NFL schedule primer: Everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s release special
The NFL will release its 102nd schedule Wednesday at 8 p.m., with two different channels (ESPN2 and NFL Network) airing specials.
The Miami Dolphins already know their opponents. Wednesday, they will learn the days and times those games will be held.
After a 10-6 season, expect a broader national platform for Brian Flores’ squad, which had just two prime-time games in 2020 — and none at home.
There’s even a chance, albeit slim, the league places the Dolphins in the NFL Kickoff Game for just the second time and the first time since 2006.
The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the home team for that game, and the Dolphins are one of eight teams that will visit Raymond James Stadium in 2021. Of those’ home opponents, only the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills would provide a more intriguing matchup.
Either way, the Dolphins will play 17 times between September and January — and, the team hopes, several more after the regular season ends — as a result of the NFL’s new schedule expansion.
Key Miami Dolphins details
Games: 17.
Season opener: Sept. 9, 12 or 13.
Home facility: Hard Rock Stadium (64,767).
Home opponents: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets.
Road opponents: Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
Strength of schedule (based on 2020 records): T-27th (128-144, .471).
Total miles traveled: 17,914.
