The Miami Dolphins are off to their best start in over 20 years. However, questions loom as to how good this team is. The answer is we don’t know. The nay-sayers feel the Dolphins haven’t beaten anyone that good, and the only team that is good on their schedule, the Buffalo Bills, they got destroyed by. The bottom line is you play the schedule that is handed to you. Before the season, the Dolphins schedule was considered one of the toughest based on last year’s opponent’s records, but early in the season, teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants, have stumbled out of the gate after missing the playoffs. I believe the Dolphins have a good football team and a team that will make the playoffs, but how good are they? I don’t know.

The Dolphins will play the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in 2 of their next three games. Both of those teams were in the Super Bowl last year and will serve as a good measuring stick as to where this team stands. The Dolphins also have their rematch with the New England Patriots sandwiched in between at home, and they have fallen on tough times this year but shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

The Eagles and Chiefs will also be nationally televised games, so it’s a chance to see if the Dolphins are for real or a flash in the pan. The Dolphins have proven to be a good team, but they have to start beating some of the better teams in the league to prove they are a contender this year, and they can’t just keep the game close. It’s time for the Dolphins to start winning these games and assert themselves as one of the elite teams in the AFC. The Dolphins got embarrassed against the Bills a few weeks ago, and with the schedule turning out to be softer than originally thought, it begged the question, is this team really that good?

Sunday night, the Dolphins go to Philadelphia, and they are coming off of a loss that they gave away in the final minutes to the New York Jets. The Eagles haven’t exactly lit the world on fire so far this season despite the 5-1 start. They were the runner-up in the Super Bowl last year and have one of the better rosters in the league. They are especially strong on the offensive and defensive lines, and that’s where the Dolphins have to step up their game. The offensive line has improved dramatically but will face a tough test with the Eagles front that can get after the quarterback, and they led the league in sacks last year. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t do well when he’s got pressure in his face, but frankly, he has to prove that he can get the job done even when pressured and things aren’t going well.

The Dolphins’ defensive line will have a tough test of its own, as the Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league and the most physical. The Dolphins’ defensive line is supposed to be the deepest and best unit on the defense, but they haven’t really shown it yet this year. Sure, they have played well against the Giants and Carolina Panthers, but neither of those teams pose the same offensive line as the Eagles. If there ever was a game for the defensive line to start turning the corner, it’s this Sunday. Both the Eagles and Dolphins have skill players, but this game will be won in the trenches.

Then, in two weeks, the Dolphins play the defending Super Bowl champions the Chiefs, in Germany. If the Dolphins make a run, at some point, they will have to cross paths with the Chiefs. There are some that say the Chiefs aren’t the same team as in years past, and in terms of talent, that may be true, but they still have Andy Reid as head coach and Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. The Chiefs’ defense is also better than it has been in years, led by defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is a game-wrecker. The Chiefs have been to 4 straight AFC Championship games, so excuse me if I give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. This will be a great challenge for the Dolphins, just like the Eagles, and see if they are ready to make a run in the AFC.

 

This is a critical part of the schedule, and I know there is a lot of football to be played after the bye week. Still, the Dolphins have to show the rest of the league and their fans that they are ready to be a real contender and to do that, they have to beat better opponents. I’m not saying they have to win both, but it would be a better look if they beat one of them. I don’t want to see the Dolphins play the bigger team tight and to the bitter end, only to fall short. I want to see them win these types of games. I realize the Dolphins beat the Bills last year, but as a division opponent, you play twice a year at some point; you will win one of those, but they also cleaned our clocks a couple of weeks ago. This is the next hurdle in general manager Chris Grier’s rebuilding process from 2019 to beat the upper-class teams.