1980 Miami Dolphins season

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1980 NFL draft

:Source:

Personnel

Coaches / Staff

• Team Owner / President – Joe Robbie

• Executive Vice President/general manager – Mike Robbie

• Vice president – Don Shula

• Director of player personnel – Chuck Connor

• Head coach – Don Shula

• Quarterbacks/receivers – Dan Henning

• 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

|

Regular season

The 1980 NFL season would see the Dolphins drop to an 8–8 record, from their AFC East division winning 10–6 showing the previous year.

Quarterback Bob Griese, who struggled with leg problems during 1979, lost the starting job to longtime backup Don Strock, but he did poorly in two games, leading the Dolphins to return to Griese for week 3. In week 5, however, Griese suffered a career-ending shoulder injury against the Baltimore Colts and was succeeded by David Woodley, a rookie fresh from LSU.

Their week-1 loss to the Buffalo Bills was the Dolphins' first loss to that team since 1969, snapping a 20 game winning streak for Miami in the Bills-Dolphins rivalry. After the win, Bills fans rushed the field and tore down the goalposts. This was also Don Shula's first loss to Buffalo in 21 career games against them.

The final game of the season was played against the New York Jets on December 20. NBC tried a novel experiment by broadcasting the game with no commentators, and with none of the players or staff wearing microphones. The effect was to give television viewers the feel of actually being in the stadium. To date, this was the only NFL game ever aired on TV without commentaries. The Jets won by a score of 24–17, though both teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

It was during the ABC broadcast of the Monday Night Football game on December 8, 1980, against the Patriots that Howard Cosell announced that John Lennon had been shot and killed.

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1 at Bills

;First quarter

• No scoring ;Second quarter
• BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 40-yard field goal. Bills 3–0. ;Third quarter
• MIA – Tony Nathan 4-yard pass from Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–3. ;Fourth quarter
• BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 4-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 10–7.
• BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 17–7. ;Top passers
• MIA – Bob Griese – 11/18, 101 yards, TD, 2 INT
• BUF – Joe Ferguson – 20/32, 198 yards, TD, 5 INT ;Top rushers
• MIA – Steve Howell – 6 rushes, 43 yards
• BUF – Joe Cribbs – 18 rushes, 60 yards, TD ;Top receivers
• MIA – Duriel Harris – 3 receptions, 42 yards
• BUF – Joe Cribbs – 9 receptions, 71 yards

Week 7 vs Bills

First quarter

• MIA – Don Bessillieu 44-yard fumble return (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–0. Second quarter
• MIA – Nat Moore 3-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 14–0. Third quarter
• BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 14–7.
• MIA – Uwe von Schamann 23-yard field goal. Dolphins 17–7. Fourth quarter
• BUF – Jerry Butler 7-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 17–14. ;Top passers
• BUF – Joe Ferguson – 24/42, 221 yards, TD
• MIA – David Woodley – 11/17, 93 yards, TD, INT ;Top rushers
• BUF – Joe Cribbs – 14 rushes, 38 yards, TD
• MIA – Terry Robiskie – 18 rushes, 84 yards ;Top receivers
• BUF – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 71 yards
• MIA – Nat Moore – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD

Week 14: vs. New England Patriots

• Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

The Dolphins got revenge from their 34-0 shellacking in Foxborough back in October. The Patriots clawed to a 13–6 lead in the fourth quarter, then the Dolphins forced overtime with a David Woodley throw to Nat Moore in the fourth. John Smith attempted to kick the game-winning field goal, but had the kick blocked, then Uwe von Schamann of the Dolphins won it with a 23-yard field goal in the extra quarter. The game, though, became overshadowed by Howard Cosell's announcement that John Lennon had been shot and killed.

Standings

References

References

1. (February 13, 1981). "Payton tops salary list of NFL players". Schenectady Gazette.
2. "1980 Miami Dolphins draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
3. Ausiello, Jeff. (December 5, 2010). "Ex-Pats kicker forever linked to Lennon". [[ESPN.com]].