Predicting the 2018 Miami Dolphins season week by week
Week 13: vs. Buffalo Bills
If the Bills are not one of the two worse teams in football I’ll be shocked. I don’t think it matters whether it’s Nathan Peterman or Josh Allen at the quarterback position come week 13.
Miami MUST beat Buffalo at home in order to have a shot at the playoffs and I think they’ll get the job done.
Prediction: Dolphins 38-13 (8-4)
Week 14: vs. New England Patriots
The Dolphins are 4-1 against the Patriots at home over the last five years. There’s something about Miami that throws Brady off his game just a tad.
With the Dolphins being 8-4 (yes, these predictions will be 100% correct), this game will mean more to New England though. And what I mean by that is, the Patriots will do anything not to lose the division.
In previous seasons, this game has either been week 17 when Miami was eliminated or the Dolphins were three or four games back of first place in the AFC East. Either way, I don’t think that will be the case this year which means Belichick and Brady will bring their “A-game”.
Miami will keep it close, but I see the Patriots completing the season sweep of the Dolphins.
Prediction: Patriots 31-21 (8-5)
Week 15: @ Minnesota Vikings
Once again, a December game indoors for the Dolphins. This time, against a Vikings team that made the NFC Championship game last season and should be extremely talented on both sides of the ball in 2018.
The Vikings went 8-1 at home last season and in my opinion they upgraded at quarterback, getting Kirk Cousins in the offseason. This will be one of the toughest tasks of the season for Miami, especially late in the season when injuries are starting to pile on.
Prediction: Vikings 27-17 (8-6)
Week 16: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
This game will decide the season. At 8-6, the Dolphins will probably need two victories to end the year and earn a playoff spot.
I know the success Jacksonville had last season, but I just don’t see it happening again. At least, not with Blake Bortles at quarterback. The defense might be one of the best in the league again, but Bortles is a below average quarterback who doesn’t have an elite wide receiver to throw to.
This could be a low scoring affair, but at home with the season on the line Miami earns a victory.
Prediction: Dolphins 20-13 (9-6)
Week 17: @ Buffalo Bills
Everything I said about Buffalo in week 13 applies here, but any game at Buffalo in December makes me nervous. The Dolphins are 1-5 in their last six games at Buffalo and four of the five losses have occurred in November or December. Tannehill is also 0-4 when traveling to Buffalo in his career.
However, the one win was under Adam Gase to clinch a playoff spot in 2016, and I don’t think he’ll let this one slip away from him. With how bad the Bills could be this season I don’t care where or when these two teams play, Miami should win nine times out of ten.
Prediction: Dolphins 24-14 (10-6)
Final Thoughts:
10-6 should be enough to earn the Dolphins a wild card spot in the AFC. I love Miami’s schedule this season with all 1:00 p.m. games besides for Thursday night at Houston, and only having to play one or two games in cold weather.
And with the national media saying they’ll be a bottom three team in the NFL, the team has a chip on their shoulder like they never have before.
With a tougher schedule, I might agree that this is your typical 7-9 team. However, I truly believe this could be a perfect storm for the Dolphins. The easier schedule gives Miami a chance to make the playoffs and give this team another year to gel with Tannehill at quarterback again and Gase running the show.
Then, when the tougher schedule comes in 2019, this group won’t cave under the spotlight like we have seen in the past. If I’m wrong, the Dolphins start all over again with a rookie quarterback next season. But if I’m right, it’s going to be a fun year.