The Miami Dolphins know what is on the line this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Dolphins, sitting at 9-5 on the season, must win their final two football games on the schedule to ensure a trip to the postseason — starting on Saturday night with a trip to Las Vegas. That’s a tough draw, one that Miami has no wiggle room to work with if they hope to continue to control their own playoff destiny beyond Saturday night.
Technically the playoffs don’t start in the NFL for another few weeks.
But Dolphins head coach Brian Flores feels as though Miami’s situation fits the perfect set of playoff conditions to embrace in the meantime. After all, it is time to win or go home for the Miami Dolphins; so why not look at it as an extension of the postseason?
“I don’t have a problem with people talking about whatever they want to talk about, but our playoffs are this week against the Raiders. That’s my – let’s call it the playoffs, this week against the Raiders. Let’s call it that. It’s one game at a time. That’s kind of where my focus is,” said Flores this afternoon when asked about his players’ focus on the postseason.
“That’s where we’ll try to direct their focus. If they’re talking about anything else, it’s about the Raiders. It’s one game. It’s a one game season. Let’s call it a one game playoff season.”
The Dolphins have two one-game seasons left on their schedule. The first is Saturday night against the Raiders in primetime. Miami will hope to return some key players from injury, such as WR DeVante Parker and TE Mike Gesicki, in time for this game. And if the Dolphins are indeed going to look at Saturday night as a playoff game, their availability may be pushed given all that is at stake.
Based on Brian Flores’ mentality, everything you play for is up for grabs for the Dolphins — so expect them to act accordingly.