The Dolphins’ playoff hopes depend on a must-win game, a backup QB — and help from a rival
Through the course of an NFL season, “control what you can control” is uttered by players and coaches alike, a grounding reminder of the goals they seek to obtain.
And for much of the year, that saying is true. But it won’t tell the complete story for the Dolphins on Sunday.
Amid a five-game losing streak that has resulted in Miami losing grip of a playoff spot that seemed assured just a month ago, the Dolphins (8-8) must defeat the New York Jets (7-9) to remain in contention for a postseason berth. But to complete a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Miami also needs the Buffalo Bills to defeat the New England Patriots, a matchup that will kick off simultaneously with the Dolphins’ game at 1 p.m. New England is 8-8 like Miami but holds the tiebreaker advantage for the third and final wild-card spot because of a superior divisional record.
Most players and coaches are aware of the clinching scenarios at stake but aren’t concerned with what will be taking place about 1,300 miles away in Orchard Park, New York — even if the tens of thousands gathered at Hard Rock Stadium will be closely monitoring the scoreboard and reacting mid-game to the latest developments.
“Absolutely not,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said when asked if he would be keeping tabs on the score of Bills-Patriots during Miami’s game. “Any focus on something that you can’t control I don’t think helps render the desired result.”
Days after suspending the Bills’ Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin going into into cardiac arrest Monday night, the NFL on Thursday announced the matchup would not be played and revealed a set of scenarios for the AFC playoffs, including the possibility of a conference championship game at a neutral site. The setup gives the Bills incentive to play their starters against the Patriots with one or two home playoff games still in play, which works in Miami’s favor.
Wins by Buffalo and the Kansas City Chiefs against the Las Vegas Raiders would mean a Dolphins win earns them a rematch against the Bills in wild-card weekend. A Bills win and a Chiefs loss, coupled with a Dolphins victory, means Miami would face Kansas City in the first weekend of the playoffs.
But the Dolphins know that before they can reap the benefits of help from their division rival, they have to handle their own business against another rival. And in a season defined by quarterback injuries and changes, Miami’s regular-season finale will ultimately be decided by another one.
With starter Tua Tagovailoa ruled out for his fourth game and second consecutive this season because of a concussion, and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater dealing with a dislocated pinkie on his right (throwing) hand, McDaniel on Friday announced rookie Skylar Thompson will make his second career start.
The seventh-round pick is no stranger to stepping in to the spotlight this season. He made his NFL debut one play into the Dolphins’ Week 5 game against the Jets after concussion protocol sidelined Bridgewater. Thompson’s first start came the next week against the Minnesota Vikings, but he left the game and did not return after injuring his thumb in the second quarter. He again was called upon in last week’s loss to the Patriots after Bridgewater sustained his injury in the third quarter.
On the surface, Thompson’s raw stats this season — 54.1 completion percentage, one touchdown, three interceptions — tell the story of a late-round, third-string quarterback in over his head when pressed into extended action. But teammates and coaches have praised his maturity and handling of the offense all season, and believe a lack of practice reps has hindered the young player when asked to enter midgame.
“I think Skylar does his best, like most quarterbacks, especially young in your career and in Year 1 of the system, he does best when he has practice reps,” McDaniel said. “I think we saw a taste of that against Minnesota until he got injured. He’s starting to really get a feel.”
Meanwhile, the Jets will start veteran quarterback Joe Flacco after ruling out Mike White because of a ribs injury.
A win Sunday and getting into the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 7 seed might not completely wash away the disappointment of a late-season slide for a team that was viewed as a potential conference contender at 8-3. But after a long season with a series of streaks marking the highs and lows of the year, there would be an extra appreciation for getting into the postseason.
Linebacker Jerome Baker acknowledged the frustration of not being able to fully control whether the season continues on Sunday but referenced the team’s five-game winning streak as a reminder of what the Dolphins are capable of at their best.
“All it takes is one [win],” he said.
“There’s still confidence in this team, confidence in this whole building,” wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. “I feel like you never lose that as a competitor. The guys from top to bottom, who brought in all of the guys here including myself, we’ll never stop believing. When you play this game, you don’t come into this game just for what it gives. You come into it for teammates that you come across, the winning atmosphere and just competing. We all love that. Nobody has lost spirit yet.”
