Miami Dolphins schedule: 3 Games fans should be circling

1. at Bills – Week 8 (Oct. 31)

While the Dolphins have clearly made strides after tearing the roster down to bare bones just a few years ago, they have a terrific barometer to measure themselves by sitting in the AFC East. The Bills are a team who has been gradually improving under the current regime and now looks like one of the premier threats to win the conference.

Playing at the end of October (and on Halloween) fans should have a good idea of where each team stands in the larger picture for the season, specifically in the early playoff picture. Not only could that raise the stakes but Buffalo has dominated this divisional rivalry of late as Josh Allen has come into his own as the franchise quarterback. This is also the team that made it to the AFC Championship Game just last year.

Despite nearly making the playoffs last year, though, the Dolphins have been in an arduous transition period as of late. Now is the time to reap the fruits of eight selections in the top 50 over the last two years, though. The talent pool has been field and it needs to start yielding results.

Not making the playoffs could raise questions about Grier and the rest of the Dolphins front offense. So, while the Bills are a stiff challenge for any team, particularly a divisional foe, this is a good test for Miami to see where they stand. Are they on the cusp of being a contender or is there still a long road ahead? They’ll find out in Week 8.