The Miami Dolphins did not finish the 2024 season as many expected, but at least they didn't spend so many nights in primetime getting embarrassed like the rival New York Jets.
Expectations are much lower for the Dolphins this season, so they likely won't land as many primetime games out of the gate. It's probably not a bad thing. The team needs to concentrate on winning football games and beating playoff-caliber teams rather than whether they will play under the lights at Hard Rock Stadium or somewhere else.
The NFL gives every team at least one primetime game. Typically, those throwaways are on Thursday Night Football, so it won't be surprising to see the Dolphins play one, if not two games on Thursday this year.
A schedule leak indicates the Dolphins will play the Washington Commanders in Madrid, Spain, but what about the other nationally televised games?
Here are the games that could hold enough interest for Miami to play in a prime slot or on a holiday.
Predicting the Dolphins' primetime games ahead of NFL schedule release
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
It would make sense for the Bills to once again play in Miami in primetime. They avoid the direct sunlight, and the two teams tend to play a closer contest in Miami. This game showing up as a Sunday night game makes more sense than a Thursday night or a Monday night game. If they do play in primetime, it would likely be in the first two months of the season.
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Dolphins and Steelers have played against each other in primetime games before. Most recently, they played on a Sunday night when the Dolphins honored the 1972 50th Anniversary at Hard Rock. This year, the NFL might see fit to pit the two teams against each other again in primetime. If they do, this is a draw for a Thursday night game.
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins
This is another one of those classic primetime games they have played before, so putting them against each other again on a Thursday night late in October would be fun. The NFL will play a game on October 30 (Thursday night) instead of Halloween, but these two have squared off in late October before, so why not do it again?