1989 Miami Dolphins season

1989 Miami Dolphins season
Head coachDon Shula
Home fieldJoe Robbie Stadium
Results
Record8–8
Division place3rd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers

The 1989 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 24th as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's 6–10 W-L record, winning eight games.[1] Despite this improvement they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, tying the longest such record in franchise history when the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs from 1966 to 1969. This was also the longest such record for coach Don Shula in his NFL career. 1989 was summed up for Miami in its season premiere and season finale, both losses at home: Buffalo stunned the Dolphins when they scored a TD as time ran out to win in week 1, and Kansas City won in week 16 in a contest where the gametime temperature was 32 degrees, a record for the coldest home game the Dolphins had ever played up to that time.

Shortly after the season ended, Miami Dolphins founder Joe Robbie died on January 7, 1990, at the age of 73.[2]

This was the first of 15 consecutive non-losing seasons for the Dolphins.