For the past decade, a trip to New England to start the season would have been a death sentence for the Dolphins, but now it might be an opportunity to catch Jarrett Stidham before he’s fully comfortable as the starter. Weeks 2-5 are daunting with 3/4 playoff teams from last year and one short week road game in Jacksonville. It’s unclear when Tua will take over as the starter this year, if at all, but the Week 11 bye week might be a good time to get him prepared to start the last 6 weeks. Based on last season’s results, the Dolphins have the third-toughest schedule in the league, but based on projected win totals for this season they project much better with about the 17th-toughest schedule. Back-to-back road games against the 49ers and Broncos are daunting but after that Miami doesn’t have too difficult a schedule. I wouldn’t be shocked to see this team come out with a much better record than last year thanks to the talent they added in free agency and the draft. After Week 6, none of their games seem unwinnable, with a January road game in Buffalo likely the most difficult on the slate. The AFC East doesn’t have any juggernaut teams, and it could be a much-improved season for the Dolphins in 2020.
