So, the dust has finally settled on the Miami Dolphins game schedule for the 2025-2026 season. If you followed along, you know it was a total rollercoaster. Honestly, looking back at the schedule release back in May 2024, nobody could have predicted how some of these matchups would actually play out. We all saw the "Madrid" game and thought, "Cool, Spain!" but the reality of a 7-10 season? That stung.
It’s funny how a schedule looks on paper versus how it feels when your team is actually in the trenches.
The Dolphins started the year with high hopes. We had Tua, Mike McDaniel's brain, and a defense that looked solid. But the NFL has a way of punching you in the mouth. Looking at the results now, it's clear that the middle-of-the-season slump basically cooked our playoff chances.
The International Madrid Experiment
One of the biggest talking points of the Miami Dolphins game schedule was that Week 11 trip to Madrid. On November 16, 2025, Miami "hosted" the Washington Commanders at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
It was a vibe.
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The Dolphins actually won that one, 16-13 in overtime. It was one of the few bright spots in a season that felt kinda disjointed. Playing in Spain was historical—the first-ever regular-season NFL game there—but the jet lag seemed to linger. We had a bye in Week 12 right after, which you'd think would help, but the team struggled to find a consistent rhythm afterward.
That Brutal Primetime Luck
You’ve gotta feel for the fans who stayed up late for the primetime games. Miami was featured heavily under the lights this year, but it wasn't always pretty.
- Week 3 at Buffalo: A Thursday Night Football disaster. Losing 31-21 to the Bills in Orchard Park is becoming a tradition we’d all like to stop.
- Week 4 vs. Jets: We actually took this one on Monday Night Football, 27-21. Hard Rock Stadium was rocking.
- Week 9 vs. Baltimore: Another Thursday night game, and honestly? A total wash. 28-6 loss.
- Week 15 at Pittsburgh: Monday night in December in PA. 28-15 loss. It was cold, it was messy, and it basically ended our postseason hopes.
Why the Division Schedule Killed the Vibe
The AFC East is a gauntlet. Period.
We started the year with back-to-back losses to divisional rivals. Losing 33-27 to the Patriots at home in Week 2 felt like a bad omen. Then the Buffalo loss in Week 3 put us in an 0-3 hole that is statistically almost impossible to climb out of.
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Interestingly, the team did sweep the Jets. That’s something, right? We beat them 27-21 at home and then absolutely dismantled them 34-10 at MetLife in Week 14. But then you look at the season finale—January 4, 2026—at New England. A 38-10 blowout loss. It was a miserable way to end the year, especially with the Patriots fighting for the #1 seed while we were just playing for pride.
Real Talk: The 2025 Results at a Glance
If you missed the middle of the season, here’s the gist of how the Miami Dolphins game schedule wrapped up:
The team finished 7-10. We had some weird wins, like that 34-10 thumping of the Falcons in Week 8 and the 20-17 nail-biter against Tampa Bay in Week 17. But the losses were heavy. Losing to the Browns 31-6 in Week 7? Yikes. Falling to the Bengals 45-21 in Week 16? Double yikes.
The defense, led by guys like Tyrel Dodson and Jason Marshall (who had a huge leaping interception against the Bucs), had moments of brilliance, but they couldn't hold up against the elite offenses on the schedule.
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Looking Ahead to 2026
What do we do with this?
Well, the 2026 schedule is already being talked about. Based on the 2025 finish, the Dolphins will likely face a "third-place" schedule next year. This means we'll play other teams that finished in similar spots in their respective divisions.
- Watch the Draft: Since we finished 7-10, we'll have a decent middle-of-the-round pick. We need O-line help. Badly.
- Free Agency: Keep an eye on the cap. The Dolphins have some tough decisions to make with veteran contracts.
- The 2026 Schedule Release: Expect the NFL to drop the new dates around mid-May 2026.
Honestly, the Miami Dolphins game schedule is always a bit of a tease. We see the talent, we see the flash, but the consistency just wasn't there this year. Whether it was the trip to Spain or the late-season collapses in the cold, the Dolphins have a lot to figure out before they kick off again in September.
For now, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on the coaching staff changes. There’s already rumors floating around about defensive adjustments. If Miami wants to actually compete in the AFC East next year, they can't afford another 0-3 start. They need to win those early-season home games when the South Florida heat is still an advantage.
The 2025 season is over. It was a weird one. Let's hope 2026 brings more than just a historical game in a soccer stadium—let's hope it brings a playoff win.