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The Miami Dolphins are now 8-4 on the season — the first time this franchise can lay claim to such a record through 12 games since the 2003 season. And now the 2020 Miami Dolphins must look to do something that not even the 2003 team was able to do: secure a spot in the playoffs. With four games left to play, the Dolphins are currently sitting in the AFC’s No. 6 seed in the playoff field — but business is about to pick up and this team is going to have to earn their way into the postseason.
Miami’s final four opponents?
- The 11-1 Kansas City Chiefs
- The 6-6 New England Patriots
- The 7-5 Las Vegas Raiders
- The 8-3 Buffalo Bills (still to play in Week 13)
The 31-15 combined record of Miami’s final four opponents is the most difficult remaining 4-game slate in the NFL. If these Dolphins want to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to earn it.
How do the odds favor the Dolphins? FiveThirtyEight’s NFL projections do not peg the Dolphins as favorites — the team is given just a 44% chance to make the playoffs this morning based on yesterday’s NFL action, with the percentage points coming in 2% lower than they were at this time last week. So Miami’s odds fell despite winning in Week 13 against the Bengals. It’s a crowded field — but one thing that has changed is that the Tennessee Titans dropped a game to the Cleveland Browns, which puts them in contention as another team Miami can beat to the finish line if they don’t win the AFC South.
Week 14 is going to provide a lot of clarity to the playoff contenders. The Dolphins face the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Denver Broncos 22-16 on Sunday Night Football last night to move to 11-1. The Buffalo Bills will square off with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who care currently 11-0. If either team can steal a win, it would help their playoff and division odds immensely. The Browns play the Ravens and can all but totally eliminate Baltimore with a win, which can also be the case with the Patriots as they clash with an 8-4 Los Angeles Rams team. The 7-5 Raiders? They play the 8-4 Colts — which will keep Miami in the hunt regardless of the end result of Miami’s game against the Chiefs.
Plenty of clarity awaits. But the Dolphins will be best served keeping their eyes on the prize and trying to slay the giant that is Kansas City next Sunday.