What History Says About the Dolphins Chances in their 0-3 vs. 3-0 Matchup

The Miami Dolphins are facing what on paper might seem like an impossible task in trying to get their first victory of the season against the 3-0 Minnesota Vikings, but they don't have to go back very far to find some inspiration.

Just last year, the New York Giants also began the season 0-3 before facing a 3-0 team, and then proceeded to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, 21-18, at MetLife Stadium.

That's just one of the nuggets we examine related to the Dolphins' 0-3 start.

THE 0-3 vs. 3-0 RECENT HISTORY

That Giants-Chargers matchup actually was one of two such games last year, with the 3-0 Buffalo Bills defeating the 0-3 New Orleans Saints, 31-19, at home.

But this actually is pretty rare.

Before those two games last year, there were only two other instances of 3-0 vs. 0-3 in the NFL since the 2010 season, and both times the 3-0 team moved to 4-0.

It happened in 2020 when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field and in 2013 when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Giants at Arrowhead Stadium.

For the Dolphins, in their first 60 years of existence, they have been involved in three 0-3 vs. 3-0 games, but each with a caveat.

The first two came in 1966 and 1969 when they still were members of the AFL before that league merged with the NFL in 1970. And then in 1982 the Dolphins faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an 0-3 record and were upset on the road in a game that was played November 29 — because the league canceled seven weeks in the middle of the season because of the players' strike.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE 1986 EAGLES TEAM

The game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday will come a few days after the 40th anniversary of a matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams at Veteran Stadium that featured the same unique set of circumstances.

Not only were the Eagles at 0-3 when they faced the 3-0 Rams, like the Dolphins will be against the Vikings, they faced nothing but undefeated teams over the first four weeks of the regular season.

This applies to the Dolphins, of course, after they faced the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs in their first three games.

But this is where the Dolphins and their fans can find some encouragement: The Eagles defeated the Rams, 34-20, on that 1986 day after racing to a 34-0 lead.

THE DOLPHINS AND 0-3 STARTS

This year marked the 10th time in franchise history the Dolphins started 0-3, but the rundown of those seasons is pretty wild.

Those seasons were 1966, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2025 and 2026.

So we have three of the first four Dolphins seasons and now seven times in the past 23 seasons.

And you will notice the big gap between 1969 and 2004 when the Dolphins never once started 0-3. That span covers the entire Don Shula era, all 26 seasons of them.

And what's even more remarkable, the Dolphins started 0-2 under Shula just once during his Hall of Fame tenure in Miami.

Once.

Zero 0-3 start in 26 seasons. Only one 0-2 start.

That's pretty remarkable.

But seven 0-3 starts in 23 seasons, which comes out to a little more than 30 percent, is at the other end. It's really bad.

After the Dolphins started 0-3 last year, the Dolphins faced the 0-3 Jets in the Week 4 Monday night. The Dolphins won that game but it was a costly victory as they lost Tyreek Hill to that devastating knee injury.

THE DOLPHINS' ALL-TIME 0-3 STARTS

1966 — Coach: George Wilson ... final record: 3-11 ... fourth game: lost at 3-0 San Diego, 44-10

1968 — Coach: George Wilson ... final record: 5-8-1 ... fourth game: won at 1-3 Houston, 24-7

1969 — Coach: George Wilson ... final record: 3-10-1 ... fourth game: tied vs. 3-0 Oakland, 10-10

2004 — Coach: Dave Wannstedt ... final record: 4-12 ... fourth game: lost vs. 2-0 N.Y. Jets, 17-9

2007 — Coach: Cam Cameron ... final record: 1-15 ... fourth game: lost vs. 1-2 Oakland, 35-17

2009 — Coach: Tony Sparano ... final record: 7-9 ... fourth game: won vs. 1-2 Buffalo, 38-10

2011 — Coach: Tony Sparano ... final record: 6-10 ... fourth game: lost at 2-1 San Diego, 26-16

2019 — Coach: Brian Flores ... final record: 5-11 ... fourth game: lost vs. 1-2 L.A. Chargers, 30-10

2025 — Coach: Mike McDaniel ... final record: 7-10 ... fourth game: won vs. 0-3 N.Y. Jets, 27-21

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