Predicting the Dolphins’ 2023 season, from Week 1 to Week 18
Entering Thursday night, the Miami Dolphins knew who and where they were playing their 17 regular-season games in 2023, but it wasn’t until then that they knew when these contests were taking place.
Now that we have this information, it’s a good time to go through all of these matchups in order and predict the results for each. Obviously, things could change before they actually take place. One team may lose a key player to injury, or one team may fire their head coach, but at least it’ll be interesting to get a gauge on where the Dolphins could finish if everything remained as it is today.
Week 1: at the Los Angeles Chargers
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For the first time since 2019, the Dolphins don’t up their season against the New England Patriots. Instead, they’ll be facing the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium, as they get their lone west coast trip out of the way early.
The third iteration of the battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert will be the topic of conversation here with each quarterback winning one game against the other so far.
Los Angeles has a great team with a bunch of weapons, but Miami counters with an exceptional secondary that should be able to limit Herbert and the offense.
Dolphins win and start 1-0.
Week 2: at the New England Patriots
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The Patriots are never too far from the start of the season, as Miami heads up to Foxboro, Massachusetts for Week 2. New England certainly improved this offseason, bringing in a real offensive coordinator in Bill O’Brien as well as old friend Mike Gesicki.
However, the Dolphins are still the more talented team in nearly every aspect, and they’ll get it done in prime time.
Dolphins win and move to 2-0.
Week 3: vs. the Denver Broncos
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The Russell Wilson experiment didn’t go well in 2022, as the Broncos were probably the most disappointing team in the league. Now, they’ve fired their head coach and brought in Sean Payton to lead the team, which should fix a lot of the issues that plagued Denver last season.
Luckily, this matchup takes place early in the season in Miami Gardens, which gives the Dolphins a massive advantage.
Dolphins win and jump to 3-0.
Week 4: at the Buffalo Bills
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The NFL did the Dolphins a favor this year, putting the game in Orchard Park at the beginning of the season. This means Miami will avoid the harsh wintery conditions that they’ve had to deal with in the past.
While the Dolphins have done a lot to improve, the home team probably wins this game, but expect it to be close.
Dolphins lose and drop to 3-1.
Week 5: vs. the New York Giants
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The Giants were a surprise last season, finishing with a winning record at 9-7-1. A lot of the improvements can be credited to head coach Brian Daboll, who clearly made an impact in his first season. He even has people believing in Daniel Jones, as they gave him a huge extension just months after most would’ve had him lose his starting job.
Miami is still the more talented team, and while Daboll does make a difference, they just don’t have the weapons to match up.
Dolphins win and jump to 4-1.
Week 6: at the Carolina Panthers
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Carolina had a really rough 2022 season, which allowed them to trade for the first-overall pick in this year’s draft. With that selection, they drafted quarterback Bryce Young, who could be the answer to a lot of their problems.
The rookie quarterback does bring some promise to the franchise, but there’s not enough around him yet to make them a threat.
Dolphins win and improve to 5-1.
Week 7: at the Philadelphia Eagles
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Miami’s second Sunday Night Football game of the season will be at Lincoln Financial Field, as they’ll take on the defending NFC champions.
The Eagles didn’t have a ton of holes this offseason, but they added some solid pieces as well. As long as they stay healthy, they should be contenders for the Super Bowl again.
While the Dolphins should be in that conversation as well, the Eagles have the edge in this one.
Dolphins lose and drop to 5-2.
Week 8: vs. the New England Patriots
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
After beating the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, doing so at Hard Rock Stadium shouldn’t be an issue.
Dolphins win and move to 6-2.
Week 9: at the Kansas City Chiefs (Germany)
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For Week 9, the Dolphins will have to fly across the Atlantic Ocean for a matchup with the defending Super Bowl champions in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Chiefs are a scary team, but this being an away game that isn’t played at Arrowhead Stadium is extremely helpful for Miami.
The Dolphins may have the defense to finally stifle the Chiefs offensively, but it’s hard to pick against the MVP and the Super Bowl champions.
Dolphins lose and fall to 6-3.
Week 10: BYE
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This is a well-placed bye week. Miami had the opportunity to take the bye week after their trip to England in 2021, and they declined. This will allow them an opportunity to rest up about midway through the season.
Week 11: vs. the Las Vegas Raiders
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
After a disappointing first season under Josh McDaniels, it’s hard to say that the Raiders got better this offseason. They traded out Derek Carr for Jimmy Garoppolo and used their first-round pick on a player that some believe won’t impact the game right away in Tyree Wilson.
The Dolphins should have no problem with this one.
Dolphins win and improve to 7-3.
Week 12: at the New York Jets
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The Dolphins have to wait until Week 12 to get their first glimpse of the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. By then, any kinks should be worked out, and they should be humming on all cylinders.
As long as Rodgers doesn’t fall off a cliff due to his age, the Jets should win the home game.
Dolphins lose and drop to 7-4.
Week 13: vs. the Washington Commanders
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Washington is going into the season with second-year quarterback Sam Howell leading the team. He led the Commanders to a 26-6 win in his lone start last season, but it was after the pressure was already off and the team had been eliminated.
Miami should be able to get after the former fifth-round pick and cause him to make a few mistakes.
Dolphins win and improve to 8-4.
Week 14: vs. the Tennessee Titans
The Titans stomped the Dolphins in their last meeting, 34-3, at the end of the 2021 season, effectively ending their playoff hopes. These are two very different teams now.
Miami has gotten better. Tennessee has gotten older and worse.
Dolphins win and jump to 9-4.
Week 15: vs. the New York Jets
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While the Dolphins lost the first one at MetLife Stadium, they should be able to earn a split in this season series. Considering the talent that the Jets have along with Rodgers, that’s a win.
Dolphins win and move to 10-4.
Week 16: vs. the Dallas Cowboys
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The Cowboys were impressive in 2022, finishing their season with a 12-5 record, which was good for the top wild-card spot in the NFC. They defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
While they’ve lost a couple of pieces, they’ve also brought in Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore as well as first-round pick Mazi Smith who should all help them in 2023.
However, the Cowboys were just 4-4 on the road in 2022, and playing in Hard Rock Stadium won’t be easy for them.
Dolphins win and rise to 11-4.
Week 17: at the Baltimore Ravens
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The Lamar Jackson contract situation is finally over, as the Louisville product is set to wear purple for a long time. And, to make him happier, the Ravens signed Odell Beckham and used their first-round pick on wide receiver Zay Flowers.
Now, he has legitimate weapons to target that aren’t tight ends, making this game much tougher.
Dolphins lose and fall to 11-5.
Week 18: vs. the Buffalo Bills
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This final game could have a ton of implications depending on how the season goes for each team. At the same, there’s a chance that one of them has already clinched and can rest some players by this time.
Either way, like last year, the Dolphins probably find a way to split this season series, so we’ll give them the home game.
Dolphins win and finish the regular season 12-5.
