The Miami Dolphins' season may go up in smoke at some point, but it would take a full implosion to meet the predictions of one national news agency.
Miami is expected to struggle. There are questions in the secondary and at other positions. Miami didn't have a stellar start to their joint practices with the Bears on Friday, leading others to believe they could have some issues.
The USA Today released their 2025 NFL predictions for each team, and the Dolphins are predicted to finish last in the AFC East with just five total wins. They have the Bills at the top of the division with a runaway 13 wins. The Patriots (8 wins) and the Jets (7) are both above the Dolphins.
Dolphins' schedule isn't easy, but they are talented enough to win more than 5 games
Despite problems in the secondary, the Dolphins open the season against teams they should have no issues beating, even if their offense has to carry them. The Colts are a mess, the Patriots are an unknown, and the Jets and Panthers shouldn't be a problem either.
The Dolphins should win four of their first six games. The Bills and Chargers will be their most formidable opponents in that stretch.
Following that stretch, the Dolphins will play the Browns and Falcons. That's two more winnable games, which brings us to six. The remaining schedule is admittedly tough. Only two games are expectable wins: the Jets and the Saints.
Miami will need to figure out how to balance its roster. We can't assume the team will be horrible based on one practice session. If Mike McDaniel is going to keep his job, he will need to turn this season into something special, and that means he needs to force other teams to adjust their game plans constantly.
Many believe this year will be the biggest test for McDaniel. They also think his job will be on the line. We predicted earlier this offseason that he could be gone by the end of the year, with Anthony Weaver taking over the club before the season's end.
There are games the Dolphins should win - games they can win - and games no one expects them to win. It all rides on the arm of Tua Tagovailoa and McDaniel's ability to make in-game adjustments. If they can't do that, five wins are entirely possible, but still unlikely given the talent on the roster.