Home opener pushed back
Buccaneers game will be made up Nov. 19
Hurricane Irma has forced the Miami Dolphins’ season opener against Tampa Bay to be postponed until Nov. 19, the bye week for both teams. The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins were originally scheduled to play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. That option was scratched Tuesday when the NFL announced the game wouldn’t be played at that time and location.
There also was consideration of playing the game at a neutral site on Sunday, but the league decided to move the game to Week 11 instead.
Coach Adam Gase canceled practice for the rest of the week, presumably so players and their families can get prepared for Hurricane Irma.
The Dolphins have even taken the precautionary step of deflating their indoor practice bubble, something they didn’t do last year in the face of the threat of Hurricane Matthew. The Dolphins have also removed the tarp that kept fans shaded at practices during training camp.
The postponement allows the Dolphins to preserve their seven home games at Hard Rock Stadium this season. The Dolphins have seven home games instead of eight because they agreed to move their Oct. 1 home game against New Orleans to London as part of a requirement for securing Super Bowl LIV in 2020. That resolution, passed in 2014, states Super Bowl hosts must host an international game within five years of being awarded the Super Bowl.
The postponement also means the Dol-