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At 1-7, the Miami Dolphins' season appeared to be over. But the bruised and battered Dolphins have crawled and clawed their way back into the playoff race.
After beating the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, the Dolphins are above .500 for the first time since Week 1. How much farther do they have to go? What will get them into the playoffs?
What the Miami Dolphins have to do to make the 2021 NFL playoffs
The good news for Dolphins fans is that the Dolphins have climbed into the seventh seed. If the season ended today, they would be in the playoffs. At this point, the Dolphins control their own destiny. If they win out, they will be in the playoffs. However, if they lose, it gets much more stressful.
Next week's game will be massive for the Dolphins' chances of making the playoffs. Unfortunately, the football gods decided that the Tennessee Titans are the last hurdle for the Dolphins to climb to survive the regular season. If the Dolphins can beat the Titans next week, they'll play the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are coming back down to earth after their own hotstreak. The Dolphins should feel they have a strong chance against Mac Jones. The Dolphins beat the rookie quarterback in Week 1 and have a good shot at doing it again.
However, to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs, they will have to beat the in-form Titans.
The Dolphins have been grinding for months towards today. They have been fighting for the light at the end of the tunnel and have emerged outside. When this happens, players tend to relax and slip right back into the predicament they were in.
For example, many NBA double-digit comebacks fall short because once the team gets the lead, they mentally pat themselves on the back. When this happens, the other team takes advantage and retakes the lead. Demoralized and out of momentum, the comeback team fails to rebound and ultimately loses.
Just because the Dolphins have clawed back into contention does not mean they have won. They need to attack the Titans with the same ferocity they've attacked the teams they've beaten in their past seven games. It will be up to head coach Brian Flores to set the tone and keep the team hungry and focused.
Also check out: Dallas Cowboys Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
