2011 NFL Schedule: Miami Dolphins Buckle Up for a Challenging Season

The New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets are AFC East Division rivals. 

The Chargers, Browns, Raiders, Chiefs, Texans, Broncos, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys and Eagles make up the rest of the schedule. 

I was hoping for a little bit of a break this season—you know, an opportunity to turn a 7-9 season to something in the 8-8 or 9-7 range. 

Eleven of these teams have established starting quarterbacks. The Miami Dolphins have not emphatically committed to Chad Henne. 

ESPN is not ranking this schedule as one of the toughest, but it certainly will challenge the Dolphins from beginning to end.

The 2011-12 season starts with a showdown with Tom Brady. The concerning part is that we have no idea who the Dolphins quarterback is going to be or who will run the ball, for that matter.

The NFL and players need to solve their CBA issues now. 

As great as it is having the 2011-12 schedule, it only emphasizes how much work the Dolphins have to do on offense. And this defense is not designed to carry the team. 

When the end of the season approaches, the Dolphins will face their AFC East Division foes for three consecutive weeks. Prior to that, they face Michael Vick.

That's a really tough way to end a season and hope for a playoff bid. 

It's not that the schedule is overwhelming but the organization of it is just brutal. Not that I expected the NFL to just hand Miami an easy season—it's that the 2011-12 opponents have all had timely success against the Dolphins. 

Michael Vick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Brady and finally "Sanchize" and the Jets—all of whom which the 'Fins have struggled with in the past.

The Raiders and Redskins are the only teams that the Dolphins have a history of recent success. The Redskins are going through similar growing pains on the offensive side of the ball. 

Then there was (what I considered to be) the embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns last year, while the Texans have certainly gotten better (right, Arian Foster?)

My other concern is that the Dolphins start the season playing the Patriots. What if they end up not playing because of a prolonged lockout? The Dolphins will not get that game back against a division rival.

That possibility is due to horrible planning; I don't know what the NFL brass was thinking! I thought it would make sense for every team to at least start the season with a non-conference team!   

Thankfully, the NFL season starts fresh and new. Thankfully the offseason is still young and the lockout hasn't officially impacted the season. I am both concerned and excited.

The release of the schedules supports my hope for a new CBA to be developed and that (hopefully) we'll have a season indeed!  

I am now thankful for the practices led by Chad Henne and Jake Long. The 2011 Miami Dolphins need the work.