2000 Miami Dolphins season

2000 Miami Dolphins season
OwnerWayne Huizenga
Head coachDave Wannstedt
Home fieldPro Player Stadium
Results
Record11–5
Division place1st AFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Colts) 23–17 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Raiders) 0–27
Pro BowlersC Tim Ruddy
DE Trace Armstrong
DE Jason Taylor
LB Larry Izzo
LB Zach Thomas
CB Sam Madison
S Brock Marion
Miami Dolphins first wordmark from 1997

The 2000 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League, the 35th overall and was their first under new head coach Dave Wannstedt who was named the fourth head coach in franchise history on January 16, 2000,[1] the same day that Jimmy Johnson announced his retirement from coaching. For the first season since 1982, Dan Marino was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement prior to the season. Believed by many as the greatest Miami Dolphin of all time, Marino led the Dolphins to ten playoff appearances, one of which ended in Super Bowl XIX, and is the winningest quarterback to have not won a Super Bowl. Jay Fiedler, who left the Jacksonville Jaguars, succeeded Marino as starting quarterback. Damon Huard remained a backup quarterback and started for Fiedler in one game during the season.

Although Marino was no longer on the team, the Dolphins hoped to improve from their 9–7 record in the previous season. The Dolphins began the season strong, with a 6–2 record halfway through. Both losses were by small margins. The second loss occurred during a road game dubbed the Monday Night Miracle, against the New York Jets, which scored 30 points in the fourth quarter and then defeated the Dolphins by a field goal in overtime. The Dolphins fared only slightly worse in the second half of the season, winning five games and losing three. The team finished with a record of 11–5, their best record since 1992. This was the Dolphins' fourth consecutive winning season and the first time the club won the AFC East title since 1994.

Additionally, this was the Dolphins' fourth consecutive season in which they advanced to the playoffs. In the wild card round, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 23–17 in overtime. However, the Dolphins were shut out 27–0 by the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round the following week. As of the 2024 season, this is the last season that Miami has won a playoff game, making it 24 straight years that the Miami Dolphins have failed to win in the playoffs.[2] Until the 2021 season, this marked the last time the Dolphins swept the New England Patriots during the regular season.

Seven Dolphins players were selected for the Pro Bowl.

  1. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p.63
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference davis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).