Miami Dolphins toughest challenge Thursday will be preparation

The Miami Dolphins will face a tough challenge on Thursday night but it may not be the Bengals themselves as much as it will be preparation or lack thereof.

Miami is flying to Cincinnati a day earlier than planned because of Hurricane Ian. The weather patterns show an eastern shift back over the Atlantic and then a west-northwest trajectory. That creates a potential problem tomorrow.

Instead, the Dolphins will fly today and forgo their walkthrough practice. Normally walkthrough sessions are not a big deal but given the fact, Miami has only had one practice since Sunday, getting the game plan in place is important.

This is yet another game the Dolphins will face adversity. Maybe that is what Mike McDaniel gets for telling the team they need to experience it and learn from its failures or success.

Thursday will be tough on the field but not being able to properly prepare could be more problematic. We can bet that the Dolphins’ offensive and defensive coaches will be trying to get prep work in on the flight as much as possible and once they are in Cincinnati try and find a way to get more reps in.

Don Shula once held a practice session in Oakland on the top of a parking lot so there are options. Maybe the backyard of the hotel they will be staying at. Where there is a will, there is always a way.

Miami will be short on time, however. They will get in later this evening and will need to begin preparing for the game tomorrow night so a late-night practice session isn’t going to happen.

The Dolphins can only do so much so at this point, it is about knowing your assignments and execution. The Dolphins have the talent to win but how much preparation does a team need to pull it off?