Miami Dolphins: Predicting the first four games of 2022
The Miami Dolphins have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL over the first four weeks. How might this stretch play out for them?
The Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL are ready to get the 2022 season underway. There will be plenty of eyes on South Florida this year, as there are excitement and expectations surrounding the franchise.
When looking at the schedule, it is hard to ignore the rollercoaster that could take place for the Dolphins during the campaign. Their first four games are tough, which they follow up with the easiest schedule in the league for a two-month span. Then consecutive road games against the 49ers, Chargers, and Bills, and a date with the Packers on Christmas. And it all ends with beatable division opponents in the Patriots and Jets.
It goes without saying that you’ll see a lot of “In The Hunt” graphics displaying Miami’s logo.
So what might that tough early stretch look like? Here is a prediction for the first four games of the Miami Dolphins schedule:
Week 1: Dolphins 34 Patriots 20
This will be the third season in a row that the Dolphins will play against the Patriots for their Week 1 matchup, and Miami will be the favorite to take home the victory in the rubber match.
The two teams seemed to spend the offseason heading in opposite directions, and those causes could start to show their effects in the opening game. New England did very little to bolster their roster over the spring and summer, and the results out of training camp and the preseason have been average at very best.
The Dolphins are currently 3 to 3.5 point favorites, depending on your betting/odds outlet, and that line feels pretty generous in favor of the Patriots. New England will be on the road, playing in the muggy humidity of a September in South Florida, and going up against a team that has been champing at the bit to get on the field with their roster at full strength.
I believe that the Dolphins will turn some heads with their Week 1 performance, and will outscore the Patriots by a full two touchdowns. A bold prediction, sure, but consider it a culmination of all the off-season excitement wrapped in to one result.