| 1989 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Don Shula |
| Home field | Joe Robbie Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 3 |
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.
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | Buffalo Bills | L 24–27 | 0–1 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 54,541 |
| 2 | September 17 | at New England Patriots | W 24–10 | 1–1 | Sullivan Stadium | 57,043 |
| 3 | September 24 | New York Jets | L 33–40 | 1–2 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 65,908 |
| 4 | October 1 | at Houston Oilers | L 7–39 | 1–3 | Astrodome | 53,326 |
| 5 | October 8 | Cleveland Browns | W 13–10 (OT) | 2–3 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 58,444 |
| 6 | October 15 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–13 | 3–3 | Riverfront Stadium | 58,184 |
| 7 | October 22 | Green Bay Packers | W 23–20 | 4–3 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 56,624 |
| 8 | October 29 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–31 | 4–4 | Rich Stadium | 80,208 |
| 9 | November 5 | Indianapolis Colts | W 19–13 | 5–4 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 52,680 |
| 10 | November 12 | at New York Jets | W 31–23 | 6–4 | Giants Stadium | 65,923 |
| 11 | November 19 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 17–14 | 7–4 | Texas Stadium | 56,044 |
| 12 | November 26 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–34 | 7–5 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 59,936 |
| 13 | December 3 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 21–26 | 7–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 54,610 |
| 14 | December 10 | New England Patriots | W 31–10 | 8–6 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 55,918 |
| 15 | December 17 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 13–42 | 8–7 | Hoosier Dome | 55,665 |
| 16 | December 24 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–27 | 8–8 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 43,612 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Buffalo Bills(3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 409 | 317 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 298 | 301 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–8 | 331 | 379 | L2 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 297 | 391 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 253 | 411 | L3 |
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See also: 1989 Buffalo Bills season and Bills–Dolphins rivalry |
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
| Game information | ||
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