Losing the AFC East now would be a huge blow to the Miami Dolphins
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are in a position to run away with the AFC East and if they fail to win the division, this season may have to be considered a disappointment.
Sure, the Dolphins could sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, run the table through the postseason, and win the Super Bowl. If they did that, the season would be a huge success but let us be real for a second. Winning the division is in their grasp 10 weeks into the season and if they fail to accomplish that, the season will be a letdown until they win the Super Bowl.
Week 10 saw the Patriots, Jets, and Bills all lose while the Dolphins were on their break. Looking at the schedule ahead for Miami, the Jets, and Buffalo, it is clearly one that favors the Dolphins.
Miami will have to play the Jets twice with the first game coming on Black Friday in New York. This will be a huge game for the Dolphins and would essentially eliminate the slim chances of the Jets climbing back into the division.
The Jets will finish their final 8 game stretch against the Bills next week and then Miami. They will face the Falcons and Commanders as their final two games against mediocre teams. The Jets will also play the surging Texans, the Browns, and a rematch against the Patriots in the final weekend.
There may not be enough games for the Jets to get back into this without beating both the Bills and the Dolphins twice.
The Bills on the other hand do not have an easy road ahead of them. They face the Jets in week 11. They lost to the Jets in week one. They will then play on the road against the Eagles and Chiefs before coming home to host the Cowboys. They wrap their final three games of the season on the West Coast against the Chargers, home against the Patriots, and then in Miami to wrap the season.
For Miami, they will face the Raiders, Jets, Commanders, Titans, Jets, Cowboys, Ravens, and Bills.
The Dolphins schedule isn't horribly bad and they should be able to win at least four of their next five games. Doing so puts Miami at 10 wins heading into the final three games of the season. Miami hasn't played well in December but this year they need to turn that around.
Looking ahead, the Dolphins have a road paved to win the division and if they don't, given the circumstances they are looking at within themselves and the other teams, it will be disappointing.