Can Dolphins make the playoffs? Exploring Week 16 scenarios for Miami

The Miami Dolphins suffered their eighth loss of the season in Week 15 as they lost to the Houston Texans in a dicey game at the NRG Stadium. The Dolphins never got going, and their trademark high-powered offense was limited to a paltry 12 points. Their postseason hopes now hang in the balance.

Let's look at the Dolphins ' playoff chances ahead of their Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

What do the Miami Dolphins need to make the playoffs?

What do the Miami Dolphins need to make the playoffs?

The Miami Dolphins (6-8) are ninth in the AFC standings. They must win their remaining games and hope the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts lose the rest of their fixtures. Only then will Mike McDaniel's side make the playoffs via the wildcard route.

The Sportskeeda playoff predictor has the Dolphins ending the season with a 9-8 record. That'll put them out of the playoffs as the AFC's eighth-best team. Hence, they'll end the season with the consolation prize of the 16th pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Miami Dolphins playoff chances in Week 16

The Miami Dolphins have a slim chance of making the playoffs this season. Their destiny is currently out of their hands, and they'll need the teams ahead of them in the standings to go on generationally bad runs to sneak into the playoffs.

The Dolphins won't have an easy end to the season. They will come up against the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets to close the year. All three teams are tricky opponents and won't be ready to do any favors for Tua Tagovailoa and Co.

Miami Dolphins face San Francisco 49ers in Week 16

The Miami Dolphins need to forget about their Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans and focus on their upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers. Mike McDaniel must figure out how to prepare Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, De'Von Achane and the rest of their offense for a potentially tricky fixture at home against last year's Super Bowl finalists.

The Dolphins could only muster 12 points against the Houston Texans in a must-win Sunday game in Week 15. It felt typical of the Dolphins, as they rarely record wins when their backs are against the wall. Tagovailoa threw for under 200 yards for the first time since Week 2, Achane was the team's highest rusher with a paltry 41 rushing yards, and Malik Washington had a team-high 52 receiving yards. These stats won't cut it for a team battling for a spot in the playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers are also in the playoff hunt, but only just. Kyle Shanahan's side recorded a painful loss to the Los Angeles Rams in an early Week 15 game. Their typically high-powered offense was inefficient against a well-drilled Rams defense. Brock Purdy was limited to 142 passing yards, and the less said about Deebo Samuel's drops, the better.

The loser of the Dolphins vs. 49ers game will effectively be out of the playoff race. It'll be a crucial game for two teams that came into the 2024 regular season with loads of hopes but have so far failed to impress.