The Miami Dolphins 2017 schedule has officially been released. How's the road back to the playoffs look?
Head coach Adam Gase will be entering his second season at the helm of the Miami Dolphins this fall. Breaking into the playoffs in 2016 wasn't easy; Miami started the season 1-4 before going on a 9-2 run to end the season.
2017 won't start like 2016 but it's going to be just as tough to renew the magic of Miami's first 10+ win season since 2008. If anyone can do it, though, Gase proved he can. You can look at what Gase and his team will face this next season here.
Starting the season out they get a home game for the first time since 2014. You're excited about the home-field advantage they get until you see who they face: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No home-field advantage for the boys in aqua Week 1. Brent Grimes, however, is returning to South Florida so Ryan Tannehill should be licking his chops for this one. Miami then hits the road going to the West coast to play the Los Angeles Chargers in their first home game in LA since the 1960s and then up to New York to play the Jets in Week 3.
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Gase proved last season that long, strenuous road trips won't affect his team. He'll get tested early on. Week 4, as we've known for a long time, is the trip to London to face the ever dangerous Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. At the request of Gase, Miami won't get their bye week following the trip back from London, but they finally return back to Hard Rock Stadium in Week 5 against the rising Tennessee Titans.
Miami hits the road again in week six against the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons before returning back home to finish the season series with the Jets in week seven. The next three weeks — two on the road, one at home — are all primetime matchup's against the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers. Keep in mind Miami hasn't won a prime-time game since week 13 of the 2014 season.
The bye in Week 11 will be crucial as Miami finishes the season with four games against AFC East opponents. First up is the New England Patriots right out of the bye in Week 12 and then again in Week 14 with the trip to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 15 before closing the season against them in Week 17. The out-of-division games include a visit from Vance Joseph and the Denver Broncos and a tough road trip to Kansas City to play the Chiefs.
Miami has the sixth hardest schedule going into the 2017 NFL season. With only one consecutive home stand, a three-game road trip in the first month and a two-game road trip to the North, Gase will need to have his team ready to play each and every week.
