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AFC Playoff Picture Predictions: Dolphins get into the field

By Garner Hasler

Dec 24, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker (11) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (20) during the game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker (11) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (20) during the game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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AFC Playoff Picture predictions
AFC Playoff Picture predictions, Miami Dolphins (Credit: USA Today Sports/ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST) /

Predicting the AFC Playoff picture halfway through the 2020 NFL season.

Now that we are over halfway through the 2020 NFL season, it is time to start taking a look at the postseason picture. Even though there is still plenty of time left in the season, there are only about 10 teams in the AFC Playoff Picture that have realistic postseason chances.

Even though the season can be flipped on its head at any given moment by COVID, with the NFL even going as far to implement the possibility of a 16 team tournament if it did, it is time to start looking at the teams and matchups we may see in the AFC come January.

In the 2020 season, the NFL has introduced a seventh playoff seed for each conference, meaning that there is only one bye that can be earned with an extra game in each conference being played on Wild Card Weekend.

This means that more teams will be competing at the end of the season for the top spot and the extra seed. This is especially true of the top-heavy AFC, with multiple teams likely to be fighting for the final spots.

Here are predictions for how the AFC Playoff Picture will play out the rest of the way and here is a similar article with NFC playoff picture predictions.

AFC Playoff Picture No. 7 seed: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are 5-3 and are in second place in the AFC East, 1.5 games back of the Buffalo Bills. After starting the season 1-3, they have gone on an impressive four-game winning streak that includes wins against the 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals.

After a surprise benching of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick before their Week 7 bye, first-round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa has managed to win his first two games as a starter. The real gem of this Miami team has been their defense, as they are currently tied for fourth in the NFL with only 20.1 points allowed per game.

Even though they had the unfortunate task of playing the NFC West, they managed to come out of those games with a 3-1 record. With those games in the past, their schedule gets much lighter toward the end of the season. Their remaining opponents have a combined record of 30-37-1.

An important game will be their Week 16 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders as they are both teams that figure to be fighting for a playoff spot up until Week 17. Even though we have not seen enough of Tagovailoa to claim he is the future of the franchise, he certainly looks like he can run a strong offense while the defense controls the game.

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