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A Look Ahead: An Analysis on the Dolphins 2022-2023 Schedule
Within the first 6 weeks of the schedule, the Dolphins will be playing in three crucial division
matchups. The first will be on opening day at home against the New England Patriots followed
by another home game against the Buffalo Bills in week 3 before finally traveling on the road to
face the New York Jets in week 5. The Dolphins have done well in recent years against the
Patriots and Jets (combined record of 12-4 since 2018) but have been thoroughly outplayed by
the Bills in recent years (7-1 since 2018). The Dolphins also face off against the Ravens,
Bengals, and Vikings within these first 6 weeks. This is certainly a tough opening schedule, with
the Dolphins’ opponents all being recent playoff teams (are at the very least were in the hunt).
The schedule gets a little bit more forgiving towards the middle of the season as the Dolphins
face a Steelers team that is potentially playing a rookie quarterback in week 7 followed by games
against the Lions and Bears. The Dolphins would then go on to face the Browns in week 10
where there are numerous questions surrounding whether newly acquired QB Deshaun Watson
will be available for the team pending any potential suspension for Watsons’ off-the field legal
issues. Week 11 the Dolphins would get a crucial and much needed bye week perfectly situated
right in the middle of the season before the Dolphins face off against the Texans in week 12.
The closing schedule for the Dolphins is a tough one that has the Dolphins embarking on a road
trip to face three playoff caliber teams in the 49ers, the Chargers, and their final game against the
Bills. This road trip will certainly have enormous playoff ramifications and truly determine
whether this Dolphins squad is a playoff contender or pretender. The Dolphins final three weeks
see them facing off once against a playoff team in the Packers, luckily at home, followed by a
road game at the Patriots and finishing off the season at home against the Jets.
Looking at the schedule, the Dolphins are facing several teams that were previously playoff
teams or were certainly close to being one. With that being said, the Dolphins are also facing a
few teams that have questions at the most important position—Quarterback. These teams include
the Steelers, 49ers, Browns, Texans, and Lions that either might be starting an inexperienced QB
or an unimpressive incumbent starter (aside from the Browns who have a completely different
Quarterback issue). According to Sporting News.com, the Dolphins strength of schedule (1 st
being strongest and 32 nd weakest) is ranked 21 st among all team, with the opponent teams’
combined 2021 record of 138-149-2. The Dolphins have, based on these metrics, a roughly
average schedule based on previous opponent records. But for the Dolphins to truly make a push
for the playoffs they must show that they are a better team than previous iterations. The Dolphins
have made several moves in the offseason to bolster their offensive line as well as their receiving
core. And with a completely new offensive coaching staff that seems to be supporting Tua as the
starting QB going into year three, this is the year where results are expected. Let’s see if Mike
McDaniel and company can meet or even break these expectations and finally accomplish the
goal that has eluded this team for the better part of two decades—making a playoff push.
Written by- Alan Martin
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