Don't look now, but the Miami Dolphins are suddenly in the playoff hunt... well, sorta. It's obviously not going to be easy to get into the postseason with a 3-6 record past the halfway point of the season, but crazier things have happened, and with a weak AFC, would it really be all that wild if the Dolphins somehow grabbed one of the wild-card spots?
Along with the AFC being vulnerable this year, the Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa back in the lineup and a relatively easy schedule. If they do their part and beat the winnable games on their schedule, that'd give them an 8-6 record. If the Dolphins can win at least one game against the tougher teams on their schedule (Packers, Texans, or 49ers), that'd give them nine wins, which likely gets them in.
The odds aren't really on the Dolphins' side here, however. NFL Next Gen Stats has given them a 10% chance of punching their ticket to the postseason, good for the sixth-lowest odds in the conference. Even the New York Jets, who have one more loss on their résumé than the Dolphins, have a higher percentage, sitting at 13%.
Dolphins' playoff odds increase after Week 10, but not by much
The Dolphins had a string of bad luck at the beginning of the season, leading to them having two separate three-game losing streaks. After they dropped to 2-6, thinking about the playoffs seemed like a pipe dream for the fans, but now, it's not as crazy to start firing up those conversations again even with the low odds.
Yes, 10% is a long shot, but it feels like the Dolphins are trending in the right direction. The AFC isn't the powerhouse that it typically is, and with winnable games on the schedule, the Dolphins have a chance to go on a run.
Sometimes, getting hot at the right time is all it takes. Let's hope this win over the Rams is the start of a magical run for the Dolphins.