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.
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.
RELATED: 5 things you need to know about the Dolphins vs. Raiders in Week 11
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.
2. The lightbulb is starting to get a little brighter for Mike McDaniel
Mike McDaniel called a nearly perfect offensive game against the Bills, even in defeat. He wasn't as good against the Rams, but McDaniel made the right calls when it mattered the most. The Rams took away the Dolphins' run game and forced them to go to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but instead, McDaniel used Jonnu Smith and De'Von Achane as pass-catchers.
McDaniel is starting to realize that he can adjust his game to what the defense is giving him and then make them pay for it. What is the difference? For starters, McDaniel isn't going for the big plays to Hill as much as he has in the past. He is slowing down the speed of his offense, and it is working because now defenses can't figure out where to allocate their coverages.
The Dolphins have to stick with what is working, and McDaniel has to get the plays in on time. He wasted timeouts on Monday night. He also has to avoid the "Madden" in him. In other words, he can't take unnecessary risks when he doesn't need to. It's OK to punt the football, and it's OK to pick up four yards instead of 20 when the defense gives you four. He is learning, and it seems he may be settling into his job a lot better. This will be key to the rest of the year.
1. Tua Tagovailoa is taking over the team as a bonafide leader
There were three mistakes that could have been costly for the Dolphins on MNF. Tua turned the ball over on an interception and then fumbled on a sack. After the interception, he made a more critical boneheaded mistake when he lowered his head to tackle the defender. That could have sent him right back into the concussion protocol. He has to play smarter if the Dolphins are going to win.
What does stand out is the fact he is taking over this team. There is no question anymore who the leader is, and while Tagovailoa may run the offense, the defense is also playing better as a result of his leadership. Great quarterbacks win because they have teammates who don't want to disappoint them. Tua is becoming that type of QB, and when players start playing for someone else, they tend to play much better than if they were playing just for themselves.
The Dolphins are finding their way through the adversity, but it's still a long season and one mistake could be the difference between winning and losing.
There is enough going right for the Dolphins to think they have a real shot at making a good run down the stretch. The team believes they can, and they are not talking about the future, just the one game ahead of them.
Dolphins fans have seen this before, nearly every year. They throw in the towel only to be given reasons to believe, then to have their hearts ripped out once again. Will this season be any different? That isn't clear, but we can at least enjoy the ride because these Dolphins are not giving up.