1983 Miami Dolphins season

18th season in franchise history March 2026 October 2025 December 2013 Miami Dolphins 1983 12–4 1st AFC East Don Shula Bill Arnsparger Joe Robbie Orange Bowl Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Seahawks) 20–27 7 QB Dan Marino WR Mark Duper G Bob Kuechenberg C Dwight Stephenson G Ed Newman DE Doug Betters DT Bob Baumhower Dolphins seasons The 1983 Miami Dolphins season was the 18th season in football for the Miami Dolphins and they sought to return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. It was also a turning point in the team's history, as in the 1983 NFL draft a young quarterback slipped to deep in the opening round, being passed over by such teams as division rivals New York who drafted Ken O'Brien and New England who drafted Tony Eason. With the 27th pick, the Dolphins decided to take a chance on Dan Marino. In the draft's eighth round the Dolphins also selected receiver Mark Clayton. Season summary David Woodley started the team's first five games but despite wins over Buffalo, New England and Kansas City the offense did not move to Don Shula's liking. So in Week Six, with the Dolphins hosting the Bills the rookie Marino started. Marino had completed two touchdown passes in relief of Woodley in a 27–14 loss to the Raiders and then replaced Woodley during a 17–7 loss to the Saints with a touchdown and an interception, so the game against Buffalo was the third game of his career but his first start. The game proved to be a wild affair as Robb Riddick of the Bills fumbled the opening kickoff at his own 17 but Marino was intercepted by Steve Freeman on the next play. The Bills clawed to a 14–7 halftime lead but the Dolphins behind Marino stayed toe to toe as Marino threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns while handing off to Mark Clayton on an option pass for a touchdown to Mark Duper. The Bills tied the game in the final seconds and two Uwe von Schamann field goal attempts missed before Joe Danelo ended the game in a 38–35 Bills win. Despite the loss Marino's performance cemented his role as the team's starter, and the Dolphins raced to win nine of their last ten games. Marino finished with 2,210 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. With the division wrapped up following a 26–17 win over the Oilers at the Astrodome Marino sat for the final two games of the season as Don Strock quarterbacked the Dolphins to wins over the Falcons and New York Jets. Despite a very successful season, the Dolphins were eliminated in the Divisional round of the playoffs by the underdog Seattle Seahawks, 27–20. Offseason June 25, 1983: Linebacker Larry Gordon, the Miami Dolphins first round pick in the 1976 NFL draft, died from heart failure while jogging near his home in Phoenix.100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p.185 Miami players wore a memorial helmet decal with Gordon's No. 50 throughout the season. Gordon's death occurred six days shy of the two-year anniversary of the death of fellow Dolphins linebacker Rusty Chambers, and four days before Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney drowned in Monroe, Louisiana. NFL draft 1983 NFL draft 1983 Miami Dolphins 1 27 Dan Marino Quarterback Pittsburgh yes yes yes 2 55 Mike Charles Defensive tackle Syracuse yes 3 76 Charles Benson Defensive end Baylor yes 6 167 Reggie Roby Punter Iowa yes yes 7 195 Keith Woetzel Linebacker Rutgers 8 223 Mark Clayton Wide receiver Louisville yes yes 9 250 Mark Brown Linebacker Purdue yes 10 278 Anthony Reed Running back South Carolina State 11 306 Joe Lukens Guard Ohio State 12 334 Anthony Carter Wide receiver Michigan yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1983_draft.htm 1983 Miami Dolphins draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com December 26, 2014 Personnel Coaches / Staff 1983 Miami Dolphins Owner / Team 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 Assistant head coach – Bill Arnsparger Offensive backs – Carl Taseff Receivers – David Shula Offensive line – John Sandusky Defense – Bill Arnsparger Defensive line/run defense – Mike Scarry Defensive backs – Tom Keane Special teams – Bob Matheson Punting – Tom Keane Strength and flexibility – Junior Wade Roster 1983 Miami Dolphins 49 13 Dan Marino y 10 Don Strock 16 David Woodley 34 Woody Bennett 37 Andra Franklin 31 Eddie Hill American football 22 Tony Nathan 20 David Overstreet 83 Mark Clayton American football, born 1961 y 85 Mark Duper 82 Duriel Harris 88 Vince Heflin 11 Jim Jensen wide receiver 89 Nat Moore 84 Bruce Hardy 87 Dan Johnson American football 80 Joe Rose American football 76 Steve Clark American football, born 1960 G 61 Roy Foster American football T/G 79 Jon Giesler T 74 Cleveland Green T 67 Bob Kuechenberg G 68 Eric Laakso T 64 Ed Newman G 57 Dwight Stephenson C 60 Jeff Toews G/C 70 Bill Barnett DE 73 Bob Baumhower NT 78 Charles Benson y DE 75 Doug Betters DE 58 Kim Bokamper DE 71 Mike Charles y NT 51 Mark Brown linebacker, born 1961 y ILB 56 Charles Bowser OLB 59 Bob Brudzinski OLB 77 A. J. Duhe ILB 55 Earnie Rhone ILB 52 Terry Tautolo OLB 54 Rodell Thomas ILB 47 Glenn Blackwood SS 42 Lyle Blackwood FS 49 William Judson CB 40 Mike Kozlowski SS 44 Paul Lankford CB 48 Gerald Small CB 45 Robert Sowell CB 41 Fulton Walker CB  4 Reggie Roby y P  5 Uwe von Schamann K 81 Jimmy Cefalo WR IR 63 Mark Dennard C IR 53 Ron Hester LB IR 28 Don McNeal CB IR 52 Steve Shull LB IR 52 Emmett Tilley y LB IR 32 Tommy Vigorito RB IR https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1983_roster.htm 1983 Miami Dolphins starters and roster Pro-Football-Reference.com December 26, 2014 Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 4 at Buffalo Bills W 12–0 1–0 Rich Stadium 78,715 2 September 11 New England Patriots W 34–24 2–0 Miami Orange Bowl 59,343 3 September 19 at Los Angeles Raiders L 14–27 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 57,796 4 September 25 Kansas City Chiefs W 14–6 3-1 Miami Orange Bowl 50,785 5 October 2 at New Orleans Saints L 7–17 3-2 Louisiana Superdome 66,489 6 October 9 Buffalo Bills L 35–38 (OT) 3-3 Miami Orange Bowl 59,948 7 October 16 at New York Jets W 32–14 4-3 Shea Stadium 58,615 8 October 23 at Baltimore Colts W 21–7 5-3 Memorial Stadium 32,343 9 October 30 Los Angeles Rams W 30–14 6-3 Miami Orange Bowl 72,175 10 November 6 at San Francisco 49ers W 20–17 7-3 Candlestick Park 57,832 11 November 13 at New England Patriots L 6–17 7-4 Sullivan Stadium 60,771 12 November 20 Baltimore Colts W 37–0 8-4 Miami Orange Bowl 54,482 13 November 28 Cincinnati Bengals W 38–14 9-4 Miami Orange Bowl 74,506 14 December 4 at Houston Oilers W 24–17 10-4 Houston Astrodome 39,434 15 December 10 Atlanta Falcons W 31–24 11-4 Miami Orange Bowl 56,725 16 December 16 New York Jets W 34–14 12-4 Miami Orange Bowl 59,975 Game summaries Week 1 Dolphins 0 6 3 3 Bills 0 0 0 0 September 4 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 1:00 p.m. EST 78,715 72 F; wind 12 mph on Jim Tunney Charlie Jones and Bob Griese NBC yes Q2 MIA von Schamann 33 yard field goal MIA 3–0 Q2 MIA von Schamann 23 yard field goal MIA 6–0 Q3 MIA von Schamann 36 yard field goal MIA 9–0 Q4 MIA von Schamann 50 yard field goal MIA 12–0 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-Jan-16. Week 6 Dan Marino first start in NFL Bills 7 7 7 14 3 Dolphins 0 7 14 14 0 October 9 Orange Bowl EST 59,948 Fred Silva Charlie Jones and Bob Griese NBC Standings Player stats Passing Player Att Comp Yds TD INT Rating Dan Marino 296 173 2210 20 6 96.0 Postseason AFC Divisional Playoff Seattle Seahawks 27, Miami Dolphins 20 text-align:center; Miami Dolphins Seahawks 0 7 7 13 Dolphins 0 13 0 7 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 12:30 p.m. EST 51 °F °C, light rain NBC Marv Albert and Bob Trumpy Fred Wyant 71,032 The Seahawks converted three turnovers in the second half into 13 points, while running back Curt Warner rushed for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter: A 19-yard pass to Johnson and a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Mark Duper. Seattle's only score in the first half was quarterback Dave Krieg's 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Cullen Bryant. In the third quarter, a fumble led to Warner's 1-yard touchdown. A fourth quarter interception from Marino then led to Norm Johnson's 27-yard field goal to give Seattle a 17–13 lead. After the Dolphins regained the lead off running back Woody Bennett's 3-yard touchdown, Seattle responded with Warner's 2-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, Miami returner Fulton Walker fumbled, setting up Norm Johnson's 37-yard field goal. Barely enough time remained for the Dolphins to tie the game, but Fulton Walker fumbled the next kickoff as well, which sealed the game for the Seahawks. References External links 1983 Miami Dolphins at Pro-Football-Reference.com Miami Category:Miami Dolphins seasons Category:AFC East championship seasons Miami Dolphins