The Dolphins look forward to 2012 after a disappointing campaign last season. Miami finished 6-10 in 2011, including a disastrous 0-7 start that claimed the head coach's job.
The Dolphins will head into battle led by new coach Joe Philbin, and presumably a new quarterback, as they face the NFC West and AFC South. Besides trips to conference contenders Houston and San Francisco, Miami has a manageable non-divisional schedule.
AFC Opponents (Home)
Jaguars: The Jags will bring a really good defense and a really bad quarterback to Sun Life Stadium. Blaine Gabbert didn't show much as a rookie, but you really shouldn't overlook a tough team with a good running game.
Titans: Whether it's Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker at quarterback, the Titans should be a good team. They finished 9-7 last year with no Kenny Britt and an unproductive Chris Johnson. With those pieces back to full speed, Miami will have its hands full.
Raiders: Oakland has dropped three straight to the Dolphins including a 34-14 beating in December, and it wasn't even that close. Still, the Raiders were pretty a good team last season and could take W in Miami if they get a little more consistent.
AFC Opponents (Away)
Colts: A lot of possible story lines here. Will Peyton Manning be going back to Indy for the first time as an opponent? Can Miami beat the QB that so many of their fans thought they'd get in the draft (Andrew Luck)? This game could look a bunch of different ways, depending on what transpires from now until the start of the season.
Texans: The Dolphins have never beaten the Texans in six tries. Changing that won't be easy, as Houston could potentially be the best team in the AFC with a healthy Matt Schaub.
Bengals: The Bengals are solid on offense and defense. They struggled against good teams, going 0-6 against teams that made the playoffs. Miami proved in the latter half of 2011 that it can be that good, but we'll have to see which Dolphins squad shows up.
NFC Opponents (Home)
Rams: The Dolphins will be facing the head coach who turned them down in 2012. The outcome will probably get Fins fans pretty fired up, either in a good way or a bad way. It's tough to see Jeff Fisher beating the Dolphins with that squad, however.
Seahawks: The same thing could be said about the Seahawks as the Dolphins: if quarterback play improves, this team could be dangerous. Coincidentally, if Miami does not sign Matt Flynn, it could face him in this game.
NFC Opponents (Away)
Cardinals: The Cards will be looking to build off a strong 2011 finish. They don't look good on paper, but they'll play every team very tough.
49ers: Miami will be facing the head coach that turned them down in 2011. Also, a really, really good football team.
