1985 Miami Dolphins season - Misplaced Pages

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1985 Miami Dolphins season
Owner	Joe Robbie
General manager	Mike Robbie
Head coach	Don Shula
Home field	Miami Orange Bowl
Results
Record	12–4
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Browns) 24–21 Lost AFC Championship (vs. Patriots) 14–31
Pro Bowlers	4 QB Dan Marino WR Mark Clayton G Roy Foster C Dwight Stephenson
← 1984 Dolphins seasons 1986 →

The 1985 Miami Dolphins season was the 20th season in franchise history. The club won their fourth consecutive AFC East championship and appeared in the AFC Championship Game. It was the first season since their undefeated 1972 season without offensive lineman Ed Newman.

Due to Dan Marino's offseason holdout, and an injury to receiver Mark Duper, the Dolphins were only 5–4 through Week 9, and in third place in the AFC East, behind the 7–2 Jets and 6–3 Patriots. Their 220 points scored through Week 9 were fifth in the league, and 85 points fewer, than in 1984 at the same point in the season.

The Dolphins righted the ship, however, and won their final seven games, including an upset of the then-undefeated Chicago Bears in a Week 13 Monday Night contest. This was the last time until 2021 that the Dolphins had won 7 games in a row. Miami won the division and defeated the AFC Central champion Cleveland Browns 24–21 in their first playoff game. Their season would end with a 31–14 home loss to division rival New England in the AFC Championship Game.

Off-season

Quarterback Dan Marino, coming off a record-shattering 1984 season, held out through training camp. This, and an injury to wide receiver Mark Duper, got the Dolphins out to a slow start.

Draft

Main article: 1985 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1985 Miami Dolphins draft
1	27	Lorenzo Hampton	Running back	Florida
3	65	George Little	Defensive tackle	Iowa
3	83	Alex Moyer	Linebacker	Northwestern
4	91	Mike Smith	Cornerback	UTEP
4	111	Jeff Dellenbach	Offensive tackle	Wisconsin
6	145	George Shorthose	Wide receiver	Missouri
6	167	Ron Davenport	Fullback	Louisville
7	195	Fuad Reveiz *	Kicker	Tennessee
8	223	Dan Sharp	Tight end	TCU
9	251	Adam Hinds	Defensive back	Oklahoma State
10	279	Mike Pendleton	Defensive back	Indiana
11	307	Mike Jones	Running back	Tulane
12	335	Ray Noble	Defensive back	California
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1985 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player	Position	College
Ray Condren	Running back	Gettysburg
Robert Weir	Defensive end	SMU
Mike White	Center	Alabama

Personnel

Staff / Coaches

**1985 Miami Dolphins staff**
	Front office Owner – Joe Robbie General manager – Mike Robbie Head coaches Head coach – Don Shula Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – David Shula Running backs – Carl Taseff Wide receivers – David Shula Offensive line – John Sandusky			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Chuck Studley Defensive line – Mike Scarry Linebackers – Bob Matheson Secondary – Mel Phillips Special teams coaches Special teams – Tom Keane Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Junior Wade

Roster

**1985 Miami Dolphins roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 13 Dan Marino 10 Don Strock Running backs (RB) 34 Woody Bennett 23 Joe Carter 30 Ron Davenport 27 Lorenzo Hampton 22 Tony Nathan 32 Tommy Vigorito Wide receivers (WR) 83 Mark Clayton 85 Mark Duper 82 Duriel Harris 88 Vince Heflin 11 Jim Jensen 81 Frank Lockett 89 Nat Moore Tight ends (TE) 84 Bruce Hardy 87 Dan Johnson 80 Joe Rose		Offensive linemen (OL) 76 Steve Clark G 65 Jeff Dellenbach C 79 Jon Giesler T 74 Cleveland Green T 63 Larry Lee G 72 Ronnie Lee T 57 Dwight Stephenson C 60 Jeff Toews G 61 Roy Foster G Defensive linemen (DL) 70 Bill Barnett DE 75 Doug Betters DE 58 Kim Bokamper DE 71 Mike Charles NT 99 George Little DE 91 Mack Moore DE		Linebackers (LB) 51 Mark Brown ILB 56 Charles Bowser OLB 53 Jay Brophy 59 Bob Brudzinski OLB 55 Hugh Green OLB 54 Alex Moyer 52 Robin Sendlein OLB 50 Jackie Shipp ILB 96 Sanders Shiver OLB Defensive backs (DB) 47 Glenn Blackwood SS 42 Lyle Blackwood 43 Bud Brown FS 49 William Judson CB 40 Mike Kozlowski 44 Paul Lankford CB 28 Don McNeal 18 Mike Smith 42 Robert Sowell 29 John Swain 41 Fulton Walker Special teams 4 Reggie Roby P 7 Fuad Reveiz K		Reserve 73 Bob Baumhower DT (IR) 64 Ed Newman G (IR) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 8	at Houston Oilers	L 23–26	0–1	Houston Astrodome	47,656
2	September 15	Indianapolis Colts	W 30–13	1–1	Miami Orange Bowl	53,693
3	September 22	Kansas City Chiefs	W 31–0	2–1	Miami Orange Bowl	69,791
4	September 29	at Denver Broncos	W 30–26	3–1	Mile High Stadium	73,614
5	October 6	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 24–20	4–1	Miami Orange Bowl	72,820
6	October 14	at New York Jets	L 7–23	4–2	Giants Stadium	73,807
7	October 20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 41–38	5–2	Miami Orange Bowl	62,335
8	October 27	at Detroit Lions	L 21–31	5–3	Pontiac Silverdome	75,291
9	November 3	at New England Patriots	L 13–17	5–4	Sullivan Stadium	58,811
10	November 10	New York Jets	W 21–17	6–4	Miami Orange Bowl	73,965
11	November 17	at Indianapolis Colts	W 34–20	7–4	Hoosier Dome	59,666
12	November 24	at Buffalo Bills	W 23–14	8–4	Rich Stadium	50,474
13	December 2	Chicago Bears	W 38–24	9–4	Miami Orange Bowl	75,594
14	December 8	at Green Bay Packers	W 34–24	10–4	Lambeau Field	52,671
15	December 16	New England Patriots	W 30–27	11–4	Miami Orange Bowl	69,489
16	December 22	Buffalo Bills	W 28–0	12–4	Miami Orange Bowl	64,811

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 13

Chicago Bears (12–0) at Miami Dolphins (8–4)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	3	14	0	24
Dolphins	10	21	7	0	38

at Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida

Date: December 2
Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Joe Namath, OJ Simpson
Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

Bears

Steve Fuller
11/21, 169 Yds, TD, 2 INT
Walter Payton
23 Rush, 121 Yds
Willie Gault
2 Rec, 79 Yds

Dolphins

Dan Marino
14/27, 270 Yds, 3 TD, INT
Tony Nathan
15 Rush, 74 Yds
Mark Duper
5 Rec, 107 Yds

Miami finished 12–4 in 1985 and, in an epic Monday Night Football showdown on December 2, 1985, handed the previously-undefeated Chicago Bears their only defeat of the season. Several members of the 1972 Dolphins were in attendance at the game.

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	CHI	MIA
1					Dolphins	Moore 33-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	0	7
1					Bears	Fuller 1-yard touchdown run, Butler kick good	7	7
1					Dolphins	47-yard field goal by Reveiz	7	10
2					Dolphins	Davenport 1-yard touchdown run, Reveiz kick good	7	17
2					Bears	30-yard field goal by Butler	10	17
2					Dolphins	Davenport 1-yard touchdown run, Reveiz kick good	10	24
2					Dolphins	Moore 6-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	10	31
3					Bears	Fuller 1-yard touchdown run, Butler kick good	17	31
4					Dolphins	Clayton 42-yard touchdown reception from Marino, Reveiz kick good	17	38
4					Bears	Margerum 19-yard touchdown reception from Fuller, Butler kick good	24	38
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							24	38

After rallying from a 21–3 third quarter deficit in the divisional playoffs to beat the Cleveland Browns 24–21, many people were looking forward to a rematch with Chicago in Super Bowl XX. The Cinderella New England Patriots, the Dolphins' opponents in the AFC Championship, had different plans. New England forced six turnovers on the way to a 31–14 win – the Patriots' first in Miami since 1966. The Patriots had lost 18 games in a row at the Orange Bowl. In 1969, the Boston Patriots had beaten the Dolphins at Tampa Stadium.

Standings

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Miami Dolphins	12	4	0	.750	6–2	9–3	428	320	W7
New York Jets	11	5	0	.688	6–2	9–3	393	264	W1
New England Patriots	11	5	0	.688	6–2	8–4	362	290	W1
Indianapolis Colts	5	11	0	.313	1–7	2–10	320	386	W2
Buffalo Bills	2	14	0	.125	1–7	2–12	200	381	L6

Final roster

**1985 Miami Dolphins roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 13 Dan Marino 10 Don Strock Running backs (RB) 34 Woody Bennett FB 20 Joe Carter RB 30 Ron Davenport FB 27 Lorenzo Hampton RB 22 Tony Nathan RB 32 Tommy Vigorito RB Wide receivers (WR) 83 Mark Clayton 85 Mark Duper 11 Jim Jensen 89 Nat Moore Tight ends (TE) 84 Bruce Hardy 87 Dan Johnson 80 Joe Rose		Offensive linemen (OL) 76 Steve Clark G 65 Jeff Dellenbach C/G 61 Roy Foster G 79 Jon Giesler T 74 Cleveland Green T 63 Larry Lee G 72 Ronnie Lee G/T 57 Dwight Stephenson C Defensive linemen (DL) 75 Doug Betters DE 58 Kim Bokamper DE 71 Mike Charles NT 99 George Little DE 71 Mike Charles DE		Linebackers (LB) 53 Jay Brophy MLB 51 Mark Brown ILB 59 Bob Brudzinski OLB 55 Hugh Green OLB 54 Alex Moyer OLB 52 Robin Sendlein ILB 50 Jackie Shipp ILB Defensive backs (DB) 47 Glenn Blackwood SS 42 Lyle Blackwood FS 43 Bud Brown SS 49 William Judson CB 40 Mike Kozlowski FS 44 Paul Lankford CB 28 Don McNeal CB 18 Mike Smith DB Special teams 7 Fuad Reveiz K 4 Reggie Roby P		Reserve 70 Bill Barnett DE (IR) 73 Bob Baumhower NT (IR) 56 Charles Bowser OLB (IR) 82 Duriel Harris WR (IR) 64 Ed Newman G (IR) 60 Jeff Toews C (IR) Rookies in italics 45 active, 6 reserve, 0 practice squad

Player stats

Passing

Player	Att	Comp	Yds	TD	Int	Rating
Dan Marino	567	336	4137	30	21	84.1

Playoffs

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Divisional	January 4	Cleveland Browns	W 24–21	Miami Orange Bowl	75,128
AFC Championship Game	January 12	New England Patriots	L 14–31	Miami Orange Bowl	74,978

AFC divisional playoff

Miami Dolphins 24, Cleveland Browns 21

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	7	7	0	21
Dolphins	3	0	14	7	24

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), mostly cloudy
Game attendance: 75,128
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy

The game is known as 'Marino's 18-point comeback.'

AFC Championship Game

New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 14

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	14	7	7	31
Dolphins	0	7	0	7	14

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), rain
Game attendance: 74,978
Referee: Gene Barth
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

In an upset, the Patriots converted 6 Dolphins turnovers into 24 points.

Awards and honors

Dan Marino, 1985 1st Team All-Pro and AFC Pro Bowl selection
Mark Duper, franchise record, most receiving yards in one game, 217 yards on November 10.

References

Ferraro, Michael X.; Veneziano, John (2007). Numbelievable!. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0.
Pro-Football-Reference: In a single season, in 1985, in the regular season, from team's 1st game to 9th game, sorted by descending Points For
Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, in 1984, in the regular season, from team's 1st game to 9th game, sorted by descending Points For
Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.506, Martin's Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1
NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 60.

External links

v t e Miami Dolphins
Founded in 1966 Based and headquarted in Miami Gardens, Florida
Franchise	Franchise History Seasons Coaches All-time roster First-round draft picks Starting quarterbacks Records Awards Honor roll Training facility
Stadiums	Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium
Culture	"Fins" (Jimmy Buffett song) Wayne Huizenga Stephen M. Ross Joe Robbie T. D. Cheerleaders Ace Ventura: Pet Detective "Only Wanna Be with You" (Hootie & the Blowfish song) Elway to Marino Ballers
Lore	Award winners Perfect season The Sea of Hands Announcerless game Epic in Miami Snowplow Game Clock Play Monday Night Miracle Miami Miracle Tua Tagovailoa concussion controversy
Rivalries	Buffalo Bills Las Vegas Raiders New England Patriots New York Jets Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Division championships (13)	1971 1972 1973 1974 1979 1981 1983 1984 1985 1992 1994 2000 2008
Conference championships (5)	1971 1972 1973 1982 1984
League championships (2)	1972 (VII) 1973 (VIII)
Retired numbers	12 13 39
Media	Broadcasters WFOR-TV
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1970–present) Conference: American Football Conference Division: East Division
Former league affiliation	League: American Football League (1966–1969)

v t e Miami Dolphins seasons
1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates Super Bowl victory Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance

1985 NFL season

East	Central	West	East	Central	West
Buffalo	Cincinnati	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta
Indianapolis	Cleveland	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	LA Rams
Miami	Houston	LA Raiders	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans
New England	Pittsburgh	San Diego	St. Louis	Minnesota	San Francisco
NY Jets		Seattle	Washington	Tampa Bay

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