The Miami Dolphins now have their schedule in hand, and although it's too early for predictions, we can't help but look at the upcoming season and wonder how Jeff Hafley will fare in his first NFL head coaching job.
The Dolphins will not play a single game in primetime this year. The NFL didn't put them on the international stage either. Clearly, the NFL doesn't see Miami as much of a draw this season. That's not a bad thing.
Miami will have eight home games and an extra away game in 2026. They play the second-toughest schedule this year, but this season isn't about the playoffs as much as it is about building something for a sustainable future.
Game-by-game predictions for the Miami Dolphins 2026 season
Week 1: Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders - Win
- Will the Dolphins face Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza? If Mendoza plays, Miami could be in for an opportunistic win, but Cousins could provide enough veteran leadership to sway it toward the Raiders. Opening on the road isn't a bad thing.
Week 2: Dolphins at 49ers - Loss
- No one likes long-distance travel, but that is what Miami will do this year. The 49ers came up short of reaching the NFC Championship Game, but they play in the toughest NFC division. Back-to-back road games aren't ideal to start a season, but at least Miami gets both of its West Coast games out of the way early.
Week 3: Chiefs at Dolphins - Loss
- The Dolphins have played the Chiefs well the last few years, at least keeping it close, but this time around, they may not match up well with them. It will be interesting to see if a certain former Dolphins WR will be healthy enough to rejoin his former team for this game. What will be interesting is whether or not Patrick Mahomes will be back as expected.
Week 4: Bengals at Dolphins- Win
- The Bengals are an enigma; you simply don't know who they'll be once the season starts. If there is one team in the NFL that can look like a Super Bowl-caliber team one week and then be worse than the Browns the next, the Bengals are it. Miami hopefully gets them on their down week.
Week 5: Dolphins at Vikings - Loss
- There isn't much rivalry with this game. The Brian Flores-Dolphins connection is still there, but without Tua Tagovailoa and it being on the road, there is far less drama. Miami will face a team struggling with its QB identity, however, and Kyler Murray can be erratic.
Week 6: Bye
Week 7 - Dolphins at New York Jets - Loss
- The Jets and Dolphins are fighting to stay out of the AFC East cellar. They likely split their 2026 series with each winning at home. The Dolphins have good pieces in place, but the inexperience is going to lead to mistakes. In New York, it's not easy to win.
Week 8 - Patriots at Dolphins- Loss
- The Patriots were back in the Super Bowl last season, but were they truly Super Bowl worthy? Seems their last-place schedule helped, as did the QB-injured teams they faced in the postseason. It won't matter much; the Dolphins aren't ready to legitimately contend with them.
Week 9 - Lions at Dolphins - Loss
- Dan Campbell's return to Miami as a head coach will likely be met with cheers. Fans in South Florida love him and for good reason. He is a player's coach and a fan's coach. He will have the Lions ready to go, and the Dolphins will find it tough to stop their offense.
Week 10 - Dolphins at Colts - Win
- The Colts are interesting. They have the talent to be good, but seem to shoot themselves in the foot. This is a game the Dolphins could surprisingly win.
Week 11 - Dolphins at Bills - Lose
- The Dolphins will play the Bills in Orchard Park for the first time in their new stadium. The rivalry will take on a different feel this year as the Bills added former Miami LB Bradley Chubb.
Week 12 - Jets at Dolphins - Win
- The Dolphins traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets, and he will make his Hard Rock return this season. It will be interesting to see how he is received when he takes the field. The Dolphins should do well in this game, as the Jets are still likely to be inconsistent.
Week 13 - Dolphins at Broncos - Loss
- The Dolphins' trade of Jaylen Waddle sets up an intriguing matchup between their former star WR and the CB Chris Johnson, whom they drafted with the pick they received from him. On the other side of that is Sean Payton, who could be looking for revenge for the 2023 drubbing at Hard Rock Stadium.
Week 14 - Bears at Dolphins- Loss
- The Bears are not the team they have been for most of the last decade. They are a physical, well-coached team. It's the NFL, so anything can happen, but this one is probably out of Miami's reach.
Week 15 - Dolphins at Packers - Loss
- The Packers are what the Dolphins want to become. A consistently good football team that builds from within. The Dolphins are making those tough moves this year, but they are not ready to compete with the Packers despite their knowledge of the team.
Week 16 - Chargers at Dolphins- Loss
- Alec Ingold may be heading back to Miami, but let's be real, this is about Mike McDaniel, and he will do whatever he can to make sure the Dolphins' defense is guessing the entire game. If the Dolphins can pull off a win over L.A., it could provide Stephen Ross with the validation for firing him.
Week 17 - Bills at Dolphins - Loss
- The Dolphins are facing their top AFC East rival, and no amount of heat is going to keep the Bills from taking advantage of the Dolphins' youth. This game could get ugly early.
Week 18 - Dolphins at Patriots - Loss
- Visiting Foxborough is never fun. The Dolphins have a lot of questions, and this isn't going to be the game they find answers.
FInal record prediction 4 - 13
Add us as a preferred source on Google