The NFL schedules were released last week, and I’m not into all of the schedule breakdown shows; I feel it’s a waste of my time. I feel this way because, as fans, we know who our teams play well before the schedules come out, unlike years ago, so there are no surprises. Like all Miami Dolphins fans, I was excited to see who they open the season again, and I felt I was reading last year’s schedule because, like last year, the Dolphins open on the road against the New England Patriots and then have the home opener against the Buffalo Bills talk about Deja Vo all over again.

Last year when the Dolphins opened the season against the Patriots and Bills, I had a bad feeling they would get off to a bad start. I felt this way because the Dolphins had one of the youngest teams in the league, and we’re playing a lot of rookies and new free agents, so you know it would take time for this team to grow. On top of that, there was no true off-season because of the covid pandemic or preseason games. A lot of people don’t like the preseason, but I do. I think the preseason is important for the young players, especially the ones fighting for roster spots. It also gives those players a sample of the NFL game, and while the speed in the preseason won’t match the regular season, it at least gives them some experience.

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The Patriots and the Bills, on the other hand, had pretty much their roster from the year before returning, so they had more continuity than the Dolphins. The Patriots did have a new quarterback for the first time in 20 years, not named Tom Brady. They started Cam Newton, who signed shortly after the draft last year, and nobody knew what to expect from the Patriots offense with a more mobile quarterback that runs the read-option. It was like the Dolphins were going to have to learn on the fly, and sure enough, the Dolphins played a bad game and were totally outplayed. The following week the Dolphins lost a heart breaker to the Bills in a game where they had some chances to win, but the Bills took advantage of the Dolphins defense that was still learning to play together with all of their new faces on that side of the ball.

The 0-2 start didn’t make or break the Dolphins season. They went on to win 10 games and just missed the playoffs, which is rare, especially with a new 7 team playoff format in each conference. The Dolphins got better as the season went on and doubled their win total from a year ago. The second-year players showed a lot of growth from their first year, and the rookies went through some growing pains but showed they could play and contribute.

This year’s expectations are different from a year ago. The Dolphins are expected not only to contend for the playoffs but challenge for the AFC East title. Last year, the Bills ran away with the division and were one win away from the Super Bowl, so they are the team to beat. The week 2 game against the Bills is even more important for the Dolphins to win because not only do they have to show they are ready to compete for the division, but that they can beat the Bills. The Dolphins have lost 5 games in a row to the Bills. The Bills have the Dolphins number, and the Dolphins have to do something to change that. The Dolphins need a signature win to prove that they are for real and ready to take the next step. The Dolphins had some close games against some of the best teams last year in the Bills, Kansas City, and Seattle Seahawks, only to come up short. The Dolphins can’t just hang with the Bills, they have to beat them, and if they can beat them in week 2, it could go a long way to showing they are ready to contend not just for the AFC East but become a legitimate contender in the AFC.

The Patriots made a lot of changes this off-season after a disappointing 7-9 season. They started very well last year, but injuries, players opting out due to COVID, and talent deficiencies covered up by Brady’s play came back to haunt them over the years. The Patriots spend a lot of money on free agents to upgrade their football team, which is un-Patriot like. Some feel the Patriots will be the second-best team in the division because of their head coach Bill Belichick, but he has had only two winning seasons in his 25 years as a head coach without a quarterback named Brady.  As great a coach as Belichick is, he has to start proving he can win without a great quarterback.

This year will be different for the Dolphins because I expect more growth from their young players, especially their rookies last year and the new players they brought in. However, at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to how well quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plays. Tagovailoa started the second half of the season, and he went through some growing pains and people have wondered if the Dolphins made a mistake making him the number 5 pick overall in the draft a year ago. The Dolphins added a couple of big-play receivers in Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle to help his development. The first 2 games won’t make or break the Dolphins season, but they need to prove they are ready to become a contender in the division and not a pretender; otherwise, it will be Deja Vo all over again from a year ago.