Miami Dolphins Rest of Season Outlook

Going into week 14 of the NFL regular season, the Miami Dolphins are 8-4 and currently sit in the 6th seed of the playoff picture. With 5 games left in the season, they have some tough matchups remaining including the Chargers, Packers, Jets, and especially the Bills on the road. Their week 15 contest against the Bills is on the road at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. This game is very important for the Dolphin’s chances of winning the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills are seated at the top of the division with a record of 9-3, bringing extra meaning into the week 15 matchup. 

With a win in the upcoming week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Miami Dolphins can bolster their playoff odds. Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins should be able to have a bounce-back week versus a weak Chargers defence, after struggling against a top ranked San Francisco 49ers unit. The Chargers, sitting at 6-6 would fall even further away from their playoff hopes if Miami can pull off a win at SOFI Stadium. With star left tackle Terron Armstead optimistic for the week 14 matchup, Tua should have a lot more protection in the pocket. The Miami Dolphins have also made a crucial signing of former number 1 overall pick OT Eric Fisher. This addition will bring another veteran presence to the offensive line, with the hope to keep their star QB healthy for a long playoff run. If Armstead and Fisher can stay healthy, their o-line is going to be the best it’s been while Tua has been a Dolphin.

Despite the lacklustre offensive performance against the 49ers, McDaniel and the Dolphins have still had a very impressive leap from last year. With Tua making a big jump this year and being in the MVP race, the Dolphins have been able to give the ball the Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle quite a bit. With Tyreek Hill leading the league with 1379 yards, and Jaylen Waddle in 5th with 972 yards, the Dolphins have undoubtedly the best WR core in the NFL. As for Tyreek Hill, he has a few records set in his sights. He needs 11 more receiving yards to hold the Miami Dolphins’ single-season receiving yard record, previously held by Mark Duper. As for the NFL single-season receiving record, Hill needs 585 yards or 117 yards per game to take the record currently held by Calvin Johnson with 1964 yards. 

With three divisional games left in the season, the Dolphins could help their divisional title hopes by winning them all. Due to the fact that the tie-breaker is the divisional record, having these wins against the Jets, Bills and Patriots would make the division victory much more likely.