50th season in franchise history
The 2015 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 50th overall. The Dolphins looked to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014 and return to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. However, Miami failed to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season after a Week 14 loss to the New York Giants.
The Dolphins entered 2015 with Joe Philbin as their head coach for a fourth season. After the team started 1−3, Philbin was fired by the Dolphins. Dan Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season and recorded a 5−7 record.
Highlights from the season include the Dolphins' first-ever victory over the Houston Texans, their first win over the Philadelphia Eagles since 1999, and their first road win over the Washington Redskins since 1984.
Free agents
2015 draft
Main article: 2015 NFL draft
Notes
Staff
2015 Miami Dolphins staff
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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|
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Head strength and conditioning – Darren Krein
- Assistant strength and conditioning – David Puloka
- Sports science analyst – Dave Regan
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Final roster
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Washington Redskins
Week One: Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
7 |
0 | 10 | 17 |
| Redskins |
3 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 10 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
| Game information
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|
First quarter
- WAS – Kai Forbath 45-yard field goal, Redskins 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 7:21.
Second quarter
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
- MIA – Andrew Franks 22-yard field goal, Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:13.
- MIA – Jarvis Landry 69-yard punt return (Andrew Franks kick), Dolphins 17–10. Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards, 1:12.
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Top passers
- MIA – Ryan Tannehill- 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TDs
- WAS – Kirk Cousins- 21/31, 196 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTS
Top rushers
- MIA – Lamar Miller- 13 rushes, 53 yards
- WAS – Alfred Morris- 25 rushes, 121 yards
Top receivers
- MIA – Jordan Cameron- 4 receptions, 73 yards
- WAS – Pierre Garcon- 8 receptions, 74 yards
Top tacklers
- MIA – Reshad Jones- 12 tackles
- WAS – DeAngelo Hall- 8 tackles
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With the win, the Dolphins started 1-0 for the second straight year. This was the Dolphins' first road win over the Redskins since their 1984 Super Bowl season.
Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Two: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
3 |
10 |
7 | 0 | 20 |
| Jaguars |
10 |
10 |
0 | 3 | 23 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
| Game information
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First quarter
- JAX – Allen Robinson 3-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:39.
- MIA – Andrew Franks 48-yard field goal, Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:05.
- JAX – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:56.
Second quarter
- MIA – Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal, Jaguars 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:36.
- JAX – Allen Robinson 46-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Jason Myers kick), Jaguars 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:05.
- MIA – Damien Williams 10-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), Jaguars 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:15.
- JAX – Jason Myers 58-yard field goal, Jaguars 20–13. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 0:18.
Third quarter
- MIA – Jake Stoneburner 5-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
- JAX – Jason Myers 28-yard field goal, Jaguars 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 1:08.
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Top passers
- MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 30/44, 359 yards, 2 TD
- JAX – Blake Bortles – 18/33, 273 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 3 rushes, 17 yards
- JAX – T. J. Yeldon – 25 rushes, 70 yards
Top receivers
- MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 110 yards
- JAX – Allen Robinson – 6 receptions, 155 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
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Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers would kick the game winning 28-yard field goal with under 2 minutes left to give the Jags the win.
With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week Three: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills |
14 |
13 |
0 | 14 | 41 |
| Dolphins |
0 |
0 |
8 | 6 | 14 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
- BUF – Dan Carpenter 26-yard field goal, Bills 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:00.
- BUF – Preston Brown 43-yard interception return (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 1:15.
- BUF – Dan Carpenter 51-yard field goal, Bills 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
MIA – Rishard Matthews 21-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Ryan Tannehill to Jarvis Landry for two-point conversion), Bills 27–8. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:14.
Fourth quarter
- BUF – Chris Hogan 38-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 34–8. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:46.
- MIA – Rishard Matthews 46-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (kick failed), Bills 34–14. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:51.
- BUF – Karlos Williams 41-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), Bills 41–14. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 1:10.
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Top passers
- BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 21/29, 277 yards, 3 TDs
- MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 26/39, 297 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTS
Top rushers
- BUF – Karlos Williams – 12 rushes, 110 yards, 1 TD
- MIA – Jonas Gray – 9 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
- BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD
- MIA – Rishard Matthews – 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs
Top tacklers
- BUF – Corey Graham – 12 tackles
- MIA – Reshad Jones – 9 tackles
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Ryan Tannehill would be intercepted 3 times in this game, including a pick 6 by Preston Brown, and the Bills trounced Miami in their home opener 41–14.
With the embarrassing loss, the Dolphins fell to 1–2. This was also the worst home opening defeat in franchise history.
Week 4: vs. New York Jets
NFL International Series
Week Four: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets |
10 |
10 |
7 | 0 | 27 |
| Dolphins |
0 |
7 |
0 | 7 | 14 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/9:30 a.m. EDT
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 83,986
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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The Dolphins were considered the home team in the season's first International Series game. They lost dropping them to 1-3 heading into their bye week. A day later, Head Coach Joe Philbin was fired following a 24–28 record with no postseason appearances. Tight Ends Coach Dan Campbell was his replacement serving as an Interim head coach.
Week 6: at Tennessee Titans
Week Six: Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
10 |
7 |
7 | 14 | 38 |
| Titans |
3 |
0 |
7 | 0 | 10 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 62,342
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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On a day in which Miami fans traveled well to seemingly outnumber Tennessee fans, the Dolphins would pick up their first win under Dan Campbell.
With the win, Miami improved to 2–3.
Week 7: vs. Houston Texans
Week Seven: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans |
0 |
0 |
13 | 13 | 26 |
| Dolphins |
21 |
20 |
0 | 3 | 44 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 65,251
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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The Dolphins thoroughly dominated the first half, scoring 6 touchdowns for a 41–0 halftime lead. With the win, the Miami Dolphins defeated the Houston Texans for the first time in franchise history. This was also the first time since 2003 that the Dolphins scored over 40 points in a game.
Week 8: at New England Patriots
Week Eight: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
| Patriots |
7 |
12 |
3 | 14 | 36 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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The Dolphins travel to New England to take on the undefeated Patriots. The Dolphins looked to end the streak of the Super Bowl champions, but it was too late as Miami struggled offensively and defensively all game.
Cameron Wake left the game with an Achilles tear. The Dolphins later announced that he would miss the rest of the season. He finished the game with two tackles and a sack.
Week 9: at Buffalo Bills
Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
7 |
7 | 3 | 17 |
| Bills |
9 |
10 |
7 | 7 | 33 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), sunny with some clouds
- Game attendance: 70,214
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 3-5 and were swept by Buffalo for the first time since 2013.
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week Ten: Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
3 |
10 |
0 | 7 | 20 |
| Eagles |
16 |
0 |
0 | 3 | 19 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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The Dolphins would trail 16–3 at one point, but they would come back to beat Philadelphia. Near the end of the game, Reshad Jones intercepted Eagles backup quarterback Mark Sanchez to seal the game. This was the Dolphins' first win over the Eagles since 1999.
With the win, Miami improved to 4–5.
Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys |
0 |
14 |
0 | 10 | 24 |
| Dolphins |
0 |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- MIA – Kenny Stills 29-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 5:26. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:53.
Fourth quarter
- DAL – Dez Bryant 16-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 15:00. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:25.
- DAL – Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal, 9:23. Cowboys 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 4:49.
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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Tony Romo started this game for Dallas, and the Cowboys would snap their 7-game losing streak, while the Dolphins failed to get into any rhythm on offense or defense in the game. The Dolphins were also seeking a home win over the Cowboys for the first time since 1984. This game is known for being Romo's last win in the NFL.
With the tough loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–6.
Week 12: at New York Jets
Week Twelve: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
0 |
7 | 13 | 20 |
| Jets |
7 |
7 |
7 | 17 | 38 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 78,160
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 4–7.
Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens |
0 |
3 |
7 | 3 | 13 |
| Dolphins |
0 |
15 |
0 | 0 | 15 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 64,519
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the win, Miami kept their slim playoff hopes alive, and improved to 5–7.
Week 14: vs. New York Giants
Week Fourteen: New York Giants at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants |
3 |
14 |
7 | 7 | 31 |
| Dolphins |
7 |
10 |
7 | 0 | 24 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–8, and were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the 7th straight year, a franchise record. They also fell to 0–4 all time against the Giants at home, with 2003 being the last season the Dolphins beat the Giants.
Week 15: at San Diego Chargers
Week Fifteen: Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins |
0 |
0 |
7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chargers |
6 |
17 |
0 | 7 | 30 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: December 20
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), fair
- Game attendance: 66,676
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker and Scott Kaplan
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–9.
Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week Sixteen: Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts |
8 |
7 |
0 | 3 | 18 |
| Dolphins |
0 |
6 |
3 | 3 | 12 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 5–10, and with Buffalo defeating Dallas the same day, they were assured last place in their division.
Week 17: vs. New England Patriots
Week Seventeen: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
| Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots |
0 |
3 |
7 | 0 | 10 |
| Dolphins |
3 |
7 |
0 | 10 | 20 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: January 3, 2016
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 62,918
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
| Game information
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
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With the stunning win, the Dolphins ended their season at 6-10 and kept the Patriots from clinching home field advantage in the AFC Playoffs.
Standings
Division
Conference
| AFC
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| #
|
Team
|
Division
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
PCT
|
DIV
|
CONF
|
SOS
|
SOV
|
STK
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| Division Leaders
|
| 1
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Denver Broncos
|
West
|
12
|
4
|
0
|
.750
|
4–2
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8–4
|
.500
|
.479
|
W2
|
| 2
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New England Patriots
|
East
|
12
|
4
|
0
|
.750
|
4–2
|
9–3
|
.473
|
.448
|
L2
|
| 3
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
North
|
12
|
4
|
0
|
.750
|
5–1
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9–3
|
.477
|
.406
|
W1
|
| 4
|
Houston Texans
|
South
|
9
|
7
|
0
|
.563
|
5–1
|
7–5
|
.496
|
.410
|
W3
|
| Wild Cards
|
| 5
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
West
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
.688
|
5–1
|
10–2
|
.496
|
.432
|
W10
|
| 6
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
North
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
.625
|
3–3
|
7–5
|
.504
|
.463
|
W1
|
| Did not qualify for the postseason
|
| 7
|
New York Jets
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East
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
.625
|
3–3
|
7–5
|
.441
|
.388
|
L1
|
| 8
|
Buffalo Bills
|
East
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
.500
|
4–2
|
7–5
|
.508
|
.438
|
W2
|
| 9
|
Indianapolis Colts
|
South
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
.500
|
4–2
|
6–6
|
.500
|
.406
|
W2
|
| 10
|
Oakland Raiders
|
West
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
.438
|
3–3
|
7–5
|
.512
|
.366
|
L1
|
| 11
|
Miami Dolphins
|
East
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
.375
|
1–5
|
4–8
|
.469
|
.469
|
W2
|
| 12
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
South
|
5
|
11
|
0
|
.313
|
2–4
|
5–7
|
.473
|
.375
|
L3
|
| 13
|
Baltimore Ravens
|
North
|
5
|
11
|
0
|
.313
|
3–3
|
4–8
|
.508
|
.425
|
L1
|
| 14
|
San Diego Chargers
|
West
|
4
|
12
|
0
|
.250
|
0–6
|
3–9
|
.527
|
.328
|
L2
|
| 15
|
Cleveland Browns
|
North
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
.188
|
1–5
|
2–10
|
.531
|
.271
|
L3
|
| 16
|
Tennessee Titans
|
South
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
.188
|
1–5
|
1–11
|
.492
|
.375
|
L4
|
| Tiebreakers
|
- ^ Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based
on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against
the same four teams was 2–3.
- ^ Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative
record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2.
- ^ Buffalo finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
- ^ Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based on head-to-head victory.
- ^ Cleveland finished ahead of Tennessee based on head-to-head victory.
- When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
|
References
- "Eagles Trade For No. 47 Pick". Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- "Pats miss chance to clinch No. 1 seed, losing to Miami 20-10". Patriots.com. Associated Press. January 3, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
External links
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Categories:
Wembley Stadium (London)