The Miami Dolphins’ playoff chances have diminished during Week 15 despite not yet playing their own game. Due to their 2-7 start, Miami positioned themselves in a place where they needed help from other teams. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson called the Week 15 results “a very damaging day for Miami’s slim hopes”
After the Chargers, Bills and Texans won today, the Dolphins possess a 2% chance of making the postseason if they win out. Miami would be eliminated with a loss in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football.
Miami’s Playoff Picture
Due to today’s results, the Dolphins will need some unlikely upsets in order to get into the postseason. They needed help from the Chiefs, Patriots and Jets today but their AFC rivals failed to help Miami’s chances.
The Chiefs squandered a 13-3 lead as Patrick Mahomes suffered an injury in the fourth quarter with the team driving down the field. The Patriots blew a 21-point lead against the Bills, while the Jets lost in a lopsided matchup against Houston. The Dolphins will now look to the Seahawks to provide a small boost to their chances in their matchup against Indianapolis.
Of course, the Dolphins have no one else to blame but themselves for the position they currently find themselves in. They lost the tiebreaker against the Los Angeles Chargers as they blew the lead with less than a minute remaining in a home game. They were blown out by Indianapolis in the season opener. They also lost the first matchup of the season against the Bills as Zach Sieler committed a devastating roughing the kicker that then resulted in Buffalo taking the lead.
For now, the Dolphins will look to keep their playoff hopes alive against the AFC North leading Steelers. In order to do so they will have to do something they rarely do, win in the cold. If Miami manages to win in Pittsburgh, they will find themselves rooting for the Browns, Raiders and 49ers next week.
What Miami Has To Play For
After starting 2-7, many expected the Dolphins to quit on the season. Instead, Miami has done just the opposite. They’ve reeled off four straight wins and managed to find themselves “in the hunt”.
Perhaps the biggest motivator for the Dolphins right now is job security. Some around the league expect Miami to enter a transition period, but some believe a strong finish to the year could save head coach Mike McDaniel his job. Whether or not he pulls off this feat is yet to be seen, but for now it’s clear that the team has yet to give up on their coach.
McDaniel isn’t the only member of the team who is potentially fighting for his job. The Dolphins have several players who are set to be free agents following the year or players like star running back De’Von Achane, who will likely seek a contract extension. Currently, Miami has found a formula that’s resulted in them winning games, even if it will likely not be enough to help them sneak into the postseason.
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