Those that hit the Dolphins under their season win total of 4.5 had to feel great about their chances of cashing the ticket heading into Week 17 of last season with Miami set to invade Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots were installed gargantuan 17.5-point favorites and needed to win to lock up a first round bye in the playoffs. On top of all that, the Fins hadn’t won in Foxboro since the 2008 season; a span of 10 straight losses of which only two saw them cover the closing NFL odds. Regardless, the Dolphins took it to the Pats right form the opening kick competing all the way through to put themselves in a position to secure the shocking 27-24 outright win and cover. Though winning their final two games of the season ultimately hurt their draft stock, the 2020-21 Miami Dolphins look to be a team on the rise in the second season of Brian Flores and his staff calling the shots. Linemakers have taken notice setting their season win total odds a full two games higher than the prior season. Miami likely won’t be in the AFC East title mix come the season’s end due to inexperience, but they’re no longer pushovers with a bright future ahead.
There was absolutely nothing pretty about the 2019-20 Miami Dolphins resume. The offense rated out amongst the worst in the league in averaging 310 yards No. 27 while scoring just over 19 points per game No. 25. The only saving grace was a passing attack led by Ryan Fitzpatrick that ranked No. 12 overall; mostly due to the breakout seasons put forth by both DeVante Parker 1,202 yards/9 TD and Preston Williams 428 yards/3 TD before the latter saw his season end in Week 9. Defensively, Miami was nothing short of dreadful with it ranked No. 30 overall while conceding the most points in the league 30.9 PPG. General Manager Chris Grier and the rest of his staff had a huge chore ahead of them heading into the offseason. For all intents and purposes, they passed the test with flying colors adding experience and raw talent to a roster that now enters 2020 brimming with it.
Defense was the primary concern and it showed in both the moves made in free agency and the NFL Draft. The inking of Byron Jones to play alongside Xavien Howard in the secondary now has Miami owners of one of the best cornerback tandems the league has to offer. The defense got immensely better with the insertion of veterans Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy to the D-Line and linebacker corps respectively. More defensive help was attained in the draft where the Dolphins used a first round and second round pick to select the services of Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene and Alabama’s Raekwon Davis to help further bolster the secondary and defensive front. Even so, most NFL bettors will be interested in the moves made on the other side of the ball heading into the NFL regular season.
All the talk of Tua Tagovailoa playing in South Beach finally became a reality when Miami selected him with the No. 5 pick. Though it remains unclear as to whether his surgically repaired hip will allow him to give it a go this upcoming season, NFL fans are stoked to see what a healthy Tua will do in the near future. With that, it’s likely “FitzMagic” calls the shots for another season with the hope that his retooled offensive line doesn’t allow for opposing defenses to end his campaign prematurely. Miami allowed a league-high 58 sacks a season ago! It drafted a pair of hogs in the first two rounds of the draft in the forms of USC’s Austin Jackson and UL-Lafayette’s Robert Hunt. Each will have to earn their starting spots with all the players brought in this offseason. The assumption is that the unit will be much improved. If free agent newcomer Jordan Howard can help ignite the running game, it would only serve as the cherry on top of what looks to be an intriguing sundae.
Week 1: Dolphins at Patriots, Sunday, September 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: Bills at Dolphins, Sunday, September 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: Dolphins at Jaguars, Thursday, September 24, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 4: Seahawks at Dolphins, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
Week 5: Dolphins at 49ers, Sunday, October 11, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 6: Dolphins at Broncos, Sunday, October 18, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 7: Chargers at Dolphins, Sunday, October 25, 1 p.m. ET
Week 8: Rams at Dolphins, Sunday, November 1, 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: Dolphins at Cardinals, Sunday, November 8, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 10: Jets at Dolphins, Sunday, November 15, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 11: Bye Week
Week 12: Dolphins at Jets, Sunday, November 29, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Bengals at Dolphins, Sunday, December 6, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: Chiefs at Dolphins, Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15: Patriots at Dolphins, Sunday, December 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 16: Dolphins at Raiders, Sunday, December 27, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 17: Dolphins at Bills, Sunday, January 3, 1 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins Schedule Analysis
I have the AFC East pegged as being one of the more competitive divisions this season. With New England ripe for the taking and both the Bills and Jets on the up and up in this writer’s opinion, I’m finding it hard to envision Miami improving its record by a full two games; even with all the solid moves made in both the draft and free agency. The fact that they have to take on the AFC and NFC West makes it that much tougher with both of those division races likely to be barnburners as well. I like what I’m seeing from the new-look Fins. But this rebuild is long-term. Miami has been so bad for so very long. It’s going to take time, and there’s a ton of new faces on this roster. If everything goes perfectly, I have Miami’s high-water mark clocking in at seven wins. If it happens and my prognostication proves to be right, so be it – I’m still betting against it.
Miami Dolphins Season Win Total Prediction: Under 6.5 -129
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