Life on the NFL Playoffs Bubble: Who’s In and Who’s Out
By Bryce Olin
Miami Dolphins (6-4) and Buffalo Bills (5-5)
New England has two-game lead in the division, as I mentioned, but it feels like a lot more with the way the Patriots are playing lately, laying 43 and 42 points on the Broncos and Colts, respectively, in their last two games.
Ultimately, that means Miami and Buffalo will be playing for a wildcard berth in the playoffs.
What It Will Take For Miami:
To make the playoffs, Miami is going to have to continue to rely on its defense to come up with huge stops. In their last five games, the Dolphins are only allowing 11.2 points per game.
With games against at New England, at Denver, and home against Baltimore, the Dolphins have to win one of those games, and then take care of business in two games against the Jets and another against Minnesota. That would give Miami a 10-6 record on the season, which just might be good enough– with some tiebreakers– to snag the last wild card spot.
What Will It Take For Buffalo:
To even be considered, Buffalo will have to go 10-6, possibly 11-5 to even make the playoffs. That means they’re going to have to win out or lose just one game to have a shot at the playoffs. With games at New England, at Denver, and home against Green Bay, that seems like a tall task when Kyle Orton is the quarterback.
No offense to Orton, but he’d have to beat three of the top four quarterbacks in the last six weeks of the season to keep the Bills in the playoff chase. That’s not going to happen.
Prediction:
Although I like Miami, I don’t like the remainder of the schedule. Going on the road to New England and Denver when the games actually matter to the Patriots and Broncos will be the death of the Dolphins. Oh, and the Bills aren’t making the playoffs, but this season has been a nice base for the future.
Next: The Cluster of AFC North