Dolphins’ 2020 playoff hopes hinge heavily on Week 2 outcome

Dolphins’ 2020 playoff hopes hinge heavily on Week 2 outcome

No pressure, Miami.

The Miami Dolphins enter Week 2 of the 2020 season sitting at 0-1, an undesirable place to be, but also an inevitable reality for half of the NFL’s 32 franchises. But where the Dolphins go from here will be heavily dictated with the team’s ability to bounce back in Week 2 and avoid another devastating loss within the AFC East. The Dolphins have drawn the Buffalo Bills for their Week 2 opponent, who are coming into the game fresh off a sufficient beatdown of the New York Jets in Week 1.

And while it may be too early in the season for a true “must win” contest, the data suggests that Miami does indeed have a massive amount to gain or lose depending on the outcome of Sunday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium.

At 0-1, the Dolphins current playoff odds sit at 25% according to a past study from FiveThirtyEight that reviewed the outcome of the 1990-2013 NFL seasons. A win by the Miami Dolphins against the Buffalo Bills would move that number to 41% — still not great, but certainly an improvement over the team’s one in four chances. But a loss in Week 2 to Buffalo? According to this past study, Miami will see their playoff hopes halved from 25% to just 12% if the team falls into an 0-2 hole to start the season.

Needless to say, Miami will have their work cut out for them but should know full well the leverage and what is on the for this team. Given the perceived competitiveness of the AFC East this season, Miami’s divisional aspirations add even more weight into the Week 2 performance. Should the Dolphins come out and score a win against Buffalo, consider it game on for the team to try to push for the postseason.

But a loss in Week 2 will throw cold water on postseason hopes and serve as a sober reminder of just how far this team still has to go.