Dolphins Schedule and Playoff Talk
The NFL will consider this week a playoff contingency plan that could push the number of teams in the postseason to eight, adding to the already increased new plan of seven.
This, of course, could wind up being significant for the Miami Dolphins depending on how they finish the 2020 regular season.
It's important to note the plan would only go into effect if teams in playoff contention aren't able to play the full 16-game schedule, in which case winning percentage then would be used.
The proposal also calls for an 18th week of regular season action if a full schedule can be completed by adding it.
The Dolphins currently hold the seventh spot in the AFC conference by virtue of their 34-31 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. The Dolphins' 5-3 record is tied with that of Cleveland and Indianapolis, but Miami is listed first on the NFL's official stats website.
As it stands right now, the Dolphins would face the second-seed Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
If the eight-team format is adopted, it would eliminate the automatic home-field advantage for division winners, though they still would qualify for the playoffs. The seeding would be done by winning percentage.
Under the eight-team format, for example, the Philadelphia Eagles would make the playoffs even with their 3-4-1 record because they lead the NFC East, but they would not get a home playoff game.
Older Dolphins fans certainly remember that the Dolphins have experience with an eight-team-per-conference playoff format.
It was used in 1982 after the schedule was shrunk from 16 to nine games because of the players' strike.
The Dolphins finished 7-2 in the regular season, including the 3-0 loss at New England in the infamous "Snowplow Game," and were seeded second behind the Los Angeles Raiders.
The Dolphins and their Killer B's defense defeated New England, 28-13, in the first round before avenging their playoff loss to San Diego from the previous year with a 34-13 victory at the Orange Bowl.
When the New York Jets upset the Raiders in the second round, it gave the Dolphins home-field advantage in the AFC Championship Game and they recorded the memorable 14-0 victory in the "A.J. Duhe Game."
The season ended with the Dolphins losing Super Bowl XVII against the Washington Redskins.
Back to 2020, the Dolphins' victory against the Cardinals on Sunday only increased the chances their Week 16 game against the Las Vegas Raiders will be selected as one of the two slotted for Saturday, Dec. 26 and national television.
Remember that the NFL set the schedule with five games set as TBD, with two of the five chosen for the 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. slots on Dec. 26 and the other three played on Sunday, Dec. 27.
The five games are Miami (5-3) at Las Vegas (5-3); Cleveland (5-3) at N.Y. Jets (0-8); Denver (3-5) at L.A. Chargers (2-6); Tampa Bay (6-3) at Detroit (3-5) and San Francisco (4-5) at Arizona (5-3).
Not only would it seem likely at this time the Dolphins-Raiders matchup would get a Saturday slot, but it's also looking good for those hoping for a prime-time appearance because that's easily the best matchup based on record and none of the teams involved have enough of a national following (like Dallas or Pittsburgh) to merit a spot in prime time just because of it.
As for those wondering about a possible flex to a Sunday night game, the one that obviously comes to mind is the Dec. 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. The question is whether the NFL and NBC would decide the appeal of a Tua Tagovailoa battle against Joe Burrow would be enough to make viewers watch a bad Cincinnati team.
The Sunday night game currently scheduled has Denver at Kansas City, and only the Patrick Mahomes factor would make anybody want to tune in. There are two Sunday afternoon games scheduled that match two teams that currently have winning records, the L.A. Rams at Arizona and Cleveland at Tennessee.
And, of course, with the Dolphins only a game and a half behind the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East standings, who knows, maybe the season finale between those teams will be the game to get the prime-time treatment in Week 17.
As they say, stay tuned.
