Standings look scary for teams in hunt for top pick. Why Dolphins should still be OK
If you’re a tanker and you’re getting nervous about how bad the bottom of the NFL seems this year, this should make you feel better:
No matter how scary the standings look right now, the chances of a one-win team missing out on the No. 1 pick are tiny.
The last time it happened? In the 1982 season — which was strike-shortened to just nine games. And that’s the only time it has happened in a nonexpansion year during the post-merger era.
So yes, five teams entered Week 8 with one or fewer wins.
But most, if not all, of those teams will almost certainly win multiple games before the season ends.
This isn’t speculation. It’s rooted in historic precedent.
Just eight years ago, the Dolphins were one of five teams with one or zero wins after Week 7, according to Elias Sports.
When all the games were played, there were no teams with one or zero wins. The Colts and the Rams finished tied for the league’s worst record at 2-14.
The Dolphins probably won’t even have to worry about a tiebreaker, if Football Outsider’s number-crunchers are right. The website projects the Dolphins to win two games the rest of the season. The only other remaining winless team, the Bengals, are projected to go 3-13.
Drake update
Running back Kenyan Drake has been the subject of a lot of trade talk, but as of Thursday, he remained with the team and prepared as if he was going to play Monday against the Steelers.
Dolphins coach Brian Flores, asked Thursday if he expects Drake to be on the team for the rest of the season, said yes — with a caveat.
“Yeah, I do,” Flores said. “Unless there’s some other situation that presents itself. I can’t sit here and predict the future, but yeah, I do.”
Translation: The Dolphins have not gotten a good enough offer to part ways with Drake yet.
Drake, when asked about the uncertainty of what can come ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, reiterated what he said a week ago when the latest round of trade rumors surfaced.
“My focus is being on this team,” Drake said. “Just control what I can control and be where my feet are or whatever cliche you can insert to represent that.”
▪ Cornerback Xavien Howard told reporters that he plans to play against the Steelers on Monday.
▪ Left tackle J’Marcus Webb seems iffy, at best, to play Monday. He’s still dealing with an injury that sidelined him late in the Bills game. Isaiah Prince would likely start in his place.
▪ Center Daniel Kilgore and safety Rashad Jones did not practice Thursday.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 11:48 AM.
