Dolphins rooting for multiple upsets to boost playoff odds in Week 12

The annual "who do you root for and against" part of the NFL season will arrive a lot earlier for the 2024 Miami Dolphins.

Over the last few years, even dating back to the Brian Flores days, schedule watching and rooting guides didn't typically start until the calendar turned to December, and Christmas was on everyone's mind. Now, like the holiday popping up in stores long before September is done, Dolphins fans are counting the wins and losses of other AFC teams before Thanksgiving.

The Dolphins won't have a late-season collapse like they did last season, which allowed the Buffalo Bills to retake the AFC East. They already had their collapse and are trying to rebuild. Miami's margin for error, a term we are now using almost daily, is rather small. They need help, too, so with that being said, Week 12 is here, and these are the teams you need to be rooting against to boost their playoff chances.

Dolphins fans' rooting guide to boost playoff hopes in Week 12

The Lions need to beat the Colts

The Colts are not a good football team, and the Lions are considered the best in the NFC, if not the entire NFL. It is possible the Lions overlook the Colts and the game stays close, but former Dolphins coach Dan Campbell doesn't let his team overlook too many opponents.

A Colts loss opens the door for the Dolphins to step through. Miami is only half a game behind Indianapolis, as it hasn't had its bye week yet. A loss to the Lions and wins by the Dolphins this week and during the Colts' bye week would eliminate the potential head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams.

The Raiders need to beat the Broncos

The Broncos are playing very well and currently hold the seventh seed in the AFC. They were a blocked field goal away from beating the Chiefs two weeks ago, and Sean Payton has rookie Bo Nix playing better every week. The Broncos are 6-5, two games ahead of the Dolphins, and they, too, have not had their bye week. A loss to the Raiders is another opened door.

The Chargers and Ravens will help the Dolphins no matter who wins

This is a toss-up for sure. The Chargers hold the fifth seed, while the Ravens hold the sixth. They will run head-on into each other on Monday night. Each team has seven wins on the year, three games over the Dolphins, but the Chargers have already taken their week off and the Ravens have not. A loss by the Ravens might be better for Miami because they can turn that into a two-game swing.

Of course, none of this matters if the Dolphins can't beat the Patriots.

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