Dolphins not expected to reach playoffs in 2018

The odds of which NFL teams have the best shot at making the playoffs in 2018 are out, and to the surprise of no one, the Dolphins are not given much of a shot to reach the postseason.

You would think the way the Miami Dolphins are being looked at for the upcoming 2018-2019 season that they’ve only won a handful of games total over the past few seasons. That they’ve been drafting in the top 5 every year, and that this season should be no different. When in reality this was a playoff team two seasons ago when they had their starting quarterback for the majority of the season.

Although Ryan Tannehill missed all of last season, and the last quarter of 2016, there’s no question that he’s made strides to get better as his career has gone on, and was having his best season ever under then first-year head coach Adam Gase. By all accounts, it looks as though Tannehill is fully healthy and ready to go for the upcoming season, but it’s as if the rest of the country is still expected to see Jay Cutler rolled out there come Week 1.

Either that or they’re banking on the idea that Tannehill will get hurt again sooner rather than later, and all hope will be lost for Miami. Given the Dolphins backup quarterback options, I would agree that the season would be lost should Tannehill go down, but to think that one particular player is going to go down is absurd.

Regardless of the reason, no one outside of Dolphins nation is giving Miami any shot this year. And should Tannehill remain healthy, I just don’t understand how so many can predict that they will be so bad.

A couple of weeks ago, the odds came out that Gase is one of the top 2 coaches most likely to be fired following the 2018-2019 season. Then earlier this week, Walter Football, a well-known mock draft website, had the Dolphins picking at #1 with a quarterback selection, after presumably, a dreadful season.

Now, the odds for every team reaching the playoffs have come out, and as you may have guessed, the Dolphins are viewed as one of the least likely teams to make it to the postseason.

At +600, Miami is viewed to have the same odds as the Browns and the Jets of reaching the playoffs. Only Arizona (+800) is considered to have less of a chance. The fact that the Dolphins are considered to have the same odds as the Browns and Jets is baffling. Yes, the Browns are improving their team, but they’ve won one game over the past two seasons. They’re still miles away from postseason consideration until proven otherwise, while the Dolphins have been at least mediocre for two decades now, and typically, at least flirt with the idea of a postseason berth.

And to be viewed on the same level as the Jets is an insult.

It seems as though with Tannehill returning somehow many believe the Dolphins will get worse. Last season, when Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury, it was understood that the Packers playoff hopes would diminish. With Rodgers now returning, the Packers again are considered favorites to reach the postseason. I’m not saying Tannehill is Rodgers, far from it, but he’s not Ryan Leaf either. The offense is considerably better when he is out on the field.

More from Dolphins News

• Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
• 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
• Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
• 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
• Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal

Yes, the Dolphins lost Jarvis Landry, Mike Pouncey, and Ndamukong Suh, this off-season, but I believe that the national media outlets may be putting too much emphasis on those players. Losing Suh is the most impactful, and we’ll have to see if the Dolphins young defensive tackles are ready to step up in his place. Miami has made significant moves to replace Landry and Pouncey, and it could be argued that they’ve improved in those areas as a result. We’ll have to wait and see how it relates to on the field.

The good news though is that if you are one of those people fully confident in Miami’s chances to make the playoffs this year then these are good odds for you to bet on. If you’re not familiar with how the odds work, they’re easiest to calculate based on a standard $100 bet. So, for example, with Miami at +600, if we placed a $100 bet on the Dolphins making it and they did, then we would win $600 as a result, plus the $100 bet back for a total of $700.

Compare that to a team like the Packers (-170), who are heavy favorites to make it, we would have to wager $170 to win $100, for a total of $270. While I’m confident that the Dolphins will surprise some people this season, and prove the naysayers wrong, I’m not so sure they’re a playoff team just yet.

They will have to stay healthy in order for them to have any shot, which has been an issue in recent years. I do believe that the Dolphins will be one of those teams fighting for a playoff spot, but I don’t think I’d risk my hard earned money that they’ll make it over the threshold. These odds are a slap in the face to the Dolphins organization, however, so if you’re willing to gamble it’s a good time to do so.