Dolphins playoff scenarios: How Miami is somehow still alive for postseason

After a 2-6 start to the 2024 NFL campaign, the Miami Dolphins have scratched and clawed their way back to contention.

Sitting at 7-8 after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, Miami has a path to sneaking into the AFC playoff picture. However, they're in a three-way tie with the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts, who are also on the outside looking in. With that in mind, the Dolphins will need a lot of help, especially since there's a two-game gap between the seventh-seeded Denver Broncos. But it's not outside of the realm of possibilities.

So, what has to happen for the Dolphins to tiptoe their way into the postseason? Let's assess the lay of the land.

Dolphins playoff scenarios: How Miami is somehow still alive for postseason

For starters, Miami must win out. Nothing else matters if they can't handle their business. Finishing with anything less than nine victories ends the pipe dream. Fortunately (for them), the Dolphins face the lowly Cleveland Browns and New York Jets in Weeks 17 and 18, though both contests are road matchups.

Assuming the Dolphins beat the Browns and Jets, they must shift their attention to scoreboard-watching. Miami will have to pray on the Colts and Bengals' downfalls and, to some extent, the Los Angeles Chargers factor into this equation.

Per the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad, the Dolphins can earn a third straight playoff bid if they run the table and:

1. The Colts lose one of their next two games at the New York Giants OR versus the Jacksonville Jaguars
2. The Broncos lose at the Bengals in Cincinnati AND versus the Kansas City Chiefs
3. The Chargers lose at the New England Patriots AND Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles suffering back-to-back upset losses at the hands of the cellar-dwelling Patriots and Raiders is ostensibly the most unlikely outcome of the three. Nonetheless, the Broncos are underdogs for their high-stakes Week 17 clash with the Bengals and presumably will be against the Chiefs.

Moreover, the Colts have what should be attainable meetings with the Giants and Jaguars to wrap up the regular season. Yet, as we've seen, second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson's erratic play can put Indy in predicaments. Taking this into account, nothing is a guarantee.

As football fans know, anything can happen on any given Sunday. We've seen crazier stuff occur in this league, so it shouldn't be too surprising if the Dolphins do the improbable.