In some ways, Mike McDaniel is turning in his best season as a head coach. It still may not be enough to save his job or get the Miami Dolphins into the playoffs. There is, however, still hope.
The Dolphins are looking far less likely to move on from him in 2026, regardless of whether Miami makes the postseason. It's well-documented that Stephen Ross wants to find a reason to keep his head coach.
With Week 14 arriving, the Dolphins remain three games behind the seventh-seed Buffalo Bills with only five games remaining. They have less than a 1% chance of pulling off a miracle. If that is going to extend another week, several teams will help their chances this weekend.
Dolphins biggest need exiting Week 14 is a win over the New York Jets
It can't be stressed enough. The Dolphins face a must-win game against their division rivals. If Miami is going to have a shot at that 7th seed, they will have to have a better division record than the Bills. Currently, the Dolphins are 2-2 in the division with games against the Jets and Patriots still to come.
The Bills are 2-2 as well. With the two teams splitting their season's head-to-head games, the division record will be the first tie breaker, regardless of how many teams each is tied with at the end of the season.
The current playoff picture ahead of week 14
The Patriots and Broncos are the only runaway teams in their divisions. The Ravens and Jaguars both hold slim leads over their rivals, the Steelers and Colts, respectively. The Chargers, Colts, and Bills make up the Wild Card teams.
- New England Patriots - 11-2
- Denver Broncos - 10-2
- Jacksonville Jaguars - 8-4
- Baltimore Ravens - 6-6
- L.A. Chargers - 8-4
- Indianapolis Colts - 8-4
- Buffalo Bills - 8-4
The best chances for the Dolphins to gain ground in Week 14
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
The intriguing teams here to watch are the Ravens, who currently lead the AFC North over the Steelers due to tie-breakers, and the Jaguars, who hold the same over the Colts. The two teams still have yet to play each other this season and will meet twice in the next five games, including Sunday.
It would seem as though the Colts losing would make more sense for Miami, but the Dolphins can't win a head-to-head with Indianapolis. They would need a three-way tie with the third team being one they have not played. If the Colts can beat the Jaguars twice, the Dolphins can gain ground on that 6th and 7th seed. It might be a good idea to get the Colts out of the picture and into their division lead.
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
The Steelers are in a similar situation. They are on the outside looking in, and it is looking more likely that the winner of the division will be the only team from the AFC North to make the playoffs. Miami has already lost to the Ravens, so it makes more sense to root for them over the Steelers. Miami plays Pittsburgh in Week 15.
The Steelers will play in Baltimore this week and will finish the season at home against their rivals. If the Ravens can win both and the Dolphins can beat them next week, the Steelers won't be able to take the Dolphins' spot in the playoffs.
If the Dolphins finish in a three-way tie and the Steelers are one of those three teams, Miami will have a better shot if the Colts are the 3rd. The Steelers beat the Colts earlier in the season.
Cincinnati @ Buffalo
The Bills need to keep losing. The only way the Dolphins can get into the postseason is if the Bills, Chargers, and either the Colts or Jaguars all lose three games. The Bills will host the Bengals on Sunday. With Joe Burrow back, maybe the banged-up Bills could drop another game. A win on Sunday would make the final four weeks almost a must-lose situation for the Dolphins' chances.
The Dolphins need more help than just the teams holding playoff seeds.
Get through those three or four of those teams, and the Dolphins still need to see the 7-5 Texans and the 6-6 Chiefs drop a game or two. Miami has no head-to-head against either of them, so conference record would be the first tie-breaker scenario.
The Dolphins are seriously behind the proverbial 8-ball here. They have only won two conference games this year. That is a huge problem if they end tied with a team they have not played. The Chiefs have only three conference wins, but the Texans have six. Miami needs the Texans to lose and finish the season with a worse win/loss record.
Texans @ Chiefs
Rooting for the Chiefs makes the most sense unless you just want to potentially eliminate one team from the equation. If the Chiefs win, they will hold the head-to-head over the Texans, and that could help Miami should a three-way tie end with those two teams. Miami could potentially still get in with a better conference record.