NFL’s 3rd-toughest slate includes rare back-to-back games against rival Jets

With the full 2020 NFL schedule being released Thursday night, here’s a closer look at the Miami Dolphins’ 16-game schedule:

The Dolphins have the NFL’s third-hardest schedule, based on 2019 opponent records (.529 strength of schedule). The New England Patriots (.537) and New York Jets (.533) have the league’s toughest schedules.

The Baltimore Ravens, who are considered among the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LV, have the easiest schedule by far (.437). No other team has a strength of schedule below .455.

The Dolphins and Jets will play each other in back-to-back games in November. The longtime AFC East rivals will face off at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 15 for a Week 10 matchup. Following a bye for both teams, they meet again on Nov. 29 at the Meadowlands in Week 12. It marks the first time two teams will play each other in consecutive games in nearly 30 years, according to NFL Research.

The last time that happened was in 1991, when the San Diego Chargers and Seattle Seahawks played each other in consecutive games with a bye week in between.

Miami opens the season with four of its first six games on the road, including back-to-back road games against the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 11) and Denver Broncos (Oct. 18) in Weeks 5 and 6. It opens the season against the Patriots in Foxborough.

The Dolphins close the season with games against four teams that went a combined 41-23 last season, including three playoff teams (Patriots, Buffalo Bills and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs).

The Dolphins play six straight games against teams from the AFC and NFC West from Oct. 4 to Nov. 8: versus the Seahawks, at the 49ers, at the Broncos, versus the Chargers, versus the LA Rams and at the Arizona Cardinals.

Miami’s home schedule is loaded with quality opponents as the Dolphins host the Chiefs, Patriots and Rams, with each of those teams having played in a Super Bowl the last two seasons. Those three teams have a combined record of 69-27 (.719) since 2018. Among other intriguing home opponents are the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks and two teams featuring star rookie quarterbacks (Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow and the Chargers with Justin Herbert).

The Dolphins are scheduled to travel 24,424 miles this season, the sixth-most in the NFL and second-most of any team not in the Pacific time zone. The 24,424 miles traveled also will be the second-most in team history (excluding seasons that had games overseas), trailing only the 25,516 miles traveled in 2016.

The Dolphins will face five teams that appeared in the 2019 playoffs (Chiefs, 49ers, Patriots, Bills, Seahawks), including both Super Bowl teams (Chiefs, 49ers) from earlier this year.