Miami Dolphins vs Tampa Bay Bucs Rescheduled Due To Hurricane Irma

Yesterday afternoon the NFL announced that the Week 1 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins would not take place in Miami this Sunday, due to the potential threat of Hurricane Irma. At the time, it was unclear whether the teams would play at a neutral site on Sunday or if the game would be rescheduled for later in the season.

Today, the NFL announced their decision to have the Bucs vs Dolphins game rescheduled for Week 11 (November 19th) when both teams were supposed to have a bye week. This means the Bucs and Dolphins will now have to play 16 straight games this season.

If the game had been moved to a neutral site, not only would the Dolphins owners lose a game's worth of revenue, but the team would only have a total of six real home games this season because their Week 4 game in London is considered a home game. Not to mention, Dolphins players will now be able to be with their families this weekend as they prepare for Hurricane Irma.

The Bucs will now start their regular season on Sunday, September 17th at home against the Bears, while the Dolphins will open up on the road in San Diego on the 17th. 

CNN reports that Irma is forecast to be a "potentially catastrophic" category 5 hurricane as it runs through the Caribbean and approaches Florida later this week. To put things in perspective, the storm is said to be stronger than Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina.

According to ESPN, Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, had approximately $500 million in renovations over the past two years and a big part of those renovations were to reinforce the stadium to withstand a Category 4 hurricane.

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