Spot on. Miami is going to need help from Tennessee or Indianapolis, or win three tough games in a row. Either way, it's 10-6 or pack your bags. Ideally, what we want is for Tennessee to wrap it up at 11-5 and Indianapolis at 10-6; under this scenario, we edge out the Colts via conference win percentage, locking up a playoff berth. However, if it's Indy that winds up 11-5 (and Tennessee 10-6), we're out. You don't have to squint very hard to see Indianapolis dropping 2 of their last 3: they still have a tough divisional game against the Texans, who always play them close, and a very difficult game in Pittsburgh still on the slate. IMO, that's our ticket in, unless Flores cooks up something good for Buffalo in week 17.
Yeah, the second and/or third seeds may try and grab a bye-week by resting starters in week 17. That could work in our favor OR against us though.
Cleveland giving that game away was bad all over. That's where the Denver loss will come back to haunt us. I still think we have a chance at the postseason, but we'll have to win out. Baltimore is pretty much a lock at this point to get in and I think Tennessee will get in. We'll need a total collapse from either Cleveland or Indy to help our case.
Yeah that loss last night hurt us. The Dolphins are just going to have to take care of business on their own and really, that's the way it should be. Let them sink or swim on their own merit. No Participation Trophy's.
I don't buy it....all three won't win out regardless of schedule. Someone falls every single season in the final stretch (usually Miami) and this season will be no different. Heck, look at Pit going 11-0 and then dropping two straight. Nothing is given in this league. Truth be told, our path to the playoffs is the same as any other year- we can control what we can control by winning the next game. That's all that matters, win next Sunday and let the chips fall where they may. We shouldn't talk about Miami as a playoff team anyway if we're going to sit here saying, "We need to win all three but the opponents might be better than us." The heck with that, if the opponents are better then we don't belong in the first place.
We still have the last spot. As Key pointed out, we just have to win and if we can't do that, then we don't belong. Getting help from other teams losing is nice, but i'd rather not have to rely on that. We can win out and that's how it'll have to be. I don't think it'll be us that falls apart this year. Cleveland and Indy are the teams I think will deflate in December. We'll see. Like I said, I don't care about what other teams are doing. We are currently holding that spot, so it's our to lose.
I'm pretty concerned about what this team is going to be able to do over these last three games with so many injuries. They're a better team than New England, but Belichick can take that injury situation and scheme something up to exploit the replacement starters and make it look even worse. And I don't think they're a better team than Las Vegas or Buffalo with the roster in its current shape. Have to hope we can squeak one out against New England, probably lose to Las Vegas, and then have Buffalo have nothing to play for and rest their starters in the last one, while getting help from other teams. The loss to Denver might end up being the killer.
If our team was fully healthy, then I would feel really good about the next two weeks. But as it is, we just don't know who will be in the lineup on Sunday, or how much they'll be able to give. Things could really go either way.
We are going against a limited offense though, so the defense just needs to (despite past failings) stop the run and force Cam to try and pass to win. If we get 17+ points we should win this game, even with Tua throwing to a cast of unknowns. Now, we need to get some people back for the Raider game and even more players to have a chance in Buffalo; but a lot of odd things may happen that last weekend as regards the playoffs. Buffalo may want to rest starters for example. Miami, if we are at 10-6 and KNOW we are in (assuming the Bills have clinched the division), should rest starters against the Bills. This time of year rookies are really tired from the long season, so a week off would really help them recharge. Plus all the injured players need that rest. Hopefully, we get Gesicki back for the Wild Card playoff round. Our backups, led by Fitzmagic, probably beat Buffalo's backups, but it would be kinda funny to see both teams resting players week 17 and preparing for a Wild Card match-up the next weekend.
If 35 years as a Dolphins fan have taught me anything, its that trusting the defense in an important late season game isn't going to end well.
We got a little help from the Chargers tonight, as they beat the Raiders in overtime. The Raiders could be in spoiler mode though, but we'll be facing Marcus Mariotta not Carr I think (Carr went out with a groin injury). Marcus played a pretty good game, but that might be the Chargers defense making him look good.
That's how we'll know that Flores and Grier have built a team that's on its way to being a contender -when the strength of the team doesn't fail us at the critical point of the season.
Having been a Dolphins fan since the early 90's trusting their defense to do anything has prepared me mentally. What I mean by that is this team will cause me to drink quite a bit.
Yup. The defense is always going to fail. You need to be ready for it and score enough to overcome it when it happens. IMO, the best thing to do is to hold onto the ball as much as possible to give the other team as few chances to run up the score as possible.
One can only hope for such an outcome. The Dolphins are a delicate team. You have no idea whether or not they are made of glass. Or if they are mentally tough yet to endure the playoffs.....
I don't think that they're talented enough to compete this year. Hopefully next year will be better after the young players grow up a little bit and we add more weapons.
I’m quite drunk and hope that next year this team will compete. Already after the Bills clinching the AFC East. I lost complete hope and maybe we will have an amazing draft.
Top 10 scoring offenses this season: TEN, KC, GB, SEA, BUF, BAL, TB, IND, NO, ARI Top 10 worst scoring offenses this season: NYj, NYG, CIN, JAX, DEN, NE, WAS, PHI, HOU, CHI You've got to score a lot of points to win consistently now. Of the top 10 offenses, only BAL, NO, and KC have a top 10 scoring D. Everyone else is middle of the packish or worse (TEN 20th)
Look how the Dolphins have vaulted from 26th in the league in October, here: https://theathletic.com/2116315/202...ankings-introducing-the-athletics-epr-metric/ ...to 12th in the league currently, here: https://theathletic.com/2275951/2020/12/22/nfl-power-rankings-week-15/?source=dailyemail ...in terms of a metric that weights systematic (i.e., sustainable) factors more heavily than random ones.
Taking a look at this: ...and the difference in performance between Fitzpatrick and Tua this year, I would make Tua's leash against Buffalo this weekend just two series -- one series to settle in and another to show how he's going to play -- before potentially yanking him for Fitzpatrick. This team has worked hard this year and making the playoffs is an achievement that's important to all of them and the organization as a whole. I don't think you squander that opportunity in the name of just one game of "experience" for your future QB. Three-plus quarters of experience for him aren't worth missing out on the playoffs for the rest of the organization, and frankly Fitzpatrick has played head and shoulders better than him, as is to be expected with a rookie QB. It's time to potentially put the Tua thing aside and focus on what this team can achieve and what gives it the strongest probability of that achievement.
If they have to pull Tua from this game, and somehow make the playoffs whether they win or lose, Fitz should start in the playoffs.
I think you can sort of "backwards extrapolate" that sentiment to the previous game and say Fitzpatrick should be starting in this one.
I think the signs were there last season, when we beat them in week 17, and ruined their playoff plans.
Lol called this months ago. Everyone who's still drinking the kool aid will be pissed this time next year.
Indy is up 20-0. Looks that's it for this season. Hopefully Grier can fix the offense and get some weapons.
To me, we have transitioned under Flores. We now have some talent and it's enough to make the playoffs. Our glaring weakness IMO is our OC situation. We need an offensive staff that can train all our young players (4 Rookie starters on O)... and we need a special play caller. If we don't get a better Offensive staff we won't do much better than this year IMO. I'd like to see Pederson running our O, but it doesn't sound like that is going to happen.