Miami Dolphins 2011 Schedule: Anticipating the Dolphins Road to Success in 2011

As you NFL freaks know, the NFL is coming out with their official schedules in the next day or two, despite the 2011 NFL season being in question. 

Of course, most already know what their teams' schedule might look like, as the NFL has certain divisions match up against other divisions, as well as one inter-conference division matchup and an intra-conference matchup, as well as the typical two games against each rival.

So, let's break down the Miami Dolphins' 2011 schedule, because why not?

The Dolphins will play the AFC West and the NFC East this year, in addition to their in-division rivals in the AFC East.

So, to elaborate: The Dolphins will play the Raiders, Broncos, Texans, Eagles and Redskins in Dolphin Stadium in Miami. On the road, the Dolphins are set to face the Chargers, Chiefs, Browns, Giants and Cowboys.

The Dolphins' schedule isn't too horrible. Especially compared to last year, when the Dolphins had to play a usually-competitive AFC North and the NFC North, which featured an upstart Detroit Lions team, an NFC Conference Championship game participant in the Chicago Bears and eventual Super Bowl champs, Green Bay Packers.

But that's not to say that this year's schedule is somewhat of a walk in the park. Sure, it's easier, but they still have to go out and play the NFC East, which—depending on the way you look at it—is the best/worst division in the NFL because of its tight contention year in and year out.

The Cowboys figure to get better (same story, different year, huh?), with Romo making his way back, while the Eagles have juggernaut potential. And let's not sleep on the Giants, who start seasons off hot. 

The AFC West is tricky—last year they started out as one of the worst divisions in the NFL, only to see the Chargers' stock fall, the Chiefs rise to playoff contention and the Raiders become a promising young team. (Say what?!) If the trend continues, this division is a collective force to be reckoned with and could put up two playoff teams.

Basically, everything still depends on free agency and the draft, the former being a little tougher to predict, thanks to this lockout we're in.

The real difference is one or two players for Miami. If the team can get its grubby, little hands on Mark Ingram and Mike Pouncey in the draft (in rounds one and two, respectively), then I fully expect the Dolphins to have a record above .500, something that hasn't happened since 2008.

If the Dolphins screw up in the draft, take a quarterback, and then a running back in the first two rounds, things might start getting tough.

Either way, it'll be interesting to see how the team improves, because before then, any prediction of their record would be out of sorts. If you want a cable television guy coming to your home range, they could finish anywhere between 7-9 and 12-4, realistically, and depending upon their offseason decisions.

Make sure you're making those good decisions, Miami.