Chiefs, 49ers Biggest Dolphins Threats in 2020

Head coach Brian Flores and his Miami Dolphins have a ferocious 16 weeks of football coming up for them this fall. For a team that went 5-11 last year, with not much of a team to speak of in the first place, it certainly is looking to make team and record improvements with its talented incoming draft class. 

New England Playing Jekyll and Hyde

Miami is also on the heels of a 1-5 divisional record for 2019 which certainly isn’t what anyone likes to see. As surprising as it is in the AFC East, that one win came against the New England Patriots in Foxborough the last week of the season. The Dolphins blocked the Patriots from a first-round bye in the postseason after being shut out in week two. With that said, it’s safe to say that New England head coach Bill Belichick will be looking to get revenge for his team, against one of his former coaching staffers, this fall in the season opener at New England.

Going up against one of the winningest coaches of all time in his home stadium is a tough feat. However, their current lack of quarterback Tom Brady is the only reason it can’t be Miami’s toughest game of the season, but it’s definitely top-three.

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Dolphins Take On 49ers in San Francisco

Come week five, the Dolphins have a meeting with the 49ers in San Francisco. The 49ers ended the 2019 season as losers of Super Bowl LVIII. However, they still had a powerhouse defense, finishing top-two in the league. 

Let’s also not forget that for a big chunk of the season, they were also not a very dormant offense seeing how they have Brady’s apprentice under center in QB Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco also has various explosive offensive pieces in tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Raheem Mostert. This could easily be one of Miami’s toughest matchups of the season. 

The Dolphins will have to somehow figure out how to improve their rush defense early on in the season after a shortened offseason. Kittle’s size and Samuel’s speed will also test new cornerbacks Byron Jones and Noah Igbinoghene early and often. This will arguably be Miami’s toughest game of the season, especially considering it’s on the road in and in a three-hour time change. 

Miami Hosts The Other 2019 Super Bowl Team

The other game on the Dolphins’ schedule that will compete for the toughest will be when it hosts defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City. Super Bowl MVP QB Patrick Mahomes will bring the talented Chiefs to Miami in week 14 in what will likely be a race for KC to the No. 1 spot in the American Football Conference for the playoffs. 

With weapons like TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill on his side, Mahomes is near unstoppable. The Chiefs’ offense also added RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire who will either be starting over former Dolphins RB Damien Williams or easily cutting into his time. Kansas City’s defense has also improved and the roster as a whole retained almost everyone after its Super Bowl run. 

However, Miami is 3-2 in the last five seasons against the defending league champions. However, it has usually been New England holding the title who has had bad rapport against Miami late in the season, going 1-4 in Brady’s last five meetings.

Kayla Morton contributed to this article.

– Christian Chappell is a Sports Contributor for Full Press Coverage Miami Dolphins. Like and follow on Follow @cmoneypc Follow @FPC_Dolphins and Facebook.