Well, the schedule is out, and as I’ve been saying, the NFL goes out of its way to help the more popular teams while doing nothing positive for the also rans.  And the Dolphins have been also rans lately.

Early in the season, when the Miami weather is at its hottest and most humid and gives the Dolphins the biggest advantage over the opponents, we only get one game.   And that is against the Buccaneers, who play in the only city more hot and muggy than Miami.  The Dolphins have no weather advantage over Tampa Bay.

Then comes a string of 3 LONG road trips.   We’re not talking about short trips to Jacksonville or Atlanta.   We’re talking Los Angeles. New York.  Europe.  3 brutal weeks IN A ROW.   The NFL put 5 months of thought into this schedule and no one saw this?   Last year we had three road games in a row, and it was rough.  This year, it’s worse.  3 extremely long flights.

Then another home game that we don’t really need home field advantage for, because we should be able to easily defeat the lowly Titans no matter where we play.

Back on the road again.  To Atlanta.  The Dolphins are already losing 29-3, but don’t worry.

Home for the Jets, as the calendar turns to fall and the weather is pleasant.  Visitors love coming to Miami in October, November, and December.  We have advantage.

Two days later, we pack and go to Baltimore for a Thursday night game.

Then home again for Sunday Night Football vs. the Raiders.  If Derek Carr’s leg is mended, they can be formidable.  (Incidentally, the one game I was certain New England would lose n 2017 was Patriots at Raiders…but I just realized that it’s NOT at the Raiders.  It’s at Mexico.  Neutral turf.  The Patriots play 7 away games and we play 7 home games.   Unfair.

At Carolina on MNF is next up.  You never know which Panther team will show up.

The bye in Week 11 is intriguing, unusually late for the Dolphins.

Then a tough stretch begins with the Pats, Broncos, and Pats again.  The genius schedule makers couldn’t have spread the 2 Patriot losses out more for us?  Or given us an easy team in between at least?

Next is the Bills, Chiefs, and Bills.

What do you guys think…

 

Sunday, Sept. 10
TAMPA BAY
1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 17
at L.A. Chargers
4:05 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 24
at N.Y. Jets
1 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 1
New Orleans (at London, England)
9:30 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8
TENNESSEE
1 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 15
at Atlanta
1 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 22
N.Y. JETS
1 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 26
at Baltimore
8:25 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 5
OAKLAND
8:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 13
at Carolina
8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 19
Bye

Sunday, Nov. 26
at New England
1 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 3
DENVER
1 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 11
NEW ENGLAND
8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 17
at Buffalo
1 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 24
at Kansas City
1 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 31
BUFFALO
1 p.m.

71 Comments

  1. I believe that this schedual was deliberately set up to relegate the Dolphins back to a team that can’t make the playoffs.

    It used to be that we had to beat the opponent and the refs. Now we have to beat the opponent, the refs and the front office.

    I wonder why when our owner constantly capitulates to them? Maybe Ross will start to figure out that bending over isn’t helping anything

    This schedual is as bad as I can remember a schedual.

    Taking away home field advantage ALL year and taking away a home game to a wild card team is BS!

    1. I doubt that someone in the front office of the entire are purposely trying to stop us from making the playoffs. Maybe they’re trying to stop us from winning the division for sure but not like a wild card spot.

      1. @Axel

        I would agree with you if our division was winnable but I would doubt that the Dolphins are yet in position to take that crown from NE yet so the only thing we can really win is the wild card spot.

    2. Author

      I do not think the NFL is trying on purpose to keep us down. I blame Stephen Ross and management. Make no mistake about this: the clubs and owners are heavily involved in the schedule process, every step of the way.
      For example, the clubs can request certain dates for home games or away games. Say a baseball team shares a stadium football. Or there’s a Rolling Stones concert on a particular date. The Dolphins needed time last year to put an awning over the stadium, so Ross requested a lot of road games early on, and he got his wish, which led to a wonderful 1-4 start.
      The clubs cannot veto every single schedule decision, but they can certainly speak up. So when the NFL decided to give us ONE home game out of the first 4 in muggy Miami to begin the season, Ross should have spoken up. 3 long-haul road trips IN A ROW? Where was Ross to point that out? THESE are the types of things that clubs are allowed to point out to the league to get them alleviated. But, as usual, the Dolphins don’t bring common sense to the table when it comes to this stuff. TWO YEARS IN A ROW we get one home game in the first 4. Meanwhile, the Pats open with 3 outta 4 at home. almost assuredly coming out of the gate at 4-0 or at least 3-1

      1. Yep as I mentioned previously it’s completely ridiculous. Also the patsies get Denver before Mexico city to climatize to the elevation. What do the Fins get before London more travel. Also another thur night road loss last year it was in Cincinnati this year Baltimore they really want to give those teams an edge for some reason too. If anything it should be rotated by year.

        1. Author

          The one thing that is better about the Thursday Night game is that the Ravens are on the road the week before. They have to travel from Minnesota to Baltimore that Sunday night before TNF, while the Dolphins will be home for that game. It’s a small matter, perhaps, but a little more fair.
          Last year, the Bengals were on a homestand when they hosted that Thursday game, meaning they had 2 extra days of rest/practice and zero traveling involved.

          1. Ok good to hear I didn’t know that but this evens it out a little. Either way the Fins should have had a home game this year on Thur night it should flip flop. Even better would be to have the bye the week before and no issues although I know that would be tough for everyone. At least with the home team on the road the week before it’s not as bad.

    3. CONSPIRACY THEORIST?

      HILARIOUS!! LMAO!!

  2. You guys really need to stop with all the excuses and the moaning and groaning. Good teams overcome any obstacles and just win. Bad teams don’t overcome obstacles and just make excuses.

    1. Author

      Very true. I don’t really really the schedule as an excuse. I mostly use it to indicate how Stephen Ross has so little clout with the NFL that they push him around and make him play when and where they want.

      1. Agree, Ross is a crap owner and his record reflects it.

        1. No excuses but every little thing helps and why do the patsies consistently get the benefit? I just want an even playing field…oh hold on my headset isn’t working again in NE at the worst possible time for the visitor. See what I mean fucking cheaters.

  3. Apparently, Brandon Albert is holding out for a new contract at Jacksonville … Never thought I’d say this but good thing the front office got rid of him before he could pull this stunt.

  4. Stephen Ross was the only owner to object to Raiders move. This is what happens when you cross Goodell and the league…they screw you.

    1. Yes Juan!! Ross said he voted against Oakland moving to Vegas because it wasn’t fair to the fans of Oakland. He cares more about Oakland fans than us Dolfans

      1. I think the Dolphins winning is about number 30th on Ross’s priority list!

        PRAY FOR NEW OWNERSHIP!

  5. With round trips to LA, New York, and London, Dolphins with fly 14,800 miles. Gonna be a long September fellas.

  6. Here’s the Fins mock draft I did I think it went pretty well. Trading back missed Lamp but still got a pretty good OLB/DE in Watt and was able to draft a good DT with one of the extra picks in the 3rd. D is more important in my mind this draft anyway. 2nd best OG fell in the 2nd rd so that was lucky couldn’t pass that up because of this. I traded up in the 3rd to pick a good DE that was left. Found some depth at OT/G, FS and LB later on. Smithson could take over NB or added depth at S. Had Brown LB ranked in the 80’s from Walter’s football pretty surprised he was there could be the next Zack Thomas! I guess we’ll see how this works out.

    MIAMI DOLPHINS – FLYERFINFAN

    1.27 : T.J. Watt – OLB/DE – Wisconsin
    2.54 : Dan Feeney – OG – Indiana
    3.83 : Trey Hendrickson – DE – Florida Atlantic
    3.104 : Carlos Watkins – DT – Clemson
    5.178 : Eric Magnuson – OT – Michigan
    6.184 : Fish Smithson – FS – Kansas
    6.218 : Blair Brown – LB – Ohio

    TRADES: 22 to Kansas City for 27,104,218
    97,166 & 223 to N.Y. Jets for 83

    1. Author

      I’d take that. Although I personally don’t feel the need to draft O-line, I have a feeling the Dolphins will. And 2 WRs. Watch.

      1. I think that at least 1 solid OG is necessary in the draft as who knows about Larsen? 1st round would be tough to pick one though that’s why I traded back plus it helped fill another hole/depth. I wasn’t going to take an OT but kept thinking what if one goes down who’s backing them up? This way there is depth and who knows maybe the guy pushes for RT when the contract is coming up. Otherwise all D front 7 would be fixed with added depth.

        For Jay I would grab a QB next year see what happens plus hopefully a better class not the greatest this year. Maybe Doughty will take a step up too?

  7. I understand there were some stats that were better but …..our TannePuke was 31st in converting 3rd downs, 31st in total 1st downs, and 27th in time of possession!

    In his 6th year of starting!!!

    When do we draft a QB?

  8. I mean TannePuke is going into his 7th year. Do they give him 2 more years of roughly 8-8? 5 more years? 10 more years of 8-8?

    Don’t they wanna strive for better?

    I wonder.

  9. 8-8? Tannehill was 10-6 just this past season.

    1. Author

      Well to be fair, we gotta give Moore 3 wins and 1 loss. So T-hill was 7-5

    2. He has a losing record as a starter. Blame everyone else?? LOL

      1. Under the past circumstances we need to see how he does this year. He started to pick it up last year after how many coaches and coordinators then he got hurt. If the oline is better and with more weapons and the same coach no more excuses.

  10. Tannehill sucks at QB. If the dolphins are to have any hope of making the playoffs this season with Tannehill at the helm, they better rely on a short passing attack and run the hell of out of the ball.

    1. so do exactly what they did last season???

      1. Yes AXEL, but only more of it. You have to admit, Tannehill made you cringe every time he attempted a long pass. It was like shooting craps!

        1. He’s not that bad nothing great but not that bad. This will be year two under Gase which should tell us the true story. He got better as the season moved along too bad he was injured.

          1. Feidler, Feeley, and ferrote, all weren’t “that bad” and where did it get the Dolphins? Remember, the game was tied up and the Dolphins were on the verge of losing it when Tannehill got hurt, and Matt Moore came in and saved the day.

            1. Having a HOF QB doesn’t hurt don’t get me wrong but it doesn’t guarantee SB’s every year either as it’s a team game. If you honestly think those guys and Moore are better than Tanny then I can’t help you. The Fins lost some games early because of some bad breaks and learning Gase’s system. They got better midseason but Tanny got hurt and the D was decimated….but that was all on Tanny even the playoff loss I’m sure. Pure insanity.

              1. Yo dude, Tannehill was immediately promoted to starting QB straight out of college ahead of a veteran QB without any of us witnessing what warranted that decision. Matt Moore is not a wide receiver who was converted into a quarterback in college. It takes tons of experience to realize what you’re actually supposed to be doing at the quarterback position. That’s why most QB’s start in the peewee league, graduate to high school, and then go onto college. And no, you and can’t “help me” (whatever that means).

    1. Author

      This is why I’m afraid of drafting JJ Watt’s little brother. 2 Knee surgeries in 3 years. I don’t think he’s healthy. JJ gets injured putting socks on in the morning. Pouncey gets hurt attending a murderer’s funeral. Some guys just cannot shake off an injury

      1. You may be right but anyone at anytime can have a career ending injury. It’s up to the team to have enough depth to overcome it. I really don’t care who they take Watt, Cunningham, Taco, etc…they should be able to fill a need although I prefer OLB first round as they can make an impact there. I definitely take a OG in either rd 2-3 though as they need more depth their too in case a guy like Pouncey goes down.

  11. Ok children…. (I use “children as an adjective because the Tannehill haters sound like my 4 year old throwing a tantrum!)

    Lets review like adults…….

    Children’s crying Myth 1. Tannehill is an average quarterback (62.7 career completion percentage, 86.5 passer rating and 37-40 record).

    Adult Reality: Tannehill was one of the league’s four most accurate passers in 2016, and of his 12 interceptions, half were the fault of his teammates — the highest rate in the league.

    He had threw ninth-fewest interceptable passes (balls that should have been picked, whether the were or weren’t) among the 33 quarterbacks who played enough to be considered. And 79.6 percent of his 353 qualifying passes were on the money, trailing just Sam Bradford, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

    Children’s crying Myth 2. OK, but he can’t throw the deep ball, right?

    Adult Reality: He was the league’s most accurate passer in passes thrown 16-20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage (an absurd 78.3 percent) and ranked third in passes thrown 21 yards or farther (55.6 percent). On passes thrown more than five yards, Tannehill was eighth in all of football, with a 67.1 accurate percentage.

    Children’s crying Myth 3. Sure, but that’s because the Dolphins receivers bailed him out.

    Adult Reality: Tannehill had 30 “lost receptions” (which includes drops, bad footwork, a misread flight of the ball or lost control against contact) for 364 lost yards in 2016. He averaged a lost reception every 13 attempts, the 11th-highest rate in football.

    Adult Tannehill’s receivers created just nine receptions for him in 2016 (eighth-fewest in football). His receivers created a reception once every 43.22 of Tannehill’s qualifying attempts, which ranked 21st last year.

    Tannehill’s receivers did help him in one important way, however: 49.5 percent of his 2,995 passing yards came after the catch, the league’s ninth-highest rate.

    Children’s crying Myth 4. Fine, but what about those sacks? He’s taken 213 in his career, a reflection of terrible pocket awareness.

    Adult Reality: Tannehill was sacked 27 times in 2016, but just one of those 27 could have realistically been avoided, leading the league. Of those 26 sacks, 18 were the result of a blocker getting beaten, five were a result of blown coverage and three were because of excellent downfield coverage.

    You guys who want another QB are simply ignorant or stupid…… unless another opportunity like Drew Bress falls in our lap there is no way at number 22 were getting anyone to unseat Tannehill!

    1. Moore would unseat TannePuke if given the chance!!

  12. Author

    Great stuff. The only thing I strongly disagree with is the sacks. When the blocker gets beaten, then it is the blocker’s fault…UNLESS the quarterback sees the blocker get beaten and stays in harm’s way anyhow. I feel Tannehill is bad at that. He needs to improve.
    On paper, 5 offensive lineman will easily block 3 pass rushers, so the QB doesn’t have to pay attention to anything going on at the line, right? WRONG!
    The worst Tannehill sacks that I remember over the years were the ones that came right at him or on his non-blind side. Seeing a potential sack coming and then avoiding it are two different skill sets.

    1. He did improve somewhat last year but seems to be a correlation with the oline being somewhat better. When a guy is getting hammered as much as he has been you tend to turtle because you figure that you’ll simple get smoked by another guy right after a move. He gained confidence as the oline became better.

  13. Author

    And now Adrian Peterson signed with the Saints, so we’ll have to face him on the road in Europe. Great.

  14. @FlyerFinFan

    What team/fan wants a QB that’s “not that bad” ?
    Its a QB league and “not that bad” gets you NUTHIN!

    1. @Jay

      A lot of teams would be lined up for our QB who you call not that bad! Probably 1/3 of the league would be tempted by tannehill especially teams with a much better defense then Miami has had.

      Since your so smart lets say tannehill retires tomorrow in Ricky Williams fashion.

      Who do you replace him with Jay?

      Last year you said Matt Moore remember how that turned out?

      1. I’ve admitted that he’s not Rogers but at the same time he’s not the Sanchise which you make him out to be Jay. If they draft a decent OG and back up OT this year I think we’ll see him be a top ten QB. You can hold me to it after this season if it doesn’t happen with the holes plugged.

      2. @ Brian

        I didn’t call TannePuke “not that bad” that was FlyerFinFan.

        I think he STINKS!

        And I don’t know what team would want a losing QB.

        As far as Matt Moore? Showed he’s better than TannePuke!

  15. Funny how “Tannehill apologist” are so quick to throw the word “hate” at any body who don’t speak of Tannehill in glowing terms. Tannehill was converted from wide receiver to quarterback in college. This experiment has ran it’s course. Ross brought into Shanahan’s dubious scheme because Ross knew very little to nothing about football at the time. I always said that the Dolphins must tailor football plays for Tannehill that would compensate for his lack of speed, inability to read defenses, inability to avoid sacks by simply just throwing the ball away, and inability to hit wide open receivers on long passes. More than a few other player positions on the team would not be able to get away lackluster play like Tannehill does. I, like other Dolphans, don’t have to give Tannehill the benefit of the doubt or prove him wrong. After five years of tinkering around with this “test subject” at quarterback, the onus is on Tannehill to prove us doubters wrong.

    1. No one is saying that he gets a free pass we’re just saying that you have to give the guy a level playing field before hammering him. Last year was the first year he had a decent coach and it takes time to learn the new offense. Last year was probably his best oline and receiving core even with the shit TE’s. This year OG is the only blatant weak link and if they fix this he will be in the best position to win. Did you not see how bad brady looked last year against Denver he was atrocious do you think he would have faired much better behind the Fins oline the past years? No running game whatsoever! They may not win it all this year but they will be a better team than last even if the record doesn’t show it because of the crap schedule. Either way they are improving and I’m not against drafting a QB next year as that’s football you need to keep pushing it at every position they just don’t have the benefit to do so yet.

      1. Yo man, I’ve studied Tannehill’s mechanics…I’ve seen him throw to defensive backs who were more open than the receiver that Tannehill was trying to hit. I’ve seen Tannehill stare down a receiver with two defenders around him and no possibility of making the throw and ignore other receivers that are wide open with no one around them. Tannehill has a constant habit of doing these things. I’m not comparing Tannehill to other QB’s, I go by what I see. I don’t hold out for any hope that Tannehill will improve, because after five years of watching Tannehill I believe I have seen from him all I’m going to see.

        Again, plays have to be specifically designed to compensate for Tannehill’s shortcomings if the Dolphins are to have any hope of going back to the playoffs.

  16. @Brian M. Your sounds logic and facts backed up by researchable stats have no place here. Please remove yourself from Dolphinstruth sir.

    1. Stats can be misleading. 7-9, 8-8, 8-8, and 6-10 can testify to that.

      1. @Phil

        I’m such an idiot I forgot that football was a one man game!

        Oh wait I’m not the idiot here am I…..

        1. Funny, you did put up and argued the stats of “one” man didn’t you? So, you have to ask yourself the question: Am I the idiot for that?

          1. @phil

            Yes I did argue the stats of one man because the conversation is about trading one man out for another in-named man. However you convoluted that conversation by using stats of 120+ men and woman (team,coaches and front office) to quantify replacing one man!

            No I am not an idiot Phil and I don’t chase straw men!

            1. “However you convoluted that conversation by using stats of 120+ men and woman (team,coaches and front office) to quantify replacing one man!”

              Wow!..you gotta turn me on to your supplier because you’re smoking some good stuff that’s making you see all that you said I included in my comments.

              1. @Phil

                Your comment implied Tannehill is a crappy QB because of the teams record.

                You don’t have to be that intelligent to figure out that you put the total sum of everyone on the team, in the front office and coaching staffs years work on one man.

                If you can’t even be intellectually honest about your comments then there is no discussion to be had here.

                1. @Brian

                  The QB is clearly the most influential position on the team. As the QB plays usually the team follows. THATS WHY THEY ARE THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS!

                  1. @Jay

                    Straw argument it has nothing to do with this conversation.

                    Does that me Suh sucks because hes the highest paid player on the Dfense? No he is a good football player on an otherwise crappy defense.

                    Take your straw arguments somewhere else it really takes away from the form when every comment is “This guy sucks” or “Replace him we can’t win a Superbowl with him”

                    Guess what Jay we couldn’t win a Superbowl with marino and he was a good QB!

                    1. Marino and Shula were apparently garbage because they didn’t win a super bowl. After all its all on the QB and the coach that stuck with him. Ridiculous…

                2. Hey Brian, I didn’t “imply anything, in my first comment I said “Tannehill sucks at QB,” I didn’t make an ambiguous assertion. Now YOUR comment above is choke full of implications and nonfactual accusations and one definitely don’t have to be highly intelligent to see it in your writings, just a simple read can point it out.

                  So yeah, you’re right, I’m certainly not a Tannehill cheerleader so you would be better off discussing his merits with somebody who feels warm and fuzzy about him like you do.

        2. Well, it is a QB league. Just look at last years SB!!!

  17. There’s no doubt we need a much better QB…..

    1. Jay you simply copy and past your comments every year!

      1. Well, its the same useless QB going into year 7

        When we get a better QB my comments will change.

  18. If Tannehill throws to defensive backs more than he does to receivers then where are all the interceptions? If he’s as bad as some of y’all claim where are the 20+ plus interception seasons. He should have at least one or two if he’s as bad as some here claim.

  19. Adrian Peterson is 32. That Saints defense should be more worried about Ajayi.

    1. As far as im concerned Peterson may be this year Arian Foster

  20. Matt Moore lost the two most important games of the year with some bad play. Our Defense did him no favors, but he had a lot of us thinking “Man, I wonder how Tannehill’s knee is”

    1. Matt Moore has me thinking ” Man, I hope TannePuke is done!”

      1. @everyone not named Jay

        …..and this is about as intellectual a conversation as you can have with Jay!

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