Before Week 10, it wasn’t looking very good for the Dolphins’ playoff hopes. After Week 10, it’s still not looking great — but it’s looking less bleak.
Beating the Rams on Monday was critical, obviously. But three other outcomes have boosted Miami’s shot at the seventh seed.
Currently, the Bills, Texans, and Chiefs are running away with three of the AFC divisions. The second-place team in the AFC North (the Steelers or the Ravens) will likely get one of the wild cards. The Chargers, at 6-3, are surging toward the next spot on the playoff tree.
Then there’s the seventh seed. And with the Bengals losing on Thursday and the Colts and Broncos losing on Sunday, Miami’s win allowed them to pick up a game on the primary contenders for the seventh seed.
Now, Cincinnati is 4-6, Indianapolis is 4-6, and the Broncos are 5-5. At 3-6, Miami still has a shot.
It won’t be easy. They’ll need to keep winning. They’ll need to finish 6-2, at a minimum, to have a chance.
But it’s not over. And maybe the team with a recent history of starting strong and fading down the stretch can turn it around and steal a playoff spot. If nothing else, that will make them better suited to finally win a postseason game for the first time in 24 years.
