| 1980 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Don Shula |
| Home Field | Miami Orange Bowl |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff Finish | did not qualify |
| Timeline | |
| Previous Season | Next Season |
| 1979 | 1981 |
Offseason
Edit
NFL DraftEdit
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
| 1 |
Regular seasonEdit
The 1980 NFL season would see the Dolphins drop to an 8–8 record, from their 10–6 showing the previous year.
Quarterback Bob Griese, who struggled with leg problems during 1979, lost the starting job to longtime backup Don Strock, but he did poorly in two games, leading the Dolphins to return to Griese for Week 3. In Week 5, however, Griese suffered a career-ending shoulder injury against the Baltimore Colts and was succeeded by David Woodley, a rookie fresh from LSU.
The final game of the season was played against the New York Jets on December 20. NBC tried a novel experiment by broadcasting the game with no commentators, and with none of the players or staff wearing microphones. The effect was to give television viewers the feel of actually being in the stadium. To date, this was the only NFL game ever aired on TV without commentaries. The Jets won by a score of 24–17, costing the Dolphins a chance at a playoff berth.
It was during the Monday Night Football game on December 8, 1980 against the Patriots that Howard Cosell announced that John Lennon has been shot and killed.
ScheduleEdit
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–7 | |
| 2 | September 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–16 | |
| 3 | September 21 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 20–17 | |
| 4 | September 28 | New Orleans Saints | W 21–16 | |
| 5 | October 5 | Baltimore Colts | L 30–17 | |
| 6 | October 12 | at New England Patriots | L 34–0 | |
| 7 | October 19 | Buffalo Bills | W 17–14 | |
| 8 | October 27 | at New York Jets | L 17–14 | |
| 9 | November 2 | at Oakland Raiders | L 16–10 | |
| 10 | November 9 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 35–14 | |
| 11 | November 16 | San Francisco 49ers | W 17–13 | |
| 12 | November 20 | San Diego Chargers | L 27–24 | |
| 13 | November 30 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 23–10 | |
| 14 | December 8 | New England Patriots | W 16–13 | |
| 15 | December 14 | at Baltimore Colts | W 24–14 | |
| 16 | December 20 | New York Jets | L 24–17 | |
Standings Edit
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 320 | 260 |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 441 | 325 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 266 | 305 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 355 | 387 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 302 | 395 |
Notes and referencesEdit
