Miami Dolphins 2023 schedule: way too early game-by-game preview and predictions
By Luke Allen
Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs (in Germany!)
Not too often do you face the two previous Super Bowl teams, back-to-back, on the road. Although, this road is the Autobahn in Germany as the Dolphins play the Chiefs at Frankfurt Stadium at 9:30 AM Eastern time.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the cream of the crop in the NFL, reaching three Super Bowls in the last four years, winning two of them. Patrick Mahomes is the consensus best player in the NFL and he fits perfectly in the Andy Reid system. This one may be a bit of a revenge game for Tyreek Hill as he faces his former team, who traded him after not signing Hill to a long-term deal. In 31 games historically, the Dolphins lead the all-time series, although the Chiefs have won the last three meetings. It'll be an interesting matchup for both teams as they both have high-powered offenses and rising defenses. I never want to bet against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, so in a neutral environment, I see the Chiefs sneaking out of Germany with a close win.
I think Mahomes and company is just too much for the Dolphins to handle, along with the affects of traveling the globe. The Chiefs win this game 34-30, but the Dolphins hope to meet them again in the states come playoff time. Miami falls to 6-3 heading into the bye week.
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: vs Las Vegas Raiders
Coming off the bye week, the Miami Dolphins host another AFC West team in the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are an interesting team in that they dumped Derek Carr's contract in the offseason and signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They also drafted quarterback Aiden O'Connell out of Purdue, who may end up seeing the field at some point in 2023 if Jimmy Garoppolo plays like Jimmy Garoppolo.
These two teams have actually played 41 times before, with the Raiders holding a 21-19-1 advantage. Their last meeting was in 2021, when the Raiders defeated the Dolphins in overtime. But as is a common theme in this piece, both teams look drastically different. There's no Derek Carr, no Darren Waller, Jacoby Brissett does not start for the Dolphins and Myles Gaskin is not the Dolphins' starting running back. And that game went to overtime!
This one really won't be particularly close, assuming Garoppolo has not been benched yet. The Raiders will be lucky to muster 10 points in this one. Dolphins win easy 31-10 and get back in the win column as they improve to 7-3.
Week 12: at New York Jets (Black Friday!)
In the first ever Black Friday game in NFL history, the Dolphins will travel up the east coast into East Rutherford, New Jersey for their first look at Aaron Rodgers as a New York Jet. The Jets are a fascinating, yet overrated, team heading into 2023. Aaron Rodgers was not particularly good last season with the Packers as the 39-year-old -- will be 40 in December -- is taking the Brett Favre route in his career.
The Miami Dolphins are built to beat a team like the Jets. In their last 14 games, the Dolphins have won 11 of them. A regressing, aging Aaron Rodgers will not affect that. A handsy loud-mouthed cornerback will not stop this Dolphins offense. The Jets whiffed the draft and are betting their future on a 40-year-old Ayahuasca-obsessed quarterback who will retire a Minnesota Viking. This is nothing new in the AFC East.
The Dolphins win 30-24 and head to Fifth Avenue to go Black Friday shopping as Miami improves to 8-3.