After a 2-6 start, the Miami Dolphins have scratched and clawed their way back to the .500 mark. Mike McDaniel has led the club to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons as head coach.
This time around, he's going to need some help from the franchise that knocked the Dolphins out of the postseason a year ago.
Miami Dolphins may be playoff bound after all, if…
The scenario for Miami to reach the playoffs is simple. Defeat the New York Jets for the second time this season on Sunday, and hope that the Denver Broncos lose at home to the Kansas City Chiefs at basically the same time.
The reigning Super Bowl champions have already secured the top seed in the AFC. Hence head coach Andy Reid plans on giving some of his veterans a little time off this week.
Common sense says that minus Patrick Mahomes and a few other quality performers, this will obviously not be the same team that owns an NFL-best 15-1 record. Reid's team is also riding a six-game winning streak since that Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Common sense sometimes has little to do with the game of football.
Denver Broncos have lost their last two games
Carson Wentz will get the nod for the Chiefs. He's played in a total of 12 games with three different teams the past three seasons, including a pair of relief appearances with Kansas City this year.
The second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft wasn't even in the league the last time the Broncos reached the playoffs. He will be making his first start since Week 18 last season when he helped lead the Los Angeles Rams to a 21-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
What's the point? Keep in mind that in Week 18 of 2023, Reid also sat his share of starters at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers. Kansas City's starting quarterback was Blaine Gabbert, and somehow the Chiefs scratched out an ugly 13-12 win.
The Denver defense has had its issues as of late. While Payton's team is fifth in the NFL in fewest points allowed, it has given up 30 or more points in three of their last four games.
By all indications, Tyler Huntley will get the nod ahead of Tua Tagovailoa for the second straight week as the latter is still recovering from a hip injury suffered three weeks ago. Even though the Dolphins have knocked off the Jets four straight times, it would be unwise to assume that a fifth straight victory is in the cards.
Just like it would be foolish to think that the Chiefs wouldn't take pleasure in knocking off a longtime divisional rival for the second time this season, and keeping them out of the playoffs.