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The Dolphins Playoff Picture Through Dec. 3
Geoff Burke - USA Today Sports

The Dolphins Playoff Picture Through Dec. 3

Originally posted on Miami Dolphins on SI
By Alain Poupart  |  Last updated Dec 4, 2023 10:15 AM ET
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As they continue to take care of their business, the Miami Dolphins got some help Sunday and they ended the day with the top seed in the AFC standings.

That, of course, could change Monday night when the Jacksonville Jaguars face the Cincinnati Bengals at home with the chance to move to the top spot. A victory would give Jacksonville the same 9-3 record as the Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens, but they would land the first position because of a better conference record than Baltimore and because of a better strength of victory figure than the Dolphins.

The Dolphins and Jaguars each have a 6-2 record through the games of Sunday, while Baltimore is 6-3.

If Jacksonville does defeat Cincinnati, which again will be without Joe Burrow, the Dolphins would fall to the No. 2 spot and their new projected first-round opponents would be the Indianapolis Colts in a game at Hard Rock Stadium. And this is where we remind everyone that Miami's last playoff victory was against the Colts in Miami, a 23-17 overtime decision on Dec. 30, 2000.

Looking now at the AFC East, the Dolphins reduced their magic number to clinch theyir first division title since 2008 to three — meaning any combination of three victories or Buffalo losses.

The Dolphins still could clinch by the end of Week 15 with victories against the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets and a Buffalo loss either next Sunday at Kansas City or the following week at home against the Dallas Cowboys.

Kansas City is now a game behind the other three division leaders, but the Chiefs also have the fewest conference losses with only one.

REMAINING SCHEDULES OF AFC PLAYOFF CONTENDERS (teams at .500 or better)

MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-3) — vs. Tennessee, vs. N.Y. Jets, vs. Dallas, at Baltimore, vs. Buffalo

BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-3) — vs. L.A. Rams, at Jacksonville, at San Francisco, vs. Miami, vs. Pittsburgh

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-3) — vs. Cincinnati, at Cleveland, vs. Baltimore, at Tampa Bay, vs. Carolina, at Tennessee

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-4) — vs. Buffalo, at New England, vs. Las Vegas, vs. Cincinnati, at L.A. Chargers

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-5) — vs. New England, at Indianapolis, vs. Cincinnati, at Seattle, at Baltimore

CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-5) — vs. Jacksonville, vs. Chicago, at Houston, vs. N.Y. Jets, at Cincinnati

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-5) — at Cincinnati, vs. Pittsburgh, at Atlanta, vs. Las Vegas, vs. Houston

HOUSTON TEXANS (7-5) — at N.Y. Jets, at Tennessee, vs. Cleveland, vs. Tennessee, at Indianapolis

DENVER BRONCOS (6-6) — at L.A. Chargers, at Detroit, vs. New England, vs. L.A. Chargers, at Las Vegas

BUFFALO BILLS (6-6) — at Kansas City, vs. Dallas, at L.A. Chargers, vs. New England, at Miami

PLAYOFF TIEBREAKER PROCEDURES

To break a tie within a division

1. Head-to-head

2. Best record in division games

3. Best record in common games

4. Best record in conference games

5. Strength of victory in all games

6. Strength of schedule in all games

7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

9. Best net points in common games

10. Best net points in all games

11. Best net touchdowns in all games

12. Coin toss

To break a tie for wild-card spots

Two teams

1. Head-to-head, if applicable

2. Best record in conference games

3. Best record in common games (minimum of four)

4. Strength of victory in all games

5. Strength of schedule in all games

6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

8. Best net points in conference games

9. Best net points in all games

10. Best net touchdowns in all games

11. Coin toss

Three or more teams

1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but highest-ranked team in each division prior to proceeding to Step 2.

2. Head-to-head (apply only if one team has defeated all the others or one team has lost to all the others)

3. Best record in conference games

4. Best record in common games (minimum of four)

5. Strength of victory in all games

6. Strength of schedule in all games

7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games

9. Best net points in conference games

10. Best net points in all games

11. Best net touchdowns in all games

12. Coin toss

Note: When the first Wild Card team has been identified, the procedure if repeated to name the second and third teams.

This article first appeared on Miami Dolphins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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