Miami Dolphins Schedule: A Look Ahead

Oct.14, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins cheerleaders perform during a game against the St. Louis Rams at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Miami currently sits second in the AFC East with a 3-3 record behind the New England Patriots. Miami goes into MetLife Stadium Sunday to play their division rivals the New York Jets. With a win on Sunday, Miami would even the season series with the Jets 1-1 and have the potential to edge the Pats (with a NE loss) for first in the division. After this week’s game against the Jets, the Dolphins move into their “easy” part of the schedule, and I put the word “easy” in quotations here because in the NFL no game is easy.

Weeks 9-12 for the Fins look like this: @Colts, Vs. Titans, @Bills, Vs. Seahawks. When I look at that chunk of the Dolphins’ schedule my eyes light up and a grin stretches across my face. Every single one of those games is very winnable. I am by no means saying the Dolphins are going to go into each one of those games with a guaranteed victory, because in reality each one of those teams is currently within one game of Miami’s record (IND 3-3, TN 3-4, BUF 3-4, SEA 4-3). However, Miami is good enough and has the ability to win all four games and find themselves with an 8-3 record going into December.

Granted, the schedule looks dimmer from that moment on as the Fins play @ San Francisco and play the Pats twice. But, it could be worse, as Miami gets to play the Bills and the Jaguars in between the two New England games.  Not to mention New England is not the same team they have been in years past and the Giants showed us that the 49ers are not unbeatable. Technically, the Fins could finish the year 13-3 on a winning rampage. Is it likely? No. But hey, it could happen right? Realistically, I see Miami finishing the year with either a 10-6 or 11-5 record.

At this point, the playoff picture for any team is complete speculation. Nobody has any idea how a team will hold together down the stretch or if one of the top teams in the league now will be at the bottom looking up come playoff time. What I do know is the Dolphins have a real shot this year. They are a hungry team that plays hard nosed football until the whistle blows for 40 minutes. Coach Joe Philbin is doing an excellent job of taking it one week at a time and ensuring that his team is ready to go every Sunday. They also have a schedule that is in their favor, meaning that they are either the favorite or a heavy contender in every game. The Dolphins are good enough to win the division this year and do some real damage in the playoffs. As Dolphins fans, we should be excited at what this franchise can do, not only this year, but in years to come. The Dolphins are back baby, and they are ready to prove it.

All they need is a chance.