The Miami Dolphins’ 2023 schedule was released back in May, and with two- and a bit months to go until the season starts, it is time to predict the record for the upcoming season.
Last season saw the Dolphins return to the postseason for the first time since the 2016 campaign, but the franchise was still made to wait for their first playoff win on December 30th, 2000.
Can this year where the Dolphins finally break this long run? Could they go further than that?
Week One: @ Los Angeles Chargers
A repeat of Week Fourteen last season, the Dolphins return to Los Angeles hoping to avenge last year’s loss. They will attempt to show their capabilities against a team they’ll be battling with for playoff football.
A win here would show the league they are worth the off-season hype. Tua Tagovailoa will aim to get revenge on Justin Herbert for last season, a name that has haunted Tua ever since Herbert broke out in his rookie year.
This will be a chance for Tua to show the franchise and fanbase that they were right to take him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft over Herbert.
It will be Kellen Moore’s first game as offensive coordinator, and it remains to be seen how this will look. The addition of Jalen Ramsey will hope to fix Miami’s biggest defensive weakness as they go up against Herbert, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and rookie Quentin Johnson. However, it may be a difficult start for Miami, somewhere they struggled immensely last time.
Prediction:Â Chargers win 28-24. (0-1)
Week Two: @ New England Patriots
The Patriots may not be the immovable force they once were, but they should not be discounted as long as Bill Belichick is head coach.
Miami has lost just once in their last meetings with the Patriots and will hope to continue this streak. After all, Tua has been in all these games minus the most recent one, the one loss.
It is rare to find any quarterback in NFL history to be 4-0 against Belichick.
Ranking 17th  in passing defense and 7th in run defense will not be an easy task for the Dolphins offense. Meanwhile, the Pats’ offense was their downfall in 2022, with quarterback Mac Jones suffering a sophomore slump.
They had the 7th worst total yards per game but have since added wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster and a name the Dolphins know well in their former tight end Mike Gesicki.
This will no doubt add more of a threat to the Dolphins’ defense, but can they cope?
With Kader Kohou, Xavien Howard, and Jevon Holland in the secondary, as well as the likes of Bradley Chubb and Christian Wilkins further up the field, this should be no problem for Miami. New England will run them closer than expected.
Prediction: Miami wins 21-20. (1-1)
Week Three: vs. Denver Broncos
The Broncos were one of the most disappointing teams in 2022. You can blame much of that on head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who is now the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator. This is after being fired prior to the conclusion of last season.
Sean Payton is the new head coach at Mile High. He brings with him a 3-1 record against the Dolphins.
Quarterback Russell Wilson had a down year in 2022, and Payton will surely get him back to old form. However, this is very early in the Payton Broncos era, which could go in Miami’s favor.
Prediction: Miami wins 31-20. (2-1)
Week Four: @ Buffalo Bills
The Bills had the upper hand in both meetings in Buffalo, one that ended the Dolphins’ season at the Wildcard Round stage.
It is unclear if quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs will have the same connection. As much as Tua improved in 2022, Allen is at a different level (even without Brian Daboll).
The Dolphins beat the Bills at home and ran them close in both road games. Add in Jalen Ramsey and a healthy offensive line; this could be the difference for Miami in their attempts to win for the first time in Buffalo since the 2016 season.
Prediction: Miami win 35-30. (3-1)
Week Five: vs New York Giants
There was an improvement for the Giants in 2022, even going on to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Wildcard Round. However, there are talks of franchise-tagged star running back Saquon Barkley holding out. Darren Waller has been added to the squad but no one knows if he will stay healthy.
Quarterback Daniel Jones had a great 2022. His improvement saw him become the first quarterback to get a new deal with the same team after initially having their fifth-year option declined.
However, his new deal has been met with much criticism. With 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions in 2022, Jones is not exactly someone a franchise should build around.
Whilst this team has a good core and is excellently coached, they have probably not done enough on defense to improve this unit.
Prediction: Miami wins 27-13. (4-1)
Week Six: vs. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers traded up in the offseason to get the number one overall pick. With this selection, they took Alabama QB, Bryce Young.
Young will immediately improve an offense that ranked fourth from the bottom for total passing yards in 2022.
However, they also ranked in the bottom 10 for passing yards allowed, and they will have a difficult day against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Prediction: Miami wins 29-20. (5-1)
