Games ... well it's too early to make a meaningful prediction, but as long as we're speculating on a 'Way too early league' of predictions, I'll give it a blind shot.
vs Tampa Bay - W
It's our home opener. We have plenty of time to prepare. We are the better team. We are at home. If we can't win this one, we're in trouble.
at LA Chargers - W
This is one of those games that typically is won by the home team. Cross-continental flight games are tough. But we don't have that many teams who we are clearly better than, and this should be one of them. They improved their OL in the draft. Kudos to them for two very good selections. But if you're telling me that you have two rookie guards going against Ndamakong Suh ... I'm betting on Suh. We have a lot of ballhawks in our secondary, and it should be healthy. Rivers turns the ball over ... there are some good matchups for us in this game. Joey Bosa is legit ... but he'll be going against Tunsil one the back side or James + Bushrod on our right. Again, that's a good matchup for us. It will be interesting to see how Tannehill and Julius Thomas fare against the San Diego Sup.... errr the Los Angeles Chargers. This game could go either way ... but for us to succeed it needs to be a win.
at NY Jets - W
Typically we play the Jets close in both games. But this team is in disarray, and we need to seize this opportunity to win. Yes, it is another cross-continental game ... because like electro-shock therapy (post-Chargers) it doesn't really get less painful the 2nd time around. Regardless, the Jets will not be good this year, and we need to continue Gase's tradition of beating the beatable teams.
vs New Orleans - W
It's in London, because let's face it, why stop at two straight cross-continental games when we can go for the trifecta of an even bigger flight ... the trans-Atlantic! It's like winning the triple crown of frequent flyer miles! ... or not. So yeah, our 'home field advantage' is the heat and humidity in the first month of the season, so we'll have played 2 of our 4 early season games at 'home' with one being against the team with the closest proximity and same weather and the other being a farce 'home game' played in London, where the weather is more likely to hurt us. If there is a silver lining, it is that the Saints, who I expect to be much improved this year, will not be playing at home in the dome. Their home field advantage is even bigger than ours, so in a way, this neutral game isn't the worst thing that could happen ... as long as we win. Who am I kidding, the schedule makers hate us.
vs Tennessee - L
Woo-hoo, we get a 4th straight week of super-long flights as we make another trans-Atlantic flight home from our 'home' game in London! This will be a tooooooough game. Not only did the Titans dominate us last year physically, but they really never looked like they were threatened. If we win this game, it will be because our players pride is bigger than theirs. It will be because our offense scored early and forced the Titans to throw the ball. It will be because we want it more than they do. But, I'm predicting a loss. We can't win every close game, and I'm seeing a lot of close games on this schedule.
at Atlanta - L
Finally, game 5 and we're NOT getting skrewed over by the schedule maker. This is just an old fashioned away game ... against the should-be Super Bowl Champions who threw the game away and now have something to prove. Hey, we can't win them all.
vs NY Jets - W
Hopefully by now the Jets will be demoralized and simply roll over and play dead. We should and I expect will win this game.
at Baltimore - W
So beating Baltimore makes little sense, because they always just barely beat us. And playing them in Baltimore it seems like more of the same. They embarrassed our LB's last year. We have new LB's and a new (hopefully better) approach to defending the short stuff in front of our LB's this year. We also have Isaac Asiata opening holes for Jay Ajayi. We may also have a seam threat in Julius Thomas. I am going against the grain and taking us to beat the Ravens in Baltimore. Call it a feeling. ;-)
vs Oakland - W
Yay cross-continental flights! Who knows, maybe the schedule throws us a bone? We look better able to stop the run this year with new rotational DT's and new starting LB's all of whom seem to be better at run stopping. Oh yeah, we also have Reshad Jones returning from health and the appearance of smashmouth safety TJ McDonald. I'm expecting us to be able to contain Marshawn Lynch and force the Raiders to be one dimensional. I think we can score on the Raider's defense.
at Carolina - L
I'd love to go into the bye week on a winning note. But Carolina is a good team that got off track last year. With Fournette commanding a safety in the box (which we now have!), we stand a real chance of winning the coverage vs. their receivers. But that is a physical team with a very good defense. Beating them on their home field will be tough.
BYE
This is the ONLY good thing the schedule makers did for us. I really appreciate the healing week late in the season. Now, our challenge will be to make it count.
at New England - L
It pains me too much to even analyze why we get no home game against them in Miami when it's hot yet they always get a home game against us in New England when it's cold. Brrrr. Grrrr. Blech.
Denver - W
This will be a crunch-time game. A very good Broncos team vying for a playoff spot with a primary wildcard rival, the Dolphins. It's in Miami, and we need to win this. Time to show up and show out.
New England - L
Yes, I'm saying we have a chance. But I'm not predicting a win.
at Buffalo - W
Yay, playing in Buffalo in the winter! Thanks schedule makers! If we're going to get into the playoffs again, we need to win some games we aren't going to be expected to win. This could easily be one of them.
at Kansas City - L
Awesome, we play in KC in the snow of December! That sounds like Dolphins weather! This would be an unlikely game to win, but it's not impossible.
vs Buffalo - W
Yep, beating the Bills twice in 3 weeks ... that's what we will need to do. The odds are against us ... but hell, we swept them last year and I think we're more improved than they are from last season, so let's show that we deserve to be in the playoffs.
If we can do this ... we can have our second double-digit win season in a row. I don't really have confidence in our schedule, although I do like the late bye. But, I have faith in Gase and I'm expecting improvement, so I'm predicting:
10-6 and a wildcard spot.
