The Miami Dolphins are climbing back into the playoff picture after beating the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Many fans think, "Nope, I've seen this movie before!" They would be right, of course, but this time, it might be smart to get back on the wagon.
The Dolphins are three games below .500 with no path to the AFC East title without a massive season-killing collapse by the Buffalo Bills. Consider the Bills are 8-2 with a five-game lead on Miami, which, in essence, is six games, given they swept the Dolphins. The Bills would have to lose all seven remaining games for the Dolphins to have a slim shot at the East. The wild-card race is a different story.
Miami is two games back from the Denver Broncos in the seventh seed. The Indianapolis Colts own the eighth spot with four wins, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals, also with four. The Colts, Bengals, and Broncos have played 10 games and have yet to have their bye week. That means Miami could climb within one game during that week off for each team. All three play in Week 11.
So, why should Dolphins fans be optimistic about a season that has gone so horribly wrong? Here are five reasons.
5. Dolphins' defense has found its footing under Anthony Weaver
After the MNF win in Los Angeles, Dolphins Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey told the media there was a lot to clean up on his side of the ball. He said there isn't room for error, and the team needs to improve despite holding a good Rams offense to just five field goals.
He is right, though. There were mistakes on that side of the ball, but Miami played a great game and found ways to get into the backfield to disrupt the plays. Against the Bills, the Dolphins' defense was able to hang around and keep them in the game. This defense is starting to look like a developing top-five unit in the NFL, and if they continue to grow under Weaver, they will be hard to score on.
In the last two weeks, the Dolphins' defense has looked much more like the Baltimore Ravens' defense. They are tackling much better and not giving up big plays nearly as much. With a favorable schedule ahead of them, this could be a chance to fine-tune their play before hitting the final stretch.