The new NFL season is upon us, and football fans from Florida are hoping for another successful campaign. Some of the sport’s best and most successful teams hail from the Sunshine State but will they live up to expectations this year and deliver playoff football to their fans? Only time will tell, but the Dolphins, Jaguars and Buccaneers are certainly good enough to continue their campaign into the early part of 2022.
The 2021 NFL season is the 102nd campaign of the National Football League and promises to be one of the most important in history as the sport and America battle back from the crippling effects of the coronavirus pandemic. With several teams holding strong claims on the Superbowl, played in California next February, it will also be a competitive season and one that will keep the sport’s millions of fans entertained through winter.
The NFL has a global following, and fans love to make predictions on the season, including conference winners, divisions and Superbowl. Many football supporters also make predictions on the best games from each round. With the betting rules in Florida expected to change in the near future, it could pave the way for sports fans in the state to begin gambling on football.
Miami fans suffer a drought
Miami Dolphins fans are no strangers to success with the world-famous team boasting two Superbowl titles. Dolphins were crowned kings of football back to back in 1972 and 1973 but have been unable to add a third since. Too many failed attempts, disappointments and near misses have left supporters of the Dolphins weary, sick of seeing the team never live up to their potential. There is more than one generation of sports fans in Florida that have never seen Dolphins win a Superbowl and that pains everyone connected to Miami Gardens.
There hasn’t been much more to cheer about at the conference and championship level with the Dolphins’ most recent of five conference titles secured back in 1984. That is longer than most of the current crop of players have been alive. The team has won the AFC East on 13 occasions with the first in 1971 and the last coming in 2008. The pressure is now on head coach Brian Flores to help guide the team back to success.
Making the playoffs is the least that long-suffering support will expect from Miami and the team has plenty of experience there. They have made no less than 23 appearances in the playoffs, first securing their spot in 1970. Over the years the Dolphins became a regular feature of the extended season but have played playoff football only once since 2000 and not since their last in 2008.
Miami humiliated in defeat
Miami fans spend the offseason dreaming of better times ahead. They hoped the 2021 season would help catapult them into 2022 in fine form and well placed to challenge for a return to the Superbowl. That may still be the case but if Dolphins are to enjoy a strong year they will have to do it the hard way and bounce back from a dreadful start. Months of hope and optimism came crashing down at the earliest opportunity when Miami lost to the Buffalo Bills on week one of the season.
Not only did they suffer defeat on their patch in that game but the Dolphins were humiliated. Despite being handed the home-field advantage at the Hard Rock Stadium at Miami Gardens, Florida against a team they were expected to beat, that match failed to follow the script. Buffalo won the game at a canter, humiliating their opponents with the scoreboard at the end of play reading 35-0 in Bulls favor.
The victors got off to a strong start, winning the first quarter 14-0 and that set the Dolphins a huge task. The scores didn’t change in the second quarter but Buffalo emerged from the second half with a new focus. They won the third and fourth quarters 14-0 to coast across the finish line.
Matchday two sends Dolphins to Allegiant Stadium and the Las Vegas Raiders before a difficult October begins. Miami faced Indianapolis Colts, a grudge match with Tampa Bay Buccaneers then the Jacksonville Jaguars. There’s still time for a home match against the Atlanta Falcons then a chance at revenge when going to Buffalo.
