Miami Dolphins · Franchise era 5 of 6
Life after Marino: the Miami Dolphins story
Franchise era
2000—2015
Life after Marino
Miami Dolphins
The story in one sentence
Elite defenders and brief offensive revivals produced occasional playoff teams without a lasting answer at quarterback.
Defense and the Wildcat fill a quarterback vacuum
Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas and Ricky Williams gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the speed rebuild.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2000
What came before
Marino shattered records immediately and kept Miami relevant for seventeen seasons, though his lone Super Bowl came in year two.
2000-12-30
Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts vs Miami Dolphins
2001-01-06
Divisional Round: Miami Dolphins vs Oakland Raiders
2002-01-13
Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens vs Miami Dolphins
After 2015
What came next
Miami accumulated draft capital, built the league's fastest skill group and returned to the playoffs behind Mike McDaniel's motion-heavy offense.
The core