The NFL and sports world were delivered sad news on Monday. NFL and Miami Dolphins coaching legend Don Shula died at the age of 90.
Shula is the NFL’s all-time winningest coach, earning a 328-156-6 overall regular season record, having navigated 33 NFL teams. From 1963-1969, he got his start with the Baltimore Colts. Then during an extensive career with the Dolphins from 1970-1995, the Bills got plenty too much of Shula’s excellence.
Shula started his career vs. the Bills with 20-straight wins, stretching from his first season at the helm through 1979. He finally lost to Buffalo during the 1980 season opener in Orchard Park, a 17-7 Bills win.
But even during that decade, the Bills did give the Dolphins some notable fits, including one during the NFL’s most-legendary season. In 1972 when the Dolphins became the first team to go undefeated and only team to do so while winning a Super Bowl (sorry, Patriots), Buffalo gave the Dolphins their biggest nail-biter. The Dolphins just edged out the Bills, 24-23, their only one-point win that season.
After the 1980 season, Shula still got plenty of wins against the Bills. By 1985, the Shula had an overall record of 29-3 against Buffalo. But he finished his career against the Bills with a 35-17 record, a big swing in Buffalo’s direction.
The difference turned out to be Marv Levy. His Bills career vs. the Dolphins during Shula’s tenure was a 14-6 regular season record over the Dolphins. The tide finally turned.
During Levy’s first season in 1986, the Dolphins swept the Bills. Then Levy’s Bills won six-straight games over three regular seasons vs. the Dolphins. From 1987 to Shula’s last season in 1995, the Bills were never swept by the Dolphins in a regular season slate, winning both games against the five times in that stretch and at least winning one of the pair the other four season.s
The Bills also eventually handed Shula is final loss of his career in 1995 during the playoffs, a 37-22 win for Buffalo.
Regardless of the fits he gave western New York, the excellence of Shula is certainly something to be more than respected. The four-time Coach of the Year and two-time Super Bowl champion will be enshrined forever as a 1997 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
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