Tough tough schedule next year. Home: Buffalo Bills (AFC East) New England Patriots (AFC East) New York Jets (AFC East) Houston Texans (AFC South) Indianapolis Colts (AFC South) Atlanta Falcons (NFC South) Carolina Panthers (NFC South) Baltimore Ravens (AFC North second-place team) Away: Buffalo Bills (AFC East) New England Patriots (AFC East) New York Jets (AFC East) Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South) Tennessee Titans (AFC South) New Orleans Saints (NFC South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South) Las Vegas Raiders (AFC West second-place team) unless a 17th game is added.
Definitely looks like a challenge. On the one hand I like that. I have no interest in the Dolphins continuing to be a franchise that looks for success via favours from the schedule or other teams. On the other hand, the crappy divisional system means that weaker teams can advance further than stronger teams just because of divisional and schedule strength, so a weaker schedule is a real consideration.
On one hand, I'm sick of playing the Ravens as they seem to have had our number for many years. On the other, that should be a good barometer of where the team stands. Ya that schedule, right now, looks daunting...5/8 away games against playoff teams and the other 3 games feature 2 divisional games and a west coast trip to play the Raiders again...3/8 home games against playoff teams. If we manage 10-6 or better in THAT schedule that's something...but teams change. Playoff teams fall off, scrub teams get better. We won't know how tough it is until week 17, 2021.
I like that we get to play Tannehill and Brady again, but there are some tough games there as well. At a glance, I see a 12-4 season with a solid QB at the helm and a few shiny new toys on offense.
On paper that's a tough schedule. Tough like if the season started tomorrow I could see us going 8-8 or worse. Thankfully the season doesnt start tomorrow and teams that should be tough flop, have injuries and so forth. Either way I'm not feeling confident about next year currently.
I'd rather have it easy. Do you think Belichick wished that we or the Bills or the Jests were a consistent force during Brady's peak, or was he glad he was in a dumpster fire of a division that gave him easy schedules year after year. I do agree we need to take our success into our hands, though, absolutely. But I have no qualms with doing so by beating bottom-feeders.
