Dolphins must root for these teams to save playoff dreams in Week 13

Losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to the Miami Dolphins, but it was pretty darn close.

Watching the Dolphins lose was gut-wrenching, but any Miami fan who has been around this team for more than five years knows this is their annual "method of operation." They beat up on the bad teams, build up false hopes and fantasies for their fanbase, and then go out and play like they have no business being in the NFL.

Thursday night may not have been quite that bad, but this Dolphins team simply didn't show up until the second half, and the Packers showed Miami isn't as good as the recent hype.

Tua Tagovailoa can't play in the cold, the Dolphins can't beat winning teams, and so on.

We know the narratives, and we get another couple of weeks to listen to them. The reality is this: Until the Dolphins can beat top teams in the NFL, we need to stop jumping up and down when they beat teams like the Raiders. If the Dolphins were as good as we want them to be, they never should have lost to the Colts, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Titans, with or without Tua.

With five games left, it isn't going to be an easy road to the postseason.

Dolphins fans find themselves once again rooting for teams to lose late in the season

Dolphins need Browns to beat Broncos on MNF

The Broncos hold the seventh seed in the AFC playoff race. The Dolphins are currently two games behind them. Denver is 7-5, while Miami is 5-7. A win by the Broncos on Monday night over the Browns will give them a 2.5-game lead over the Dolphins with five games to play.

Dolphins need Patriots to beat Colts

The Patriots will host the Colts on Sunday. Indianapolis shares a 5-7 record with Miami but holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. A win by the Colts puts them ahead of the Dolphins, while a loss will drop them half a game back.

Dolphins need Falcons to beat Chargers

The Chargers are playing well under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and they are in great position to make the playoffs. If the Chargers win this weekend, they will take a three-game lead over Miami. That should just about end any chance of the Dolphins getting a higher seed than Los Angeles.

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Dolphins need Jaguars to beat Texans

The Texans are leading the AFC South, but if the Colts win and the Texans lose, that division becomes tighter. The Colts would be one game back. This is important because if the Dolphins beat the Texans in three weeks, they could potentially end the season in a three-way tie with the Colts and Texans. If the Colts win the division, the Dolphins could win the head-to-head against Houston.

Dolphins need Steelers to beat Bengals

If you are like me, you just don't like Pittsburgh. This week, the Steelers need to beat the Bengals. If the Bengals win, they will have the same record as Miami, which could be problematic down the road. The Bengals' schedule isn't horrible.

Dolphins need Eagles to beat Ravens

The Eagles will play the Ravens in the afternoon slot, and a loss by the Ravens will still keep open the potential of catching them. It is extremely thin. The Ravens have a three-game lead on Miami right now, and a win over the Eagles will be, for all practicality, impossible to overcome.

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