There’s no doubt that rivalries are one of the best parts of sports culture. For both players and fans alike, these heated contests can make for a whole lot of fun. They can even create a heightened sense of motivation that non-rival competitions just don’t have.

So when two organizations that have a long and storied history finally meet, crowds go wild, and this is particularly true in the NFL, where there are so many historic rivalries. And as you know, the Dolphins are the perfect example of a team with rivalries. We have more than a few serious opponents that have steadily gotten in our way over the years.

And as Fins fans gear up for a new season of football, we thought it was as good a time as any to take a look at the team’s most important rivalries and what caused them to exist in the first place.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have been top playmakers in the AFC East for decades, and the Dolphins have undoubtedly bore the brunt of their successes throughout the years. That said, the underdogs have also had their fair share of victories.

When these two get together, they give fans a show that is nothing short of unforgettable. In fact, several of their matchups have gone down in NFL history, such as the Snow Plow Game in 1982, the ’95 AFC Championship, and most recently in 2019, the huge Miami upset that saw the Patriots defeated by a score of 27-24 in the last week of the regular season.

We can see that New England is much more of a winning franchise than Miami if we look at the NFL betting statistics provided by OLBG.com. According to the platform, pundit experts say they have a 82% likelihood of coming out on top at their home field. Although the Fins had their victorious run back in the ’80s when Marino was QB, nowadays they have been struggling to make it to the playoffs, especially with the Pats in their way.

As the rivalry trudges on, fans are looking forward to seeing the duo fight it out in a new set of intense faceoffs. One thing’s for certain: Miami’s biggest threat to success in 2021 continues to be the New England Patriots as the relationship seems to intensify season after season.

New York Jets

Coming in second place are the New York Jets, one of the state’s many sports teams and another one of Miami’s in-division rivals. Both organizations take up space in the AFC East and traditionally meet twice a season for a passionate matchup that is looked forward to by supporters on both sides.

The two have played in several classic games together, such as the “Monday Night Miracle,” in which the Jets managed to crush the Dolphins in the 4th quarter after lagging behind for the entirety of the game 30-7. The final score they were able to secure in overtime, 40-37, is known as one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Maybe we shouldn’t have mentioned that.

Buffalo Bills

Another AFC East relationship that has its fair share of intensity, the Bills and Dolphins have played a whopping 104 regular season and post-season games together over the years, with the Fins winning just a bit more than their opponent as of late. This rivalry is one that goes as far back as the 80s when Miami was in primetime victory mode, and legendary Buffalo QB Jim Kelly was also hot on the scene.

The emergence of both iconic playmakers on each side of the grass is largely what contributed to a well-known rivalry between these two franchises. In 1992, the pair met at the AFC Championship game where the Bills managed to defeat the Fins in a nail-biting match in Pasadena. Although the rivalry seemed to be cooling down since then, especially with the absence of both Hall of Fame quarterbacks, last season, it seemed to have been reborn when the Fins traveled to meet their old division rival in a big game for the first time in 20 years.

 

Indianapolis Colts

Our first out-of-division rival, the Colts of the AFC South, have had a rivalry with the Dolphins since the organization’s previous location in Baltimore, Maryland. Many fans remember the days when the Fins’ memorable head coach, Don Shula, actually led the team when they were known as the “Baltimore Colts” before accepting a position in Miami.

Although the rivalry is not as popular as others on the list, the pair has competed in some iconic games together, such as 1972’s AFC title game in which Miami crushed their opponents 21-0. The Fins currently lead in series matchups against the Colts.