Can the Miami Dolphins make the playoffs in 2018?

MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 25: David Fales #9 and Danny Amendola #80 of the Miami Dolphins take the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 25: David Fales #9 and Danny Amendola #80 of the Miami Dolphins take the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins have played 9 games so far this season, the question can now be asked; do the Dolphins have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs?

The Dolphins currently reside in seventh place in the AFC.  In my opinion it’s going to take 10 wins to make the playoffs without help.  Are the Dolphins a 10-win team at this point?  Not in my opinion.  So, the question becomes, can we get to nine and hope to get help along the way.

Now, I know this is the NFL and crazy things happen every week, but for this discussion’s purpose, lets assume a couple things.  First, the division leaders today, are the division leaders at the end of the season.  Also, the Dolphins can put both games against the Buffalo Bills in the win column.  Not a guarantee by any means but we are going to go with it for the sake of this article.  Can the Dolphins find two more wins in the remaining 5 games? It’s not probable, but it’s possible.  So, where do they find these two wins?

This week the Dolphins will take on Green Bay on the semi-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.  Not an easy place to play.  I think this game is critical for the Dolphins playoff hopes.  Miami is catching Green Bay with a banged up Aaron Rodgers.  Outside of Devante Adams, the Packers skill guys aren’t that scary.  The key to the game will be not just getting pressure on Aaron Rodgers, but keeping him in the pocket when you do.  The Dolphins possess speed at the linebacker position.  If I’m Matt Burke I spy Aaron Rodgers with Raekwon McMillan and try to keep him in the pocket and get secondary pressure on him.   If the Dolphins can do this, they have a puncher’s chance.

Coming out of the bye the Dolphins will travel to Indianapolis.  While the Colts are sitting at 3-5 one thing can be said, this team scores points.  They are averaging just under 29 points per game on the season and just over 34 in their most recent five games.  I don’t believe the Dolphins can score enough to win this road game.

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After the assumed victory against the Bills the dreaded Patriots will come to South Florida.  Now, the Dolphins typically play the Patriots tough at home but this game typically falls as the final game of the year and often times the Patriots have nothing to play for.  To ask this team to beat Tom Brady while the games still matter is a tough ask. I don’t see the Dolphins winning this one.

The Dolphins will again go on the road to take on an NFC North opponent in the third to final week.  The Minnesota Vikings have been tough to figure out this season.  They’ve lost to the Buffalo Bills and have beaten the Super Bowl Champion Eagles.  Which team shows up against the Dolphins will be anyone’s guess.  Unless Gase calls a great game offensively, the Dolphins will suffer another loss.

In the second to last game of the year an underwhelming Jacksonville Jaguar team will come to Miami.  At the beginning of the year when going through the schedule this seemed like a sure loss.  Now, I’m not so sure.  This will still be a tough game but one now that looks winnable.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – DECEMBER 31: Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills avoids the tackle from Andre Branch #50 of the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – DECEMBER 31: Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills avoids the tackle from Andre Branch #50 of the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Dolphins finish the season with a trip to Buffalo in the final week.  While I’m assuming the Bills spirit will be broken by this point and they will simply be trying to finish the season without getting injured, this is the NFL and anything can happen.  That being said, I do see the Dolphins winning this game.

At the time of this article it appears there will be four teams competing for the two wild card spots.  The San Diego Chargers, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans.

The Chargers seem to have the inside track as they are playing really good football and currently have a 6-2 record.  The Chargers remaining schedule consists of the Raiders, Broncos (twice), Cardinals, Steelers, Bengals, Chiefs, and Ravens.  A tough schedule for sure but with 6 wins already the Chargers should find enough wins to lock up a wild card spot.

That theoretically leaves one spot for three teams

The Dolphins have a game in hand over the 4-4 Titans not to mention the head to head tiebreaker.  Tennessee has a tough matchup this week at home as the New England Patriots come to town.  The Titans go on the road the following two weeks with matchups against Indianapolis and Houston respectively.  The Jets and Jags come to Nashville the next two weeks before the Titans travel to New York to face the Giants.  The Titans finish the season with two home games against Washington and the Colts.  The Titans schedule has multiple winnable games on it.  The head to head tiebreaker gives the Dolphins the edge.

When the Dolphins let a 17-0 point second half lead melt away against the Bengals earlier this year, so with it may have gone their playoff hopes.  The Bengals not only got a conference win, they took the head to head tiebreaker.

The Bengals have games left with the Saints, Ravens, Browns (twice) Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, and Steelers.   A lot may depend on whether the Steelers have anything to play for in their matchup in the final game of the year.  Much to the dismay of Dolphins fans, I think the Bengals find four wins and reach the 10-win mark.

In the end, I think the Miami Dolphins will fall short of the playoffs and much of it will be able to be traced back to the Bengals game.  Had the Dolphins won that game and were currently sitting at 6-3 with tiebreaker in hand, the playoff outlook would look much different.

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