30-day challenge: Favorite Dolphins team of all time

The Phinsider 30-day challenge is back with another “favorite” question - this time about the Miami Dolphins as a whole. What is your favorite all-time Dolphins team? Most of the answers are probably going to be the 1972 Perfect Season team, or maybe the 1973 team that may have been even better as the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to go to three straight Super Bowls.

My answer is not either of those teams, however. My answer is the team that came up just short of the Super Bowl, the 1985 Dolphins. The team finished 12-4 on the season, winning the AFC East, and were the only team to beat the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Chicago Bears, during the season. The Dolphins won seven straight games to the end season, then beat the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Divisional round. In the AFC Championship game, the Dolphins were expected to beat the New England Patriots and force a rematch with the Bears. Instead, the Patriots crushed Miami 31-14 before they went on to be demolished themselves 46-10 by the Bears.

Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino threw for 4,137 yards with 30 touchdowns that season. Running back Tony Nathan added 667 yards on the found, while Ron Davenport picked up 11 rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Mark Clayton, who joined Marino in the Pro Bowl, had 70 receptions for 996 yards and four touchdowns, while Nat Moore added 701 yards on 51 receptions with seven touchdowns, and Mark Duper had 650 yards on 35 receptions with three touchdowns.

This team was likely Marino’s best chance at a Super Bowl, even better than the team that lost the Super Bowl the previous season.

If you haven’t seen one of our last 30-day challenge articles, it is simply our way to get to know some of your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins. We are asking a question every day for 30 days, with the goal of getting all of our readers involved in the discussion. If you haven’t ever posted a comment on the site before - now would be a great time to get in here and join us.

Your turn. What is your favorite all-time Miami Dolphins team?