There’s so much going on this weekend in the NFL. We’ve already seen the Houston Texans lock in a playoff spot — but that clinch may help the Tennessee Titans bump the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the postseason next week with a Titans win against a Texans team with little to play for.
Keeping up?
Don’t worry. We’re here to lay out all of the prominent games that have impact on the Dolphins’ hunt for optimal draft picks — so that you know exactly what to root for in Week 16.
Cincinnati @ Miami
We aren’t going to tell you what to root for — a Dolphins win would be a nice Christmas present for many, we’re sure! But a Dolphins loss would give the Dolphins a chance at the gift that keeps on giving: the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. The Dolphins will get a chance to nail their rebuild either way, but a Bengals win opens the door for a dramatic Week 17 slate in which Miami could secure the top pick.
New York (Giants) @ Washington
For the sake of tiebreakers, Miami fans should be rooting for the New York Giants this weekend — their strength of schedule is worse than Washington’s and if Miami were to finish tied with either team in the loss column, they’d want it to be Washington. So New York needs to secure the win.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets
This serves as a bit of a conflict for Dolphins fans. A Steelers win knocks down the Dolphins’ strength of schedule — which will play a critical role in determining the ties in the NFL Draft order. But a Jets win? A Jets win positions the Steelers to miss the playoffs with a Titans win over Houston next week. That’s what we’re hoping for, even though the win for New York does more damage than Pittsburgh’s would for Miami’s strength of schedule.
Detroit @ Denver
The Dolphins didn’t play either team this year, but the NFC East played the NFC North this season — meaning a Lions win would boost both the Giants and the Redskins’ 2019 strength of schedule for potential tiebreakers with Miami. An added bonus here? A Detroit win would also protect Miami from passing them in the NFL Draft order should Miami finish 4-12.
That comes thanks to a tie between Arizona and Detroit in Week 1.
Carolina @ Indianapolis
For Miami to see any hopes of securing the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, teams like Carolina need to pull out a win. Detroit has spent the last two months crashing and burning — the Panthers fall into that category as well, having lost their last 6. A Panthers win boosts Washington’s strength of schedule and simultaneously hurts Miami’s. This is a big game for the Dolphins.
Kansas City @ Chicago
This one is also a big game for Miami, but only secondhand. A Kansas City win over Chicago moves the Chiefs to 11-4 on the season and half a game ahead of Houston for the 3-seed in the AFC. That may seem inconsequential, until you remember the Chiefs would also only be a half game behind the New England Patriots for the 2-seed and a 1st-round bye thanks to a head to head win in Foxboro.
A Chiefs win keeps the Patriots motivated headed into Week 17, which minimizes the odds of “Fitzmagic” striking and giving the Dolphins a stunning win against the Patriots next weekend.
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