2012 Miami Dolphins season
OwnerStephen Ross
General managerJeff Ireland
Head coachJoe Philbin
Home fieldSun Life Stadium
Results
Record7–9
Division place2nd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
4
AP All-Pros
1
Uniform

The 2012 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 47th overall in the American Football Conference Eastern Division (AFC East). The season concluded with the Dolphins finishing second in the AFC Eastern Division with a 7–9 record, and no postseason play for the fourth consecutive season.

The Dolphins entered the season under new head coach Joe Philbin, with hopes of revitalizing the franchise from three consecutive losing seasons under head coach Tony Sparano.[1] The team started with drafting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the first round of the NFL draft, to compete for the starting job against incumbent Matt Moore and free agent David Garrard. Tannehill was eventually named the team's regular season starter heading in the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.[2] The team finished the preseason with an 0–4 record for the third time in franchise history.[3]

The Dolphins opened the regular season with a disappointing 10–30 loss against the Houston Texans, but a week later ended up with an impressive 35–13 win over the Oakland Raiders. Following the win, the Dolphins lost two close overtime games against the Arizona Cardinals and division rival New York Jets. However, Miami was able to come back and win three consecutive games including a blow out rematch with the New York Jets, but after close critical loses to the Indianapolis Colts, division rival Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, the Dolphins were unable to achieve a winning season.

Ryan Tannehill became the first rookie quarterback in Dolphins history to complete a full season as the team's starting quarterback. During the week four game against the Arizona Cardinals, Tannehill broke former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino's single-game rookie passing record with 431 passing yards and came one yard short of breaking Cam Newton's NFL rookie single-game passing record. In the same game wide receiver Brian Hartline broke the Dolphins single-game receiving record with 12 receptions for 253 yards.[4]

Personnel changes

Despite getting an extension through 2013 in the early 2011 off-season,[5] head coach Tony Sparano was fired by the team after 13 disappointing games into the 2011 season with a 4–9 record. In Sparano's first year 2008, he orchestrated the second greatest record turnaround in NFL history with an 11–5 record from a 1–15 record between the 2007–2008 NFL seasons, and finished second behind Atlanta Falcons' head coach Mike Smith in voting for the 2008 AP NFL Coach of the Year. However, Sparano failed to capitalize, posting mediocre records in his final three seasons as head coach. Following Sparano's firing, assistant head coach Todd Bowles reigned control of the team for the final three games, and entered the off-season as the lead candidate for the 2012 Miami Dolphins' head coaching position.[6]

Brian Hartline in the game against the Oakland Raiders, September 16

Former Tennessee Titans' head coach Jeff Fisher entered talks as becoming the next Dolphins' head coach, and the Dolphins organization openly pursued him as a top candidate. Other coaches drawing interest were Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Chicago Bears' special teams coordinator Dave Toub, and Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Ultimately on January 13, 2012, Fisher decided to pursue the vacant St. Louis Rams' head coaching position,[7] and subsequently on January 20, 2012, the Dolphins hired former Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as the franchise's tenth head coach.[1]

On January 27, 2012, the new coaching regime came into shape with the signing of Philbin's longtime friends: former Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman and Cincinnati Bengals defensive back coach Kevin Coyle, as offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively.[8]

Sherman, who was fired by Texas A&M earlier this year after posted a 25–25 record in his four seasons, gave Philbin his first NFL job when he served as head coach for the Green Bay Packers. At the time of signing with the Dolphins, Sherman was also a finalist for the vacant head coaching job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8] Coyle had spent the last 11 seasons as a part of the Bengals organization. Both had served as coaches together at the College of the Holy Cross between 1985 and 1988.[8]

The rest of Philbin's coaching regime includes the acquisition of linebackers coach George Edwards, and assistant quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor on January 30, 2012. Acquirement of offensive line coach Jim Turner on February 1, 2012, assistant defensive line backs coach Blue Adams, defensive assistant Charlie Bullen, offensive assistant Ben Johnson and Chris Mosley as offensive assistant line coach on February 10, 2012. Philbin also retained the contracts of tight ends coach Dan Campbell, strength coach Darren Krein, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, and Jeff Nixon as running backs coach from coach Sparano's tenure.

Roster changes

After an unpromising 13–18 record as a starter, the Miami Dolphins decided not to renew the contract of quarterback Chad Henne.[9] In early March, Henne became an unrestricted free agent, along with defensive end Kendall Langford. Shortly after, on March 14, 2012, Henne signed a two-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and on March 17, 2012, Langford signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Rams.[10][11]

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jimmy Wilson challenges Raiders running back Phillip Adams, September 16

The Dolphins' first major transaction of the off-season was the trade of 2011 Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall. After being acquired in a trade two years prior from the Denver Broncos, Marshall was traded to the Chicago Bears on March 13, 2012. The trade further opened up speculation that the Dolphins were trying to gain more cap space to sign free agent wide receiver Reggie Wayne, to lure former teammate and free agent quarterback Peyton Manning to Miami. The Dolphins were one of the teams who've considered signing the long-time Colts quarterback, along with the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks. Manning ultimately signed with the Denver Broncos where he spent the rest of his career. However, speculation was quickly suppressed when Wayne re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts, leaving the Dolphins without a number one wide receiver entering the draft.[12]

On March 14, 2012, the Dolphins re-signed defensive tackle Paul Soliai, to a two-year deal worth $12 million.[13] They also extended the contract of linebacker Cameron Wake through the 2016 season on May 5, 2012.[14] The contract was worth $49 million over five years, with a guaranteed $20 million.[15] During the season, the Dolphins extended the contract of punter Brandon Fields, to four years worth $13 million, on August 4, 2012.[16]

To compete against incumbent starting quarterback Matt Moore, the Dolphins signed quarterback David Garrard on March 19, 2012.[17] However, after suffering a knee injury during training camp, Garrard was released on September 4, 2012.[18]

The Dolphins also released veteran and team captain strong safety Yeremiah Bell on March 19, 2012.[19] The transaction saved the Dolphins $4.3 million in cap space, and allowed two-year safety Reshad Jones to move to the position. Bell eventually signed a one-year deal with the division-rival New York Jets on May 18, 2012.[20]

To fill the vacancy left by Brandon Marshall, the Dolphins signed veteran receiver Chad Johnson (whose last name was Ochocinco at the time of the signing) on June 11, 2012.[21] During training camp, Johnson's work ethic, which was highlighted on HBO's Hard Knocks, put him on track to make the opening day roster; however, a domestic dispute between Johnson and his wife Evelyn Lozada prompted the Dolphins to release him on August 12, 2012.[22]

After struggling to adapt to new defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle's system, the Dolphins traded former first-round pick and cornerback Vontae Davis on August 24, 2012.[23] In return, the Dolphins received a second-round and conditional late-round 2013 NFL Draft pick[c] .[24]

2012 draft class

Ryan Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins' 2012 first-round draft selection

The 2012 National Football League Draft was held April 26–28 in the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York. Entering the draft, the Miami Dolphins major positions to fill were quarterback and wide receiver. The Dolphins needed a long-term quarterback to take over for incumbent starter Matt Moore at the end of the season, after negotiations failed with top free agent quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn. Many analysts, including ESPN's Adam Schefter, believed the Dolphins would draft Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the 8th overall pick, if the Cleveland Browns, who held the 4th overall pick, didn't first.[25] Also, many debated that Tannehill, who was once a wide receiver recently turned quarterback, was not deserving of a top 10 pick.[26]

Ultimately, with the 8th overall pick of the first round, the Dolphins selected Tannehill.[27] The selection marked the fourth time that the Dolphins had selected a quarterback in the first round of a draft since Dan Marino in 1983, Bob Griese in 1967, and Rick Norton in 1966.[28] With their second pick, the Dolphins selected offensive tackle Jonathan Martin from Stanford.[29]

RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
18 Ryan TannehillQuarterbackTexas A&M
242 Jonathan MartinOffensive TackleStanford
372 Olivier VernonDefensive EndMiami (FL)
78[a] Michael EgnewTight EndMissouri
4103[b] Lamar MillerRunning BackMiami (FL)
5155[c] Josh KadduLinebackerOregon
6183 B.J. CunninghamWide ReceiverMichigan State
7215 Kheeston RandallDefensive TackleTexas
227[c] Rishard MatthewsWide ReceiverNevada

Notes

^[a] The team acquired an additional third-round selection (#73 overall) as part of a trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears. The team then swapped third-round selections (#73 and #78) with the San Diego Chargers and received an extra sixth-round pick (#183).
^[b] The team swapped sixth-round selections with the New Orleans Saints (the Dolphins originally held the #179 selection) as part of a trade in which the team acquired running back Reggie Bush from the Saints. The 196th pick was then used in order for Miami to trade up in the fourth round to select Lamar Miller (from #103 to #97).
^[c] The team swapped fifth-round selections with the Tennessee Titans (the Dolphins originally held the #145 selection) and received an extra seventh-round selection (#227).

Schedule

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1 August 10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 7–20 0–1 Sun Life Stadium Recap
2 August 17 at Carolina Panthers L 17–23 0–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap
3 August 24 Atlanta Falcons L 6–23 0–3 Sun Life Stadium Recap
4 August 29 at Dallas Cowboys L 13–30 0–4 Cowboys Stadium Recap

Regular season

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1 September 9 at Houston Texans L 10–30 0–1 Reliant Stadium Recap
2 September 16 Oakland Raiders W 35–13 1–1 Sun Life Stadium Recap
3 September 23 New York Jets L 20–23 (OT) 1–2 Sun Life Stadium Recap
4 September 30 at Arizona Cardinals L 21–24 (OT) 1–3 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap
5 October 7 at Cincinnati Bengals W 17–13 2–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
6 October 14 St. Louis Rams W 17–14 3–3 Sun Life Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 October 28 at New York Jets W 30–9 4–3 MetLife Stadium Recap
9 November 4 at Indianapolis Colts L 20–23 4–4 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
10 November 11 Tennessee Titans L 3–37 4–5 Sun Life Stadium Recap
11 November 15 at Buffalo Bills L 14–19 4–6 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
12 November 25 Seattle Seahawks W 24–21 5–6 Sun Life Stadium Recap
13 December 2 New England Patriots L 16–23 5–7 Sun Life Stadium Recap
14 December 9 at San Francisco 49ers L 13–27 5–8 Candlestick Park Recap
15 December 16 Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–3 6–8 Sun Life Stadium Recap
16 December 23 Buffalo Bills W 24–10 7–8 Sun Life Stadium Recap
17 December 30 at New England Patriots L 0–28 7–9 Gillette Stadium Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Houston Texans

Week One: Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 0 7010
Texans 0 24 3330

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: September 9
  • Game time: 1:03 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 71,566
  • Referee: Donald King
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information

The Dolphins entered their first game of the season with a 0–0 record, traveling to face the 0–0 Houston Texans. The game was the first start for rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill and head coach Joe Philbin. Tannehill became the first Dolphins rookie quarterback to start the first game of the season. Entering the game the Texans are the only team the Dolphins have not beaten, holding a 0–6 record all-time against the team.[30][31][32]

Both teams moved the ball well on their opening drives, but failed to score. The Dolphins received the ball on their own 42-yard line after a missed field goal by Houston kicker Shayne Graham. After a Reggie Bush recovered fumble on 3rd down on the Houston 14-yard line the Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter attempted and successfully executed a 39-yard field goal with (3:19) left in the first quarter.

Both defenses held steady, keeping both offenses out of the redzone heading to the mid-way point of the second quarter. However, at the (7:35) point, quarterback Tannehill was intercepted by Johnathan Joseph at the 50-yard line for 36 yards. Within the shadow of their own goal posts the Dolphins held the Texans to a Shayne Graham 35-yard field goal. The interception by Tannehill was the first of his career, and marked a downhill spiral for the rest of the game.

Following the score the Dolphins moved quickly to the Houston side of the field after a 10-yard rush by Reggie Bush and 32-yard pass to running back Daniel Thomas. But after a few incomplete passes, Tannehill had his pass intended for receiver Legadu Naanee deflected by a defensive lineman and intercepted by linebacker Brian Cushing with (4:06) left in the second quarter. The Texans quickly turned the turnover into points, with an Arian Foster 14-yard rush.

On the first play following the Houston kickoff quarterback Tannehill again had his pass deflected by a defensive lineman, but instead was intercepted by Kareem Jackson. After a defensive pass interference penalty, running back Arian Foster rushed for his second rushing touchdown of the game at the (0:49) mark. Again following the kickoff the Dolphins again turned the ball over following a Daniel Thomas fumble. The turnover was shortly followed by a 14-yard pass touchdown from Houston quarterback Matt Schaub to receiver Andre Johnson at the (0:12) mark.

Following a quick three and out by the Texans following halftime, punt returner Marcus Thigpen returned a punt for 72 yards for a touchdown. But for the remainder of the game the Dolphins offense failed to produce any scores, but held the Texans defense to two Shayne Graham field goals: 40 and 19 yards, respectively.

Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Two: Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 7 3 0313
Dolphins 7 0 141435

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: September 16
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. PDT
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 54,245
  • Referee: Mike Shepherd
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Game information

The Dolphins entered their second game of the season with a 0–1 record, hosting the 0–1 Oakland Raiders. The game marked the third consecutive season game between the two teams and 36th all-time, with the Dolphins winning the last two games with an average margin of victory of 18 points.

Miami opened the game with an impressive 80-yard drive after the opening kickoff, which lead to a quarterback Ryan Tannehill two-yard rushing touchdown. Two possessions later at the (3:28) mark in the first quarter, Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer threw a 64-yard touchdown to Mike Goodson tying the game.

Through a majority of the second quarter both teams had a hard time moving across the 50-yard line, which was matched with impressive punting by both Dolphins punter Brandon Fields and Oakland punter Shane Lechler. By the end of the game Field punted the ball six times for 319 yards with an average yard per punt of 53.2 and Lechler punted the ball nine times for 422 yards with an average yard per punt of 46.9. However, Oakland managed to get the ball back with (3:33) left in the quarter and orchestrated a drive that ended with a Sebastian Janikowski 25-yard field goal. Both teams entered halftime evenly matched.

It didn't take long following halftime for the Dolphins rushing attack to shine. On the second possession of the half the Dolphins drove the ball down field and allowed Reggie Bush to rush for a 25-yard touchdown. On the next Miami possession, after a quick pass from Tannehill to receiver Brian Hartline, Reggie Bush rushed 65 yards for another Miami touchdown. A few possessions later Oakland answered with a Janikowski 27-yard field goal.

With little opposition from the Oakland defense Miami's offense kept the ball moving and managed to score on their next two possessions. Once with an Anthony Fasano 14-yard reception touchdown from Tannehill, the first of his career, and again with a Lamar Miller 15-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career. Oakland tried to stop the bleeding on their next drive, but quarterback Palmer was intercepted by safety Reshad Jones.

The impressive game of 172 rushing yards on 26 attempts by running back Reggie Bush earned him the week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week and FedEx Air and Ground rusher of the week honors.

Week 3: vs. New York Jets

Week Three: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Jets 0 3 710323
Dolphins 7 3 73020

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: September 23
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 60,102
  • Referee: Robert Frazer
  • TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–2.

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Four: Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Dolphins 0 13 08021
Cardinals 0 0 714324

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

  • Date: September 30
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona time
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 60,183
  • Referee: Scott Green
  • TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
Game information

The Dolphins were seeking their first win in Phoenix since 1996. However, they were defeated in overtime for the second consecutive week. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–3.

Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Five: Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 7 10017
Bengals 6 0 0713

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: October 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 61,162
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information

With the win, the Dolphins improved to 2–3.

Week 6: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Six: St. Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 6 0 0814
Dolphins 0 10 7017

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: October 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 52,983
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
Game information

With the win, the Dolphins head into their bye week at 3–3.

Week 8: at New York Jets

Week Eight: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 10 10 7330
Jets 0 0 369

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: October 28
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Wind: NNE 9mph gusting to 17mph
  • Game attendance: 79,088
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information

With the win, the Dolphins improved to 4–3.

Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 14 0320
Colts 7 6 7323

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: November 4
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 66,479
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Game information

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–4.

Week 10: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Ten: Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Titans 14 10 7637
Dolphins 0 3 003

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: November 11
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 60,165
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Tasker
Game information

With the huge loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–5.

Week 11: at Buffalo Bills

Week Eleven: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 7 0 0714
Bills 13 6 0019

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 7 7721
Dolphins 0 7 01724

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 51,295
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
Game information

Week 13: vs. New England Patriots

Week Thirteen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 10 0623
Dolphins 3 7 0616

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 72,114
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information

Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Fourteen: Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 3 3713
49ers 0 6 71427

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: December 9
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 69,732
  • Referee: Mike Carey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information

Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 0 003
Dolphins 3 7 6824

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 53,667
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information

Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Sixteen: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 3 0710
Dolphins 7 7 10024

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 23
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 54,462
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Randy Cross
Game information

With the win, the Dolphins improved to 7–8, but were officially eliminated from playoff contention, due to the Bengals' 13–10 win over the Steelers.

Week 17: at New England Patriots

Week Seventeen: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 0 000
Patriots 7 14 0728

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), partly cloudy and cold
  • Game attendance: 68,756
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information

With this loss, the Dolphins finished the season with a 7–9 record. They were also swept by the Patriots for the third consecutive season.

Standings

AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) New England Patriots 12 4 0 .750 6–0 11–1 557 331 W2
Miami Dolphins 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 288 317 L1
New York Jets 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 281 375 L3
Buffalo Bills 6 10 0 .375 2–4 5–7 344 435 W1

Conference standings

AFC[33]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division winners
1 Denver Broncos West 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 .457 .385 W11
2[lower-alpha 1] New England Patriots East 12 4 0 .750 6–0 11–1 .496 .466 W2
3[lower-alpha 1] Houston Texans South 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 .496 .432 L2
4[lower-alpha 2] Baltimore Ravens North 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 .496 .438 L1
Wild cards
5 Indianapolis Colts South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 8–4 .441 .403 W2
6[lower-alpha 2] Cincinnati Bengals North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .438 .381 W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 .465 .438 W1
8[lower-alpha 3] San Diego Chargers West 7 9 0 .438 4–2 7–5 .457 .286 W2
9[lower-alpha 3] Miami Dolphins East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .500 .415 L1
10[lower-alpha 4] Tennessee Titans South 6 10 0 .375 1–5 5–7 .512 .344 W1
11[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] New York Jets East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .512 .401 L3
12[lower-alpha 5] Buffalo Bills East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 5–7 .480 .281 W1
13 Cleveland Browns North 5 11 0 .313 2–4 5–7 .508 .388 L3
14 Oakland Raiders West 4 12 0 .250 2–4 4–8 .469 .219 L2
15[lower-alpha 6] Jacksonville Jaguars South 2 14 0 .125 2–4 2–10 .539 .531 L5
16[lower-alpha 6] Kansas City Chiefs West 2 14 0 .125 0–6 0–12 .516 .438 L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 7]
  1. 1 2 New England clinched the AFC's No. 2 seed over Houston based on a head-to-head victory.
  2. 1 2 Baltimore clinched the AFC North title over Cincinnati based on a better divisional record (4–2 to 3–3).
  3. 1 2 San Diego finished with a better conference record than Miami (7–5 to 5–7).
  4. 1 2 Tennessee finished ahead of New York Jets based on head-to-head victory.
  5. 1 2 New York Jets finished ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East based on record versus common opponents (5–7 to 3–9).
  6. 1 2 Jacksonville finished with a better conference record than Kansas City (2–10 to 0–12).
  7. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Staff

2012 Miami Dolphins staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Darren Krein
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – David Puloka

Roster

2012 Miami Dolphins final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 7 inactive, 8 practice squad

Statistics

Team leaders

Player(s)Value
Passing YardsRyan Tannehill3294 Yards
Passing TouchdownsRyan Tannehill12 TDs
Rushing YardsReggie Bush986 Yards
Rushing TouchdownsReggie Bush6 TDs
Receiving YardsBrian Hartline1083 Yards
Receiving TouchdownsAnthony Fasano5 TDs
PointsDan Carpenter92 Points
Kickoff Return YardsMarcus Thigpen1040 Yards
Punt Return YardsMarcus Thigpen316 Yards
TacklesKarlos Dansby101 Solo Tackles
SacksCameron Wake15.0 Sacks
InterceptionsReshad Jones4 INTs

final stat values through 16 weeks

League rankings

  • Total Offense (YPG): 311.5 (27th)
  • Points (PPG): 18.0 (27th)
  • Passing (YPG): 198.9 (26th)
  • Rushing (YPG): 112.6 (17th)
  • Total Defense (YPG): 356.8 (21st)
  • Points (PPG) : 19.8 (7th)
  • Passing (YPG): 248.4 (27th)
  • Rushing (YPG): 108.4 (13th)

final stat values through 17 weeks

Notes

References

  1. 1 2 "Joe Philbin Named Dolphins Head Coach". MiamiDolphins.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  2. ↑ Brinson, Will (2012). Ryan Tannehill named Dolphins starting quarterback by Joe Philbin. Retrieved December 27, 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "Tucking their tails: Miami Dolphins finish winless preseason". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Ryan Tannehill, Brian Hartline have record-breaking performance in Dolphins' loss". Yahoo.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ ESPN News Services (January 8, 2011). "Source: Tony Sparano gets extension". ESPN. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  6. ↑ NFL.com Wire (December 12, 2011). "Dolphins end Sparano's stay; Bowles becomes interim coach". NFL. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  7. ↑ NFL.com Wire (January 13, 2012). "Spurned by top choice Fisher, Dolphins keep looking for coach". NFL. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 Kelly, Omar (January 27, 2012). "Miami Dolphins hire Mike Sherman, Kevin Coyle as coordinators". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Report: Dolphins to release Henne". FOX Sports.com. Associated Press. February 22, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ Gould, Izzy (March 14, 2012). "Reports: Chad Henne signs with Jacksonville Jaguars". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  11. ↑ Kirkendall, Josh (March 17, 2012). "Kendall Langford Signs A Four-Year Deal With The St. Louis Rams". CincyJungle.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Bears trade for Brandon Marshall". ESPN.com. 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ Wilson, Wilson (March 14, 2012). "Source: Paul Soliai to rejoin Dolphins on two-year deal". SCOUT.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Dolphins Sign Cameron Wake To Contract Extension". MiamiDolphins.com. Associated Press. May 6, 2012. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  15. ↑ Nogel, Kevin (May 7, 2012). "Comparing Cameron Wake's contract extension". Phinsider.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  16. ↑ Kelly, Omar (August 4, 2012). "Dolphins sign punter Brandon Fields to 4-year extension". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  17. ↑ "David Garrard signs with Dolphins". CincyJungle.com. Associated Press. March 19, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Dolphins release QB David Garrard". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 5, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  19. ↑ Kelly, Omar (March 19, 2012). "Miami Dolphins release starting strong safety Yeremiah Bell". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  20. ↑ Cimini, Rich (March 19, 2012). "Jets add Yeremiah Bell, source says". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Dolphins Sign Chad Ochocinco". MiamiDolphins.com. Associated Press. June 11, 2012. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  22. ↑ "The Miami Dolphins release WR Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson after arrest". CBSNews.com. Associated Press. August 12, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  23. ↑ McIntyre, Brian (August 26, 2012). "Dolphins trade Vontae Davis to Colts for draft picks". NFL.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  24. ↑ Glazer, Jay (August 26, 2012). "Glazer: Dolphins trade Davis to Colts". FOXSports.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  25. ↑ Walker, James (April 19, 2012). "Schefter on Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  26. ↑ Walker, James (March 29, 2012). "Browns, not Dolphins, better for Tannehill?". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  27. ↑ Walker, James (April 26, 2012). "No surprise: Dolphins get Ryan Tannehill". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  28. ↑ Volin, Ben (April 26, 2012). "Miami Dolphins draft QB Ryan Tannehill with first-round pick". Palm Beach Post.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  29. ↑ National Football League (April 27, 2012). "Jonathan Martin draft analysis". NFL.com. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  30. ↑ ProFootball Reference. "Joe Philbin". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  31. ↑ ProFootball Reference. "Ryan Tannehill". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  32. ↑ ProFootball Reference. "Boxscore finder: Miami Dolphins vs Houston Texans". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  33. ↑ "2012 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Dolphins G Incognito added AFC Pro Bowl team". AP. Yahoo.com. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  35. ↑ Florio, Mark. "Another Dolphins to the Pro Bowl". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
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