Finally, Miami Dolphins fans can start looking at their calendars and realize there will be football every weekend until their bye week. Despite questions remaining on both sides of the ball, excitement for the season continues to build.
What should Dolphins fans expect this year? That, too, is a question often debated on social media. High expectations lead to disappointment, while low expectations make the season boring. Somewhere in the middle is where most fans find themselves.
If the Dolphins find success this year, they will make the playoffs and prove many people wrong. However, the overall consensus is that this team lacks the depth to make a realistic run at the postseason. Let's set the record straight with our bold predictions for 2025.
Four spoilers, not predictions, for the Dolphins' 2025 season
1. The Dolphins' defense will be better than anyone expected
Miami's defense is stacked up front, and that will mask most of the deficiencies on the back end. Safety is far less of a concern than it was earlier in the offseason, but cornerback remains one of the worst units on the team.
Fans should expect opposing offenses to work shotgun snaps with an emphasis on quick passes designed to get rid of the ball to their receivers before the Dolphins' front seven can shut the play down. It won't be easy, but the Dolphins' corners can be physical at the line of scrimmage to take away those options, and it would make sense for defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to adjust accordingly.
The speed up front can't be overstated. From Chop Robinson to Bradley Chubb and the quadruple threat of Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, and Benito Jones, the Dolphins' defense should be one of the league's best early in the season.
2. Mike McDaniel will survive until after the 2025 season concludes
The Dolphins have a better team than people give them credit for. That said, areas of concern, like cornerback and the offensive line, will ultimately prevent the Dolphins from making the playoffs. Both sides of the ball will play well, but they will fall short. One reason is the schedule.
Miami could, and almost should, open the season with six or seven wins in its first eight games. The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers are the toughest teams they will face. Beyond the first eight games, however, it gets ugly. Five of their last nine are all against playoff-caliber teams. The Dolphins could struggle down this stretch.
With the bye coming in Week 12 after their trip to Spain to face the Washington Commanders, it will be too early to fire McDaniel. The Dolphins should still have a good record. They could potentially enter their bye week with seven wins and four losses. Stephen Ross will not get rid of McDaniel if he has a winning record. For those believing that he will be fired on his way back from Spain, the season would need to be an absolute wreck.
3. The offensive line will improve, but not enough
Dolphins fans will learn that the core of their offensive line will be set up nicely for the future. Patrick Paul will get better as the season progresses, but will struggle at times. Jonah Savaiinaea will also go through the ups and downs of a rookie season.
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Miami's weakness lies at right tackle, where Austin Jackson has battled injury concerns, and the replacement options are not good. This will be the weak link on the Dolphins' line. It will be a problem that the interior won't easily hide. Making it worse, however, is that the Dolphins have little room for injury, given the lack of depth at every position.
They will improve over last season, but one injury could have a season-long impact.
4. The Dolphins will miss the playoffs in the final week of the season (again)
Nothing could be worse than a win-and-in situation in Week 17. The Dolphins will play the New England Patriots in Foxboro to wrap up the season, and many in the media believe the Patriots will squeak into the playoffs.
Miami doesn't play well in cold weather, and that will be a much-discussed situation as the second half of the season unfolds. Despite the likelihood of starting with six or seven wins, the brutal finish might be too much to ask of the younger players.
The Dolphins will need 10 wins to make the playoffs this season. They may get to nine entering Week 17, making it a critical must-win that could save the jobs of McDaniel and Chris Grier.