Miami Dolphins still favored to make NFL playoffs

It has been a really tough go for the Miami Dolphins over the last three weeks. Back in Week 3, they defeated the Buffalo Bills, however, the game proved to be too physical for Miami. They took some injuries in the game and then lost their quarterback days later against the Cincinnati Bengals. They also lost the game to Cincinnati before losing in Week 5 to the New York Jets.

It wasn’t long ago that the Jets were considered one of the worst teams in the NFL and the Dolphins were considered one of the best. Now each team has a 3-2 record and it’s hard to tell who should be feeling more optimistic about making the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s star quarterback, has no timeline for a return due to concussion protocols. Furthermore, QB2 Teddy Bridgewater is in concussion protocols as well. Yet, the odds of Miami making the playoffs imply that they are more likely to turn things around than continue to lose.

Miami Dolphins betting odds

The Dolphins are 20/37 to make the playoffs with bet365 sportsbook. They are early-week underdogs for Week 6, set at +3.0 with the same sportsbook against the tough Minnesota Vikings. With quarterbacking confusion, Miami could be placed as a bigger underdog than that. This is a team that definitely needs to stabilize their quarterbacking situation to save their season.

However, the Dolphins are under extreme pressure to not bring Tagovailoa back. The franchise has faced criticism for playing their top QB in Week 4.

There is a stretch of games after the Vikings’ game where Miami can hope to get some wins. They will face the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions, and then the Chicago Bears. Even if Miami ends up 3-3 after Minnesota, there’s a chance that they could get to 5-4 or even 6-3 to keep reasonable hopes of the playoffs alive.

However, the Dolphins are one of the more cloudy teams to read at this point in the NFL season. It’s not clear if they are in freefall mode or if they will bounce back.