2015 Miami Dolphins season

The 2015 season was the Miami Dolphins' 46th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 50th overall. The Dolphins looked to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014 and return to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. However, Miami failed to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season after a Week 14 loss to the New York Giants.

2015 Miami Dolphins season
Owner	Stephen M. Ross
General manager	Dennis Hickey
Head coach	Joe Philbin (fired on October 5; 1–3 record) Dan Campbell (interim; 5–7 record)
Home stadium	Sun Life Stadium
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	4th AFC East
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Mike Pouncey, C Branden Albert, OT Jarvis Landry, WR Reshad Jones, SS Brent Grimes, CB
Uniform
← 2014 Dolphins seasons 2016 →

The Dolphins entered 2015 with Joe Philbin as their head coach for a fourth season. After the team started 1−3, Philbin was fired by the Dolphins. Dan Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season and recorded a 5−7 record.

Highlights from the season include the Dolphins' first-ever victory over the Houston Texans, their first win over the Philadelphia Eagles since 1999, and their first road win over the Washington Redskins since 1984.

Free agents

Position	Player	Tag	2015 Team	Notes
QB	Matt Moore	UFA	Miami Dolphins
S	Louis Delmas	UFA	Miami Dolphins
RB	Knowshon Moreno	UFA
DT	Jared Odrick	UFA	Jacksonville Jaguars
G	Daryn Colledge	UFA
C	Samson Satele	UFA
TE	Charles Clay	UFA	Buffalo Bills
S	Jimmy Wilson	UFA	San Diego Chargers
LB	Kelvin Sheppard	UFA	Miami Dolphins
DE	Derrick Shelby	RFA	Miami Dolphins
LB	Jonathan Freeny	RFA	New England Patriots
RB	Daniel Thomas	UFA	Chicago Bears
S	Michael Thomas	ERFA	Miami Dolphins
RB	LaMichael James	UFA	Miami Dolphins
S	Jordan Kovacs	ERFA	Miami Dolphins
CB	R.J. Stanford	RFA
TE	Gerell Robinson	ERFA
C	Sam Brenner	ERFA	Miami Dolphins
RB	Jerome Messam	RFA

2015 draft

Main article: 2015 NFL draft

2015 Miami Dolphins Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	14	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
2	52	Jordan Phillips	DT	Oklahoma
4	114	Jamil Douglas	G	Arizona State
5	145	Bobby McCain	CB	Memphis
	149	Jay Ajayi	RB	Boise State
	150	Cedric Thompson	FS	Minnesota
	156	Tony Lippett	CB	Michigan State

Notes

• The Dolphins traded their second-round selection (No. 47 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Philadelphia's second-round (No. 52 overall) and two fifth-round selections (No. 145 and 156 overall).^[1]
• The Dolphins traded their third-round selection (No. 78 overall) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for wide receiver Kenny Stills.
• The Dolphins acquired an additional fifth-round selection (No. 149 overall) in a trade that sent their seventh-round selection (No. 232 overall — previously acquired in a trade that sent offensive tackle Jonathan Martin to the San Francisco 49ers) and wide receiver Mike Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings.
• The Dolphins traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie during the 2013 season.

Staff

2015 Miami Dolphins staff

Front office Chairman/managing general partner – Stephen Ross Vice chairman/partner – Jorge Perez Vice chairman – Don Shula President/CEO – Tom Garfinkel General manager – Dennis Hickey Assistant general manager – Eric Stokes Executive vice president of football administration – Dawn Aponte Executive vice president of football operations – Mike Tannenbaum Manager of football administration – Ryan Herman Director of player personnel – Joe Schoen Director of college scouting – Chris Grier Director of pro scouting – Anthony Hunt Head coaches Head coach – Joe Philbin (fired on October 5) Interim head coach – Dan Campbell Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator – Darren Rizzi Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Zac Taylor Running backs – Jeff Nixon Wide receivers – Phil McGeoghan Tight ends – Dan Campbell (promoted to interim head coach on October 5) Tight ends – Ben Johnson Assistant tight ends – Mike Wahle Offensive line – John Benton Assistant offensive line – Jack Bicknell Jr. Offensive assistant – Ben Martin Senior offensive assistant – Al Saunders Senior offensive assistant – Ken O'Keefe

Defensive coaches Interim Defensive coordinator/defensive backs– Lou Anarumo Defensive line – Terrell Williams Assistant defensive line – Charlie Bullen Linebackers – Mark Duffner Assistant linebackers – David Corrao Assistant defensive backs – Blue Adams Assistant defensive backs – Jeff Burris Special teams coaches Assistant special teams coordinator – Marwan Maalouf Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Darren Krein Assistant strength and conditioning – David Puloka Sports science analyst – Dave Regan

Final roster

2015 Miami Dolphins roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  8 Matt Moore 17 Ryan Tannehill  5 Logan Thomas Running backs (RB) 23 Jay Ajayi 26 Lamar Miller 34 Damien Williams Wide receivers (WR) 83 Matt Hazel 85 Greg Jennings 14 Jarvis Landry 11 DeVante Parker 10 Kenny Stills Tight ends (TE) 84 Jordan Cameron 80 Dion Sims 86 Jake Stoneburner

Offensive linemen (OL) 76 Branden Albert T 75 Jamil Douglas G 74 Jason Fox T 70 Ja'Wuan James T 68 Ulrick John T 66 Jacques McClendon G 51 Mike Pouncey C 64 Shelley Smith G 63 Dallas Thomas G 77 Billy Turner G Defensive linemen (DL) 62 Deandre Coleman DT 98 Quinton Coples DE 78 Terrence Fede DE 90 Earl Mitchell DT 57 Damontre Moore DE 97 Jordan Phillips DT 79 Derrick Shelby DE 93 Ndamukong Suh DT 50 Olivier Vernon DE

Linebackers (LB) 46 Neville Hewitt OLB 45 Mike Hull MLB 53 Jelani Jenkins OLB 56 James-Michael Johnson MLB 42 Spencer Paysinger OLB 52 Kelvin Sheppard MLB 49 Zach Vigil OLB Defensive backs (DB) 35 Walt Aikens FS 27 Shamiel Gary SS 21 Brent Grimes CB 20 Reshad Jones SS 36 Tony Lippett CB 28 Bobby McCain CB 24 Brice McCain CB 29 Tyler Patmon CB 22 Jamar Taylor CB 31 Michael Thomas FS Special teams (ST)  4 Matt Darr P 92 John Denney LS  3 Andrew Franks K

Practice squad 32 Jahwan Edwards RB 16 Robert Herron WR 47 Terrell Manning OLB 71 Vinston Painter G 65 Anthony Steen C 30 Dax Swanson CB 41 Cedric Thompson FS 73 Julius Warmsley DE 69 Jordan Williams DE Reserve 25 Louis Delmas FS (IR) 95 Dion Jordan DE (Susp.) 18 Rishard Matthews WR (IR) 58 Chris McCain OLB (IR) 55 Koa Misi OLB (IR) 96 Robert Thomas DT (IR) 91 Cameron Wake DE (IR) 88 Brandon Williams TE (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 8 reserve, 9 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 13	at Chicago Bears	L 10–27	0–1	Soldier Field	Recap
2	August 22	at Carolina Panthers	L 30–31	0–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
3	August 29	Atlanta Falcons	W 13–9	1–2	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
4	September 3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 17–22	1–3	Sun Life Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 13	at Washington Redskins	W 17–10	1–0	FedExField	Recap
2	September 20	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 20–23	1–1	EverBank Field	Recap
3	September 27	Buffalo Bills	L 14–41	1–2	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	New York Jets	L 14–27	1–3	Wembley Stadium (London)	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 18	at Tennessee Titans	W 38–10	2–3	Nissan Stadium	Recap
7	October 25	Houston Texans	W 44–26	3–3	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
8	October 29	at New England Patriots	L 7–36	3–4	Gillette Stadium	Recap
9	November 8	at Buffalo Bills	L 17–33	3–5	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
10	November 15	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 20–19	4–5	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
11	November 22	Dallas Cowboys	L 14–24	4–6	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
12	November 29	at New York Jets	L 20–38	4–7	MetLife Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	Baltimore Ravens	W 15–13	5–7	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
14	December 14	New York Giants	L 24–31	5–8	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
15	December 20	at San Diego Chargers	L 14–30	5–9	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
16	December 27	Indianapolis Colts	L 12–18	5–10	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	New England Patriots	W 20–10	6–10	Sun Life Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Washington Redskins

Week One: Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	7	0	10	17
Redskins	3	7	0	0	10

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,512
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter WAS – Kai Forbath 45-yard field goal, Redskins 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 7:21. Second quarter WAS – Jordan Reed 4-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Kai Forbath kick), Redskins 10–0. Drive: 17 plays, 88 yards, 8:49. MIA – Rishard Matthews 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), Redskins 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:22. Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter MIA – Andrew Franks 22-yard field goal, Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:13. MIA – Jarvis Landry 69-yard punt return (Andrew Franks kick), Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards, 1:12. Top passers MIA – Ryan Tannehill- 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TDs WAS – Kirk Cousins- 21/31, 196 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTS Top rushers MIA – Lamar Miller- 13 rushes, 53 yards WAS – Alfred Morris- 25 rushes, 121 yards Top receivers MIA – Jordan Cameron- 4 receptions, 73 yards WAS – Pierre Garcon- 8 receptions, 74 yards Top tacklers MIA – Reshad Jones- 12 tackles WAS – DeAngelo Hall- 8 tackles

With the win, the Dolphins started 1-0 for the second straight year. This was the Dolphins' first road win over the Redskins since their 1984 Super Bowl season.

Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Two: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	10	7	0	20
Jaguars	10	10	0	3	23

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), zero percent chance of rain
• Game attendance: 65,443
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Preview, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter JAX – Allen Robinson 3-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:39. MIA – Andrew Franks 48-yard field goal, Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:05. JAX – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:56. Second quarter MIA – Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal, Jaguars 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:36. JAX – Allen Robinson 46-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), Jaguars 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:05. MIA – Damien Williams 10-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), Jaguars 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:15. JAX – Jason Myers 58-yard field goal, Jaguars 20–13. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:18. Third quarter MIA – Jake Stoneburner 5-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32. Fourth quarter JAX – Jason Myers 28-yard field goal, Jaguars 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 1:08. Top passers MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 30/44, 359 yards, 2 TD JAX – Blake Bortles – 18/33, 273 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 3 rushes, 17 yards JAX – T. J. Yeldon – 25 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 110 yards JAX – Allen Robinson – 6 receptions, 155 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers MIA – Jelani Jenkins – 9 tackles, 3 assists JAX – Telvin Smith – 6 tackles, 3 assists

Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers would kick the game winning 28-yard field goal with under 2 minutes left to give the Jags the win.

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

Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Three: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	14	13	0	14	41
Dolphins	0	0	8	6	14

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 64,869
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF – Charles Clay 25-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:17. BUF – LeSean McCoy 10-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:40. Second quarter BUF – Dan Carpenter 26-yard field goal, Bills 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:00. BUF – Preston Brown 43-yard interception return (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 1:15. BUF – Dan Carpenter 51-yard field goal, Bills 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 0:42. Third quarter MIA – Rishard Matthews 21-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Ryan Tannehill to Jarvis Landry for two-point conversion), Bills 27–8. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:14. Fourth quarter BUF – Chris Hogan 38-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 34–8. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:46. MIA – Rishard Matthews 46-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (kick failed), Bills 34–14. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:51. BUF – Karlos Williams 41-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 41–14. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 1:10. Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 21/29, 277 yards, 3 TDs MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 26/39, 297 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTS Top rushers BUF – Karlos Williams – 12 rushes, 110 yards, 1 TD MIA – Jonas Gray – 9 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD MIA – Rishard Matthews – 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs Top tacklers BUF – Corey Graham – 12 tackles MIA – Reshad Jones – 9 tackles

Ryan Tannehill would be intercepted 3 times in this game, including a pick 6 by Preston Brown, and the Bills trounced Miami in their home opener 41–14.

With the embarrassing loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–2. This was also the worst home opening defeat in franchise history.

Week 4: vs. New York Jets

NFL International Series

Week Four: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	10	10	7	0	27
Dolphins	0	7	0	7	14

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/9:30 a.m. EDT
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 83,986
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NYJ – MIA – Top rushers NYJ – MIA – Top receivers NYJ – MIA – Top tacklers NYJ – MIA –

The Dolphins were considered the home team in the season's first International Series game. They lost dropping them to 1-3 heading into their bye week. A day later, Head Coach Joe Philbin was fired following a 24–28 record with no postseason appearances. Tight Ends Coach Dan Campbell was his replacement serving as an Interim head coach.

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

Week Six: Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	10	7	7	14	38
Titans	3	0	7	0	10

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 62,342
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – TEN – Top rushers MIA – TEN – Top receivers MIA – TEN – Top tacklers MIA – TEN –

On a day in which Miami fans traveled well to seemingly outnumber Tennessee fans, the Dolphins would pick up their first win under Dan Campbell.

With the win, Miami improved to 2–3.

Week 7: vs. Houston Texans

Week Seven: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	0	13	13	26
Dolphins	21	20	0	3	44

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,251
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers HOU – MIA – Top rushers HOU – MIA – Top receivers HOU – MIA – Top tacklers HOU – MIA –

The Dolphins thoroughly dominated the first half, scoring 6 touchdowns for a 41–0 halftime lead. With the win, the Miami Dolphins defeated the Houston Texans for the first time in franchise history. This was also the first time since 2003 that the Dolphins scored over 40 points in a game.

Week 8: at New England Patriots

Week Eight: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	0	7	0	7
Patriots	7	12	3	14	36

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), cloudy and windy
• Game attendance: 66,829
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – NE – Top rushers MIA – NE – Top receivers MIA – NE – Top tacklers MIA – NE –

The Dolphins travel to New England to take on the undefeated Patriots. The Dolphins looked to end the streak of the Super Bowl champions, but it was too late as Miami struggled offensively and defensively all game.

Cameron Wake left the game with an Achilles tear. The Dolphins later announced that he would miss the rest of the season. He finished the game with two tackles and a sack.

Week 9: at Buffalo Bills

Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	7	7	3	17
Bills	9	10	7	7	33

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), sunny with some clouds
• Game attendance: 70,214
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – BUF – Top rushers MIA – BUF – Top receivers MIA – BUF – Top tacklers MIA – BUF –

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 3-5 and were swept by Buffalo for the first time since 2013.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Ten: Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	3	10	0	7	20
Eagles	16	0	0	3	19

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 69,596
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – PHI – Top rushers MIA – PHI – Top receivers MIA – PHI – Top tacklers MIA – PHI –

The Dolphins would trail 16–3 at one point, but they would come back to beat Philadelphia. Near the end of the game, Reshad Jones intercepted Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez to seal the game. This was the Dolphins' first win over the Eagles since 1999.

With the win, Miami improved to 4–5.

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	14	0	10	24
Dolphins	0	7	7	0	14

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,115
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DAL – Rolando McClain 12-yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick), 15:00. Cowboys 7–0. DAL – Terrance Williams 31-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:23. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 8:30. MIA – Jordan Cameron 12-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 0:23. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:52. Third quarter MIA – Kenny Stills 29-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:26. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter DAL – Dez Bryant 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 15:00. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:25. DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:23. Cowboys 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 4:49. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 18/28, 227 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 13/24, 188 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DAL – Darren McFadden – 29 rushes, 129 yards MIA – Lamar Miller – 7 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 79 yards, TD MIA – Jarvis Landry – 4 receptions, 66 yards Top tacklers DAL – Sean Lee - 4 tackles MIA – Kelvin Sheppard - 10 tackles, 4 assists

Tony Romo started this game for Dallas, and the Cowboys would snap their 7-game losing streak, while the Dolphins failed to get into any rhythm on offense or defense in the game. The Dolphins were also seeking a home win over the Cowboys for the first time since 1984. This game is known for being Romo's last win in the NFL.

With the tough loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–6.

Week 12: at New York Jets

Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	0	7	13	20
Jets	7	7	7	17	38

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 78,160
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – NYJ – Top rushers MIA – NYJ – Top receivers MIA – NYJ – Top tacklers MIA – NYJ –

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–7.

Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	0	3	7	3	13
Dolphins	0	15	0	0	15

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 64,519
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BAL – MIA – Top rushers BAL – MIA – Top receivers BAL – MIA – Top tacklers BAL – MIA –

With the win, Miami kept their slim playoff hopes alive, and improved to 5–7.

Week 14: vs. New York Giants

Week Fourteen: New York Giants at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	14	7	7	31
Dolphins	7	10	7	0	24

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 65,408
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NYG – MIA – Top rushers NYG – MIA – Top receivers NYG – MIA – Top tacklers NYG – MIA –

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–8, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 7th straight year, a franchise record. They also fell to 0–4 all time against the Giants at home, with 2003 being the last season the Dolphins beat the Giants.

Week 15: at San Diego Chargers

Week Fifteen: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	0	7	7	14
Chargers	6	17	0	7	30

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), fair
• Game attendance: 66,676
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker and Scott Kaplan
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – SD – Top rushers MIA – SD – Top receivers MIA – SD – Top tacklers MIA – SD –

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–9.

Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Sixteen: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	8	7	0	3	18
Dolphins	0	6	3	3	12

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,482
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers IND – MIA – Top rushers IND – MIA – Top receivers IND – MIA – Top tacklers IND – MIA –

With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–10, and with Buffalo defeating Dallas the same day, they were assured last place in their division.

Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

Week Seventeen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	3	7	0	10
Dolphins	3	7	0	10	20

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 62,918
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NE – MIA – Top rushers NE – MIA – Top receivers NE – MIA – Top tacklers NE – MIA –

With the stunning win, the Dolphins ended their season at 6-10 and kept the Patriots from clinching home field advantage in the AFC Playoffs.^[2]

Standings

Division

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) New England Patriots	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	465	315	L2
New York Jets	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	387	314	L1
Buffalo Bills	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	379	359	W2
Miami Dolphins	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	310	389	W1

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1[a]	Denver Broncos	West	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	.500	.479	W2
2[a]	New England Patriots	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.473	.448	L2
3[a]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.477	.406	W1
4	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.496	.410	W3
Wild Cards
5	Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	5	0	.688	5–1	10–2	.496	.432	W10
6[b]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.504	.463	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[b]	New York Jets	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.441	.388	L1
8[c]	Buffalo Bills	East	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.508	.438	W2
9[c]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.500	.406	W2
10	Oakland Raiders	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	7–5	.512	.366	L1
11	Miami Dolphins	East	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	.469	.469	W2
12[d]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	.473	.375	L3
13[d]	Baltimore Ravens	North	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	.508	.425	L1
14	San Diego Chargers	West	4	12	0	.250	0–6	3–9	.527	.328	L2
15[e]	Cleveland Browns	North	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	.531	.271	L3
16[e]	Tennessee Titans	South	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	.492	.375	L4
Tiebreakers[f]
Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3. Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2. Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory. Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory. 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.