Dolphins Ready for the Real Thing

After an offseason that included the hiring of a new head coach, a blockbuster trade, big free agent signings and some scandal at the highest levels of the team, the Miami Dolphins are finally preparing for their Week 1 home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

“I'm just excited to get the season under way, all offseason, all year, there's been a lot of talk, there's a lot of anticipation,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “And now it's finally here's Week 1, we're getting ready to go. I'm gearing up to get ready for a game to actually count on the score column this week. So, that's always exciting."

Miami’s players and coaches are looking to balance their excitement for finally playing a game that counts with adequately preparing for a division rival.

PATRIOTS-DOLPHINS MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW

This is the third straight season Miami will play the Patriots in its opening game. Miami won the 2021 Week 1 matchup, 17-16, in Foxboro and is 5-5 all-time against New England on opening day.

One of the biggest changes from the 2021 team to this year's edition is the addition of free agent offensive tackle Terron Armstead. Like Wilkins, Armstead is ready to turn all of the team’s offseason preparation into on-field success.

“I'm excited for sure,” Armstead said. “That's what we've been working for. That's what this whole process is about, what we suit up for, what we practice every day for, what we lift the weights for. All that, it's for this moment right now. So looking forward to having a great week of preparation, and then when we hit the field Sunday we are ready to roll.”

Armstead isn’t the only newcomer on offense excited to make his debut. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is looking forward to making a big impact right away Sunday.

“I'm ready to finally be welcomed into the Hard Rock Stadium,” Hill said. “[I’m] very excited. My family is very excited. I just can't wait to score my first touchdown.”

McDANIEL READY FOR HEAD-COACHING DEBUT

For Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, making sure the team is fully prepared for anything Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who McDaniel called arguably the best coach of all time, can throw at them is the focus.

McDaniel pointed out that the matchup isn’t between just him and Belichick, but it’s also worth noting that Belichick's Patriots went 6-0 against first-time head coaches last season.

“That’s the coolest thing about Week 1, in general, is because there’s build-up on both sides of the ball,” McDaniel said. “You have stuff that you’ve planned for, but what you haven’t planned for is the unplannable. So then you adjust during the game, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position in my career where I’ve been able to put myself through that whole play-calling process deliberately for basically the past decade.”

McDaniel isn’t the only one thinking about what Belichick could throw at the team Sunday. Safety Jevon Holland expressed excitement for the game, but he’s also focused on preparing for a wide range of in-game adjustments.

The game Sunday will be Holland’s first chance to build on an impressive rookie season that saw him record 69 tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defended, three tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries and 2.5 sacks.

“You have to prepare for basically anything,” Holland said. “He's one of the greatest coaches of all time. So, going into the game, you never know what he can come up with. So, yeah, I would say you do have to prepare for all types of things.”