Dolphins need to win and hope for lots of help

Posted by Mike Florio on December 28, 2009, 11:44 AM EDT

The Miami Dolphins’ path to the playoffs is simple and straightforward.

But that doesn’t mean it’s likely to happen.

The NFL announced today that the Dolphins will get to the playoffs if they win and the Jets, Ravens, Texans and Jaguars all lose.

It’s certainly not impossible for the Dolphins to beat the Steelers on Sunday, or for the Jets to lose to the Bengals, the Ravens to lose to the Raiders, the Texans to lose to the Patriots or the Jaguars to lose to the Browns.

But all of those things to happen on the same day? Not likely.

Ultimately, any team counting on both the Raiders and the Browns to win on the same day probably shouldn’t be counting on getting to the playoffs. The Dolphins’ loss on Sunday didn’t mathematically eliminate them, but it’s fairly safe to say they’re not going to the playoffs.

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19 responses to “Dolphins need to win and hope for lots of help”

  3. Eagles got in last year on Raiders and Bears wins (Not to mention absolutely shellacking Dallas 44-6)
    Stranger things have happened.

  4. How can you think of or talk of help when coaches are throwing games and Goodell the STRICT commissioner allows it?

  6. Sorry Miami, but a playoff spot is on the line for the Steelers, much like yesterdays game against the Ravens, Miami will be playing against more than just the black and gold.
    PFT, is there any truth to the rumor that the Steelers are working on new uniforms for next year. They will have black and white vertical stripes…..

  7. They’ll definatley be the best not to make the playoffs. They played the Colts and Saints tough and lost their starting QB and RB. If they get help at WR they’ll be dangerous next year.

  8. Most of us realized this when we lost to the Bills several weeks ago. The team has to want it & execute every week, and the Dolphins haven’t been doing that.
    Our own bed, we made it. Ugh…..

  9. Last season the Eagles needed a series of ridiculous things to happen on the last week of the season to make the playoffs, and they all did. Two bad teams beat playoff contenders and that was that. Oh yeah, the Raiders were involved in last year’s playoff spoiler as well.

  10. “texasPHINSfan says:
    December 28, 2009 11:59 AM
    Most of us realized this when we lost to the Bills several weeks ago. The team has to want it & execute every week, and the Dolphins haven’t been doing that.
    Our own bed, we made it. Ugh…..
    ”
    Yep, lose to the Bills like that and then play poorly against the Titand and Texans.
    You know the fricken irony. Ginn drops so many passes and the fricken time he catches a deep one for a TD it gets called back on a ticky tacky call. You know the football Gods don’t want you to make the playoffs when that happens.

  11. While I don’t think it is in the cards for the Phins this year…I am very impressed with what has transpired in being hit with injuries on both sides of the ball (esp. the lines).
    This Miami team hasn’t quit and the future is very bright…expect a hard hitting hard fought game against the Steelers this week.

  12. Doesnt help that the Bengals game got flexed to the night. Creates a Catch-22 for the Dolphins. If the Pats win at 1 pm, then the Bengals have nothing to play for at 8 pm and Im guessing they would rest their starters, given the JESTS another free victory. If the Pats lose at 1 pm, then that means the texans won and the Fins are eliminated. As a Dolfan, my only solace will be seeing the Jets get blasted 42-3 in the playoffs when they face a team playing their starters.

  13. it’s shopping list time for big receivers ….. Hartline is the only big vertical threat (developing)…. Ginn is a return man, Bess drops the critial passes, Camrillo is a great slot…. don’t need 1 wideout and 4 slots

  14. At this point, the Dolphins need nothing. They laid huge eggs early in 2 straight games. They looked lazy and undisciplined. I don’t want to back into the playoffs and I doubt very highly that they can even think to match up with the Colts, Chargers or Patriots.
    Just play well with backups and give me the good draft pick…

  15. Luck was definately not on Miami’s side this season. They lost their best player (Ronnie Brown), their starting QB (Pennington), their only veteran CB (Will Allen) and the anchor of their Defense (Jason Ferguson) to IR. Other guys stepped up (Ricky Williams, Henne, the rookie corners). I think it’s a good achievement that they are still in the hunt. With Miami’s misfortune, they could easily have finished 4-12 or 5-11.
    Doesn’t help that they got screwed by the Refs the last two weeks. NFL officiating is a total mess this year. I’ve never seen so many blown calls in a season and they don’t even admit it. Shame…

  16. Playoffs or not… what’s more important is that the Fins found the QB of the future.
    No more wasting picks and trading #2s to find a QB.
    Upgrade the WRs and LBs and this team could make a deep run into the playoffs next year.

  17. WE really dont diserve a spot in the playoffs, we always got next year to look forward to.

  18. “Burnum says:
    December 28, 2009 12:50 PM
    Luck was definately not on Miami’s side this season. They lost their best player (Ronnie Brown), their starting QB (Pennington), their only veteran CB (Will Allen) and the anchor of their Defense (Jason Ferguson) to IR. Other guys stepped up (Ricky Williams, Henne, the rookie corners). I think it’s a good achievement that they are still in the hunt. With Miami’s misfortune, they could easily have finished 4-12 or 5-11.
    Doesn’t help that they got screwed by the Refs the last two weeks. NFL officiating is a total mess this year. I’ve never seen so many blown calls in a season and they don’t even admit it. Shame…”
    Good post man. :thumbup:
    The bottom line is I think many of us were surprised this year. We lost pretty much our 5 best players on both sides of the ball to injury yet still remained competitive. We lost more than half of our (losses) by a single score. We were “in it” in most of our games. We were a dropped Ginn TD pass away from a win against Indy. We were a blown call against the Saints away from a possible win there as well. We shot ourselves in the feet the last two weeks, but were not helped by the refs with some very ticky tack calls. If we improved our excecution on 2-3 plays this year and get some more fair reffing, we could have easily been 11-4 right now, seriously….. and that alone makes me feel better.
    In all I am happy that we were able to get this far with basically our “B” team. Henne looks good, he used this year to grow & learn. Get him some real playmakers next year, and don’t forget Ronnie will be back, we should be a team not many will want to play.
    At this point can I say that I hope we get Pat White some more time at QB in this last game, maybe 4th quarter? perhaps get Patrick Turner on the field at some point? I could care less what we do with the Steelers, I’m more concerned with this team’s development and studying players for next year.

  19. Will all the injuries and games lost by inches I cant believe we are talking playoff chances in the last week of the season. I am ready for next season. I cant wait to see what Parcells will build on and the development of the great Chad Henne. Im super happy we actually have a QB

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