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2015 Miami Dolphins Schedule | Season Handicapping Picks

NFL Football – Dolphins Analysis

It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for the 2015 Miami Dolphins. Like a couple of other teams within their division, the Dolphins have a roster with some talented players and others players with tons of upside. Yet, the Fish have finished 8-8 the past two seasons and haven’t made the playoffs in years.

Dolphins Odds

Dolphins Odds to Win the 2016 Super Bowl: 33/1
Dolphins Odds to Win the 2015-16 AFC Conference: 16/1
Dolphins Season Win Total: 8.5
***2015 BONUSES***
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Miami could take a notable step forward in the AFC East this season, but it will take several players to turn the lightbulb on at the same time, and head coach Joe Philbin – probably on the hot seat if there isn’t a step forward this time – must milk all the potential out of this roster and locker room.

Some key acquisitions – first and foremost DT Ndamukong Suh, but also TE Jordan Cameron, CB Zack Bowman and WRs Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills – will be central to Miami’s improvement.

Let’s examine Miami’s 2015 regular season schedule.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, at Washington, 1 pm (all times EST)

Dolphins field general Ryan Tannehill has improved each of his four years in the league, but he needs to show that unquantifiable it to take his team to the next level. The lowly Redskins can be good target practice for the Texas A&M alum, as Tannehill has plenty of new weapons to utilize.

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, at Jacksonville, 4:05 pm

Miami starts out with back-to-back road games, but luckily they are against two of the NFL’s weaker teams. The Dolphins should procure this road contest against the in-state Jags.

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Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27, Buffalo, 4:25 pm

This is a vital start to the divisional slate, as both the Bills and the Dolphins have made off-season improvements and are vying for a bump up the divisional standings and a playoff bid. Expect this to be a game of attrition, perhaps a throwback game with lots of totes from Buffalo RB LeSean McCoy and Miami RB Lamar Miller.

Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4, N.Y. Jets (in London, UK), 9:30 am

Dolphins fans will be getting up early on the first weekend in October, to watch their team do battle with a divisional rival in Great Britain. Maybe fish n’ chips will be on the menu if the Fish can grab a win at Wembley.

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18, at Tennessee, 1 pm

Both of the Titans’ young pivots, Zach Mettenberger and rookie Marcus Mariota, have potential to be starters in this league, but it will be tricky to cut your teeth throwing near excellent CB Brent Grimes.

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It will be trickier still if Grimes’s playing partner Jamar Taylor can show consistency to match his talent.

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25, Houston, 1 pm

Tannehill surely has his detractors, but everyone would acknowledge he’s a better option than Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett or Tom Savage. Poor Texans. But hey – the Fish still have to try and block J.J. Watt.

Week 8: Thursday, Oct. 29, at New England, 8:25 pm

Miami will travel up to Beantown on the short turnaround to take on the wolf who’s been on top of the mountain for as long as we can remember. Defensive line linchpin Suh will have to eat the Patriots’ O-line for lunch if the Dolphins are to come away with a victory.

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8, at Buffalo, 1 pm

It’s a tricky run of midseason road games for the Fish. The Rex Ryan-led Bills will be hungry, but if Miami can get “Shady” McCoy to dance around before he hits the hole, Bills QB Matt Cassel doesn’t have the chops alone to finish the job. This could bode well for the visitors.

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15, at Philadelphia, 1 pm

Like the Dolphins, the Eagles have a bunch of intriguing young wideouts. On both sidelines, players like Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor should keep the fans of offense thoroughly entertained.

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22, Dallas, 1 pm

The difficult games continue for the Dolphins. The Cowboys’ offense will be a little less daunting this season without leading rusher DeMarco Murray, but the ‘Boys offensive line can still eat Dolphin defenders (Suh and DE Cameron Wake notwithstanding) for lunch. Tannehill must have a premier game to upset Dallas.

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29, at N.Y. Jets, 1 pm

Miami’s offense will likely be in tough against an excellent Jets defensive unit. The Dolphins also have a defensive line – Suh, Wake, Olivier Vernon – to snuff out New York’s run game. Thus, it could be a low-scoring affair in the Big Apple.

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, Baltimore, 1 pm

People may discount the Ravens after their eight-win effort in 2013, the Birds have been one of the league’s premier teams over the past five years and they haven’t gone anywhere. It’ll be a challenging contest for Philbin’s men, but if Miller can have a huge game and some of the speedy WRs can make some plays, don’t rule out Miami.

Week 14: Monday, Dec. 14, N.Y. Giants, 8:30 pm

A night game features two former LSU Tigers squaring off against each other. Landry should contend for the Pro Bowl for the ‘Fins, while WR Odell Beckham is already there for the G-Men. Hopefully we see some sweet catches.

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20, at San Diego, 4:25 pm

Miami travels across the country to take on the confounding Chargers. However, the Bolts do have a QB in Philip Rivers that Tannehill should model his evolution from. If the converted A&M wideout can have a Rivers-esque career, all should be well in south Florida.

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Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 27, Indianapolis, 1 pm

If the Dolphins are in the mix for a playoff spot, this will be a colossal game for their fate. The Colts have a terrifying attack with the excellence of Andrew Luck, the raw speed of WR T.Y. Hilton and now the veteran guile of RB Frank Gore and WR Andre Johnson. Indy GM Ryan Grigson is creating the Peyton Manning Colts, Version 2.0.

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3, New England, 1 pm

Miami needs a lot of young players to take a step forward this season. If they do, the Dolphins could be a lot better and may even contend for the division title. If they sputter, this game – and the AFC East – will be a foregone conclusion, and not in Miami’s favor.

More NFL Teams Schedule / Pick Posts

 
Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks New York Jets
New York Giants San Francisco 49ers Buffalo Bills
St. Louis Rams Carolina Panthers New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Bucs New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts
Atlanta Falcons Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee Titans
San Diego Chargers Miami Dolphins Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers Washington Redskins Cincinnati Bengals
Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys Baltimore Ravens
Oakland Raiders Detroit Lions Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings Chicago Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans  

The 2015 NFL futures betting season is right around the corner! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting.

CappersPicks.com has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well.

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By James Hayes

James has been naming every player on the EA Sports video game rosters for half a decade now, he’s finally putting his knowledge to better use writing for us here at CappersPicks.com. Your comments are welcome below…Give Us Your Take!