4. Dolphins face a (mostly) favorable schedule
The Dolphins will host the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots over the next two weeks before heading to Green Bay for a Thanksgiving game against the Packers. Miami can't afford to look past its next two opponents. The Raiders are not a good team, but the Patriots have surprised some throughout the season.
Miami's biggest three games come against the Packers, Houston Texans, and San Francisco 49ers. They also meet the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets twice. While the Jets are in shambles, they can still play good enough football to steal one game from the Dolphins. Miami's remaining eight games are winnable if the team plays like it has over the last two weeks.
Fans need to think back to the Bills game. Did they lose because of one late-game penalty or because the defense couldn't close it out? The Bills are the best team Miami will face the rest of the season, but the approach has to be that each week, they will be facing Buffalo. With that mentality, they can play against the better teams. Only the Packers (6-3), 49ers (5-4), and Texans (6-3) have winning records.
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3. Dolphins' playoff rivals face tough schedules
The Dolphins have a favorable schedule, but their competition faces a more daunting challenge.
Broncos: As weird as it sounds, the Dolphins could have benefited from a blocked field goal that kept the Kansas City Chiefs unbeaten. The Broncos' loss last week kept them close. Denver still has to play the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, Bengals, and Chiefs.
Colts: The Colts own the head-to-head tiebreakers over the Dolphins, but they are falling quickly, having lost three in a row since beating Miami. They still have to play the Jets, Detroit Lions, and Broncos.
Bengals: Cincinnati is as inconsistent as any other team in the league. It has a great roster but can't put it all together week to week. The Bengals hold a one-game lead over the Dolphins, and their remaining seven games include the Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys.