MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins (10-4) got back on track Sunday against the New York Jets, and as a result, they lead the AFC East by two games with three to play.
But if you listen closely, you can hear Buffalo’s footsteps. The Bills (8-6) are suddenly the AFC’s most dangerous teams after impressively beating the Chiefs and Cowboys in consecutive weeks.
You could make a compelling argument that two of the conference’s three best teams right now reside in the AFC East.
So the Dolphins’ playoff scenarios are a bit more intricate now than they were just eight days ago — with the division title and even the AFC’s No. 1 seed still in reach, but a berth as a Wild Card team not out of the realm of possibility, either.
Miami Dolphins’ Playoff Scenarios
First, the Dolphins’ one and only division-clinching scenario in Week 16.
They would be AFC East champs with a win over the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) and a Bills loss or tie to the dreadful Los Angeles Chargers (5-9), who have a new coach after an embarrassing Week 15 loss to the Raiders.
If both don’t happen, the division title will remain up for grabs through at least Week 17. But if the Bills win their next two and the Dolphins have one or two losses in the next two weeks, the Week 18 matchup between Miami and Buffalo will be for the division crown.
That’s a distinct possibility — one the Dolphins should keep in mind.
It’s also why Sunday’s 30-point win was so important for Miami. It makes it far more likely that the Dolphins will get in as a Wild Card if they fall short of the division crown.
The Dolphins are one of just two double-digit-win teams in the AFC (the Ravens, who the Dolphins face in Week 17, are the other).
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After Week 15, there will be just 11 teams — including seven in the Wild Card hunt — that can still get to 10 wins.
If the Dolphins beat the Cowboys in Week 16, two of those seven (the Steelers and Broncos) cannot catch them. And two others — the Texans and Colts — still face each other this season, meaning both cannot get to 11 wins.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins would prevail in any tiebreaker that involves the Bengals by virtue of Cincinnati’s dreadful conference record (3-6).
So put another way, if the Dolphins beat the Cowboys on Christmas Eve, they’re guaranteed a spot in the tournament.
And if they win out, they’ll be the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
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