The Dolphins (6-7) survive in their uncertain fight to reach the NFL playoffs thanks to their dramatic 32-26 victory over the New York Jets (3-10) on Sunday afternoon at Miami Gardens’s Hard Rock Stadium.
The squad led by coach Mike McDaniel is ninth in the American Conference and will have to go up at least two steps to get between the seven teams that will go to the postseason.
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With four games to play, the Miami club must not only win them all but also need help from their enemies to lose the Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Baltimore Ravens, who occupy the posts from seventh to fifth, respectively, with an 8-5 mark.
But there are more obstacles, though. Next Sunday the Dolphins will play the most difficult meeting of those who lack. They will visit the Texans in Houston (8-5), who are struggling to secure top spot in the Southern Division of their conference.
That gives not only his rival the pass to the playoffs but the status of local in his first game in the life-and-death round.
“No one in the team now thinks of something different than the Texans,” McDaniel said. The Texans have a great set. We’re going to need every ounce of our time and effort to defeat them.
On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts rank eighth with the same record as Miami and although they won’t face them it would be good for them to lose so they don’t shade.
Things would get easier for the Dolphins if the Broncos stumble in the final stretch of the regular season.
Denver is expected to play four complicated games: next Sunday against the Colts, then visit the Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8), and close receiving the reigning Super Bowl champions and Conference leaders, the Kansas City Chiefs (12-1).
All the rivals waiting for the Broncos have a chance of sneaking into the postseason. Miami is in the best interests of Denver defeating the Colts and losing their next three matches.
If that happens and they add up to four finals triumphs, they will have achieved the feat of traveling to the playoffs in a campaign that seemed flawed.
Even last Sunday, the Dolphins may have been left out of their win in extra time. When we lost 23-15 against the Jets, we all knew what we were playing at the time, he confessed to wide receiver Tyler Hill.
Fortunately, we have great players who don’t want our campaign to end. Nobody wants to see other teams playing in January and we don’t. We have the ability to face the best equals.
Jonnu Smith’s performance was decisive, he achieved his three receptions of the day in extra time and the third was the touchdown of the victory.
Smith celebrates the best of his eight campaigns in the NFL and in 2024 adds 692 yards and five touchdowns.
“It was my first touchdown in extra time,” the tight end explained. I’m just trying to capitalize on the opportunities I’m presented with. McDaniel highlighted the fact that due to the great attention paid by rivals Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the team was able to appeal to other options.
“We benefited from the extra space created for the other players when there is a special marking to Hill and Waddle,” McDaniel said.
In those circumstances, the field expands for the defenders who are covering it and we take advantage of that situation.
The interesting thing is that the Dolphins have managed to go a long way. At the beginning of November, they were with a 2-6 mark and many were dead. In five weeks they have won four games and lost one. That allows them to stay alive.
The work is not complete, however. After so much swimming they can die on the shore. And to prevent that from happening, Sunday against the Texans will have to play the best game of the campaign to take another step towards the back.
