Miami Dolphins: One Last Test Before the Postseason

In his second year as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Brian Flores has faced plenty of challenges. Between the pandemic, the weight of his second season, developing a winning team, challenging a rookie quarterback, and trying to make the postseason he’s got plenty on his plate. With the majority of football analysts expecting Miami to finish no better than 8-8 before the season, the Dolphins have their rare double-digit wins.

They started the season losing their first two games and 3 of their first 4. The Dolphins would eventually buckle down and win 8 of the next 10 games. Despite all the chaos of the 2020 season, Miami hasn’t lost more than once this season by a double-digit score in their first game of the season. They’d fall behind big to the Kansas City Chiefs but would come back to lose by just 6. They walked off lucky winners against the Raiders in a 26-25 thriller.

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But none of that matters without a win on Sunday.

They’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to their postseason hopes but they won’t come easily. They’ll face division winners, the Buffalo Bills who are on a roll lately. Buffalo isn’t the same team that the Dolphins faced back in week two, but neither are the Dolphins. The Bills have evolved into one of the toughest competitors in the AFC while Miami has shown a championship-caliber defense.

The Dolphins could go on to lose this game and still make the playoffs if Baltimore, Cleveland, Indianapolis, or Tennessee loses. However, there’s a very good chance that all 4 of those teams win. With the exception of the Browns, each opponent is playing a team with a losing record. Even Cleveland has been given the go-ahead as Pittsburgh will rest some of their players.

Each week has been a new challenge for the Miami Dolphins and all season long Brian Flores has kept them on a “one game at a time” approach. If the Dolphins want to make the postseason and be considered competitors when they do, then Sunday’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills will be their biggest test.