Every year, fans of the Miami Dolphins find themselves swimming in wonder, questioning whether their team will be good, bad, or just plain ugly. While the NFL is full of teams that need little speculation, teams that are routinely headed for the playoffs, or teams that are on the verge of a good draft pick, Miami is not one of them. Perpetually hovering around the .500 mark, with some good seasons and bad seasons sprinkled in, the Dolphins are a team that can go either way: toward a winning season or down the dark cracks of failure.
This year, however, could be different. As Dante Culpepper’s career comes to a metaphorical and literal knee, Trent Green appears to be the new starting quarterback, one who can hopefully “finish” the season with more wins than losses.
The following is Dolphin’s 2007 schedule and a breakdown of their opponents.
Seven Ninth @ Washington Redskins: With a 5-11 record under their belt last year, the Redskins looked to revamp their entire team during the 2007 offseason. But, they didn’t revamp it enough. Washington should see another bad year, which makes them wonder if Doug Williams should restart at quarterback.
Seven 16 Dallas Cowboys: Dallas was a game above mediocrity with a 9-7 record last season. After a devastating loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs (no laces, Tony), the Cowboys’ stability lies solely in how Tony Romo will react. He will either recover or fall further. If they play well, Dallas could be a tough team to beat.
Seven 23 @ New York Jets: The Jets almost have all their ducks in a row: They’re almost ready for takeoff. After making some nice additions on defense and signing Thomas Jones at running back, this team will be better than last year. With a 10-6 record in 2006, being better will make them a force to be reckoned with.
Oakland 30th Raiders Seven: Remember when the Oakland Raiders made it to the Super Bowl in 2002? Yeah, neither do we. A team that has fallen far, far and further, really has nowhere to go but to top their 2-14 record from last season. If JaMarcus Russell is as good a quarterback as they hope, Oakland could be decent, but don’t expect miracles: Since their Super Bowl appearance, they’ve disappeared, finishing well under .500 the past four seasons.
Oct. 7 @ Houston Texans: Going 6-10 last season, the Houston Texans weren’t as bad as they could have been: Perpetual underdogs, they found ways to win games they shouldn’t have won. Still, their decision to release David Carr will haunt them and make them realize it wasn’t Carr’s fault: It’s hard to be a good quarterback when you don’t have help on offense.
Oct. 14 @ Cleveland Browns: A team with a horrible 4-12 record last season, the Cleveland Browns are eager to kick off the Brady Quinn era. This is a young team – they probably won’t make many waves this season, but don’t be surprised to see them turn heads for years to come.
October 21 New England Patriots: After going 12-4 last season and receiving a devastating loss to the Colt in the “real Super Bowl,” the Patriots are hungry for redemption and another championship. They won’t go undefeated, but they will make the playoffs; they always do it.
October 28 New York Giants (in London): For a team that finished at .500 last season, it’s about time Eli started carrying the Manning name. Genetically destined for greatness, Eli Manning is the X factor: if he plays well, the Giants will be good, if he plays poorly, the Giants will be watching the playoffs from his living room couch.
November 11 Buffalo Bills: Like the Giants, the Buffalo Bills are also in the hands of their quarterback. After a 7-9 season last year, the Bills look to improve with an improving JP Losman. A quarterback who seemed to come of age in the last half of the 2006 season, if he continues to improve, the Bills will finish around .500. The new additions to the offensive line should help boost Losman’s protection and his confidence.
November 18 @ Philadelphia Eagles: Finishing a good 10-6 last season, the Eagles could be one of the teams to beat in the NFC this year. If Donovan McNabb gets back to his starting position and stays healthy, the Eagles should be flying high. If he doesn’t, then the Eagles could end up looking more like canaries.
November 26 @ Pittsburgh Steelers: After winning Super Bowl XL, a Super Bowl that left fans wondering if refs could really see, Pittsburgh found itself staring down the barrel of mediocrity. It’s hard to say what went wrong: maybe the loss of Jerome Bettis hurt, or maybe the source of Ben Roethlisberger’s power was in his appendix. Regardless of what went wrong, this season, with a new head coach, might not be filled with as many improvements.
December 2 New York Jets: See above.
December 9 @ Buffalo Bills: See above.
December 16 Baltimore Ravens: A team that finished 13-3 last season, it’s a sure bet that Baltimore will once again be at the top of its class. With a defense that is always good, it will be difficult for opponents to score. However, Steve McNair as a quarterback isn’t exactly a spring chicken; If his game starts to falter, the Ravens may find their winning ways no more.
Dec 23 @ New England Patriots: See above.
December 30 Cincinnati Bengals: The Cincinnati Bengals were better than their 8-8 record last season. As Carson Palmer continues to recover from injury, they should at least make the playoffs. This, of course, depends on whether the Bengals can avoid losing big leads and avoid losing games they really should be winning.
So there you have it: Miami’s schedule is filled with teams that should beat them and teams that should beat them. But should, might, might mean nothing: It’s all going to come down to whether or not Cam Cameron can get his team and his quarterback together. But for fun, I’ll go ahead and make this prediction: Miami will go 9-7 and make the playoffs as a wild card. Call your books now.