The Miami Dolphins began in 1965 as part of the AFL. The Dolphins had a horrible record in the AFL, but they hired Don Shula the year before the merger, and he came over with them. Whether it was the NFL or Shula’s influence, the Dolphins were much better after the merger. They were simply unstoppable. In 1971 they were in the Super Bowl but lost to the Cowboys.
Seems the loss struck a nerve with the team because they became even more of a burden to the rest of the league after. Their perfect season of 1972 is something of legend, with complete dominance and winning Super Bowl 7. 1973 would end with yet another Super Bowl appearance and another victory. The team would remain competitive after their back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl runs. In 1983 a young Dan Marino was drafted.
The Dolphins had a habit of stringing together successive playoff appearances. ’70 through ’74. ’78 and ’79. When Marino came along as quarterback, they were already on a two-season run, and he would help keep it going for three more. They had already won the division title in 1981, and with Marino they would win it again in ’83, ’84, and ’85, winning the conference in the 1984 season.
It was during this era that the Dolphins would become fierce rivals with the Bills, often for dominance in the AFC. As time went on, Marino seemed almost ageless. Again and again, he would have the Dolphins in contention for, or in the playoffs. 1990. 1992. ’94 and ’95. 1992 and 1994 were also division title years. He started another run for the team in 1998 and 1999, retiring after the ’99 season when his age did finally start to show.
Shula had already retired in ’96 and now it was Marino’s turn to do the same. The team was built well though and went two more consecutive seasons with playoff appearances winning the division in 2000. The team would decline somewhat after that, including a horrible one-win 2007 season. They wouldn’t stay down though.
The next season, 2008, the team used a crazy wild-cat offense that confounded many and eventually won them the division. An eight-year playoff drought would follow, but they found their way to the playoffs again in 2016. It would be another six years, but 2022 saw the Dolphins back to their winning ways and back in the playoffs.
With two Super Bowl wins, five conference championships, and 13 division championships spread out over an amazing 24 playoff appearances, the Dolphins have proven that they are never a team to be counted out. With head coach Mike McDaniel at the helm, this team looks to build on a successful 2022.
Watch the Fins as they attempt to outdo last season’s success with a massive playoff push. NFL Webcast is the place to see it all go down! Whether they are taking on long-time rivals like the Buffalo Bills or in-state rivals like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you can see it all, every game, every play right here. NFL Webcast will provide multiple streams for free all season long. Bring the 305 to NFL Webcast and watch your Fins take over the AFC!