The 1978 Miami Dolphins season saw the team return to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1974, with an 11–5 record. Quarterback Bob Griese missed the first seven games due to a knee injury. The Dolphins got off to a 5-2 start behind back-up Don Strock. Upon Griese's return the Dolphins earned a birth to the playoffs as a Wild Card. Helping to lead the Dolphins back to the postseason was Running Back Delvin Williams who set a team record with 1,258 yards rushing on the season. In the first playoff game involving two Wild Cards the Dolphins were stunned 17-9 by the Houston Oilers at the Orange Bowl. In the process the Dolphins set two notable records: scoring first in all but one of their sixteen regular season games,[1] and never trailing at any point in eleven games.[2] The former record was equalled by the 2004 Patriots, and the latter was beaten by the 2005 Colts.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Round |
Pick |
Player |
Position |
School |
| 1 |
|
|
|
|
Regular season
Schedule
| Game |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Dolphins points |
Opponents |
Record |
Attendance |
| 1 |
Sep 3 |
at New York Jets |
Loss |
20 |
33 |
0–1 |
49,598
|
| 2 |
Sep 10 |
at Baltimore Colts |
Win |
42 |
0 |
1–1 |
47,730
|
| 3 |
Sep 17 |
Buffalo Bills |
Win |
31 |
24 |
2–1 |
48,373
|
| 4 |
Sep 24 |
at Philadelphia Eagles |
Loss |
3 |
17 |
2–2 |
62,998
|
| 5 |
Oct 1 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
Win |
24 |
10 |
3–2 |
43,882
|
| 6 |
Oct 9 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Win |
21 |
0 |
4–2 |
54,729
|
| 7 |
Oct 15 |
at San Diego Chargers |
Win |
28 |
21 |
5–2 |
50,637
|
| 8 |
Oct 22 |
at New England Patriots |
Loss |
24 |
33 |
5–3 |
60,424
|
| 9 |
Oct 29 |
Baltimore Colts |
Win |
26 |
8 |
6–3 |
53,524
|
| 10 |
Nov 5 |
Dallas Cowboys |
Win |
23 |
16 |
7–3 |
69,414
|
| 11 |
Nov 12 |
at Buffalo Bills |
Win |
25 |
24 |
8–3 |
48,623
|
| 12 |
Nov 20 |
at Houston Oilers |
Loss |
30 |
35 |
8–4 |
50,290
|
| 13 |
Nov 26 |
New York Jets |
Loss |
13 |
24 |
8–5 |
49,255
|
| 14 |
Dec 3 |
at Washington Redskins |
Win |
16 |
0 |
9–5 |
52,860
|
| 15 |
Dec 10 |
Oakland Raiders |
Win |
23 |
6 |
10–5 |
73,003
|
| 16 |
Dec 18 |
New England Patriots |
Win |
23 |
3 |
11–5 |
72,071
|
Results
Week 3
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Bills |
0 |
7 |
3 |
14 |
24 |
| • Dolphins |
7 |
7 |
10 |
7 |
31 |
|
|
|
|
[3]
Standings
Roster
Miami Dolphins 1978 roster
|
| Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
Linebackers
|
|
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad
Rookies in italics
|
Playoffs
AFC Wildcard Playoff (Sunday December 24, 1978): vs. Houston Oilers
| Game information |
- Scoring
- MIA – Tillman 13 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA 7–0
- HOU – Wilson 13 pass from Pastorini (Fritsch kick) 7–7
- HOU – field goal Fritsch 35 HOU 10–7
- HOU – Campbell 1 run (Fritsch kick) HOU 17–7
- MIA – Safety, Pastorini ran out of end zone HOU 17–9
|
Awards and honors
Milestones
Notes and references
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|
| Franchise |
|
| Stadiums |
|
| Culture |
|
| Lore |
|
| Rivalries |
|
| Division championships (13) |
|
| Conference championships (5) |
|
| League championships (2) |
|
| Retired numbers |
|
| Media |
|
| Current league affiliations |
|
| Former league affiliation |
|
- ↑ In a single season, from 1940 to 2012, in the regular season, team scored first
- ↑ In a single season, from 1940 to 2012, in the regular season, team never trailed during game
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
