Demolishing the Miami Dolphins playoff bandwagon

Its time to demolish the Miami Dolphins playoff bandwagon. All be it in victory, the Miami Dolphins proved they are not contenders. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

DAN:

We debated several weeks ago, before the Miami Dolphins defeated the Buffalo Bills, about whether or not Miami was a team on the verge. The Buffalo game seemed to indicate yes, but after watching them look like a dilapidated train car stuck in the station on Monday night against the pitiful New York Jets, I firmly believe that Miami is not a good football team.

The Jets have a poor pass defense this season and yet Miami appeared unable to throw against them for much of the game. And did you see how New York shredded them with the run, a week after Denver did much the same thing? If your football team can not stop the run once the weather gets cold, you are not winning games. And the Miami Dolphins can not stop the run.

Miami beat the Jets because they stacked the line of scrimmage in the second half, daring the Jets to throw. If New York had even a competent quarterback leading their team, the play action game would have just humiliated Miami. Every AFC playoff contender has a competent quarterback.

The Miami Dolphins face Baltimore, New England, Minnesota, and New York. I can easily seem them losing all four of those games, but at least two of them. Is there any way the Dolphins hang on to a wildcard spot? They currently hold every tie breaker, but with an identical record to five other teams, what can we expect from the Dolphins down the stretch?

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TODD:

I think we’re both doubling down here. I didn’t like Miami’s 2014 playoff chances a few weeks ago, and I still don’t like them heading into week 14.

If it’s possible, you are actually underselling how bad the Dolphins’ run defense has been, especially against New York. The Jets ran it 49 times! And threw just 13 passes. Chris Johnson, CJ1200 as I antagonistically used to call him but which is now not even insulting enough, toted it 17 times for 105 yards himself, good for 6.2 yards per carry. Johnson hadn’t had a performance like that since November…of 2013.

I still like what Miami’s foundation looks like for the future, although Ryan Tannehill‘s inability to get the ball downfield was disappointing. Tiebreakers or not though, this team isn’t making the playoffs. The Ravens are better than the Dolphins. New England is certainly better. If we can pencil in Miami at 7-7 after losses to those two teams, the Dolphins would need every other wildcard contender to fail to reach 10 wins. That ain’t happening just based on sheer numbers.

It’s funny that we could write off a team after a win, but that is just what happened to the Miami Dolphins. What they displayed in the win over the Jets made it blatantly obvious they aren’t one of the six best teams in the AFC.