Miami Dolphins 11th in 2016 NFL Strength of Schedule

The Miami Dolphins are just outside the top ten toughest strength of schedules for 2016, according to the 2015 regular season final standings. CBS Sports released a run down of all 32 NFL teams and how their strength of schedule, based on their scheduled opponents for next season, ranks. The Dolphins come in 11th on the season, the last of the AFC East teams who rank tied for 7th (New York Jets with the Arizona Cardinals, 0.531), 9th (New England Patriots, 0.523), and 10th (Buffalo Bills, 0.520), wit Miami owning a schedule with an opponent winning percentage of 0.516 last year.

The top of the league rankings have the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons tied with the toughest schedule at 0.555, while the Green Bay Packers have the easiest schedule at 0.457.

The Dolphins' opponents for 2016 are:

Home

Bills (8-8)
Jets (10-6)
Patriots (12-4)
Browns (3-13)
Steelers (10-6)
49ers (5-11)
Cardinals (13-3)
Titans (3-13)

Away

Bills (8-8)
Jets (10-6)
Patriots (12-4)
Bengals (12-4)
Ravens (5-11)
Rams (7-9)
Seahawks (10-6)
Chargers (4-12)

For obvious reasons, a lot will change between how the 2015 season finished for each team in the league and how the 2016 season will play out. Free agency, draft, coaching changes, injuries, retirements, players regressing, players breaking out, it all plays into how each season is different than the previous in the NFL, a league that league typically sees a 50-percent turnover of teams qualifying for the Playoffs every year.

Even saying the strength of schedule will not be completely accurate when the season plays out, the Dolphins face a tough schedule. The Patriots (twice), Bengals, Steelers, Cardinals, and Seahawks are all going to be extremely tough games. The Jets and Bills could regress some, but they could improve as well, which means tough division contests could just get tougher for Miami. There are several games in which the Dolphins are facing imposing odds.