Miami

2015 Dolphins Season Preview

The Dolphins will begin their regular season on Sunday in Washington

After a busy off-season, the Miami Dolphins will take the field on Sunday to begin a season with renewed hope and optimism.

Looking at the acquisitions made by Miami, it’s not far-fetched to say that it won the off-season on paper. The team corrected areas of need, and overhauled its roster both via free agency and trades.

Doing well in the off-season is nice, but it does not necessarily mean success when the games start to count. The Dolphins don’t have to look far and wide for that type of scenario. The Miami Marlins had a productive off-season, and now have one of the worst records in Major League Baseball.

There is reason to believe that the Dolphins will live up to lofty expectations. The AFC East should come down to a battle between the New England Patriots and the Dolphins. Knocking the defending champions off their pedestal is easier said than done, but it is possible.

Ryan Tannehill begins the year fresh off a new contract extension, and with plenty of positive press. Tannehill enjoyed one of the best preseasons in football, and has been mentioned alongside some of the top tier quarterbacks in the league.

In the preseason, Tannehill was limited to only parts of three games. This short time on the field was due to Miami playing it safe without its QB. As many NFL teams do, the Dolphins rested Tannehill as much as possible while also giving him ample time to build up arm strength. Tannehill ended up going 33-41 for 303 yards. The QB completed three touchdown passes and threw no interceptions.

One name for Miami fans to keep an eye on, especially in the early going is DeVante Parker. The first-round pick missed most of the preseason due to foot surgery. In the finale on Thursday, Parker saw limited action, but stayed healthy. It is expected that Parker will be ready for a regular workload in the opening game. Parker and Tannehill have not any time on the field together in game action, but it may not take long for the two to become acclimated.

Besides a strong offensive showing during the preseason, Miami saw exciting moments from its defense. Led by new tackle, Ndamukong Suh the Dolphins pressured opposing quarterbacks with regularity. Adding a guy like Suh comes with its risks in terms of discipline, but it also boosts Miami’s defense to the upper echelon of the league.

Miami opened eyes when it made a couple of notable cuts towards the end of the preseason. The Dolphins cut both incumbent kicker Caleb Sturgis and punter Brandon Fields. In their place will be a pair of rookies in Andrew Franks and Matt Darr. Going with two rookies in the kicking game is a risky move, and it was unexpected going into camp.

The Dolphins have an interesting schedule ahead of them which features only seven games at newly renovated Sun Life Stadium. While it is counted as a home game, the Dolphins will take on the New York Jets in London on October 4th. As is the tradition, Miami will have its bye week following this game.

Miami's schedule begins on the road for a pair of games in Washington and Jacksonville. The early contests against arguably weaker competition will give the Dolphins an opportunity to start the year well. Despite these games coming on the road, Miami has the upper-hand in these match-ups against teams that are not expected to be in the playoffs.

The Dolphins will head home for the third week and host a division rival in the Buffalo Bills. Rex Ryan's the new head coach in Buffalo, and it is possible this squad could cause some headaches. On paper Miami is considered to be the better club here, but Ryan's teams are known for fighting hard.

A critical portion of the schedule will come during weeks eight through ten. In these three games, Miami will travel to New England, Buffalo and Philadelphia. The defending Super Bowl champion, Patriots are expected to battle for the division crown again. The Dolphins and Patriots won't see each other again after this one until the final week of the regular season in Miami.

The three road games in a row come during a stretch of four of five away from Miami. The Dolphins also travel to New York for another game with the Jets in the 12th week. All those road games bunched up will result in the opposite schedule as the season winds down. The Dolphins have four of their last five games at home.

Staying healthy is going to be the key for Miami as it is for all teams. The Dolphins already lost Louis Delmas for the season. This was a pretty sizable hit for one of the league's best defenses. Others will need to step up in the absence of Delmas, and there will undoubtedly be some effect from him not being on the field.

Its well-known that Miami has not seen the playoffs since 2008 and has not won a postseason game since 2000. The drought has weighed on the hearts and minds of the fans, but the faithful remain hopeful of the tide turning. The Dolphins have the talent to make that happen, and at times a favorable schedule as well.

Miami will kick off 2015 on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Washington.

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