A look at the Dolphins’ upcoming schedule (and it’s good news)

A six-pack of Monday Dolphins notes:

• You know what Buffalo and Arizona losing on Sunday meant for Miami?

It means none of the Dolphins’ next eight opponents have a winning record.

That looming schedule includes the Jets Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, then at Chargers, at Rams, 49ers, at Ravens, Cardinals, at Jets and at Bills. All eight have a losing record except 4-4 Buffalo.

Their combined record (including the Jets twice): 23-37-1.

So if Miami can beat the Jets on Sunday and climb to 4-4, playoffs (do I hear Jim Mora’s voice?) can no longer be dismissed.

The AFC wild card suitors in the divisions other than the AFC West all will be chasing the Raiders (6-2), Broncos (6-2) and Chiefs (5-2). At the moment, one of those three teams would win the AFC West and the other two would be wild-card teams.

And by the time the Dolphins play the Patriots in Week 17, New England might be resting starters. Miami beat the Pats to close last season, remember.

Here’s the good news: While the Dolphins have a forgiving schedule, the AFC West teams do not.

Denver has two games each against the Raiders and Chiefs and must play New England and at New Orleans.

Oakland plays Denver twice and must go to Kansas City and San Diego and hosts Houston and Carolina.

Kansas City must play Denver twice, Oakland once and also goes to Carolina, Atlanta and San Diego.

Are the odds against a Dolphins playoff berth? Of course. But win Sunday, and at least there’s real hope.

• The Dolphins have been very pleased with linebacker Kiko Alonso and current sentiment would to re-sign him and upgrade over Jelani Jenkins and replace injured Koa Misi.

The hope, from their standpoint, is that Alonso doesn’t get an uncomfortably high offer in restricted free agency next spring.

• Dion Jordan told me his second knee injury resulted from “trying to too hard to come back too soon,” and that even though he’s certain he will play this season, he has no idea when. Under contract for 2017, Jordan loves Vance Joseph’s attacking defense and believes he can help as a 275-pound defensive end, with linebacker no longer an option at this weight.”

• The Dolphins front office, trying to think outside the box, recently summoned Sherylle Calder, who runs a Visual Intelligence Training business (that has helped pro golfers and others) to help Dolphins players improve their hand/eye coordination and reaction time.

Multiple players wanted to meet with her and not everyone could be accommodated, one player said.

• Jarvis Landry, in an interview with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, said of Adam Gase: “Love him, love everything about him from his competitive spirit to his swagger. He has a swagger, he’s a young coach and a lot of times we find ourselves having talks about the game and telling each other stories. There was a time when he was in Baton Rouge at LSU before I got there so hearing all his Baton Rouge stories and hearing the things that he’s overcame and battled and being with Peyton and those guys up in Denver.”

• Quick stuff: Cornerback Xavien Howard says he’s not close to returning from knee surgery…. Off their bye week, the Dolphins have their fifth and final day off Monday before resuming practice Tuesday…. CBS says its No. 3 team, Greg Gumbel and Trent Green, will work Dolphins-Jets… This was a very nice tribute that WSVN-7 did Sunday night for South Florida-based super-agent Drew Rosenhaus on his 50th birthday weekend.

Twitter: @flasportsbuzz

This story was originally published October 31, 2016 at 9:37 AM with the headline "A look at the Dolphins’ upcoming schedule (and it’s good news)."