Breaking Down the Dolphins’ Slim Playoff Chances

Breaking Down the Dolphins’ Slim Playoff Chances

The Miami Dolphins earned a pulse-pounding victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to stay alive in the playoff race. The game was probably closer than it should have been, considering the Saints have just two wins on the season. However, a win is a win, even if it was ugly. With the victory, Miami improved to 5-7 on the season and is clinging to a razor-thin chance of making the playoffs for the third time under head coach Mike McDaniel.

The math doesn’t paint an encouraging picture of Miami’s playoff chances. According to NFL.com, the Dolphins’ current odds of securing a playoff berth stand at just one percent. With five games left, it seems as if the Dolphins must win every game from here on out to qualify, and their remaining schedule isn’t all that easy.

Their remaining slate ranks as the league’s 15th-toughest, per Tankathon. After they play the New York Jets in their next game on Dec. 7, that contest will be followed by a challenging trio of matchups to wrap up the season. Three of Miami’s final four games will be against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Not only do the Dolphins need to win out, but they also need the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race to pick up some losses to wrap up the season. The Los Angeles Chargers, Bills, and Indianapolis Colts currently hold the three Wild Card spots in the AFC, and all of those squads are 8-4 on the season.

All in all, so much has to go right for the Dolphins and wrong for other playoff hopefuls to the extent that fans of the team shouldn’t be counting on another playoff appearance, but it would make for an incredible story if they manage to pull off the improbable.