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2022 Miami Dolphins Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
May 13, 2022
Tua Tagovailoa faces a crucial season in his development after the Miami Dolphins' front office spent the offseason making sure the third-year quarterback has all the necessary tools to succeed in 2022.
The headline move was acquiring superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. He gives the team a bona fide No. 1 target and should combine with Jaylen Waddle to form one of the NFL's most dynamic playmaker tandems.
Miami also brought in fellow wideout Cedrick Wilson and a pair of running backs, Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, to significantly increase the talent level around Tagovailoa. Tight end Mike Gesicki also returns to a suddenly high-upside unit.
The Dolphins upgraded in the trenches, too, signing tackle Terron Armstead and guard Connor Williams to remake the left side of their offensive line. So they left no stone unturned in their effort to improve after finishing 25th in total offense last season.
Now the question is whether Tagovailoa can make a leap toward the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks and turn Miami into a serious threat in the loaded AFC.
Let's check out the slate of games the Dolphins will need to navigate as part of that quest following the league's schedule release Thursday.
2022 Miami Dolphins Schedule
Full television schedule can be found on the team's official website.
Analysis
If the Dolphins don't at least contend for a playoff spot, it'll likely be hard to blame that lack of success on their schedule, which looks manageable at the outset.
They have a quartet of highly difficult road games against the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers, but that's the case for a vast majority of the teams, especially in an AFC where there are so few pushovers.
Even with those tricky tests away from home, Miami certainly has a viable path to 10 wins, which is basically what it took to earn an AFC playoff berth last season. The Pittsburgh Steelers secured the last spot at 9-7-1.
New head coach Mike McDaniel told Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post he wants his players to embrace thinking big.
"What is it going to feel like when you're on the Miami Dolphins in 2022 and they have their first playoff win in 22 years?" McDaniel said. "You can't be afraid of that. Chase that. Chase that feeling."
That's a realistic goal based on the Dolphins' strong offseason and their schedule.
Pivotal Matchups
Winning the AFC East could prove difficult given the Bills' recent success, including the last two division titles, and their own strong offseason, highlighted by the addition of linebacker Von Miller.
So, barring an unexpected down year from Buffalo or a season where everything breaks right for Miami, the Phins are likely going to find themselves in the thick of the wild-card race.
In turn, the most important games for the Dolphins will likely be those against the other teams they will probably be battling nearly the postseason cut line: the Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those six games (they play the Pats twice) represent 35 percent of the team's schedule and could ultimately determine its playoff fate. Going 4-2 or better would provide a massive boost.
All told, there's plenty of reason for optimism in Miami, but how the team performs in those key games and any one-score contests will tell the tale for 2022.