Dolphins History Lesson: 2-0 Starts and What Comes Next
When Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle helped the Miami Dolphins come back from 35-14 down to stun the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, it produced the team's first 2-0 start to a season in four years.
Overall, this is the 21st time in the team's 57th year the Dolphins have gotten off to a 2-0 start, only the fourth time in the past 20 years.
The first time the Dolphins started a season by winning their first two games, they ended up winning every single one of their games. Yep, it was the 1972 season when Miami went 14-0 in the regular season and made it 17-0 after winning Super Bowl VII.
There was a time when a 2-0 start by the Dolphins almost was a given, and that time was the 1990s. In that decade, the Dolphins won their first two games eight times, the only exceptions being in 1991 and 1993.
Even more remarkable, the Dolphins battle against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday will mark the first time since 2001 they'll be involved in a matchup of 2-0 teams. It didn't work out well that day, with the Dolphins dropping a 42-10 road decision against the St. Louis Rams.
Going back through the years, the Dolphins have been involved in eight games between 2-0 teams and have done very well, producing a 6-2 record.
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DOLPHINS GAMES WHEN BOTH TEAMS WERE 2-0
2001 — Rams 42, Dolphins 10
1998 — Dolphins 21, Steelers 0
1995 — Dolphins 23, Steelers 10
1994 — Dolphins 28, Jets 14
1990 — Giants 20, Dolphins 3
1982 — Dolphins 9, Bills 7
1981 — Dolphins 16, Oilers 10
1977 — Dolphins 27, Oilers 7
DOLPHINS RECORD THROUGH TWO GAMES
2-0 — 21 times
1-1 — 22 times
0-2 — 13 times
1-0-1 — 1 time
WHAT'S HAPPENED AFTER THE DOLPHINS HAVE STARTED 2-0
A 2-0 start obviously is encouraging for what it could mean for the rest of the season, as well as the third game.
On those 20 prior occasions, the Dolphins started 2-0, they have a 14-6 in their third game.
That most recently happened in 2018 when the Dolphins defeated the Oakland Raiders, 28-20, after starting the season with victories against Tennessee and the New York Jets.
In terms of the full season, the Dolphins have the same success rate of 70 percent (14 of 20) in making the playoffs after a 2-0 start. But the Dolphins are on a bad streak in that sense, having failed to make the playoffs the last four times they started 2-0 — 2002, 2010, 2013 and 2018.
THE DOLPHINS SEASONS AFTER A 2-0 START
2018 — 3-0 start, 7-9 record, no playoffs
2013 — 3-0 start, 8-8 record, no playoffs
2010 — 2-0 start, 7-9 record, no playoffs
2002 — 3-0 start, 9-7 record, no playoffs
2001 — 2-0 start, 11-5 record, lost in AFC wild-card round
1999 — 2-0 start, 9-7 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1998 — 3-0 start, 10-6 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1997 — 2-0 start, 9-7 record, lost in AFC wild-card round
1996 — 3-0 start, 8-8 record, no playoffs
1995 — 4-0 start, 9-7 record, lost in AFC wild-card round
1994 — 3-0 start, 11-5 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1992 — 6-0 start, 11-5 start, lost in AFC Championship Game
1990 — 2-0 start, 12-4 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1984 — 11-0 start, 14-2 record, lost in Super Bowl XIX
1983 — 2-0 start, 12-4 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1982 — 3-0 start, 7-2 record, lost in Super Bowl XVII
1981 — 4-0 start, 11-4-1 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1979 — 4-0 start, 10-6 record, lost in AFC divisional round
1977 — 3-0 start, 10-4 record, no playoffs
1972 — 14-0 start, 14-0 record, won Super Bowl VII
