First Two Games of Dolphins Schedule Officially Set

The Miami Dolphins will be facing the New England Patriots in their 2022 season opener and then go on the road in Week 2

Each NFL team officially announced its 2022 home opener Thursday at 6 p.m., but word already was out for the Miami Dolphins the opponent would be the New England Patriots.

But now we also know the Dolphins' Week 2 opponents, with the Baltimore Ravens announcing that their home opener will be against Miami on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. ET.

The Dolphins will open the 2022 NFL season at home against the Patriots on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. The official release of the entire NFL schedule will come at 8 p.m. ET.

THE DOLPHINS-PATRIOTS OPENER HISTORY

This will be the third straight season the Dolphins will play the Patriots in their opening game, though the previous two were at Gillette Stadium. Miami won last year’s season opener at Foxboro, 17-16, and holds a 5-5 all-time record against the Patriots on opening day.

The 2022 matchup will feature a number of intriguing storylines, including the battle between former Alabama signal-callers Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins and Tagovailoa won both of their matchups against Jones and the Patriots last season.

The game also will mark the return of former Dolphins receiver Devante Parker to South Florida after getting traded to the Patriots this offseason (along with a 2022 fifth-round pick) for a 2023 third-round pick. Parker spent seven seasons with the Dolphins after he was selected 14th overall in the 2015 NFL draft.

Miami is 56-57 all-time against the Patriots but has won four of the last six matchups, and New England hasn’t won in Miami since 2019. 

The last time the Dolphins hosted the Patriots in a season opener was in 2014 when Miami won 33-20 on the strength of a brilliant rushing performance by Knowshon Moreno.

The Week 2 assignment against the Ravens is not going to be an easy one for the Dolphins, who have lost their past two games at Baltimore by scores of 38-6 and 40-0.

This game will be a rematch of the 2021 Thursday night game the Dolphins won 22-10 on the strength of Xavien Howard's fumble return for a touchdown.

Dolphins-Patriots, Part 2

The second Dolphins-Patriots matchup of 2022 actually will take place in 2023, according to a report from South Florida radio host Andy Slater. Per Slater, the Dolphins will play at Gillette Stadium on New Year's Day in Week 17.

SLATER SCOOP: The Miami Dolphins will play at the New England Patriots on New Year’s Day, an NFL schedule-making source tells me.

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) May 12, 2022

This would eliminate the Patriots as the opponents for the Dolphins' season finale Jan. 8, leaving either the Buffalo Bills or the New York Jets.