Counting Down the Top 10 Dolphins Season Finales

The Miami Dolphins are hoping to leave the 2025 season with a good final memory, and an upset victory against the AFC East champion New England Patriots certainly would do the trick.

It wouldn't change the fact the Dolphins will be absent from the playoffs for a second consecutive season, but it's too late to do anything about that.

The Dolphins have had those kind of season-ending victories before, including recent ones against the Patriots. The season finales that really stand out, though, obviously are those that win division titles or secure playoff spots.

With that said, here's our ranking of the top 10 season finales in Dolphins history:

THE TOP 10 SEASON FINALE COUNTDOWN

10 - 1972, Dolphins 16, Colts 0

There was nothing particularly spectacular about this Dolphins performance, highlighted by six takeaways on defense and Garo Yepremian's three field goals, but it's significance simply for the fact it closed out a perfect 14-0 regular season.

9 - 1995, Dolphins 41, Rams 22

This is another game where what happened took a back seat to the historical significance. In this case, the victory at the TWA Dome in St. Louis ended up being the last one of Don Shula's legendary career. The win, buoyed by four takeaways and two rushing touchdowns by Bernie Parmalee, also got the Dolphins into the playoffs.

8 - 2015, Dolphins 20, Patriots 10

This game has no playoff implications for the Dolphins, who had fired Joe Philbin and replaced him by Dan Campbell on an interim basis early in the season, but it was a great performance that cost New England the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. In maybe his best performance ever as Dolphins quarterback, Ryan Tannehill outdueled Tom Brady by passing for 350 yards and two touchdowns.

7 - 2022, Dolphins 11, Jets 6

This game was no work of art — and that's being very kind — but the squeaker over the Jets was big because it got the Dolphins back into the playoffs for the first since 2016. With Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both out with injuries, rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson started this critical game, but it was the defense that did the heavy lifting along with kicker Jason Sanders, whose 55-yard field goal in the final minute proved the game-winner before a safety accounted for the final margin.

6 - 1994, Dolphins 27, Lions 20

This was the second Christmas Day game in Dolphins history, following the 1971 playoff classic at Kansas City, and it saw the Dolphins survive a Detroit comeback attempt after Miami led 24-3. In a wild second half, the teams combined for five turnovers and two stops on downs before Miami clinched the victory by converting a third-and-19 with a 21-yard pass from Dan Marino to running back Aaron Craver, whose fumble was recovered by teammate Irving Fryar.

5 - 1970, Dolphins 45, Bills 7

This game at the Orange Bowl is the Dolphins' most lopsided season-ending victory, but it deserves a special place merely because it clinched the first playoff berth in franchise history. Miami took no chances with this game, taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter thanks in part to the first of three Jim Kiick rushing touchdowns.

4 - 2019, Dolphins 27, Patriots 24

This was similar to the 2015 finale, except better. Started with a pick-six by former Patriots DB Eric Rowe and capped by Ryan Fitzpatrick's late touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki, the Dolphins took away New England's first-round bye with the upset victory. The next week, the Patriots were upset at home by Tennessee and thus ended the Tom Brady era in New England. Better yet, the victory didn't change the Dolphins' draft position by even one slot.

3 - 1984, Dolphins 28, Cowboys 21

This game was a Monday night affair at the Orange Bowl, before the NFL wrapped up its regular season on the final Sunday night, and it served as the perfect setting for Dan Marino and Mark Clayton to wrap up their record-setting seasons. On this night, Marino became the first NFL quarterback to reach 5,000 yards and he threw four touchdown passes, three of which went to Clayton to give him the NFL single-season record with 18. The last one, a 63-yard connection, proved the game-winner.

2 - 2008, Dolphins 24, Jets 17

You could make an argument for this being the top finale because of the ending it provided to the incredible story of the 2008 Dolphins, who rebounded from a 1-15 finish to win the AFC East title behind a quarterback they picked up in August. That quarterback was Chad Pennington, who was dumped by the Jets after they landed Brett Favre, and how fitting was it that the non-nimble Pennington was able to pick up a key first down late with a scramble. The game also featured a rare big man pick-six, this one by Dolphins rookie defensive end Phillip Merling.

1 - 2000, Dolphins 27, Patriots 24

Like the 2008 finale, this one also clinched an AFC East title for Miami, and it was accompanied by a truly bizarre ending where the officials called back both teams from their locker room 30 minutes after it was over because it was decided that there still should have been time left on the clock. The Dolphins won this division title in Dave Wannstedt's first season as head coach with a 49-yard field goal by Olindo Mare, who earlier in the fourth quarter had missed a 28-yard attempt, after Zach Thomas gave Miami the ball with an interception. With the win and division title, the Dolphins got to play at home in the first round of the playoffs, which is where they defeated the Indianapolis Colts in an overtime thriller that still stands as their last postseason victory.

THE DOLPHINS SEASON FINALES SINCE 2000

2024 — Jets 32, Dolphins 20
2023 — Bills 21, Dolphins 14
2022 — Dolphins 11, Jets 6
2021 — Dolphins 33, Patriots 24
2020 — Bills 56, Dolphins 26
2019 — Dolphins 27, Patriots 24
2018 — Bills 42, Dolphins 17
2017 — Bills 22, Dolphins 16
2016 — Patriots 35, Dolphins 14
2015 — Dolphins 20, Patriots 10
2014 — Jets 37, Dolphins 24
2013 — Jets 20, Dolphins 7
2012 — Patriots 28, Dolphins 0
2011 — Dolphins 19, Jets 17
2010 — Patriots 38, Dolphins 7
2009 — Steelers 30, Dolphins 24
2008 — Dolphins 24, Jets 17
2007 — Bengals 38, Dolphins 25
2006 — Colts 27, Dolphins 22
2005 — Dolphins 28, Patriots 26
2004 — Ravens 30, Dolphins 23
2003 — Dolphins 23, Jets 21
2002 — Patriots 27, Dolphins 24 (OT)
2001 — Dolphins 34, Bills 7
2000 — Dolphins 27, Patriots 24