It's not exactly a hot take to predict the Miami Dolphins will finish the 2026 season with the worst record in the NFL. But could they really go a whole 17-game schedule and win just one game?That's what Nate Davis of USA TODAY forecast for the Fins in his record projections for all 32 teams. In an article published Aug. 5, Davis laid out the case for why Miami will have its worst season in its 61-year history.He's far from the only football prognosticator to pick the Dolphins to wind up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL draft. The case against the Dolphins is solid: The turnover from coach Mike McDaniel and former stars like Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leaving an untested roster behind. The unknowns around new quarterback Malik Willis, getting his first chance at being the starter with only De'Von Achane as a sure-fire offensive weapon. The restructured front office that extends to new CEO Daniel Sillman, the heir apparent when father-in-law Stephen Ross steps aside as owner.Shop for Miami Dolphins ticketsDavis made predictions for all 272 regular-season games to make his projections. His 1-16 prediction would be the worst record in team history (Miami went 1-15 in 2007)."This isnt meant to disrespect first-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, rookie HC Jeff Hafley or their players," Davis wrote. "But theres no denying that the Fins purged this roster, are cleaning up their salary cap and will predominantly roll with young and/or inexperienced starters in 2026, including first-timeNFL QB1 Malik Willis. Miami very much looks like a team that could struggle to pass the ball and struggle to disrupt opposing air attacks. "A one-win projection is quite the accusation. Only one team this decade has finished with just one win: the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars in the year of Urban Meyer. That was back when teams played only 16 games; only the 2023 Panthers have finished with two wins since the schedule expanded in 2021. Through the 2010s, the only teams that bad were the Browns who had one win between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.Davis also pointed out the cruel twist of the knife by the NFL's schedule-makers. The Dolphins not only have what's regarded as one of the league's weakest rosters, but they also have one of its toughest schedules. Miami plays nine teams who had winning records in 2025, and it plays two of them twice (the Bills and reigning AFC champion Patriots). They've also got the Chiefs and presumably healthy Patrick Mahomes and the Bengals with a vastly improved defense."The Dolphins also somehow wound up with the AFCs toughest schedule (opponents with a .542 winning percentage in 2025) and thats with the Jets on there twice," Davis wrote. "Ominous."Not everyone is so down on the Dolphins. Connor Orr at Sports Illustrated also made picks for every game this season and gave them a 5-12 record, tied for third-worst in the league. That might actually be bad news for Dolphins fans, he explained, because that might put them out of range to draft Arch Manning, Dante Moore or one of the other top-tier quarterbacks in April's draft."Like the first season of the Brian Flores regime, I have the Dolphins personnel bouncing upward with a change in leadership," Orr wrote. "Jeff Hafley is a good coach who may be able to get something out of the existing roster that Mike McDaniel could not at the end of his time there. This isnt a reflection on either person, but the idea that different people respond to different personality types."Dolphins preseason schedule 2026All times Eastern.Friday, Aug. 14:at Washington | 7 p.m. | CBS 4 Miami (WPTV in West Palm Beach)Saturday, Aug. 22:vs. NY Giants | 4 p.m. | NFL Network, CBS 4 Miami (WPTV in West Palm Beach)Friday, Aug. 28:vs. Atlanta | 7 p.m. | CBS 4 Miami (WPTV in West Palm Beach)Dolphins schedule 2026All times Eastern.Week 1:at Las Vegas | 4:25 p.m. Sept. 13 | FoxWeek 2:at San Francisco | 4:25 p.m. Sept. 20 | FoxWeek 3:vs. Kansas City | 1 p.m. Sept. 27 | CBSWeek 4:at Minnesota | 4:05 p.m. Oct. 4 | FoxWeek 5:vs. Cincinnati | 1 p.m. Oct. 11 | FoxWeek 6:ByeWeek 7:at NY Jets | 1 p.m. Oct. 25 | CBSWeek 8:vs. New England | 4:25 p.m. Nov. 1 | CBSWeek 9:vs. Detroit | 1 p.m. Nov. 8 | FoxWeek 10:at Indianapolis | 1 p.m. Nov. 15 | CBSWeek 11:at Buffalo | 1 p.m. Nov. 22 | FoxWeek 12:vs. NY Jets | 1 p.m. Nov. 27 | CBSWeek 13:at Denver | 4:05 p.m. Dec. 6 | FoxWeek 14:vs. Chicago | 1 p.m. Dec. 13 | CBSWeek 15:at Green Bay | 1 p.m. Dec. 20 | FoxWeek 16:vs. LA Chargers | 1 p.m. Dec. 27 | FoxWeek 17:vs. Buffalo | 1 p.m. Jan. 3 | CBSWeek 18:at New England | TBDThis article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: A 1-16 season for the Dolphins? Why one NFL expert predicted doom