The Dolphins are miraculously in control of their playoff destiny after 1-7 start to season

Going into Monday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, the Miami Dolphins are in control of their playoff destiny, marking an incredible turnaround in a season that began with a 1-7 record.

After receiving help in Sunday’s slate of games, the Dolphins only need to win out in their final three games to reach the postseason. They would take over the seventh and final AFC playoff seed with a win in New Orleans, before playing at the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 and hosting the New England Patriots to close the regular season. 

Miami’s chances to complete the remarkable comeback remain incredibly slim – ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the team a 9.2% chance to make the playoffs – but to even be in this position is improbable. According to Miami Herald, the Dolphins would be the first team in NFL history to reach the playoffs after losing seven of their first eight games.

A Dolphins playoff appearance this season wasn’t thought to be so crazy after the team just missed out on last postseason with a 10-6 record. They had +1500 odds on Tipico Sportsbook to win the AFC, the same as teams like the Titans, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. However, the Dolphins followed a win in their opener with seven straight losses and the season was thought to be spiraling towards major disappointment. 

Miami turned things around in Week 9 when the schedule lightened up, rattling off six straight wins including five over teams currently under .500 to get back to 7-7. Now, the schedule gets a little more difficult as the season comes to a close, but the mission is simple: keep winning. 

That becomes easier for Miami in Monday’s game, with the Saints managing a COVID-19 outbreak that will force them to start a fourth different quarterback this season in rookie Ian Book. But New Orleans is similarly 7-7 and fighting for its playoff life.

Then there are the Titans, who have the AFC’s second-best record at 10-5 and a resurgent offense thanks to the return of receiver A.J. Brown last Thursday. Finally, Miami gets the division rival Patriots, who have lost two straight but remain 8-6 and aren’t the same team the Dolphins beat in Week 1.

A win in each of those contests guarantees Miami a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2016.