50 free Miami Dolphins trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
40 free Miami Dolphins trivia questions with answers. The Miami Dolphins own the only perfect season in NFL history, the winningest coach the league has ever seen and the quarterback who rewrote the passing record book. This quiz covers all of it: the 1966 AFL birth, the 1972 season and back-to-back Super Bowls, the No-Name Defense and the Killer B's, Dan Marino's records, the stadium of many names, the 2008 Wildcat turnaround and the Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel years. It starts with questions any Fins fan can answer and climbs to the details that settle bar arguments. Difficulty ratings are shown so you can pick your battles. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia's articles on the team, its history, its stadium and its Hall of Famers, and each question carries its source.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In which league did the Miami Dolphins begin play in 1966?
The AFL
They joined the NFL in the 1970 merger after four dismal seasons that produced a 15-39-2 record.
Q 02Which comedian co-founded the Dolphins with the attorney whose name later went on their stadium?
Danny Thomas
The pair paid $7.5 million for the franchise in 1965; the star of Make Room for Daddy soon sold his share.
Q 03How was the team's name chosen in 1965?
By a fan contest
The contest drew 19,843 entries and more than a thousand different names; 622 people submitted the winner.
Q 04Who was the Dolphins' first head coach?
George Wilson
The former Detroit Lions coach went 15-39-2 in four seasons before the franchise's fortunes changed.
Q 05From which team did Don Shula come when he was hired by Miami in 1970?
The Baltimore Colts
He had coached the Colts since 1963 and went on to 26 seasons in Miami with only two losing records.
Q 06What record did the 1972 Dolphins finish with, including the playoffs?
17-0
It remains the only perfect season in NFL history; the 2007 Patriots went 18-0 before losing the Super Bowl.
Q 07Which backup led the 1972 Dolphins for most of the season after Bob Griese broke his ankle?
Earl Morrall
The 38-year-old veteran had also stepped in for Johnny Unitas under Shula in Baltimore; Griese returned for the Super Bowl.
Q 08Which two 1972 Dolphins became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in the same season?
Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris
The team led the league in total offence, total defence, scoring offence and scoring defence, the only side ever to do all four.
Q 09Which rival coach gave the 1972 Dolphins defence its 'No-Name Defense' nickname?
Tom Landry
The Cowboys coach meant it as a dig at their lack of stars; Nick Buoniconti and Jake Scott made him regret it.
Q 10Whom did the Dolphins beat 14-7 in Super Bowl VII to complete the perfect season?
The Washington Redskins
Safety Jake Scott was named MVP, and Washington's only points came off a botched Miami field-goal attempt.
Q 11Which Dolphins kicker's ill-fated pass attempt was returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl VII?
Garo Yepremian
After his kick was blocked, the Cypriot picked up the ball, tried to throw and instead batted it to Mike Bass.
Q 12Whom did Miami beat 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII to repeat as champions?
The Minnesota Vikings
It made the Dolphins the first team to reach three straight Super Bowls, having lost VI to Dallas the year before the perfect season.
Q 13The Dolphins' 1971 Christmas Day playoff win over Kansas City is remembered as what?
The longest game ever played
Q 21Which 15-1 team's only defeat of the 1985 season came against Miami?
The Chicago Bears
The Monday-night win kept the 1972 team's perfect record unique, and the old Dolphins reportedly watched from the sideline.
Q 22Which pair of Dolphins receivers were known as the 'Marks Brothers'?
Mark Duper and Mark Clayton
The two were Marino's favourite targets throughout the 1980s and both rank among the franchise's all-time leaders.
Q 23Against which team did Marino pull off his famous fake spike in 1994?
The New York Jets
The double-overtime 27-24 win lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds and put Miami in its first Super Bowl.
Q 14Which team beat Miami in the 1974 playoffs in the game known as the 'Sea of Hands'?
The Oakland Raiders
Clarence Davis's catch among three defenders ended the dynasty; Csonka, Kiick and Warfield then left for the World Football League.
Q 15Which upstart competitor lured Csonka, Kiick and Warfield away from Miami in 1975?
The WFL
The upstart league folded midway through its second season, but the Dolphins never got their dynasty back.
Q 16What was the nickname of the Dolphins defence that reached Super Bowl XVII in 1982?
The Killer B's
Baumhower, Barnett, the Blackwood brothers, Bokamper, Betters and Brudzinski gave it the name.
Q 17Which Dolphin scored the first kickoff-return touchdown in Super Bowl history, in Super Bowl XVII?
Fulton Walker
His 98-yard return was not enough; John Riggins' 43-yard fourth-and-one run won it 27-17 for Washington.
Q 18With which pick of the 1983 draft did the Dolphins select Dan Marino?
27th overall
He was the last of the famous class of 1983 quarterbacks taken in the first round, after Elway, Kelly and three others.
Q 19How many touchdown passes did Marino throw in his record-breaking 1984 season?
48
He also became the first quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards, finishing with 5,084, and won the MVP in his second season.
Q 20Which team beat Marino's Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX?
The San Francisco 49ers
Joe Montana was MVP at Stanford Stadium; Marino never got back to the game in 15 more seasons.
He mimed a clock-stopping spike, then threw the winning touchdown to Mark Ingram in a 28-24 comeback.
Q 24How many career passing yards did Marino retire with in 1999?
61,361
That and his 420 touchdown passes were both NFL records at the time; he entered the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Q 25In which 1994 comedy did Dan Marino play himself?
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The plot revolves around the kidnapping of the Dolphins' mascot, Snowflake, before the Super Bowl.
Q 26How many career victories did Don Shula finish with, the most in NFL history?
347
He was also the first head coach to reach six Super Bowls, five with Miami and one with Baltimore.
Q 27Who replaced Don Shula as head coach before the 1996 season?
Jimmy Johnson
The two-time Super Bowl winner with Dallas came out of retirement; Shula, pressed to step down, moved into the front office.
Q 28Which college did Nick Saban leave the Dolphins for in January 2007?
Alabama
He had insisted days earlier he was not going to be the Alabama coach; the eight-year deal guaranteed $5 million.
Q 29What was the Dolphins' record in 2007, the worst in franchise history?
1-15
The following year they went 11-5 under Tony Sparano, the greatest single-season turnaround the league had seen.
Q 30Which formation did the 2008 Dolphins spring on the Patriots to launch their turnaround season?
The Wildcat
Ronnie Brown took direct snaps and scored four touchdowns in a 38-13 rout in Foxborough.