2006 Miami Dolphins season The 2006 Miami Dolphins season began with the team trying to improve on their 9 – 7 record in 2005 . Instead , they finished the season 6 – 10 after being hyped by some to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl , and saw their coach Nick Saban abandon his contract to coach college football for the Alabama Crismon Tide . Offseason . On March 14 , 2006 , the Dolphins traded a 2nd round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings to acquire quarterback Daunte Culpepper . Miami also acquired tackle L . J . Shelton from Cleveland and cornerback Will Allen from the New York Giants , replacing longtime Dolphin Sam Madison , who had taken Allen ' s old spot with the Giants . In the 2006 NFL Draft , the Dolphins used their first pick on Tennessee safety Jason Allen . They then used their next pick on Arizona State wide receiver Derek Hagan . The rest of their picks included Washington offensive tackle Joe Toledo , Texas State / San Marcos defensive lineman Fred Evans , Texas defensive tackle Rodrique Wright , and Auburn wide receiver Devin Aromashodu . On May 12 , 2006 , the Dolphins completed a trade with the Detroit Lions for QB Joey Harrington , depending on his performance in the 2006 – 2007 season , the Lions will receive either a 5th or 6th round pick . They also signed Marcus Vick ( ex - Virginia Tech quarterback and younger brother of Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick ) to a contract after he attended their annual rookie mini - camp . On August 12 , Miami Lost 23 – 19 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game of the year . The Dolphin ' s pulled out starting QB Daunte Culpepper after throwing only two passes . ( 1 – 2 2yds ) All of the opposing Jaguars touch downs came on plays longer than 25 yards . On August 14 , the Dolphins signed free agent defensive tackle Dan " Big Daddy " Wilkinson , a former # 1 overall draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals ( 1994 ) , and had last played for the Detroit Lions . On August 14 , perennial All - Pro linebacker Junior Seau ( who had been with the Dolphins for three seasons until he was released in March 2006 ) announced his retirement after 16 years in the NFL . However , he would ev < includeonly > € < / includeonly > entually join the Dolphins ' division rival , the New England Patriots . Regular season . Week 1 : at Pittsburgh Steelers . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " < br > The Dolphins opened the regular season in the annual Thursday NFL Kickoff Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 7 . Even though newly - acquired QB Daunte Culpepper was doing a pretty good job on the pass and RB Ronnie Brown provided a touchdown , the Dolphins trailed 14 – 10 going into the second half , until Brown got another rushing touchdown . Unfortunately , an 87 - yard touchdown pass to Steeler tight end Heath Miller and a 42 - yard interception return by ROLB Joey Porter sealed the Dolphins ' fate . Head coach Nick Saban attempted to challenge Miller ' s touchdown reception on the grounds that he stepped out of bounds before reaching the goal line ( which television replays proved was correct ) , however , officials failed to see Saban throw the red flag before the Steelers kicked the extra point , and the Dolphins were unable to challenge the call . Of more concern than simply the loss was the performance of the Dolphins ' prized offseason acquisition . Daunte Culpepper threw two interceptions , and floated several passes that were almost intercepted . This performance has sparked debate as to whether he will be able to return to his 2004 form or if he will have a repeat of his terrible 2005 campaign . One positive from the game was slot WR Wes Welker . He had 67 yards receiving and set up the first TD for Miami . Week 2 : vs . Buffalo Bills . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > The Dolphins were hoping to rebound by playing an AFC East bout with the visiting Buffalo Bills in their Week 2 home - opener . Unfortunately , from the start , the Dolphins were unable to get anything going , as the Bills ' Rian Lindell kicked a 33 - yard field goal in the first quarter , while Buffalo ' s defense prevented Miami from getting any points throughout the first half . In the third quarter , things only got worse , as opposing QB J . P . Losman threw a 4 - yard TD pass to opposing WR Josh Reed , while Lindell booted two field goals ( 45 & 43 - yarders ) . The Dolphins finally managed to get some points as WR Chris Chambers caught a 23 - yard TD pass , but Miami failed on the two - point conversion . What made this loss even more frustrating was that Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper got sacked seven times and fumbled twice , making Miami wonder if acquiring Culpepper was the right idea in the first place . With the loss , the Dolphins were 0 – 2 . Week 3 : vs . Tennessee Titans . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > The Dolphins , still looking for their first win of the year , stayed at home for a Week 3 match - up with the Tennessee Titans . Miami drew first blood in the first quarter with kicker Olindo Mare kicking a 40 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Dolphins got a bit of a scare as Titans QB Kerry Collins completed a 27 - yard pass to TE Bo Scaife for a touchdown and the lead . In the third quarter , Miami reclaimed the lead with QB Daunte Culpepper getting a touchdown on a 5 - yard scramble . However , the Titans didn ' t go down quietly , as kicker Rob Bironas kicked a 22 - yard field goal for Tennessee , putting the game in a 10 – 10 tie . Fortunately , in the fourth quarter , Mare finally helped Miami get win # 1 with a 39 - yard field goal . Week 4 : at Houston Texans . " at Reliant Stadium , Houston , Texas " < br > The Dolphins hoped to carry the momentum from their Week 3 victory , as they traveled to Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texans . After a scoreless first quarter , Miami got on the board first with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 52 - yard field goal , but the Texans got a field goal for themselves , as kicker Kris Brown got one from 32 yards out . In the third quarter , the Dolphins got another field goal , as Mare got one from 29 yards out for the only score of the period . However , in the fourth quarter , things got very ugly as the Texans got two touchdowns , with QB David Carr on a 1 - yard run and WR Andre Johnson getting a 3 - yard TD reception . Miami valiantly tried to fight back , as Mare got a 22 - yard field goal and QB Daunte Culpepper completed a 16 - yard TD pass to WR Chris Chambers , but in the end , a failed two - point conversion spelled doom for the Dolphins , as Miami failed to come back and would fall to 1 – 3 . Week 5 : at New England Patriots . " at Gillette Stadium , Foxborough , Massachusetts " < br > With Daunte Culpepper being ineffective , QB Joey Harrington got the start for Week 5 as the Dolphins flew to Gillette Stadium for an AFC East match - up with the New England Patriots . Miami got off to a rough start , as they fell behind 3 – 0 with Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicking a 35 - yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter . In the second quarter , Miami continued to trail , as Gostkowski kicked a 31 - yard field goal , while Pats QB Tom Brady completed a 10 - yard TD pass to WR Troy Brown . The Dolphins would get back in the game before halftime , as RB Ronnie Brown got a 2 - yard TD run and kicker Olindo Mare got a 40 - yard field goal to help the Dolphins trail by three at halftime . In the third quarter , the defense ruled as both teams failed to get a single point . Unfortunately , in the fourth quarter , New England would get one more touchdown , as Brady completed a 1 - yard strike to FB Heath Evans . From there , Miami failed to catch - up and fell to 1 – 4 with their defeat . Week 6 : at New York Jets . " at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey " < br > Still searching for win # 2 , the Dolphins kept QB Joey Harrington in the starting line - up as they flew to The Meadowlands for an AFC East fight with the New York Jets . From the get - go , the Dolphins struggled as Jets kicker Mike Nugent kicked a 33 - yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter and of the half . In the third quarter , Nugent increased New York ' s lead again with another 33 - yard field goal . The Dolphins finally got on the board , as kicker Olindo Mare got a 21 - yard field goal . However , the Jets wouldn ' t let Miami regain itself , as QB Chad Pennington completed a 58 - yard TD pass to WR Laveranues Coles . In the fourth quarter , they hooked up with each other again on a 22 - yard TD pass . The Dolphins attempted a fourth - quarter comeback , with Harrington completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Chris Chambers and RB Ronnie Brown ran 1 yard for a TD , but when Mare missed what would have been a field goal in the final minute , the Dolphins sank to 1 – 5 . Week 7 : vs . Green Bay Packers . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > QB Joey Harrington had 414 yards off a record 62 attempts ( 33 of them were complete ) , but he also threw 3 INT ' s ( one returned for a TD ) . Packers RB Ahman Green rushed for about 100 yards , including a 70 yd TD . Packers QB Brett Favre had 206 yards throwing and two 2 TD ' s and is closing on Dan Marino ' s all - time completions and touchdown records . Meanwhile , Favre ' s favorite WR Donald Driver had 10 receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown . With the Dolphins , RB Ronnie Brown was limited to just 59 yards rushing on 15 carries and 63 yards receiving on 5 receptions . The leading receiver for Miami was WR Marty Booker , who had 7 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown . With the loss , the Dolphins fell to 1 – 6 . Week 9 : at Chicago Bears . " at Soldier Field , Chicago , Illinois " < br > Coming off their Bye Week , the Dolphins would get their second win of the 2006 season against the previously undefeated Chicago Bears at Soldier Field . Just as the 1985 Dolphins ended the Bears ' attempt at a perfect season ( they finished 18 – 1 ) , This year ' s Dolphins again protected the 1972 Perfect Season on their own . QB Joey Harrington was 16 / 32 , for 137 yards , and 3 touchdowns , despite 2 interceptions . The Dolphins fumbled twice , but recovered both times , and the Bears also fumbled twice , but both times Miami came away with the ball . The Dolphins were also able to capitalize on 3 interceptions on Rex Grossman passes . Ronnie Brown rushed for a career - high 157 yards , carrying 29 times . Jason Taylor forced a fumble and returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown , helping Miami in its 31 – 13 victory . The spirit of the 1972 Dolphins looked alive and well as Miami improved to 2 – 6 on the year . Week 10 : vs . Kansas City Chiefs . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > Coming off their amazing upset road win against the Bears , the Dolphins returned home for a Week 10 match - up with the Kansas City Chiefs . The Dolphins dominated the first half with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 40 - yard field goal in the first quarter and a 22 - yarder in the second quarter . Also in the second period , RB Ronnie Brown got a 1 - yard TD run . After a scoreless third quarter , the Chiefs offense finally got going in the final period . Kicker Lawrence Tynes nailed a 27 - yard field goal , while RB Larry Johnson got a 2 - yard TD . Fortunately , Miami held on to its small lead and advanced to 3 – 6 on the year . Week 11 : vs . Minnesota Vikings . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > Coming off a two - game winning streak , the Dolphins stayed at home for a Week 11 fight against fellow teammate Daunte Culpepper ' s former team , the Minnesota Vikings . In the first quarter , the Vikings struck first as RB Chester Taylor got a 1 - yard TD run for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Dolphins took to the water as kicker Olindo Mare nailed a 44 - yard field goal , while QB Joey Harrington got an 11 - yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle . In the third quarter , Minnesota came closer with kicker Ryan Longwell nailing a 35 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Vikings took a three - point lead , as Longwell kicked a 19 - yard field goal . However , Miami wouldn ' t have any of that , as the defense stepped up and made decisive plays . Free Safety Renaldo Hill returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown , while DE Jason Taylor returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown . Minnesota would get one more touchdown ( another 1 - yard TD run by Taylor ) , but Miami ran out the clock to preserve their 3rd victory in a row . With the victory , the Dolphins improved to 4 – 6 . The Dolphins ' rushing yardage was a franchise low ( −3 yards ) , and a team record for the Vikings ' defense . Week 12 : at Detroit Lions . " at Ford Field , Detroit , Michigan " < br > Going for their fourth - straight win , the Dolphins traveled to Ford Field for a Thanksgiving fight with the Detroit Lions . This game would be marked as Dolphins QB Joey Harrington ' s return to Detroit , as he was constantly booed throughout the contest . In the first quarter , Miami trailed as Lions QB Jon Kitna got Detroit off to a fast start . Kitna would complete a 2 - yard TD pass to TE Dan Campbell , while kicker Jason Hanson nailed a 52 - yard field goal . Afterwards , Harrington started to get the Dolphins back into business as he completed his first - ever Thanksgiving touchdown pass on an 8 - yard strike to WR Marty Booker . In the second quarter , Harrington acquired the only score of the period on a 5 - yard TD pass to TE Randy McMichael . In the third quarter , kicker Olindo Mare nailed a 42 - yard field goal , while Harrington and Booker connected with each other again on a 19 - yard TD pass . In the fourth quarter , Mare managed to put the game away with a 28 - yard field goal . RB Ronnie Brown only had 68 yards rushing ( with 5 yards receiving ) , as he left the game early with a broken left hand . He is currently week - to - week and will likely miss the team ' s next game against Jacksonville . With the Dolphins victory , not only did the Dolphins improve to 5 – 6 , but Harrington also got his second - ever Thanksgiving Day victory and 1st , 2nd , and 3rd touchdown pass ever on Thanksgiving Day . Week 13 : vs . Jacksonville Jaguars . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > After a fine performance on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions , the Dolphins returned home for a Week 13 got off to a good start when QB Joey Harrington completed a 17 - yard TD pass to WR Marty Booker . The Jaguars responded with kicker Josh Scobee ' s 48 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , things started looking grim for Miami as QB David Garrard completed two TD passes to WR Matt Jones ( for 15 yards ) and TE George Wrighster ( for 16 yards ) . After a scoreless third quarter , Jacksonville continued its dominance with RB Maurice Jones - Drew getting a 32 - yard TD run . The Dolphins ' only response was kicker Olindo Mare getting a 42 - yard field goal . With the loss , the Dolphins fell to 5 – 7 . Week 14 : vs . New England Patriots . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > Hoping to rebound from their loss to Jaguars , the Dolphins stayed at home for an AFC East rematch with the New England Patriots . From start to finish , Miami stayed in the driver ' s seat and lead throughout the game . In the first quarter , the Dolphins ' dominating day began with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 35 - yard field goal in the first quarter , while also getting a 33 - yard field goal in the second quarter . In the third quarter , Miami continued their hot day as QB Joey Harrington completed a 32 - yard TD pass to WR Marty Booker for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , RB Sammy Morris got a 3 - yard TD run , which was followed up by a completed 2 - point conversion pass from Harrington to Booker . An impressive Dolphins defense held the Patriots to just 189 total yards of offense , while sacking Pats QB Tom Brady four times . With the win , Miami improved to 6 – 7 . Week 15 : at Buffalo Bills . " at Ralph Wilson Stadium , Orchard Park , New York " < br > Coming off their dominating win over the Patriots , the Dolphins flew to Ralph Wilson Stadium for an AFC East rematch with the Buffalo Bills . After a scoreless first quarter , Miami trailed early as in the second quarter , Bills QB J . P . Losman completed a 33 - yard TD pass to TE Robert Royal for the only score of the period . In the third quarter , things got worse as Losman completed a 27 - yard TD pass to WR Josh Reed for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Dolphins ' playoff hopes were completely erased when Losman completed a 21 - yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans . With the loss , not only did Miami fall to 6 – 8 , but they would be unable to make the playoffs ( and thus would be unable to play Super Bowl XLI on their own home turf as they are the host team for that game ) as the Jets ( 8 – 6 ) and Jacksonville ( 8 – 6 ) would win by tiebreakers even if they won their remaining two games . Week 16 : vs . New York Jets . " at Dolphin Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " < br > Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Bills , the Dolphins played their final home game of the year on a rainy Monday Night in an AFC East fight with the New York Jets . After a scoreless first half with QB Joey Harrington playing a mediocre 7 / 15 for 42 yards , back - up Cleo Lemon came in to begin the second half . In the third quarter , New York broke first with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 22 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Miami finally went on the attack with Lemon completing a 7 - yard TD pass to TE Randy McMichael . However , the Jets responded with QB Chad Pennington completing a 32 - yard TD pass to WR Jerricho Cotchery . Even though the Dolphins managed to tie the game with kicker Olindo Mare ' s 25 - yard field goal . New York made sure that head coach Nick Saban got his first losing season with the Dolphins after Nugent nailed the game - winning 30 - yard field goal with ten seconds left . With the loss , Miami fell to 6 – 9 . Week 17 : at Indianapolis Colts . " at the RCA Dome , Indianapolis , Indiana " < br > Trying to end their season on a high note , the Dolphins flew to the RCA Dome to take on the playoff - bound Indianapolis Colts . In the first quarter , Miami struck first with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 28 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , the Colts respond with QB Peyton Manning completing a 2 - yard TD pass to DT Dan Klecko . The Dolphins would answer with Mare kicking a 38 - yard field goal . However , Indianapolis struck back with Manning getting an 11 - yard TD run , while kicker Adam Vinatieri getting a 46 - yard field goal to end the half . In the third quarter , Miami tried to fight back with Mare ' s 42 - yard field goal , yet the Colts matched them with Vinatieri ' s 34 - yard field goal . The Dolphins would get another field goal from Mare as he kicked one from 27 yards out . In the fourth quarter , Mare and Miami drew closer with a 34 - yard field goal , yet Indianapolis ran away with the win as Manning completing a 27 - yard TD pass to WR Marvin Harrison . The Dolphins would get a touchdown as QB Cleo Lemon completed a 6 - yard TD pass to TE Randy McMichael . However , the Colts ' performance showed why they continue to be an elite NFL team . With the loss , Miami ended its season at 6 – 10 and unable to make the playoffs , thus they would be denied a chance to play Super Bowl XLI in their own home stadium .