How Dolphins' brutal loss to Packers impacts the AFC playoff picture

The Miami Dolphins' season was on the line Thursday night in Green Bay, but they failed to give fans a reason to think this season was anything but a failure.

Miami entered the game 1.5 games back on the Denver Broncos for the AFC's seventh seed. Miami had one less loss until Thursday night. Losing to Green Bay gave the Broncos needed breathing room and dropped Miami two games out of the final wild-card spot.

While the Dolphins are not eliminated officially, the chances of a miracle opening the door for them to walk through has become quite slim.

The Dolphins will host the 49ers and Jets to round up their home schedule and will play three of their final five on the road, including two trips north to New York and one to Cleveland. If the Dolphins can't beat those two in late December, they will prove they can't win in cold weather.

The Dolphins are still in the playoff chase, but it is far less likely now

AFC playoff picture after Thanksgiving

1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
4. Houston Texans (7-5)
5. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
7. Denver Broncos (7-5)

In the hunt

• Miami Dolphins (5-7)
• Indianapolis Colts (5-7)

With the loss, Miami will have to watch the weekend play out and hope that something falls their way to make it at least a little easier to get back into contention. Miami needs the Patriots to beat the Colts, the Falcons to beat the Chargers, the Steelers to beat the Bengals, and the Broncos to lose on Monday night to the Browns.

Not all of that will happen, of course, but the two biggest games of the weekend will be the Broncos and Colts. If both lose this week, the Dolphins' chances will not be hurt nearly as much as they could have.

The Dolphins did what they could to make it a game late, but they simply gave up too much in the first half to have a realistic chance. If the Dolphins lose one more game this year, that will likely be enough to rule them out of contention. The two toughest remaining games will be against the 49ers and Texans.

More Dolphins News and Analysis