1966 Miami Dolphins season
The 1966 Miami Dolphins season was the team's inaugural year as an expansion franchise in the American Football League (AFL). The Dolphins were the first of two expansion teams in the AFL, founded by Minneapolis attorney-politician Joe Robbie and actor-comedian Danny Thomas. Future Harlem Globetrotters and Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillett, Jr. was a minority partner, and the team was led by head coach George Wilson. The franchise was granted in August 1965 for $7.5 million.
| 1966 Miami Dolphins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Joe Robbie |
| General manager | Chuck Burr |
| Head coach | George Wilson |
| Home field | Orange Bowl |
| Results | |
| Record | 3–11 |
| Division place | 5th AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 4 SS Willie West DB Jimmy Warren DE Ed Cooke LB Tom Erlandson |
Their regular season debut on September 2 began with Joe Auer returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but the Dolphins lost to the Oakland Raiders, 23–14. Auer was the leading scorer for the season and was named team MVP. With an odd number of teams, each of the nine AFL teams had two bye weeks and played fourteen games. Miami lost its first five games before beating the Denver Broncos in the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins defeated the Houston Oilers the following week for their first road win in franchise history, but then lost the next six consecutive games. In week 16, Miami won against the Oilers again to finish the season with a 3–11 record. Having defeated the Oilers twice, the Dolphins became the first ever expansion team in the Super Bowl era to sweep a division rival, and the last until the Jacksonville Jaguars did it in 1995 against the Cleveland Browns.