Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa keeps their playoff hopes alive.
“This one was a tough one for us as a team,” Tagovailoa said, via Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques on X, formerly Twitter. “I wouldn’t say the dream is dead for our team just yet–anything can happen in this league.”
Week 13: Packers def. Dolphins, 30-17
True enough, Tua Tagovailoa sounds familiar with the phrase, “any given Sunday,” but his team will need nothing short of a miracle to keep their postseason alive.
With a 5-7 record, the Dolphins currently are ninth in the AFC, and with only five games left in the season, they’ll need to win every game from here on while hoping their direct rival, the eighth-place Indianapolis Colts keep losing.
However, if the Dolphins manage to squeak into a playoff spot, they’ll have to battle with either the Baltimore Ravens, LA Chargers, and the Denver Broncos.
Still, in pro sports, qualifying for the postseason is enough, since anything can happen: favorable matchups or even a lucky bounce of the ball here and there could spell an early summer or a deep run.
But then, the team will need to play better than they did against the Packers in Week 13 if they want to continue entertaining hopes of making it to the big dance.
For instance, the Dolphins may have allowed the cold weather to affect them against the Packers in Week 13, as Tua Tagovailoa has fallen to 0-7 as the starter when they play under 45 degrees. Even starting linebacker Jordyn Brooks called the team “soft” for allowing the cold to affect their play.
“Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks says the team was soft tonight,” per this post from Dolphins reporter Joe Schad on X. “Brooks believes the team allowed the cold to be a factor. He said they allowed elements to be a factor.”
Still, the Dolphins have more chances to debunk the narrative of playing poorly in the cold. Later in the season, they will play the lowly Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.
The Browns have regained some energy under Jameis Winston, however, while a series of moves–firing Robert Saleh, trading for Davante Adams–has failed to turn around Aaron Rodgers’ first full season with the Jets.
