How perceived Dolphins advantage isn’t really big one. And ESPN fed up with Fins
For many years, the 1 p.m. early season home game has been perceived to be one of the Dolphins’ biggest advantages.
After all, Miami seemingly has stamina to withstand searing heat after practicing in it all summer, while the opponent typically comes to town ill-prepared for the oppressive temperatures and humidity.
And two more factors also have been cited in this perceived Dolphins edge:
1). Hard Rock Stadium was renovated to strategically place the team’s sideline in the shade while the opponent’s sideline remains in direct sunlight, making the feel-like temperature as many as 30 degrees higher for the visiting team.
2). The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.
But what we found this week surprised us: Historically, the Dolphins’ early season 1 p.m. advantage has been overstated.
Since 2000, the Dolphins have gone 33-29 in 1 p.m. home games in September and October, our friends at Elias Sports Bureau told us.
That 53.2 winning percentage is worse than Miami’s 114-88 overall home record (56.4%) during those 25 years.
Since 2016, the Dolphins are 16-12 in 1 p.m. September/October home games, a 57.0 winning percentage. That’s worse than their 48-26 overall home record (64.9% win percentage) during those nine seasons.
The Dolphins are 7-2 in 1 p.m. September and October home games under Mike McDaniel after going 0-9 in those games under Brian Flores and 9-1 in those games under Adam Gase.
But aside from the 21-19 September 2022 win against a seemingly exhausted Bills team, the Dolphins’ 7-2 record in 1 p.m. games under McDaniel was built on dominance of weak opponents — New England (twice), Denver, the Giants, Carolina and Jacksonville. The losses were October games against Minnesota and Arizona.
Bill Belichick had his Patriots team practice at Palm Beach Atlantic University for several days before McDaniel’s first game — a 20-7 win in 2022 — but that didn’t help New England cover Tyreek Hill.
The Dolphins play only two 1 p.m. home games in September and October this season — Sunday against a Patriots team that Tua Tagovailoa is 7-0 against; and the Chargers Oct. 12. They have two night home games the first two months of the season — vs. the Jets on Monday night, Sept. 29 and Baltimore on Thursday night, Oct. 30.
Some have asked whether the Dolphins should request more early season home games at 1 p.m. But a league source confirmed that teams are not permitted to request start times.
ESPN analysts fed up
Several ESPN analysts vented about the Dolphins in the wake of their 33-8 loss at Indianapolis.
ESPN analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody said: “Their play style is not conducive to long-term success in the National Football League. Mike McDaniel draws up a lot of eye candy, but in the NFL, it’s about the line of scrimmage. It’s about physicality, imposing your will. There is none of that with the Miami Dolphins. Their culture down there stinks.”
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said: “Their tape was a mess. You can blame everybody. You can blame the coaching. You can blame the players. There are blown assignments by everybody on offense.
“Tua [Tagovailoa] is floating the ball for an interception. There’s a blown assignment by the right tackle [now injured Austin Jackson] on protection. There’s a blown assignment on the back. This is a lack of preparation, a lack of understanding, a lack of commitment. They’re getting outflanked on defense on a consistent basis by basic, basic concepts by Indianapolis. This was a bad tape to watch. [And] where is Tyreek [Hill]? I counted Tyreek four times on the field on third down.”
Hill played 30 of Miami’s 48 offensive snaps on Sunday.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 11:44 AM.
