In the end, the Miami Dolphins did nothing to show they were worth a playoff spot. Miami played as though they traveled across the country on a gameday red-eye flight and didn't sleep. Losing to the New York Jets was the final impression they left their fans.
The Dolphins needed two things to happen: they had to beat the Jets, and the Denver Broncos needed to lose the Kansas City Chiefs' roster of backups. The Broncos wasted no time taking a big lead against the Chiefs, who fielded a preseason roster to give the starters a full two weeks of rest.
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Around the league, Week 18 played out with the postseason on the line for several teams. The Dolphins were not all that inspiring. They managed to put up six points through three quarters and couldn't consistently move the ball.
The Dolphins wouldn't have made the playoffs had they beaten the Jets because the Broncos beat the Chiefs, but you would have believed Miami would have come out and showed they at least wanted to win.
Dolphins show up unprepared to fight with their playoff hopes alive
Miami's offense struggled to produce yards without relying on De'Von Achane. Tyler Huntley was not as good as he was in Week 17, and Mike McDaniel had his team prepared to play against a Pop Warner team instead of an NFL team with nothing to play for.
Miami entered Sunday needing a victory and a loss by Denver, who had to beat the Chiefs. The Broncos took care of their business, but the Dolphins looked as though they were going through the motions and no one had a clue what they were doing or why they were out there.
Mike McDaniel's team will have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is missing from this roster. The team is being propped up by a handful of players, at best, and that is on the coaching staff that can't seem to get the team motivated to play.
If a potential playoff spot isn't enough, why are the Dolphins still rolling with this staff?