Dolphins 2009 regular-season schedule unveiled

The Dolphins will open defense of their AFC East division title on Sunday Sept. 13 against the Atlanta Falcons according to the NFL schedule released by the NFL moments ago.

The Dolphins schedule, the hardest in all the NFL according to 2008 records, will hit prime time the second week of the season when the Dolphins host the Colts at Dolphin Stadium on Monday Sept. 21 in their first prime time game since 2007.

That game will require the Florida Marlins to move their previously scheduled game against Philadelphia to be moved to July.

The Dolphins are scheduled for four prime time games. They also play the New York Jets Oct. 12 on ESPN, the Carolina Panthers Nov. 19 on NFL Network and the New England Patriots Dec. 6 in Miami on NBC.

The NFL schedule-making computer has been quite kind to the Dolphins as they play three games at home the first five weeks of the season, while the temperatures and humidity in Miami will still be quite high. Meanwhile, the Dolphins don't have a horrible cold weather game to speak of, barring a storm of some kind.

The team finishes the season with consecutive home games and the three December games prior to that will come at balmy Jacksonville, at home against New England and in Nashville against Tennessee where it might be cold, but it won't be anything like Buffalo.

The schedule:

2009 Regular Season Schedule
	Date	Opponent	Time*	TV
	Sept. 13	at Atlanta Falcons	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	SEPT. 21	INDIANAPOLIS COLTS	8:30 P.M.	ESPN
	Sept. 27	at San Diego Chargers	4:15 p.m.	CBS
	OCT. 4	BUFFALO BILLS	4:05 P.M.	CBS
	OCT. 12	NEW YORK JETS	8:30 P.M.	ESPN
	Oct. 18	Bye Weekend
	OCT. 25	NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	4:15 P.M.	FOX
	Nov. 1	at New York Jets	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	Nov. 8	at New England Patriots	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	NOV. 15	TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS	1:00 P.M.	FOX
	Nov. 19	at Carolina Panthers	8:20 p.m.	NFLN
	Nov. 29	at Buffalo Bills#	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	DEC. 6	NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS#	8:20 P.M.	NBC
	Dec. 13	at Jacksonville Jaguars#	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	Dec. 20	at Tennessee Titans#	1:00 p.m.	CBS
	DEC. 27	HOUSTON TEXANS#	1:00 P.M.	CBS
	JAN. 3	PITTSBURGH STEELERS#	1:00 P.M.	CBS
*All games are Eastern Time. #Games that can be potentially moved to Sunday at 8:15 p.m. on NBC-TV. Join me in the comments section for the live blog starting at 7:30 p.m.

Comments

[John M]

Rats - thought I scooped you! :)

[jeff]

Nice. Not a single cold-weather game. Unless they get some wacky weather in buffalo in november.

[Armando Salguero]

I'm looking for tedhill and Mitch. Where are they?

[Minge]

After the Saints game, 6 of 8 we play on the road?! WTF?!

[Pedro Rovira]

Mando,

What's the deal? Why won't Big Tuna pull the trigger and sign Anquan Boldin. Sure he's a premadonna, but what true number one receiver isn't. Sure we need to get young we could still draft a WR and have Boldin as a not to old explosive mentor. Think Henne + Pennington why wouldn't this work out? This guy actually wants to be in Miami and we all know what he can do he killed our D last year.

[Naples Gator]

Looks good... Its gonna be a fun season!!!

[Fishfan]

Not that bad, we don't play two away games in a row. The only tough travel will be from Miami to San Diego and then back to Buffalo. Overall not bad.

[Bart DePalma]

Nice.

Four primetime games.

The Bills and the Jets come to Miami in the heat.

Miami as NO winter games.

No long road stints.

Miami finishes with two home games.

[souljahbeats]

4 primetime games...NICE!

[Fishfan]

Mando, What do you think?

[john madden]

Hey minge-- Theres 10 games after the saints game and 4 are at home and six on the road.

[Tony T Bone]

Last four games out of division.That is different.

[Armando Salguero]

I think the toughest stretch in the schedule looks like Nov. 19-Dec. 20. The Dolphins play five games in that span -- four of those on the road.

[Rich Taylor]

Hey Armando,

Do you agree with the other guy who said that there is NO CHANCE Parcells drafts a receiver in the first round?

I think that based on what should be available by pick 25, there is a chance.

[Robby Marino]

Tough schedule man!! The cold weather isn't applicable any more with Sporano and the new mgt.. These guys are ballers now!!!

[souljahbeats]

Home opener on a monday night! That is going to be crazy...I'll be there!

[Dan]

we play the panthers in thanksgiving? lol nice

[Armando Salguero]

Pedro, Anquan Boldin is not a free agent. He can't just be signed. The Dolphins would have to trade for him. And the Cards would have to put him on the market.

He's not on the market today. He might be in a week or so, but not today. Meanwhile, I've been told the Dolphins will consider trading for Boldin but forget that stuff about giving up a first round pick.

[Robby Marino]

Mando,

How realistic is my recurring dream? The Cards trade Boldin for pick 25.. We get Boldin and Cards get Noshawn Moreno & Nicks or Britt. Cards also get next years 3rd Round.

[Dolphins4life]

4 primetime games 4 party's Yes!
Monday nigtht against the Jets 10/12 and Sunday night against the Patsies 12/06 hell yes it is on!

[nyfinfan3493]

fish fan, what schedule are you looking at? we play 2 away games in a row on 3 separate occasions...
Nov. 1st at Jets
Nov. 8th at Pats then...
Nov. 19th at Carolina
Nov. 29th at Buffalo then..
Dec. 13th at Jacksonville
Dec. 20th at Tennessee

[Armando Salguero]

Rich,

Anyone who says the Dolphins definitely will do this or definitely will not do that is full of it. Two people know what the Dolphins are likely to do. Their names are Parcells and Ireland and they're not sharing that information with anyone. Period. Everyone else is speculating on who the pick will be.

[Armando Salguero]

Um, the Carolina game is the 19th of the November. Thanksgiving is the 26th. The Dolphins DO NOT play on Thanksgiving this year. Thank You God!

[Armando Salguero]

Robby, I don't think the Dolphins will be doing that trade you're dreaming about. They would rather trade back and pick up the two players you just mentioned as going to Arizona.

[Superfin72]

Armando, I would favor a Ronnie Brown for Boldin "straight-up" trade. No picks, just straight-up player for player. What do think?

[Phinfankid]

Mando,

I know Rey Maualuga probably wont fall to us, do you think, just think, we could trade up for him. that dude is Bad!! Maybe throw in John Beck? HAHA

[Dolphins4life]

Just one home game in the month of November, two in December Yikes! tough stretch. One good thing is that the Dolphins wont have to worry about the cold weather games till possibly end of November at Buffalo

[Armando Salguero]

Superfin: I would do that. I know Brown is younger, but Boldin is a better offensive player, IMO.

[John M]

For a very difficult schedule, things seem favorable. Aside from the comments made already - especially breaking the prime-time drought! - I like two things in particular:

* Facing off immediately against the "other" turnaround team from 2008 - will be able to see where we are right away
* Facing the Super Bowl champions on the last game of the season - one could imagine needing that game much more than the Steelers would at that point in the season, so hopefully it'll be a showdown of Chad vs. Charlie!

[Fishfan]

My bad, I looked at the shaded games and thought those were the home games. If you look at it that way it looks like we don't have two away games in a row, not counting the buy week.

[Robby Marino]

It'll happen Mando; otherwise, why would I have dreamt it multiple times. Besides, your blog today read that you MUST get 3 starters.. That guarantees one..

What ever happened to Rodrigue Wright? He had so much supposed potential, he was drafted while injured. Is he out of favor with this regime or does he still have a chance?

[nyfinfan34]

Armando,
assuming miami does go pass rush at 25, who would be your realistic pick?

[CHASE]

HOORAY! Were exciting enough to be put on night games again....

[Armando Salguero]

Phinfankid: I think Maualuga is a beast, but I don't know if he's mature enough for the Dolphins. They don't want goofs. And Rey has shown he's a kid at times.

Also, am I the only person that has noticed USC players come into the NFL looking like Tarzan but a lot of them play like Jane?

[Armando Salguero]

Robby, Rod Wright is in the netherworld of not having been drafted by this regime. The guy they continually mention to me that got no love last year was Lionel Dotson. He's going to get a chance to play and compete in training camp/preseason.

[Dolphins4life]

Armando
Brown is faster, can play QB (running the wild cat) can catch the ball well and is younger than Boldin, no I wouldn't pull the trigger on this one. But, adding more high draft picks for Brown yes. First round and a second would be good.

[John M]

Your thoughts on the schedule, Armando? I think we fared pretty well, all things considered, particularly with how we start and end the season.

[Armando Salguero]

Guys, I think the Dolphins are going to get to pick No. 25 and try like heck to trade back.

They want to add more picks. Parcells is worried about 2010 like it's a balloon mortgage payment and he knows barring no bargaining agreement, Miami will have a dozen UFAs. No way they can re-sign that many players. So Parcells wants badly to add bodies in THIS draft.

Another thing is the value seems to be in picks 10-18 and then in picks 35-55, according to what a Dolphins source told me. Soooo, I'm just putting 2 plus 2 together here and thinking they want to trade back and get more value while also getting an extra pick.

[Lincoln Osiris]

You are a monolith among pebbles.

[mASSphin]

Question: If we are 1-4 going into the bye-week, do we see Henne? Mighty tough schedule, but this is football.

[Robby Marino]

If this regime was willing to trade Satele, a 2nd rounder for a 7th, you have to believe that they'll trade Beck for a 7th.

Is this a trade that can happend draft day? Are the Fins unwilling? Or is Beck that bad that no one is offering even a 7th?

The guy can make some throws...

[Armando Salguero]

John, the only thing wrong with the schedule is that it has New England on it twice, along with Pittsburgh, Carolina and Peyton Manning and Indy.

The order the games are set up is not a factor this year based on no serious cold weather situations or back-to-back west coast trips. It's a good setup for Miami, I think.

[Superfin72]

D-4 I dont think anyone in thier right mind would give a 1st and 2nd for Ronnie Brown, not even Al Davis. LOL

[Armando Salguero]

mASS: Tony Sparano talked about that scenario at the owner's meetings.

He recalled how everyone on the Dallas staff knew it was time to pull Bledsoe and go with Romo based on the fact Romo was rapidly improving, but also on the fact the Cowboys needed a spark. If the Dolphins are 1-4, 2-6 next year and part of that is Pennington's fault, it will be Henne time.

[Dolphins4life]

Armando
Yes, you are the only one who thinks that about USC players. This crop of LB's coming out of USC will be the best yet. Keep an eye out for Kaluka Maiava will be a very good weak side LB taken maybe mid 2nd or third

[dolfan4life]

Armando,

Is Braylon Edwards in any consideration for a trade? Maybe we can get him cheaper than we would get Boldin.

[Phinfankid]

Armando,
Thanks for your input. I just hope if we trade back we will get some value. I don't think we got enough for Samson. Hopefully it's a two part trade and we can finish the deal with Oakland on draft day.

[Robby Marino]

dolfan4life: c'mon man!! Braylon!! Tuna would throw him overboard after his 5th drop...

[dolfan4life]

Robby,

Braylon is better than what he played last year. The year before that he wason fire and he was once thought to be a Dolphin back in the draft so why not now?

[Phinfankid]

HAHA Braylon Edwards? No Thanks! I saw enough drops from Chris Chambers!

[Andy G.]

There is all this talk about wide reciever, but I think we need to go cb with the first pick.
anyone besides me see a star in the making with Davone Bess?

[dolfan4life]

Besides we would not have to give up much to get him. I dont believe Cleveland wants him there.

[dolfan4life]

Besides we would not have to give up much to get him. I dont believe Cleveland wants him there.

[cuban menace]

Mando, Can the phins repeat as afc east champs ane what are your thoughts on the 4 prime time games the phins get this year?

[Superfin72]

Armando I dont understand trading back. At #25, are you suggesting we'll trade completely out of the 1st round?

[Armando Salguero]

Dolphins4life: Reggie Bush, Larry Jackson, Mike Patterson, Mike Williams, Leinert, tubby White. Need I say more?

[Dolphins4life]

Superfin72
Yeah I agree, but you just don't give him away, ask for the stars or just keep him. Hey look at what Jimmy Mamma got for Herschel Walker. BTW if Al Davis loved Ronnie Brown he would give up just about anything.

[Robby Marino]

Andy: I concur.. Love that guy..

[dolfan4life]

There is a very strong chance that the Phins go with Sean Smith at 25 if NE takes Butler before then.

[Armando Salguero]

Steven, I never said I'm a GM. Someone asked my opinion and I gave it. I don't ask you to read my columns or visit the blog. Your are free to go play with your thumbs for all I care.