The 1998 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 33rd overall in professional football and its 29th in the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's record of 9–7, with a 10-6 record.1998 Miami Dolphins The team qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year. The Dolphins defeated the Buffalo Bills 24–17 in the Wild Card round, but lost to the defending as well as the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos 38–3 in the Divisional round of the 1998 NFL postseason tournament.
The 2012 Football Outsiders Almanac states that the 1998 Dolphins had the single biggest defensive improvement (from the previous season) from 1991 to 2011.Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 (), p. 102
As with the 1985 Bears, the Dolphins defeated a team (the Broncos) widely favored a few weeks earlier to surpass their unbeaten 1972 season,“Denver eyes 19–0, but there's no rush” in Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 16, 1998Freeman, Mike; “Chasing Perfection and Taking Questions; Voluble Broncos Are 13–0 and Ready to Talk” in The New York Times, December 9, 1998 although this time the Dolphins were not defending their status as the only unbeaten team; the Giants had beaten the Broncos the in week 15 by the score of 20-16. Prior to the admission of the Texans in 2002, scheduling for NFL games outside a team's division was subject to much greater influence from table position during the previous season,History of the NFL's Structure and Formats that game was the first time the Dolphins had played the Broncos since that same 1985 season.Denver Broncos v Miami Dolphins
This season marked the last time the Dolphins finished with the #1 Defense in the NFL.
Offseason Additions Subtractions FS Brock Marion (Cowboys) WR Brett Perriman (retirement) G Kevin Donnalley (Oilers) P John Kidd (Lions) FS George Teague (Cowboys) WR Qadry Ismail (Saints) G Everett McIver (Cowboys)
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents + 1998 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeKen CelajGuardGeorgia TechNate CochranPunterPittsburghChris FontenotTight endMcNeese StateSelvesta MillerLinebackerSouth CarolinaDerrick ShepardDefensive tackleGeorgia TechAntoine SimpsonDefensive tackleHoustonLandon SmithFullbackCincinnatiDerrick SteagallWide receiverGeorgia Tech
Roster
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 6 at Indianapolis Colts W 24–15 1–0 RCA Dome 60,587 2 September 13 Buffalo Bills W 13–7 2–0 Pro Player Stadium 73,097 3 September 20 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–0 3–0 Pro Player Stadium 73,948 4 Bye 5 October 4 at New York Jets L 9–20 3–1 Giants Stadium 75,257 6 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 21–28 3–2 Alltel Stadium 74,051 7 October 18 St. Louis Rams W 14–0 4–2 Pro Player Stadium 65,418 8 October 25 New England Patriots W 12–9 OT 5–2 Pro Player Stadium 73,973 9 November 1 at Buffalo Bills L 24–30 5–3 Ralph Wilson Stadium 79,011 10 November 8 Indianapolis Colts W 27–14 6–3 Pro Player Stadium 73,400 11 November 15 at Carolina Panthers W 13–9 7–3 Ericcson Stadium 67,887 12 at New England Patriots L 23–26 7–4 Foxboro Stadium 58,729 13 November 29 New Orleans Saints W 30–10 8–4 Pro Player Stadium 73,216 14 December 6 at Oakland Raiders W 27–17 9–4 Network Associates Coliseum 61,254 15 December 13 New York Jets L 16–21 9–5 Pro Player Stadium 74,369 16 Denver Broncos W 31–21 10–5 Pro Player Stadium 74,363 17 December 27 at Atlanta Falcons L 16–38 10–6 Georgia Dome 69,754 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Playoffs Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Wild Card Buffalo Bills W 24–17 1–0 Pro Player Stadium 72,698 Division at Denver Broncos L 3–38 1–1 Mile High Stadium 75,729
Standings
References