2019 Schedule Reaction and Draft Week

Hello my fellow Dolphins’ fans! I’ve missed you all. If you follow me on Twitter you would have noticed I haven’t been as active the last few weeks. Hectic time for me with work, traveling, and my laptop being under repair for a bit. However, everything is getting back to normal now and I have time again to share my weekly reactions to all things Dolphins’ related and other news around the NFL. Let’s dive in.

2019 Schedule Breakdown

What were your initial thoughts on the 2019 schedule release? Let me first say, I was a bit disappointed to learn we would not be playing Thanksgiving, but also relieved. I’m planning on going to the Cowboys’ game and can’t imagine the cost of that trip if it was indeed Thanksgiving day. That being said, I’m still planning on attending.

Let’s look at the schedule week by week shall we.

Week one against the Ravens kinda worries me. We all know we don’t play well against them. The last time we beat the Ravens was at home in 2015 with a score of 15-13 that Sunday afternoon. I think it’s our turn again to win this match up. I take the Dolphins for the win because I think our team and new coaching staff will be wanting to prove to the fans that they are not here to lose. I guess we’ll just have to see. I will most likely be at that game.

The second week is home again against the Patriots. I have yet to miss a Patriots’ home game in seven years. The past several years we have played them in December and now we play them during the hottest month of the season. Oh September home games are brutal. BRUTAL. I’m blinded half the game by my own sweat pouring down my face and I sit in a shaded section. I’m normally very hopeful and optimistic, but this may be a tough one for us. I say that only because of how amazing our last match up was, and can we come back and beat them again so soon after the Miami Miracle? What say you fans? It’s gonna be interesting, but of course I’m rooting for our Fins. We’ll either barely win or barely lose. Undecided as of now.

Week three is away at Dallas. Another bucket list stadium will be checked off my list. I don’t even care if we win or lose this game. I just want to go check out the stadium, tailgating and enjoy that weekend with fellow Dolphins’ fans (I say I don’t care about the outcome of the game because I’m still unsure what our team will be like this season and that’s okay for now). There will be a bunch of us fans, who I meet up with once a year at an away game, getting together for this game so stay tuned for more details as the season draws nearer. If you plan to attend and want to join us you can always reach out to me on Twitter too. I see us losing this game, but it will still be a blast.

Week four is home against Chargers. Oh the Chargers. I attended the Chargers game, when they were still in San Diego in 2016. We won and I made it on television that year.

I know, it’s a shocker that I’m holding a flag, right? Hey, we won that game. I also remember the last time we played them at home. It was a fan club weekend in 2014 and that game was a blast. Mind you, we all had a bit too much fun that weekend and during the game, but it was a blast and I will never forget that shutout game. Will we make it happen again? Unlikely. Will the weekend still be a blast? Clearly. This game may be a win for us.

Week five is bye week. A bit early for my taste but oh well.

Week six is Redskins at home. I have no animosity towards them, so we’ll see how that game turns out.

Week seven is at Buffalo. I may try to attend this game. I have yet to make it to Buffalo, and considering we are finally playing them earlier in the season, I might attempt this trip. However, still unsure because I would rather go during a season when I’m a bit more confident about our team. I have heard they aren’t the nicest fans and I’m not quick to brush off annoying fans.

Week eight against Steelers for a Monday Night game. Are you excited? No? A bit nervous like I am? I thought so. I love some prime time games (attending them wise) but our team hasn’t played so great in them. Of course, it’s against the Steelers too. One of my least favorite rivals. I don’t see us winning this one, but you never know.

Week nine home against the Jets. This will be interesting to stay the least. We welcome back our old head coach. Is it weird that if we only win one or two games this season I want it to be against the Jets? I can’t be alone in the thought process, right?

Week ten is our only 4pm game (as of now) and it’s away against the Colts. We all remember how that game turned out last season. Oh that was a rough one. I honestly would rather straight out lose a game than be winning to then lose like we did. Let’s hope for a better outcome this time. I still need to plan a time to visit that stadium as well.

Week eleven is home against Buffalo. Good thing is we get them out of the way earlier in the season. I’m not sure if I will attend that game, so if you are looking to go let me know because I have some cool seats.

Week twelve is the long awaited Browns game. I have several friends who plan on attending this game. I’m one of them as well. If the Browns are as good as the the NFL analysts/ESPN make them out to be this season, we have zero chance. However, it’s still the Browns, so you never know. It will be interesting. I have heard the fans are pretty cool though. I guess I will find out.

Week thirteen is home against the Eagles. My Eagles’ friends are telling me we should win this game and they go, “Have you seen our quarterback?” My response, “Have you seen ours?”

Mind you, Fitzpatrick did say it’s not his fault but more of all the birthday cake. I mean....who doesn’t like cake?

Week fourteen is the 10th anniversary of MetLife Takeover and you should all try to be there. If you have yet to make it to one of their games at MetLife, please do yourself a favor and attend. It’s so much fun! This is one of the away games I will try my best to attend. If I do, it’s probably my only game in December I will attend. I think the outcome depends on how both the teams are playing, injuries, weather, etc. Either way, the tailgating alone will be worth the trip.

Week fifteen is our last home game of the season and it’s against the Bengals. I was at the Bengals game last season. I really really hope the game turns out differently this time around. I guess at least it’s at home, but if our season doesn’t turn out as great as I’m thinking, I’m not expecting the crowd to either.

The final game is away against the Patriots. I may need to take a few shots now to prepare myself for that game. The Patriots could have a bad season and may very well be playing to make the playoffs. I mean, it can happen. Let’s all say it out loud together, “The Patriots will not make the playoffs this year.” Okay, now let’s all say some prayers and hope it really happens. The good news is that the Patriots do not play well in Miami and we host the Super Bowl this year. This is me being optimistic.

There you have it. That is our season. What do I think our final record will be? I’m gonna go with either 4-12 or 10-6. If we don’t draft our franchise quarterback this next weekend, then I’m hoping for a 4-12 or even 2-16 (gotta sweep the Jets) season. We are the Dolphins and it won’t shock me if we go 8-8, but for the sake of all our sanity can we please just not.

2019 NFL Draft

It’s draft week my friends! We made it. I’m excited and I have zero idea of what we will do. I scrolled through Twitter and nobody seems to know either. It’s a guessing game and it’s kinda fun (for those of us fans who follow year round). Will the Dolphins trade back? Many people on Twitter, I follow, hope and assume so and trade talks have been discussed already. Every NFL discusses it. “Who wants to move up? Who wants to move down? We should talk.” I think it comes down to who is still available closer to our time to pick and what kind of offers we get to move down.

I was going to dive in and post multiple tweets of who thinks what and look at this mock draft, but I think I will just mention a few things (just scroll through Twitter for your mock draft pleasure needs). We know the Dolphins need multiple positions. I mean really everything but seriously need OT, DT, OL, DE, CB, RB, QB (clearly but probably 2020), probably a WR and basically everything but a kicker. We’re rebuilding. It’s fine.

Today on Twitter the talk seems to be that the Dolphins are interested in Rosen from the Cardinals. One of Phinsider’s own, Josh Houtz, believes they may have some interest.

Of course that is if they do indeed draft Murray, and if a few other teams draft a quarterback. I’m not sold on the rumor talk of giving up a 3rd round pick for Rosen. What do you fans think about it? I mean, personally, I’m all for having someone just long enough till we can draft Trevor Lawrence in 2021. We’ve waited this long, what’s another two years? Leave me alone while I dream what our team would be like with legit quarterback again. Anyways, back to what the Dolphins will do Thursday. I am on board with the hope that Clemson’s DT Christian Wilkins is available at pick 13 and we don’t hesitate to grab him. Of course that is a big IF and another guy that seems to be in my newsfeed is Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. You can read more about him here.

Like I mentioned, this is what makes the draft fun because it’s really a guessing game on who will pick who. Let all the final mock drafts begin and we’ll see who actually is right. I’m honestly looking forward to the reactions on Twitter. I fully expect a live video reaction from Josh Houtz if this indeed happens.

Do you all watch the draft? I always watch the draft. I love it. Every year I normally stay home with my laptop set up, TV on, and my phone in my hand ready to tweet my reaction and text fellow friends about what is happening or what may happen. It’s quite fun actually (in a nerdy football way). I had an opportunity to attend this year’s draft, but with my work schedule and upcoming season (requesting off days already and the fact we may not pick Thursday) I’m gonna stay home and watch with fellow Dolphins’ fans. I do love me some Nashville though. If you are attending please have a blast for me!

My Final Thoughts

We all have seen and read that the Dolphins are rebuilding. I indeed believe we are and hopefully the right way. We watched the Browns rebuild and they seem to be at a good place now. It’s our turn to rebuild, the right way, and possibly be at good spot in the next couple years. We have a lot of holes to fill in our team and it will take us a couple years to fill them, but if done the right way it will be worth it. That being said, many of us have the mindset of, “Yeah, but we’re the Dolphins and we’ll go 8-8 and be the same team like always.” I say that because I have been told that by too many people already. I get it. It’s not easy being a Miami Dolphins’ fan. It may be if you grew up watching and attending the games in the 70s-90s. However, for the majority of us (active on social media) we’re all still a bit skeptical. I completely get it. We invest time, money, emotions and an overall hopeful feeling of, “It may finally be our year” every year only to be let down. Well, let’s try to rebuild our mindset just like our team is rebuilding. Maybe, just maybe, we’re not the same ole’ Dolphins. I think our new coach and GM may just surprise us.

No matter what fans, we’re in this together. Just like this quote from Tormund of Game of Thrones.

We’re in this together! (P.S. I judge you if you don’t watch/like Game of Thrones)

Cheers to draft week and let’s all hope the Dolphins head in the right direction.

See you all next week for my post-draft reactions.

Fins Up!