During July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the schedules of every team in the NFL. We will be ranking each game in order of difficulty (with one being the most difficult). This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (ranked 1-8) and the eight easiest games (ranked 9-16) for each team. In this article, the Miami Dolphins most difficult games are the focus.
Miami Dolphins Most Difficult Games in 2016
1. Week 1 at Seattle Seahawks
The Adam Gase era in South Beach begins with a tough matchup at CenturyLink Field against the 2014 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Ryan Tannehill will look to start his redemption-seeking fifth NFL campaign with a bang and an upset over Russell Wilson and a stout Seahawks defense that is looking to improve on a relatively up-and-down 2015 season. Arian Foster will look to impress his new team in his Dolphins debut while ensuring the fanbase that losing Lamar Miller won’t be as catastrophic as people were touting it to be. The season opener in Seattle will also provide fans the opportunity to see what kind of damage the Ndamukong Suh/Mario Williams duo can do on opposing offenses.
2. Week 17 vs New England Patriots
The Dolphins will get their first look at 2016 Tom Brady in their regular season finale. The Dolphins finish off their season travelling to New York to take on the Jets. They then go upstate to take on the Buffalo Bills. Finally the Dolphins will return home to host the Patriots in a tough inter-division end-of-year stretch. The Dolphins will presumably have an easier task in the second week of the season. They may be travelling to Massachusetts, but they will do so for a date with Jimmy Garoppolo. In any other year the Patriots might be sitting starters in the final game of the season. But with the Deflategate controversy in the rearview mirror; Brady and the Patriots may look to dominate their opposition in an act of defiance against Roger Goodell and the owners who pay him.
3. Week 4 at Cincinnati Bengals
If the Dolphins can take care of a Tom Brady-less New England Patriots team in Week 2 and an unexceptional Cleveland Browns team on September 25, a matchup with Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium could be key for the Dolphins in taking advantage of a wide open early-season AFC East race (thanks to Roger Goodell and the Deflategate sega). While the Dolphins will be overmatched in every facet of the game, the quarterback dual between Andy Dalton and Tannehill will be a solid measuring stick for the franchise as they look to evaluate whether Tannehill is a true franchise quarterback.
4. Week 14 vs Arizona Cardinals
This game is at number four for the simple reason that west coast teams have a tough time travelling across the country and getting wins. That being said, the Cardinals are a better team in every single way. The Dolphins will need their stars in Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry and Ryan Tannehill to perform at a high level to even compete with the Cardinals in this pivotal late-season matchup.
5. Week 6 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers and Dolphins last faced off in 2013. Miami beat Pittsburgh 34-28 at Heinz Field, effectively ending any chance of a wild card for the Steelers. This time around, the Dolphins will need to find a way to shut down the lethal Antonio Brown, a hometown guy who has never played a game in Miami before.
6. Week 15 at New York Jets
Now that Ryan Fitzpatrick has signed with the Jets, the date with New York at MetLife Stadium poses a much bigger challenge for the Dolphins. Miami hasn’t beaten the Jets since December 1, 2014, a season in which they were 8-8 and were two games out of the wildcard. If the Dolphins want to return to relevance and battle for a wildcard spot, stealing a game against the Jets would go a long way towards that goal.
7. Week 2 at New England Patriots
Yes, Tom Brady will be sitting in the owner’s box for this game. But the Patriots are still a deep and dangerous team and Jimmy Garoppolo will be looking to prove to Bill Belichick and the New England fanbase that he can be Tom Brady’s successor when the legend retires. The AFC East race could be wide open with Brady’s suspension. This early season date in Foxboro may be a defining moment of the Dolphins 2016 season.
8. Week 9 vs New York Jets
The Dolphins, Jets, and Bills will all go into 2016 believing that Tom Brady’s suspension opens up an opportunity for the divisional also-rans to step up and make a strong playoff push. The Dolphins should be well-rested following a Week 8 bye when the Jets roll into Miami. They are looking to win their fourth straight game against the Dolphins.
Check out the Miami Dolphins Easiest Games in 2016.
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