What to know about the Dolphins and the NFL’s 2022 schedule release
The NFL, kings of TV programming, has through the years turned its schedule release day into a multiweek tease of individual games, culminating with Thursday’s official announcement of all 272 games at 8 p.m.
It began at the NFL Draft, where the league announced the season’s first “Thursday Night Football” matchup: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs. The league then announced the five games that will be played overseas for its annual international series. And each morning leading up to Thursday’s reveal, the NFL has announced select games with help of broadcast partners ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
Here are five things to know before the Dolphins’ 2022 schedule is announced.
Who are the Dolphins playing at home?
Along with divisional home games against the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets, the Dolphins host the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans. Four of these opponents — Buffalo, New England, Pittsburgh and Green Bay — made the playoffs last season.
Who are the Dolphins playing on the road?
In addition to their away games against divisional opponents, the Dolphins will travel to play the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers. Along with Buffalo and New England, Cincinnati and San Francisco made the playoffs last season.
How many prime-time games will the Dolphins have?
NFL rules allow teams to be scheduled for as many as five prime-time games. Last season, the Dolphins received two — a Thursday night home game against the Ravens and a Monday night road game against the New Orleans Saints. The team also got a standalone game when it traveled to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
One standalone game the Dolphins could get in 2022 is a Thanksgiving matchup with the Lions. A recent Los Angeles Times article detailed the process by which the NFL schedule is made and it was revealed that because the Lions are hosting a team on CBS this year, they must play an AFC team, according to broadcast rules. The two options for the Lions’ opponent, according to the article, are the Dolphins and the Bills.
Regardless, as a 9-8 team coming off a fifth consecutive season without a postseason appearance, the Dolphins are not expected to receive the max five prime-time games. However, with a new head coach, upgraded offense and intrigue in polarizing third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins could be an interesting pick for networks. A night-time matchup with a divisional rival like the Bills or Patriots is an intriguing option. So are games with the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers, which would pit Tagovailoa against 2020 draftmates Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert.
Are the Dolphins playing overseas again?
The Dolphins, who have a large following in the United Kingdom, played the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021 but won’t be traveling overseas in 2022. The NFL previously announced the five international games this season: Vikings-Saints (London), Giants-Packers (London), Broncos-Jaguars (London), Seahawks-Buccaneers (Germany) and 49ers-Cardinals (Mexico).
How is the opponent for the Dolphins’ 17th game selected?
The 2021 season was the league’s first with a 17-game regular-season schedule. The new collective bargaining agreement allowed the owners to implement a 17th game over 18 weeks once a new media rights deal was signed. As a result, the preseason has also been reduced from four games to three. The extra game includes a matchup with an opponent from the opposite conference.
Last season, the Dolphins hosted the NFC East team that finished with the same division standing the previous year (Giants). This season, the Dolphins will travel to play the NFC West team that finished with the same standing in 2021 (49ers). In 2023 and 2024, the team will face an opponent from the NFC North and NFC South, respectively, and then the rotation starts over. Each year, the 17th game will alternate between home and road games.
