Dolphins Get Playoff Reprieve

UPDATE: The Steelers overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens has put the AFC WildCard chase into a 7 team race with only 1 game separating Miami and the leaders for the 2nd WC spot. The Denver Broncos still maintain a 2 game lead over the Phins for the 1st WC spot.

The Miami Dolphins are flying home from Buffalo and if they haven’t landed yet, they probably can’t wait to get home, turn off the TV and drink. A lot. There won’t be any Southbeach parties, no dinners with teammates, nothing. They will be back to work tomorrow to look at game film of a pathetic effort that wasted a 10 day preparation window and took control of the playoffs out of their hands, control of the division out of their minds, and any hope of a playoff appearence teetering on the absurd notion of mathematical probabilities.

And then, there were the afternoon games. And with them came a reprieve.

Forget about the Dolphins position in the playoff chase had they won. Yes it’s hard and yes they would be sitting tied with Pittsburgh and Jacksonville for the final WC position assuming that Denver takes the other one. Yes, the Dolphins have both of them on the schedule and would then control their destiny in the WC chase as well as the division. A win today would have afforded the team the ability to lose next week to New England.

While the Dolphins try and come to terms with their pathetic play calling, their pathetic defensive execution, and lackluster play from everyone not named Ricky Williams, they can awake to the comfort of knowing that they are in no worse position for a WC spot tonight than they were this morning. Sure, the division race is a lot different and one that not even a victory next week will help, but the WC is still a possibility…provided this team learns something valuable from today’s game. Stop giving up leads and put teams away.

Earlier today the Houston Texans looked to shove the Colts off the unbeaten list but just as the Dolphins began giving the game to the Bills, the Texans handed the game back to the Colts. Now, they are 5-6, tied with the Phins and looking ahead to a late season match-up. The Phins control this outcome.

The Texans loss was good for the Dolphins but the loss by Jacksonville in the afternoon game to San Fran was better. The Jaguars are now one game ahead of Miami instead of two with a match-up coming in two weeks. Again, the Dolphins can control that head to head tie-breaker.

That leaves the two teams that won and the two teams yet to play. Tennessee pulled out a shocking win in the desert on a no time remaining TD to Kenny Britt following a 99 yard drive to beat the Arizona Cardinals. The win puts the Titans at 5-6 as well…with a game between the Phins and Titans a few weeks away. Yep, the Dolphins control their destiny with that one as well. The Jets won today as well and while they have the same record as the Dolphins, the Phins own the season head to head.

Which brings us to the two teams that the Dolphins do not control their future with. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers hold a one game lead over the Dolphins as it stands heading into tonight. The Ravens are 1/2 game ahead of Miami at 5-5. So who do you root for? Well, the Steelers will be without Ben Rothlisberger tonight so they stand a good chance to lose. A loss tonight will put those two teams each one game up on Miami. A win by the Steelers and they will take a two game lead on the Phins and make the prospects that much more difficult. The Phins have the controlling hand against the Steelers if they lose tonight. The Steelers will play the Ravens again in a few weeks as well so they could knock the Raven back and with some help, the Phins could find themselves sitting on top of the birds by the final weekend.

While nothing, even the scenarios above, will make swallowing the bitter pill of today’s loss any easier, the fact is that the Phins still have some life and in some respect a controlling interest in their fate. A little help here and their and the Dolphins could find themselves a surprise team, the same team that should have been sitting their today looking down instead of up. Chins up instead of heads down. Instead, they have to hope for a little magic. And of course, without question, beat the Patriots next weekend.

The final schedules for the playoff chasing teams are as follows:

Pitt – Baltimore, Oakland, Cleveland, GB, Balt, and Miami

Denver – KC, Indy, Oak, Phi, KC

Jacks – Hou, Mia, Indy, NE, Cle

Hou – Jax, Sea, Stl, Mia, NE

Tenn – Indy, Stl, Mia, SD, Sea

All in all, it’s much more favorable today than it was this morning but not as favorable as it could have been had the Dolphins actually won the one game they should have had no problems winning.