# 1986 Miami Dolphins season

The 1986 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 21st as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 12–4, winning only eight games. This was the first time in six seasons the team did not qualify for the playoffs and would mark the start of a four-season span of barren postseason chances. This was also the team's final season at the Orange Bowl before moving into their new stadium Joe Robbie Stadium the following season.

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 7 | at San Diego Chargers | L 28–50 | 0–1 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 57,726 |
| 2 | September 14 | Indianapolis Colts | W 30–10 | 1–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 51,848 |
| 3 | September 21 | at New York Jets | L 45–51 (OT) | 1–2 | Giants Stadium | 71,025 |
| 4 | September 28 | San Francisco 49ers | L 16–31 | 1–3 | Miami Orange Bowl | 70,264 |
| 5 | October 5 | at New England Patriots | L 7–34 | 1–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 60,689 |
| 6 | October 12 | Buffalo Bills | W 27–14 | 2–4 | Miami Orange Bowl | 49,467 |
| 7 | October 19 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 28–30 | 2–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 53,421 |
| 8 | October 26 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 17–13 | 3–5 | Hoosier Dome | 58,350 |
| 9 | November 2 | Houston Oilers | W 28–7 | 4–5 | Miami Orange Bowl | 43,804 |
| 10 | November 10 | at Cleveland Browns | L 16–26 | 4–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 77,949 |
| 11 | November 16 | at Buffalo Bills | W 34–24 | 5–6 | Rich Stadium | 76,474 |
| 12 | November 24 | New York Jets | W 45–3 | 6–6 | Miami Orange Bowl | 70,206 |
| 13 | November 30 | Atlanta Falcons | L 14–20 | 6–7 | Miami Orange Bowl | 53,762 |
| 14 | December 7 | at New Orleans Saints | W 31–27 | 7–7 | Louisiana Superdome | 64,761 |
| 15 | December 14 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 37–31 (OT) | 8–7 | Anaheim Stadium | 62,629 |
| 16 | December 22 | New England Patriots | L 27–34 | 8–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 74,516 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

## Season summary
### Week 1 at Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 17 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 50 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium • San Diego, California
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 57,726
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jimmy Cefalo
* Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database
Game information :
Dolphins
Dan Marino 23/36, 290 Yds, 3 TD
Lorenzo Hampton 6 Rush, 26 Yds
Mark Clayton 5 Rec, 143 Yds, 2 TD
Chargers
Dan Fouts 23/35, 293 Yds, 3 TD
Lionel James 10 Rush, 61 Yds
Wes Chandler 6 Rec, 78 Yds, TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | MIA | SD |
| 1 | 10:52 | | | | Chargers | Gary Anderson 18-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Rolf Benirschke kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2:17 | | | | Chargers | 26-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | 0:24 | | | | Chargers | Tim Spencer 17-yard touchdown run, Rolf Benirschke kick good | 0 | 17 |
| 2 | 12:00 | | | | Dolphins | Mark Clayton 22-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Fuad Reveiz kick good | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | 4:02 | | | | Chargers | Buford McGee 4-yard touchdown run, Rolf Benirschke kick no good | 7 | 23 |
| 2 | 2:19 | | | | Dolphins | Mark Clayton 49-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Fuad Reveiz kick good | 14 | 23 |
| 2 | 0:28 | | | | Chargers | 36-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke | 14 | 26 |
| 3 | 9:22 | | | | Chargers | Wes Chandler 7-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Rolf Benirschke kick good | 14 | 33 |
| 3 | 6:47 | | | | Dolphins | Nat Moore 6-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Fuad Reveiz kick good | 21 | 33 |
| 3 | 0:21 | | | | Chargers | Pete Holohan 17-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Rolf Benirschke kick good | 21 | 40 |
| 4 | 14:15 | | | | Chargers | Buford McGee 4-yard touchdown run, Rolf Benirschke kick good | 21 | 47 |
| 4 | 5:48 | | | | Chargers | 36-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke | 21 | 50 |
| 4 | 0:58 | | | | Dolphins | Nat Moore 17-yard touchdown reception from Dan Marino, Fuad Reveiz kick good | 28 | 50 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 28 | 50 |

### Week 2

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Dolphins | 7 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 30 |

### Week 3 at Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 45 |
| Jets | 3 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 51 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,025
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen
* Box Score, Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Pat Leahy 32-yard field goal, 4:29. Jets 3–0.
MIA – James Pruitt 6-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 2:36. Dolphins 7–3.
Second quarter
NYJ – Johnny Hector 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 12:09. Jets 10–7.
NYJ – Johnny Hector 8-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 10:00. Jets 17–7.
MIA – Dan Johnson 1-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 7:26. Jets 17–14.
MIA – Mark Duper 13-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 5:06. Dolphins 21–17.
NYJ – Wesley Walker 65-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 3:12. Jets 24–21.
NYJ – Wesley Walker 50-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 0:34. Jets 31–21.
Third quarter
MIA – Mark Duper 46-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 10:48. Jets 31–28.
MIA – Fuad Reveiz 44-yard field goal, 7:12. Tie 31–31.
MIA – Bruce Hardy 1-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 4:12. Dolphins 38–31.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Dennis Bligen 7-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 8:42. Tie 38–38.
MIA – Mark Clayton 4-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick), 2:56. Dolphins 45–38.
NYJ – Wesley Walker 21-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Pat Leahy kick), 0:00. Tie 45–45.
Overtime
NYJ – Wesley Walker 43-yard pass from Ken O'Brien, 12:25. Jets 51–45.
Top passers
MIA – Dan Marino – 30/50, 448 Yds, 6 TD, 2 INT
NYJ – Ken O'Brien – 29/43, 479 Yds, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Tony Nathan – 4 Rush, 36 Yds
NYJ – Johnny Hector – 22 Rush, 82 Yds, 2 TD
Top receivers
MIA – Mark Clayton – 8 Rec, 174 Yds, TD
NYJ – Wesley Walker – 6 Rec, 194 Yds, 4 TD :
The Jets-Dolphins rivalry reached an apex in this Week 3 matchup as Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino unleashed ten combined touchdowns, the last a 43-yard score to Wesley Walker and a 51–45 overtime win for the Jets.

### Week 6 vs. Bills

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Dolphins | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 27 |

### Week 11 at Bills

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |

## Standings

AFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| New England Patriots$^{(3)}$ | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 412 | 307 | W1 |
| New York Jets$^{(4)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 364 | 386 | L5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 430 | 405 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–11 | 287 | 348 | L3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–7 | 2–10 | 229 | 400 | W3 |