3 Predictions for the Miami Dolphins’ schedule release

Miami Dolphins schedule prediction: 2 prime time games

(note: for the sake of this argument, we are not using Thursday Night Football games as “prime time” contests. Nor Saturday night games scheduled late in the season. This is Sunday and Monday nights only)

Could this be the year that the league gives Miami a legit slate of prime-time games?

Yes, you’ve seen your Dolphins play on Thursday Night every season. And yes, they are given a Monday Night game once every couple of years.

But when it comes to Sunday Night Football, the prime time event that is often the premier game of the week, only one team has been shunned more than the Miami Dolphins.

When Sunday Night Football began airing on NBC in 2006, it quickly became the marquee prime time game for the weekend. Since then, the Dolphins have made an appearance just three times, the least of any team other than the Jaguars (2). One of those games was actually played on a Thursday, since it was the inaugural SNF game, meaning that Miami has technically only played twice on Sunday Night.

In that same time span, the Dallas Cowboys have made 54 appearances, and the Chicago Bears have made 30. Hell, even the Detroit Lions have played on Sunday Night 8 times.

Could this be the year that the tide changes for Miami? Teams are usually granted prime-time games based on their performance from a season prior, and the Dolphins have missed the playoffs by one game in each of the last two seasons. That coupled with the fact that there will be storylines following the team all season, and we might see our fourth Sunday Night Football game ever.