“I’m on my way…I’m on my way…Home sweet home.” Mötley Crüe’s decorated 1985 hit would be a good song choice to represent the Dolphins’ performance at Hard Rock Stadium so far this season.
What began with a record-setting 70-point outburst against the Denver Broncos on September 24th has continued in Miami Gardens throughout the season. The Dolphins are 7-1 at home, with their lone defeat against the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football four weeks ago.
In eight home games this season, the Dolphins are averaging a whopping 439.6 yards, 34.1 points, and 4.1 touchdowns per game. The defense has been much stingier at home as well and has surrendered an average of 285.8 yards and 16.9 points per game. The Titans are the only opponent to have crossed the 21-point threshold in Miami. I’m still having nightmares over that game by the way.
While this season has been a treat for Fins fans in the stands, the Dolphins haven’t always been this dominant at home. I’m old enough to vividly remember the 2010 season when the Dolphins went 1-7 at home. For several years, the Dolphins seemed to have no true home-field advantage whatsoever.
However, everything slowly began to change in 2014, and soon, the Dolphins would have a true home-field advantage built around the climate of the city in which they play. After a year of failed attempts for public funding, Stephen Ross announced that he would pay for $350 million in upgrades to then Sun Life Stadium through private funds. The stadium clearly needed renovations, and Ross knew it was necessary if the team and the city of Miami wanted to host future Super Bowls.
Renovations began in 2015 and were officially completed for the start of the 2016 season. Major highlights of the renovations included new seats, capacity reduction from 75,000 to 65,000, new concourses and concessions, new suites and other premium seating options, four HD video boards in all corners of the stadium, and most importantly- an open-air canopy to provide shade and cover for fans.
The 14-acre steel canopy, weighing over 17,000 tons, was the final step in the renovation process and was completed for the start of the 2016 season. The canopy provides shade over the stadium seating while leaving the area above the playing field open. Hard Rock Stadium is oriented in a northwest-to-southeast direction. By noon, the sun is high in the sky near the southeast end zone and directly shining on the visiting team’s sideline. With most Dolphins home games kicking off at 1:00 p.m., the sun is a major factor for the visiting team.
The Dolphins’ first home game in the “canopy era” at Hard Rock Stadium was a 30-24 overtime win against the Cleveland Browns on September 25, 2016. This also happened to be my first Dolphins game. While in the stands on that hot September afternoon, I could clearly see the impact the heat had on Browns players. There’s truly no escaping it.
Over the past eight seasons, the Dolphins have taken pride in their newfound home-field advantage, and opposing teams around the league have taken notice as well. How impressive have the Dolphins been at Hard Rock Stadium in the “canopy era?” They’ve posted a 43-21 record, which is good for a .672 winning percentage. They’ve also won 19 of their last 22 at home.
On Sunday night at 8:20 p.m., all eyes will be on Hard Rock Stadium as the Dolphins play host to their longtime rival, Buffalo Bills, with the AFC East crown on the line. The team has announced they will be wearing white jerseys, pants, and socks- a rarity for prime-time home games in Miami. The reasoning? The Dolphins are 4-0 this season and 9-0 all-time at Hard Rock Stadium in the “Stormtrooper” look. The sun may not be a factor in this game, but the Dolphins’ home-field advantage most certainly will.
