The Phins 2022 Schedule has bookends of toughopponents
The NFL released the official 2022 schedule this week… and now the Miami Dolphins and their fans have the map for the road ahead in this critical year for the franchise. So with nothing else pertinent going on, let’s take a look at how I think each game will shake out.
Phins must come out of the gates HOT!
Week 1: The Dolphins start the season at home against the New England Patriots on Sept 11 at 1PM, which should prove to be a hot game, especially for the opposing team. The various price per head sites already have the line out and the Dolphins are a -3 favorite. This game should be closely contested and will probably come down to which QB makes the least amount of mistakes. I’m going with the lines makers on this game and saying the Dolphins will win the game as the favorite. (W)
Week 2: The next game is a 1PM game at Baltimore. Until last season, the Ravens have dominated us. However, last year the Dolphins came up with a defensive game plan that totally bottled up and stymied the dangerous Lamar Jackson. This is an important game because assuming the Bills take care of business and win the division, the Dolphins will be fighting for a Wild Card spot. Having a tiebreaker against the ‘always in the playoff hunt’ Ravens will be key! It’s going to be tough, but I think Miami can build off their last performance against the Ravens and win again. (W)
Week 3: The Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills at 1PM, and even though it appears we have closed the gap on paper against the Bills, I’m still not sold that we can finally beat them. The Bills are currently the top favorite to win the Super Bowl (+675) with Josh Allen being the top favorite to win the MVP (+500). I don’t think we will beat them, but it will be close. (L)
Week 4: The Dolphins get a prime time game at 8:15PM on Thursday at Cincinnati against the Bengals. The Bengals shocked the world last season by getting to the Super Bowl, but with Joe Burrow leading the offense they are going to be a real threat to return to the Super Bowl. I think it will be a close game, however Burrow will show that he is still the better QB and win this game for the Bengals in a shoot out. (L)
Week 5: The Dolphins have back-to-back away games, and this one it’s against their division rivals, the New York Jets. The Jets have made some improvements this offseason, but with a young QB that didn’t really prove much last season, I believe the Dolphins will take care of business and win this game. (W)
The middle part of the schedule is very manageable
Week 6: The Dolphins will host the Minnesota Vikings, a team that has a decent QB and very good running back and wide receiver. The Vikings are going to probably be a team similar to the Dolphins fighting for a wild card berth, so this is just the type of game the Dolphins need to win to prove they can beat a quality team. I think they can prove us right and win this game. (W)
Week 7: The Dolphins have back-to-back home games and get another Prime Time game in a Sunday Night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have a very good defense, but are starting a new era at QB after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. This is another of those big AFC Conference games where Miami needs to win to give themselves the leg up in the wild card hunt. I think the Dolphins will win this game. (W)
Week 8: The Dolphins have two upcoming away games against NFC North teams, which is one of the weaker divisions in football. The Dolphins have to beat the Detroit Lions because losing to a team like this doesn’t show they are ready to make the playoffs. I think the Dolphins will take care of business and win this game. (W)
Week 9: The Dolphins play on the road in Chicago in early November, which could be a cold game. The Dolphins are better on paper then the Bears and will need to prove it. They win this game against a young QB and a team with limited potential. (W)
Week 10: The Dolphins will host the Cleveland Browns, which will have Watson at QB. This will be a tough game against an AFC opponent. The Browns are a well-rounded team, so unfortunately I think they will squeak out the victory against the Dolphins.(L)
Week 11:Bye week that would leave them 7-3 so far.
Week 12: The Dolphins host the Houston Texans with their young QB and a roster that appears weaker than most in the league. Coming off the Bye, the Dolphins should win this this trap game. (W)
Week 13: McDaniel and the Dolphins will travel to San Francisco to face his old team, which will be their first of 3 road games. It would be a nice story for McDaniel and the Dolphins to beat his former team, but the 49ers could be too much to handle. I think the Dolphins will lose this game unfortunately. (L)
Week 14: The Dolphins have another west coast game against the LA Chargers. The Chargers have also had themselves a busy offseason and look to have vastly improved their Defense. The Chargers on the road with Herbert looks too much for the Dolphins to overcome, so let’s chalk that up as a lose. (L)
Week 15: The Dolphins continue a brutal road trip ending in Buffalo in late December. Unfortunately the Bills are just too good and will hand the Dolphins their third straight loss. (L)
Week 16: The Dolphins finally get a home game, but the downside is they will have to face repeat MVP winner Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are a true Super Bowl contender and I don’t think the Dolphins will win this game. (L)
Week 17: After a brutal 4 game losing streak against very good teams, Miami will need to come up big to end the season against familiar AFC east rivals. First up is the Patriots in New England, which could basically be a playoff game since both teams will be fighting for a wild card spot. I think the Dolphins come up big and win this game. (W)
Week 18: The Dolphins end the season at home against the Jets in a must win game. The Dolphins will probably need to win this game to make the playoffs and they will pull it off to end the season 10-7 with a wild card spot.
Dolphins make the playoffs in 2022!!!
The Dolphins must get on a roll against winnable teams in October if they don’t come out of the gates very hot. With an extremely tough December against a slew of playoff teams, they need as many early wins as they can get. The Dolphins will likely need to win at least 10 games to make the playoffs in this heavily loaded AFC, so winning games against other AFC teams will be almost as crucial as beating teams in the AFCE!
What do Miami Dolphins news fans think about the Dolphins chances with this schedule?
