The 2019 season was the Miami Dolphins' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 54th overall and their first under new head coach Brian Flores.
[3] Through Week 8, the Dolphins traded key contributors including recent first round picks Laremy Tunsil[4] and Minkah Fitzpatrick,[5] along with Kenyan Drake, and Ryan Tannehill.
Despite defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention for the third consecutive year after the Pittsburgh Steelers won that same day.
The Dolphins fired head coach Adam Gase on December 31, 2018, after the team missed the playoffs for a second-straight season and finished 2018 with a 7–9 record.
[8] The Dolphins conducted interviews with several candidates such as team assistants Dowell Loggains and Darren Rizzi, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and New England Patriots linebackers coach, defensive play caller, and long-time assistant Brian Flores.
The team was primarily linked to Flores but had to wait to hire him until after the Patriots were out of the NFL playoffs due to league rules.
[9] Flores served in several positions with the Patriots since their 2004 Super Bowl-winning season, beginning as a scout before getting promoted to Bill Belichick's coaching staff in 2008.
On February 4, 2019, the day after Super Bowl LIII, the team announced Flores as their thirteenth head coach.
[10] Prior to his hiring by the Dolphins, Flores was also interviewed for the head coaching vacancies of teams such as the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers.
[12] On July 29, 2019, just four days into Dolphins camp, Flores sent a quick message by firing the OL Coach Pat Flaherty whom he had hired in the spring and replacing him with team analyst Dave DeGuglielmo.
Quarterback Josh Rosen, acquired via trade prior to the season, made his first start as a Dolphin in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Though the Redskins took an early 17–3 lead under a strong performance from running back Adrian Peterson, the Dolphins cut the deficit once Ryan Fitzpatrick took over at quarterback as he led Miami to two fourth quarter touchdowns.
He had a strong second-quarter performance, which led to Miami holding only its second lead over an opponent during the season with a 14–9 halftime advantage, but the Bills rallied after CB Tre'Davious White intercepted Fitzpatrick in the third quarter.
The Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Dolphins' offense came out with a surprising 14–0 lead in the first quarter, but the Steelers scored 27 unanswered points to win behind strong performances from quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back James Conner and receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The win was costly, however, as the Dolphins lost leading receiver Preston Williams for the season with a torn ACL during the game.
The Dolphins went to Indianapolis and upset the Colts, who were without starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, to earn their second win of the season, and improved to 2–7.
Josh Allen scored four touchdowns, one running and three through the air for the victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield connected on 24 of 34 passing for 327 yards and three touchdowns while suffering only one interception to beat the Dolphins for the third meeting in a row.
On a typically cold and windy December afternoon in New Jersey, the Dolphins just couldn't manage to reach the end zone all day.
Opposing quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Ryan Fitzpatrick both scored four touchdowns apiece in a close game in South Florida.
Jason Sanders saved the day by booting a 37-yard field goal as the clock ticked down to zero for a Dolphins’ narrow victory.
The Dolphins' stunning victory sealed by a touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Mike Gesicki with 0:29 remaining was one of the biggest upsets of the season.