Dolphins 2018 schedule strength ranks middle of league

The NFL will release the full schedule for the 2018 season tonight, slotting all 256 regular season games over a 17 week span this fall. The teams each club will face is already known, however, as the league uses a rotation of inter-division matchups to set most of the schedule. That also means, we already know the “strength of schedule” for each team.

For the Miami Dolphins, their 2018 opponents are will be the Buffalo Bills (9-7), New England Patriots (13-3), and New York Jets (5-11) twice each, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6), Tennessee Titans (9-7), Chicago Bears (5-11), Detroit Lions (9-7), Oakland Raiders (6-10), Houston Texans (4-12), Indianapolis Colts (4-12), Green Bay Packers (7-9), Minnesota Vikings (13-3), and Cincinnati Bengals (7-9). The records for those teams add up to 128-128 record, or a .500 strength of schedule.

That ranks the Dolphins in a three-way tie for the 15th strongest schedule this season, according to ESPN, with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys also holding a .500 strength of schedule. The Green Bay Packers have the toughest schedule in the league, based on 2017 final regular season records, with a .539. The Houston Texans will have the easiest schedule, holding a .453 strength of schedule.

As for the AFC East, the Dolphins will have the toughest schedule among the four teams:

Miami Dolphins - .500 (15th)
Buffalo Bills - .496 (18th)
New England Patriots - .484 (22nd)
New York Jets - .477 (25th)

The puzzle piecing of the week-to-week schedule is expected to be released at 8pm ET tonight.