Upset win, schedule ahead revitalizes hope for playoffs but Dolphins focused on Jets
The Dolphins got an upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens last Thursday night and as they got a few extra days to savor the win and recover, a path to .500 — and maybe even playoff contention — suddenly became a little reasonable, even for a team that started 1-7 and currently sits at 3-7.
It’s not just Miami’s big win and the first winning streak of the season that has played a role in that newfound optimism but the journey that lies ahead, too.
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Dolphins have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL.
Up next is the New York Jets (2-7), who have lost two straight games, including a 45-17 blowout defeat to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. After that is a home game against the Carolina Panthers (5-5), who may start Cam Newton after he re-signed with the team last week.
The Dolphins will then host the New York Giants (3-6) before a bye week and then have a rematch against the Jets to round out the four-game slate. The quartet of teams currently has a combined record of 12-25.
Dolphins coach Brian Flores on Monday continued to emphasize his “one day at a time” mantra.
“I think it’s always let’s focus on today, let’s focus on our opponent this week, focus on getting better today, which we’ve talked about that in our meetings,” he said. “Let’s make some corrections or things we could have done better from the other day, try to get that corrected, fixed today, and have a good week of preparation on the Jets. Really, that’s it. That’s the approach that I’m taking and that’s the message that the players are getting. Again look, I think the Jets have a good, young team. I think they play hard. I think they’ve beat some very good teams and we’re going to have to play well.”
History isn’t on the Dolphins’ side for a playoff appearance; no team has made the playoffs after a 1-7 start and according to FiveThirtyEight, the Dolphins currently have a 4 percent chance of making the playoffs. If Miami can win its next four matchups and reaches 7-7, the figure only increases to 17 percent but could increase — or decrease — depending on other outcomes around the league.
But given the first half of the NFL and an extra week of games with the first ever 17-game schedule, nothing can be counted out, not even the Dolphins working their way into playoff contention. According to NFL Network, the 2021 season marks the first since 2010 in which every team has at least two losses after Week 10. The Dolphins’ win over the Ravens last Thursday night, as 71/2-point underdogs, was an omen another surprising week in the NFL.
The Washington Football Team upset the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were entering the game off a bye week. The New England Patriots blew out the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, tied with the still winless Detroit Lions.
Though the schedule ahead isn’t as daunting as the one the Dolphins just stumbled through, Miami is 1-3 against teams with a .500 record or worse, with the team’s sole win coming against the one-win Houston Texans two weeks ago. The past two victories have been refreshing for a team that endured a seven-game losing streak but not enough for them to take the second half of the season lightly. The slim margin of error left won’t allow for it anyway.
“Obviously there’s positivity, there’s happiness and all that kind of stuff,” tight end Mike Gesicki said, “but at the end of the day, we’re still 3-7. So, we’ve got to come in here each and every day and fight to get to 4-7. And then, we’ll talk to you guys next week about new goals.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
