1980 Miami Dolphins season

The 1980 Miami Dolphins season was the 15th year of existence for the Miami Dolphins franchise. Quarterback Bob Griese retired after the season, following a 14-year career with the Dolphins. However, in Griese's final season the Dolphins would only play mediocre football finishing in third place with an 8–8 record. This was also the first season since 1969 that the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills. For the season, the Dolphins switched the color of the facemasks on their helmets from gray to teal.
No Dolphins made it to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. Griese was the highest-paid quarterback in the league at just over $400,000.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1980 Miami Dolphins draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 21 | Don McNeal | Cornerback | Alabama |
| 2 | 48 | Dwight Stephenson * $^†$ | Center | Alabama |
| 3 | 75 | Bill Barnett | Defensive end | Nebraska |
| 4 | 100 | Elmer Bailey | Wide receiver | Minnesota |
| 6 | 158 | Eugene Byrd | Wide receiver | Michigan State |
| 7 | 185 | Joe Rose | Tight end | California |
| 8 | 212 | Jeff Allen | Defensive back | UC Davis |
| 8 | 214 | David Woodley | Quarterback | LSU |
| 9 | 239 | Mark Goodspeed | Offensive tackle | Nebraska |
| 10 | 271 | Doug Lantz | Center | Miami (OH) |
| 10 | 272 | Ben Long | Linebacker | South Dakota |
| 11 | 279 | Phil Driscoll | Defensive end | Mankato State |
| 12 | 325 | Chuck Stone | Guard | North Carolina State |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
    Source:

## Regular season

The 1980 NFL season would see the Dolphins drop to an 8–8 record, from their AFC East division winning 10–6 showing the previous year.
Quarterback Bob Griese, who struggled with leg problems during 1979, lost the starting job to longtime backup Don Strock, but he did poorly in two games, leading the Dolphins to return to Griese for week 3. In week 5, however, Griese suffered a career-ending shoulder injury against the Baltimore Colts and was succeeded by David Woodley, a rookie fresh from LSU.
Their week-1 loss to the Buffalo Bills was the Dolphins' first loss to that team since 1969, snapping a 20 game winning streak for Miami in the Bills-Dolphins rivalry. After the win, Bills fans rushed the field and tore down the goalposts. This was also Don Shula's first loss to Buffalo in 21 career games against them.
The final game of the season was played against the New York Jets on December 20. NBC tried a novel experiment by broadcasting the game with no commentators, and with none of the players or staff wearing microphones. The effect was to give television viewers the feel of actually being in the stadium. To date, this was the only NFL game ever aired on TV without commentaries. The Jets won by a score of 24–17, though both teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
It was during the ABC broadcast of the Monday Night Football game on December 8, 1980, against the Patriots that Howard Cosell announced that John Lennon had been shot and killed.

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 7 | at Buffalo Bills | L 7–17 | 0–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,598 |
| 2 | September 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–16 | 1–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 38,322 |
| 3 | September 21 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 20–17 | 2–1 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 55,470 |
| 4 | September 28 | New Orleans Saints | W 21–16 | 3–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 40,946 |
| 5 | October 5 | Baltimore Colts | L 17–30 | 3–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | 50,631 |
| 6 | October 12 | at New England Patriots | L 0–34 | 3–3 | Schaefer Stadium | 60,377 |
| 7 | October 19 | Buffalo Bills | W 17–14 | 4–3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 41,636 |
| 8 | October 27 | at New York Jets | L 14–17 | 4–4 | Shea Stadium | 53,046 |
| 9 | November 2 | at Oakland Raiders | L 10–16 | 4–5 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 46,378 |
| 10 | November 9 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 35–14 | 5–5 | Anaheim Stadium | 62,198 |
| 11 | November 16 | San Francisco 49ers | W 17–13 | 6–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 45,135 |
| 12 | November 20 | San Diego Chargers | L 24–27 (OT) | 6–6 | Miami Orange Bowl | 63,013 |
| 13 | November 30 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–23 | 6–7 | Three Rivers Stadium | 51,384 |
| 14 | December 8 | New England Patriots | W 16–13 (OT) | 7–7 | Miami Orange Bowl | 63,292 |
| 15 | December 14 | at Baltimore Colts | W 24–14 | 8–7 | Memorial Stadium | 30,564 |
| 16 | December 20 | New York Jets | L 17–24 | 8–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 41,854 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1 at Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 79,598
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Mike Haffner
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 40-yard field goal. Bills 3–0.
Third quarter
MIA – Tony Nathan 4-yard pass from Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–3.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 4-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 10–7.
BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 17–7.
Top passers
MIA – Bob Griese – 11/18, 101 yards, TD, 2 INT
BUF – Joe Ferguson – 20/32, 198 yards, TD, 5 INT
Top rushers
MIA – Steve Howell – 6 rushes, 43 yards
BUF – Joe Cribbs – 18 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIA – Duriel Harris – 3 receptions, 42 yards
BUF – Joe Cribbs – 9 receptions, 71 yards :

#### Week 7 vs Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 41,636
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Don Bessillieu 44-yard fumble return (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–0.
Second quarter
MIA – Nat Moore 3-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 14–0.
Third quarter
BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 14–7.
MIA – Uwe von Schamann 23-yard field goal. Dolphins 17–7.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Jerry Butler 7-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 17–14.
Top passers
BUF – Joe Ferguson – 24/42, 221 yards, TD
MIA – David Woodley – 11/17, 93 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Joe Cribbs – 14 rushes, 38 yards, TD
MIA – Terry Robiskie – 18 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 71 yards
MIA – Nat Moore – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: vs. New England Patriots

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| • Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
The Dolphins got revenge from their 34-0 shellacking in Foxborough back in October. The Patriots clawed to a 13–6 lead in the fourth quarter, then the Dolphins forced overtime with a David Woodley throw to Nat Moore in the fourth. John Smith attempted to kick the game-winning field goal, but had the kick blocked, then Uwe von Schamann of the Dolphins won it with a 23-yard field goal in the extra quarter. The game, though, became overshadowed by Howard Cosell's announcement that John Lennon had been shot and killed.

### Standings

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Buffalo Bills$^{(3)}$ | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–4 | 8–4 | 320 | 260 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 441 | 325 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 266 | 305 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 5–3 | 6–8 | 355 | 387 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 302 | 395 | W1 |