The Miami Dolphins have been in the playoff for two consecutive seasons under head coach Mike McDaniel. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely that streak extends to three. Let’s take a look at the very specific outcomes the Dolphins need to reach the postseason.
What Is the Miami Dolphins’ Current Playoff Picture?
The AFC East has long been decided, with the Buffalo Bills claiming yet another victory. That leaves a Wild Card spot as the Dolphins’ only path.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers having clinched a playoff spot, there were five teams battling for two spots heading into Week 17. However, with the Los Angeles Chargers’ win over the Patriots, they have now officially clinched one of the Wild Card spots.
The Dolphins are in a pretty good spot regarding tiebreakers, having the advantage over the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, both teams not only have a better record than the Dolphins, but Denver is two full games ahead of them.
Miami’s path involves creating a logjam at 9-8 with the right teams and winning tiebreakers. How exactly does that happen? Let’s review.
How Would a Dolphins Win Impact Their Playoff Chances?
There’s no point in discussing what happens if the Dolphins lose — the season is over. And now, the team might need to fight for their playoff lives without Tua Tagovailoa, who is doubtful to play due to a hip injury.
The Dolphins have to win their final two games and get to 9-8 to have any shot at playing more football. The problem is the two teams they are chasing already have nine wins. That means at least one of them has to lose both games.
The good news is if the Dolphins end up 9-8 with the Broncos, Miami will win the conference record tiebreaker. The Dolphins also do not have to worry about the Bengals as they have the tiebreaker locked up. If the Bengals win out and get to 9-8, the Dolphins would get in over them.
So, it’s actually rather simple as it pertains to the AFC West team: the Broncos must finish 0-2, putting them tied at 9-8 with the Dolphins.
Additionally, the Dolphins need the Indianapolis Colts to lose a game. If the Colts get to 9-8, they would win the tiebreaker over the Dolphins by virtue of their head-to-head over Miami earlier this season.
To break it all down as simply as possible, here is the Dolphins path to the playoffs:
- Dolphins finish 2-0;
- Broncos finish 0-2;
- Colts lose at least one more game.
The Dolphins could have been eliminated on Saturday if the Broncos defeated the Bengals, but Cincinnati pulled off the overtime win. Now, the Dolphins will be rooting for the Chiefs to take down the Broncos in Week 18, even though they will likely be resting starters.