2008 Season Prediction

Well, the first game is in the bag. The Miami Dolphins officially began their 2008 campaign against the New York Jets and lost. How will this new campaign that sees new management in the front office, a new head coach prowling the sidelines, a new QB, and a fresh look to the defense with the departures of veterans Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas do this season?

First, lets look real quick at the Dolphins schedule this year, then we’ll break it down and make a prediction as to how the Dolphins will fare this season.

Week1 – New York Jets (lost), Week2 – @ Arizona, Week3 – @ New England, Week4 – BYE, Week5 – San Diego, Week6 – @ Houston, Week7 – Baltimore, Week8 – Buffalo, Week9 – @ Denver, Week10 – Seattle, Week11 – Oakland, Week12 – New England, Week13 – @ St. Louis, Week14 – @ Buffalo, Week15 – San Francisco, Week16 – @ Kansas City, Week17 – @ New York Jets

Now, lets break this schedule down a little. The most interesting game for a number of reasons was the first game of the season. New Dolphins QB Chad Pennington faced his old team roughly 4 weeks after being cut by the Jets. The Dolphins have it tough though in their own division and will likely finish 3rd or 4th, depending on how they handle Buffalo who could be worse than the Dolphins. Even though Tom Brady went down, the Patriots are still the favorite in the AFC East with their deep roster. As for outside the division, within the AFC, the Dolphins have tough tests as they face Denver, San Diego, and Houston. However, they also face Baltimore, Kansas City, and Oakland outside their division, within the AFC, teams they are capable of beating. The Dolphins drew a tough NFC division to face as they will meet up with Seattle, Arizona, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The 49ers are the worst of that group, but Seattle is returning to the form which saw them make the Super Bowl following the 2005-2006 season. Arizona and St. Louis are not slouches either.

The biggest hurdle the Dolphins will face in their season is getting their offense moving. Despite losing Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, the defense will still be a decent one. The rushing game will be very potent, but the Dolphins continue to turn down possible free agents and stubbornly insist they are set at WR. The passing game is the biggest question mark, and in the end will probably hamper the Dolphins season, barring a change in attitude from management.

In the end, my feeling is (and you may call it a push as its not really a bold prediction) the Dolphins, assuming all stay healthy are capable of bouncing back this season from last years horrors and go 8-8. I believe they can sweep Buffalo, split with the Jets, and will likely be swept by the Patriots. The Dolphins will likely struggle against San Diego, Houston, Denver, Seattle, and St. Louis, but can certainly beat Arizona, Oakland, San Francisco, and Kansas City. 8-8 isn’t enough to make the playoffs in the AFC, not even close in fact. However, for a team coming off a 1-15 season and with a lot of change taking place, 8-8 is nothing to sneeze at. Time will tell!