The playoffs are nine weeks away, and the Miami Dolphins are still mathematically in the chase, but it is getting further and further away. Miami has, at most, two games it can give away, and it still hopes to make it to the postseason.
There is fantasy world and reality, and Dolphins fans are living in between the two of them. The Dolphins maintain they are confident in turning their season around, and if winning out is what it takes, that is their goal. Reality says that isn't going to happen. At this point, fans want to see them put up or shut up.
At 2-6, the Dolphins are currently 12th in the AFC and three games out of the wild-card spots. What are their playoff chances entering Week 10?
Dolphins still have an outside chance of making playoffs, but margin for error is slim
Despite being 2-6, The Athletic's projections still give the Dolphins a 20 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, it gives them a less-than-one-percent chance of winning the AFC East or Super Bowl. It will take something special from Mike McDaniel's team.
The Titans are also 2-6 but have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami. The Jets are 3-6, and two teams are 4-5. The Broncos, at 5-4, would hold the seventh spot if the season ended today.
Miami is much closer to finishing with the worst record in the AFC. It is currently fifth from the bottom and has games against the Raiders, Patriots, and Browns still to come. The Dolphins should easily win those games now that Tua Tagovailoa is back on the field.
Sunday's loss to the Bills came at the expense of the best offensive game Miami has played all year, but it didn't help the team's postseason chances. It did, however, give hope that there is still a chance.
With games against the Packers, 49ers, and Texans, the Dolphins' road to winning out won't be easy. They have two crucial games against the Jets, who also believe they have what it takes to turn their season around.
It starts on Monday Night Football against the Rams. Lose that game, and we can say the chances of making the playoffs are next to zero.
