1982 Miami Dolphins season

17th season in franchise history; second Super Bowl loss December 2013 March 2026 Miami Dolphins 1982 7–2 2nd AFC Don Shula Bill Arnsparger Joe Robbie Miami Orange Bowl Won Wild Card Playoffs(vs. Patriots) 28–13 Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Chargers) 34–13 Won AFC Championship(vs. Jets) 14–0 Lost Super Bowl XVII(vs. Redskins) 17–27 3 FB Andra Franklin G Ed Newman DT Bob Baumhower Dolphins seasons thumb|250px|The Dolphins playing against the Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. The 1982 Miami Dolphins season was the team's seventeenth in the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins were coming off an unexpected 11–4–1 1981 season and a devastating loss to the San Diego Chargers in the Divisional Round the previous season in a game dubbed the Epic in Miami. The team had clinched the 2 seed and were picked by many to reach the Super Bowl during the 1981 season. Because of the high number of picks to reach the Super Bowl the previous season, many more fans picked them to win it during the 1982 season. The Dolphins looked to improve on their 11 wins from 1981. However, a players strike cancelled 7 of the team's 16 games. Because of this, the NFL schedule was shrunk to 9 games. Season summary The Dolphins started out fresh, winning their first 2 games prior to the strike. When season play resumed 2 months later, the Dolphins defeated the Buffalo Bills 9–7 in Buffalo to clinch a 3–0 start. After a loss to Tampa Bay, they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 22–14. The next week, they lost a brisk game against the Patriots 3–0 in a game called the Snowplow Game. The Dolphins would then win 3 straight games to end the season 7–2, tied for second in the AFC with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins won 2nd place over them by virtue of a series of tiebreakers. In the playoffs, they defeated the Patriots in a rematch by the score of 28–13. They then defeated the Chargers in a rematch of the 1981 Divisional Playoffs by a score of 34–13. In the AFC Championship game, they shutout the Jets, 14–0 to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1973. In Super Bowl XVII, they lost to the Redskins 27–17 in a rematch of Super Bowl VII which concluded Miami's perfect 1972 season. Off-season NFL draft 1982 NFL draft 1982 Miami Dolphins 1 24 Roy Foster G USC yes yes 2 52 Mark Duper WR Northwestern State yes yes 3 80 Paul Lankford CB Penn State yes 4 108 Charles Bowser LB Duke yes 5 120 Bob Nelson DT Miami (FL) from Minnesota 5 136 Rich Diana RB Yale yes 6 161 Tom Tutson DB South Carolina State from San Diego 6 164 Ron Hester LB Florida State yes 7 170 Dan Johnson TE Iowa State from New Orleans yes 7 192 Larry Cowan RB Jackson State yes 8 220 Tate Randle DB Texas Tech played for Houston 9 239 Steve Clark DE Utah yes 9 248 Mack Boatner RB Southeastern Louisiana 10 271 Robin Fisher LB Florida 10 276 Wayne Jones OT Utah 11 303 Gary Crum OT Wyoming 12 331 Mike Rodrigue WR Miami (FL) Personnel Coaches / Staff 1982 Miami Dolphins Team Owner / President – Joe Robbie Executive vice president/general manager – Mike Robbie Vice president – Don Shula Director of player personnel – Chuck Connor Director of pro scouting – Charley Winner Head coach – Don Shula Quarterbacks/receivers – Wally English Offensive backs – Carl Taseff Offensive line/running game – John Sandusky Assistant head coach/defense – Bill Arnsparger Defensive line/run defense – Mike Scarry Defensive backs – Tom Keane Special teams – Steve Crosby, Carl Taseff Punting – Tom Keane Roster 1982 Miami Dolphins 49 11 Jim Jensen wide receiver 10 Don Strock 16 David Woodley 34 Woody Bennett 33 Rich Diana y 37 Andra Franklin 31 Eddie Hill 22 Tony Nathan 32 Tommy Vigorito 81 Jimmy Cefalo 85 Mark Duper y 82 Duriel Harris 88 Vince Heflin y 89 Nat Moore 84 Bruce Hardy 86 Ronnie Lee American football 80 Joe Rose American football 63 Mark Dennard C 61 Roy Foster American football y G/T 79 Jon Giesler T 74 Cleveland Green T 67 Bob Kuechenberg G 68 Eric Laakso T 57 Dwight Stephenson C 60 Jeff Toews G 73 Bob Baumhower NT 75 Doug Betters DE 72 Richard Bishop gridiron football NT 58 Kim Bokamper DE 76 Steve Clark American football, born 1960 y DE 83 Vern Den Herder DE 56 Charles Bowser y OLB 59 Bob Brudzinski OLB 77 A.J. Duhe ILB 50 Larry Gordon American football OLB 53 Ron Hester y OLB 54 Steve Potter no ILB 55 Earnie Rhone ILB 52 Steve Shull ILB 47 Glenn Blackwood SS 42 Lyle Blackwood FS 49 William Judson FS 40 Mike Kozlowski SS 44 Paul Lankford y CB 28 Don McNeal CB 48 Gerald Small CB 41 Fulton Walker CB  3 Tom Orosz P  5 Uwe von Schamann K 70 Bill Barnett DE IR 87 Dan Johnson American football y TE IR 64 Ed Newman G IR 78 Ken Poole DE IR 20 Tom Tutson y CB IR Regular season The Dolphins' main strength was their defense, nicknamed the "Killer Bees" because 6 of their 11 starters had last names that began with the letter "B". The "Killer Bees", anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bob Baumhower, led the league in fewest total yards allowed (2,312) and fewest passing yards allowed (1,027). Linebacker A. J. Duhe was extremely effective at blitzing and in pass coverage. And the Dolphins secondary, consisting of defensive backs Don McNeal, Gerald Small and brothers Lyle and Glenn Blackwood, combined for 11 interceptions. However, the Dolphins' passing attack, led by quarterback David Woodley, ranked last in the league with 1,401 total yards, 8 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. One of the few bright spots in the Dolphins passing attack was wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo, who gained 356 yards off just 17 receptions, an average of 20.9 yards per catch. Wide receiver Duriel Harris also provided a deep threat with 22 receptions for 331 yards. But Miami's strength on offense was their running game, ranking 3rd in the league with 1,344 yards. Pro Bowl running back Andra Franklin was the team's top rusher with 701 yards and 7 touchdowns. Running back Tony Nathan rushed for 233 yards, and caught 16 passes for another 114 yards. Woodley himself also recorded 207 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. One reason for the Dolphins' rushing success was the blocking of their offensive line, led by future hall of fame center Dwight Stephenson, along with Pro Bowlers Bob Kuechenberg and Ed Newman.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1982.htm 1982 Miami Dolphins Pro Football Reference October 11, 2012 Snowplow Game In National Football League lore, the Snowplow Game refers to a regular-season game played between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots on December 12, 1982. Playing in a heavy snowstorm at New England's Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the two teams remained scoreless late into the fourth quarter. With 4:45 left to go in the game and on-field conditions worsening, Patriots coach Ron Meyer summoned Mark Henderson, who was a convict on a work release program, and was the stadium's snowplow operator that afternoon – and in the face of furious protests from Miami coach Don Shula – was directed to veer off course and clear a spot on the field for placekicker John Smith, with Matt Cavanaugh putting down the hold. The kick was good and the Patriots took a 3–0 lead into the final minutes of the game. What is often left untold is what happened after John Smith kicked the go-ahead field goal. Despite the snowy conditions, the Dolphins methodically marched down the field on the strength of their running backs Andra Franklin and Tony Nathan and quarterback David Woodley. The Dolphins advanced the ball to just inside the Patriots' 20-yard line, but on a third-down-and-nine play, a pass from Woodley was intercepted by linebacker Don Blackmon. Today in Pro Football History: 1982: Patriots Beat Dolphins in "Snowplow Game" http://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2015/12/1982-patriots-beat-dolphins-in-snowplow.html Today in Pro Football History 2015-12-12 2015-12-14 Keith Yowellhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LqckfI8yg8 New England Patriots cheating begins 1982 snow plow game. YouTube Blackmon interception play starts at 7:48. With less than a minute left to play, Miami used their timeouts to stop the clock and forced New England to punt after three rushing attempts, but a Dolphins Hail Mary pass on the game's final play was intercepted by the Patriots' Roland James. Henderson was released from prison a few years after the game, and later worked in the construction business. Henderson's plow was actually a John Deere Model 314 tractor with a snow sweeper attached.December 12, 2007 A foothold on history: 25 years later, Mark Henderson still remembered for role in Pats’ ’Snowplow Game’ https://www.bostonherald.com/2007/12/12/a-foothold-on-history-25-years-later-mark-henderson-still-remembered-for-role-in-pats-snowplow-game/ December 22, 2025 Boston Herald en-USWhen he was being interviewed by a TV reporter about the controversy, Henderson jokingly replied, "What are they gonna do, throw me in jail?" Weeks after the game, the NFL banned the use of snowplows on the field during a game.https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-snowplow-heros-j/161831829/ Snowplow hero's job is rendered obsolete Bob Duffy Field News Service Press & Sun-Bulletin Binghamton, New York 5C December 26, 1982 December 29, 2024 newspapers.com The moment became a feature of The Hall at Patriot Place when it opened in 2008 next to Gillette Stadium, with the actual tractor on display there.McCarthy Michael USA Today http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/12/happy-anniversary-to-nfls-infamous-snowplow-game/1#.UqUbpqVn994 Happy anniversary to NFL's 'Snowplow Game' 2010-12-12 Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 12 at New York Jets W 45–28 1–0 Shea Stadium 53,360 2 September 19 Baltimore Colts W 24–20 2–0 Orange Bowl 51,999 Players' strike 3 November 21 at Buffalo Bills W 9–7 3–0 Rich Stadium 52,945 4 November 29, 1982 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 17–23 3–1 Tampa Stadium 65,854 5 December 5 Minnesota Vikings W 22–14 4–1 Orange Bowl 45,721 6 December 12 at New England Patriots L 0–3 4–2 Schaefer Stadium 25,716 7 December 18, 1982 New York Jets W 20–19 5–2 Orange Bowl 67,702 8 December 27, 1982 Buffalo Bills W 27–10 6–2 Orange Bowl 73,924 9 January 2, 1983 at Baltimore Colts W 34–7 7–2 Memorial Stadium 19,073 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Season summary Week 1 at Jets 1982 New York Jets season Miami Dolphins 1982 2; text-align:center collapsed Week One: Miami Dolphins (0–0) at New York Jets (0–0) September 12 4:00 p.m. EDT Dolphins 14 10 21 0 Jets 7 7 0 14 Shea Stadium • Flushing, New York 53,360 75 F C • Wind 9 mph km/h knot Dick Jorgensen NBC Charlie Jones and Len Dawson Pro-Football-Reference.com Dolphins David Woodley 14/22, 98 Yds, INT Andra Franklin29 Rush, 103 Yds, 2 TD Jimmy Cefalo2 Rec, 25 Yds Jets Richard Todd18/30, 233 Yds, 3 TD, 3 INT Freeman McNeil13 Rush, 116 Yds Jerome Barkum4 Rec, 71 Yds, TD MIA NYJ collapsed 1 Dolphins RushTD Andra Franklin 1 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 0 1 Jets RecTD Wesley Walker Richard Todd 29 good Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 7 1 Dolphins PuntTD Tommy Vigorito 59 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 14 7 2 Dolphins RushTD Andra Franklin 1 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 21 7 2 Dolphins FG 25 Uwe von Schamann 24 7 2 Jets RushTD Mike Augustyniak 2 good Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 24 14 3 Dolphins RecTD David Woodley Tony Nathan 15 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 31 14 3 Dolphins IntTD Glenn Blackwood 35 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 38 14 3 Dolphins IntTD Don McNeal 19 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 45 14 4 Jets RecTD Jerome Barkum Richard Todd 7 good Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 45 21 4 Jets RecTD Wesley Walker Richard Todd 5 good Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 45 28 45 28 Week 2 Colts 0 17 0 3 Dolphins 14 0 10 0 September 19 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 4:00 p.m. 82 F; wind 5 mph on Pat Haggerty Gary Gerould, Jim Turner NBC yes Q1 MIA Woodley 1-yard run (von Schamann kick) MIA 7–0 Q1 MIA Hardy 4-yard pass from Woodley (von Schamann kick) MIA 14–0 Q2 BAL Butler 53-yard pass from Pagel (Wood kick) MIA 14–7 Q2 BAL Wood 51-yard field goal MIA 14–10 Q2 BAL Krauss 5-yard pass from Pagel (Wood kick) BAL 17–14 Q3 MIA Vigorito 33-yard run (von Schamann kick) MIA 21–17 Q3 MIA von Schamann 29-yard field goal MIA 24–17 Q4 BAL Wood 48-yard field goal MIA 24–20 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 4, 2014. Week 15 vs Jets Miami Dolphins 1982 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Fifteen: New York Jets (5–1) at Miami Dolphins (4–1) December 18, 1982 12:30 p.m. EDT Jets 6 10 0 3 Dolphins 10 7 0 3 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 67,702 Sunny, 56 F C Bob McElwee NBC Don Criqui, John Brodie, and Bob Griese Box Score The 1972 Miami Dolphins team was honored during the game. left New York Jets Jets Miami Dolphins Dolphins Richard Todd 16/29, 174 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Freeman McNeil 21 Rush, 89 Yds Wesley Walker 7 Rec, 96 Yds, TD David Woodley 12/25, 148 Yds, TD, 2 INT Andra Franklin 17 Rush, 75 Yds, TD Duriel Harris 4 Rec, 74 Yds, TD NYJ MIA collapsed 1 Jets RecTD Wesley Walker Richard Todd 22 no good (wide left) Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 6 0 1 Dolphins FG 47 Uwe von Schamann 6 3 1 Dolphins RushTD Andra Franklin 25 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 6 10 2 Jets RecTD Derrick Gaffney Richard Todd 45 good Pat Leahy run/pass good/failed/incomplete 13 10 2 Dolphins RecTD Duriel Harris David Woodley 36 good Uwe von Schamann run/pass good/failed/incomplete 13 17 2 Jets FG 40 Pat Leahy 16 17 4 Jets FG 49 Pat Leahy 19 17 4 0:03 Dolphins FG 47 Uwe von Schamann 19 20 19 20 Playoffs 1982–83 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance First round January 8, 1983 New England Patriots (7) W 28–13 1–0 Orange Bowl 68,842 Divisional January 16, 1983 San Diego Chargers (5) W 34–13 2–0 Orange Bowl 71,383 AFC Championship January 23, 1983 New York Jets (6) W 14–0 3–0 Orange Bowl 67,396 Super Bowl XVII January 30, 1983 Washington Redskins (N1) L 17–27 3–1 Rose Bowl 103,667 Standings Postseason October 2025 AFC first round Miami Dolphins 28, New England Patriots 13 AFC Divisional Playoff Miami Dolphins 34, San Diego Chargers 13 Chargers 0 13 0 0 Dolphins 7 20 0 7 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 12:30 p.m. EST 64 °F °C, mostly cloudy NBC Don Criqui, John Brodie, and Bob Griese Jerry Markbreit AFC Championship Game Miami Dolphins 14, New York Jets 0. The Jets were angered by the condition of the Orange Bowl's grass field, which had not been covered and was inundated with a huge amount of rainfall from a series of storms that swept through South Florida the week before the game (it was still overcast on the Sunday of the game but only had a minor drizzle). Don Shula responded by stating that he hadn't checked the weather reports because he was focused on getting the Dolphins ready for the game, and that both teams would face the same conditions in any case. AJ Duhe intercepted Richard Todd 3 times, returning the last pick for a game-clinching touchdown. Super Bowl XVII Miami Dolphins 17, Washington Redskins 27 at Rose Bowl (stadium), Pasadena, California Scoring summary MIA – TD: Jimmy Cefalo 76-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick) 7–0 MIA WAS – FG: Mark Moseley 31 yards 7–3 MIA MIA – FG: Uwe von Schamann 20 yards 10–3 MIA WAS – TD: Alvin Garrett 4-yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick) 10–10 tie MIA – TD: Fulton Walker 98-yard kickoff return (Uwe von Schamann kick) 17–10 MIA WAS – FG: Mark Moseley 20 yards 17–13 MIA WAS – TD: John Riggins 43-yard run (Mark Moseley kick) 20–17 WAS WAS – TD: Charlie Brown 6-yard pass from Joe Theismann (Mark Moseley kick) 27–17 WAS Awards and honors Pro Bowl players FB Andra Franklin, NT Bob Baumhower Notes and references Miami Dolphins on Pro Football Reference Miami Dolphins on jt-sw.com Miami Category:American Football Conference championship seasons Category:Miami Dolphins seasons Miami Dolphins