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Do we need to sweep at least one divisional opponent in order to make the playoffs?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by mrpennyeyes, Nov 14, 2016.

  1. mrpennyeyes

    mrpennyeyes New Member

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    Obviously we aren't going to sweep the Pats, but we beat the Jets, who we always seem to split the series most of the time.. and we have the Bills on the road

    who always seem to give us trouble. I feel like we need to sweep either the Bills or the Jets, with an alternate scenario being we win the next 4 in a row and not

    having to worry about sweeping the Bills or Jets) Breaking down the next four games, who do you think will give us trouble? (Rams, 9ers, Ravens, Cardinals)
     
  2. DolPhinPhan7

    DolPhinPhan7 Well-Known Member

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    I live in the Toronto area and I'm start to think about going to either the Bills or Jets games in December. The Bills game is on Christmas Eve. Stubhub has the tix for both games at a really good price.

    The Dolphins NEVER beat the Bills in Buffalo and it'll be super cold (likely). I do think they'll have a great shot at beating the Jets at Metlife a week before. They seem to have a good track record of winning there. Gotta beat the NFC West teams ahead of them first (Rams, Niners and Cardinals) first.
     
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  3. mrpennyeyes

    mrpennyeyes New Member

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    Thanks for that. but what i meant was assuming we dont beat the Bills or Jets again, do we have a good shot at making the playoffs if we at least win our next four games?

    Plus, what teams between the Rams, 9ers, Ravens, and the Cardinals will give us the most trouble?
     
  4. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think the way things look now, the game at NYJ will be more winnable than the game at BUF.

    I think Miami needs to win 2/3 in the last 3 games against divisional opponents.

    If Miami can somehow win these next 3 games (@LA, SF, @BAL) and get to 8-4, that would really help the cause. They may need to go 11-5 to get in as a Wildcard.
     
  5. DolPhinPhan7

    DolPhinPhan7 Well-Known Member

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    Depends if one of the the AFC West teams (Bronks, Raiders and Chefs) fall a part. OR if the Titans or Bills don't go on a run.

    They can still go 10-6, 11-5 by losing to the Bills in Buffalo. That may not be enough.

    I'm not worried about any of the 3 teams in the NFC West they have yet to play. But it's the NFL and no game is a certain result. The Ravens game is a concern, they seem to have figured it out.
     
  6. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    The Ravens are playing for the same playoff spot we are, so that's by far the biggest game left on our schedule (besides the three division games). Beating the Jets is probably the least important game of the four since they'll be eliminated early, but Buffalo could still be in the playoff mix towards the end as well. And of course, if the Patriots lose a few then we could be playing for the division in week 17.

    To take the division, we probably have to finish the season 6-1 AND beat the Pats, with the Pats losing twice to other opponents (see below).

    To take a Wild Card, we probably have to finish 5-2 AND beat the Ravens and/or the Bills.

    We should beat the Rams, 49ers, Cards and Jets fairly easy if we keep playing at this level...so there's four of the wins. Baltimore and Buffalo are always a tough game, so let's say we go 1-1 there. That likely gives us a wild card at 5-1 with the Pats remaining. But if we lose both of those games, then we're likely out unless we beat the Pats at home (which we've done three years straight).

    So it all comes down to NE's opponents- they face the Broncos, the Jets twice, the Ravens, the Rams, and the 49ers. For us to take the division with a W in week 17, two of those teams also need to walk away with W's. Or we need to win out and the Pats have to lose once (plus another L to us).

    I hope that helps, I tried to give every possible scenario. The easy way to look at it is that 5-2 with wins at Buffalo and Baltimore is probably the safest goal.
     
  7. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    We need to win 5 of the last 7 and need some help from the AFC West in order to make the playoffs. If we win 6 of the last 7, we're in for sure!
     
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  8. Not So Fast

    Not So Fast Well-Known Member

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    10-6 is what the Dolphins should aim for if they want a shot at the playoffs. Definitely need to sweep the jets and try to win all of our home games. That loss to the Titans really hurts now that they are in the hunt as well.
     
  9. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    we'll sweep both the jets and bills and hopefully surprise the world with the pats. but even if we lose to the pats sweeping the jets and bills will be a helluva statement Gase is making for being the best coach since Shula was here
     
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  10. GreysonWinfield

    GreysonWinfield Release The Hounds

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    One game at a time.
     
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  11. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    Which is by far the most important determinant of long-term success (GM matters too of course).

    He hasn't proven it yet, but he's starting to make that case.. you can see the difference in the play on the field even before the W/L record reflects it.
     
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  12. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I don't think that we get to 10 wins without beating at least one of Buffalo and New Jersey, so yes. We might still miss the playoffs with that, but I don't think we make it in if we lose both.
     
  13. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    We are fortunate to be in the AFC. I had us at 10-6 preseason, hopefully we get to 9 or 10. This looks like a playoff team right now, especially given the mediocrity of the conference.
     
  14. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Why are we fortunate to be in the AFC? If we were in the NFC, we'd have one of the best records in the conference!
     
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  15. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    Yeah, we'd be the 4th or 5th seed.
     
  16. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    It may take 11 wins to get in, looking at the sched of those 3 west teams, they could easily all get 11 wins.

    The strange reality is, the 2 WC teams right now are 7-2, the best record in the AFC(3 way tie), and 7-3, the second best record in the AFC, good teams, 2 games ahead of us in the win column.

    KC plays Den 2X, and Oak and SD, Oak plays one vs each div opponent and Den plays KC 2X and Oak, so we can't really hope they beat each other up, because each loss for one is a win for the other. Look at KC and Den, they probably split, so add a win and loss, now they're at 8 wins, with 4(Den) and 5(KC) other games to play.

    Besides KC, Den has @Jax, @Ten, Pats, Oak, I see 4-2(11-5), wins vs KC, Jax, Ten, Oak, losses to KC, NE.

    Oak has Hou, Car, Buf, @KC, @SD, Ind, @Den, and I see them going 5-2(12-5) wins vs Hou, Car, Buf, SD, Ind, losses to KC and Den.

    Besides Den, KC has TB, @Atl, Ten, Oak, @SD, and I have them going 5-2(12-4) wins vs Den, TB, Ten, Oak, SD, losses to Den, Atl.

    Anything can happen, but as you can see, it is very possible these teams could all have 11 wins, i just used records as a simple formula, wins vs teams with worse records, and losses vs teams with same records, for the most part.

    As happy as I am about the win streak, and where we are headed, going 5-2 is asking a lot, and that just gets us 10-6, reality is that as great as this win streak has been, none of those teams has a winning record and every game was close.

    We have 1 gimmie game, 3 toss ups, and 3 div games, which are also toss ups, I predict 4-3, we end 9-7 with high hopes looking forward.
     
  17. dolphin25

    dolphin25 Well-Known Member

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    which one is the gimmie?
     
  18. Finster

    Finster Finsterious Finologist

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    9ers
     
  19. Limbo

    Limbo Mad Stillz

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    Yeah that's my bad on the AFC/NFC thing. I don't even think many of these teams are particularly good. Didn't realize their records are what they are. Still, given our sched, I think we can make the postseason.
     
  20. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I think the Rams and 49ers are a gimmie. The Cards and Jets are very favorable. The Ravens, Bills and Pats are a challenge.

    I know that I've always been the optimist, but I just can't see 3 losses there unless we have line issues (AKA Albert and 1 more going down). If the line falters then I can see us going 0-7, but with them healthy I can honestly see 7-0 or 6-1. So I think 5-2 is fairly realistic given the way we've been playing on both sides of the ball.
     
  21. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    Just for reference..

    We have a 4 game win streak right now. Last time we had a 5-win streak in one season was 2008, last time we had a 6-win streak was 2005, and it looks like the last time we did better than that was an 8-game win streak in 1985 with one of those being the first playoff game. 1984 was even better: we start the season 11-0.

    And the best we did before that was the only perfect season in history, 17-0.

    We have a good chance against the Rams and SF to at least match the 6-win streak, meaning the best before that would be during Marino's early days, which was historic. We'll see.. nice to at least think about win streaks for once!!
     
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  22. btfu149

    btfu149 Well-Known Member

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    We need to sweep the Bills and the Jets to make it to the playoffs, we are better than those teams and we can ill afford to lose those games.
     
  23. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    We are better than both of them. And there's also the possibility that one or both will be a complete train wreck by the time that we play them. But winning in Buffalo, in December, hasn't often been an easy task for the Dolphins. If we do win up there, its generally because the Bills offense didn't show up that day.

    In our most recent twelve games in Buffalo, we've scored: 17, 10, 0, 14, 30*, 15, 14, 13, 17, 0, 14, & 13. Only one of those Bills teams had a winning record. The one exception, when we scored 30 points in 2011, was a bizarre game, where Reggie Bush rushed for 200 yards, both teams turned the ball over three times, and the Bills scored 17 points in the 4th quarter, and had a chance to tie it at the end. If we can put up any normal level of offense that week, it will be a big change in the right direction.
     

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