Rob Foldy/Getty Images
The Miami Dolphins may be enjoying some newfound renown as
darlings of the Ivy League, but the team is never the less lost in the AFC East Shuffle, victims to the New England Patriots, Rex Ryan, and the massive New York City media. The Patriots, of course, will be coming off their fourth Super Bowl win in fifteen years, and have claimed 12 out of the past 14 AFC East division titles.
Still, Ryan Tannehill has quietly emerged as the second best quarterback in the division after Tom Brady, and. last season, he completed 66% of his passes for 4,045 yards and 29 touchdowns against only 12 interceptions. The Dolphins signed marquee free agent Ndamukong Suh to a six-year $114 million contract this offseason. Suh will shore up the team’s defense and be out to wreak havoc in the trenches, mixing things up on the opposing sidelines, and undoubtedly ratcheting up the intensity and toughness in South Florida.
Perhaps most importantly for Miami — the possibility that the NFL will uphold Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. If, an untested Jimmy Garoppolo may be called upon to start and open the season against Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Dallas, the Patriots may be sitting at 1-3 before a rusty Tom Brady makes his return. In Week 17, the Dolphins will play host to the Patriots in Miami for the last game of the season. This showdown will likely put the AFC East crown, playoff seeding, and even home-field advantage on the line.
