Miami Dolphins schedule: 3 Games fans should be circling

Now that the Miami Dolphins schedule is out, which games should fans already have circled as the must-see contests of the 2021 season?

The Miami Dolphins have their 17-game slate now set before them following the league’s schedule release on May 12. Though the opponents and home-away matchups have been known for some time, how the full slate shakes out can go a long way in determining just how high the ceiling is for the upstart Dolphins in the 2021 season.

Fans have high hopes for a team that just missed out on the playoffs last season and, with a young roster, should be on the cusp of delivering high-end results. However, optimism and hopes are only that — and they won’t matter if the team is unable to compete in the AFC East.

So now that we have the schedule, let’s take a look at the Dolphins games in the 2021 NFL season that fans should be circling as critical junctures this year (with a heavy focus on the division).

3. at New England Patriots – Week 1 (Sept. 12)

The NFL undoubtedly knows how to market their product and pitting a historical power in the AFC East against an up-and-comer like Miami is a way to generate excitement.

Part of the late afternoon slate during the opening Sunday of the season, the Dolphins travel to Gillette Stadium to face a Patriots team that will look much different than a season ago. After arguably the most mediocre season for New England over two decades, Bill Belichick went out and spent record money in free agency to revamp the roster.

However, a growing culture in Miami will give the Dolphins an advantage against the newly assembled pieces for the Patriots. Moreover, fans (and likely the organization) want vindication for the years of suffering at the hands of Belichick and Tom Brady. And the Dolphins have the defense to do just that — they just need the offense to match that level of execution.

Luckily, general manager Chris Grier has been wise in upgrading that side of the ball. Will Fuller was signed in free agency while the front office reunited second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with his former Alabama teammate, Jaylen Waddle, in the first round of the draft. The addition of athleticism and explosiveness should revolutionize the passing game.

Throw in the fact that Tagovailoa could be facing the man who replaced him with the Crimson Tide, Mac Jones, and this matchup has all the intrigue in the world to open the campaign.