Are the Dolphins Playoff Bound?

After 5 weeks into the 2016 NFL football season, Miami Dolphins fans were sure in a state of dejavu. The team was sitting at 1-4, looking no better than the team that finished the 2015 with a disappointing record of 6-10. First year Head Coach Adam Gase was on the sidelines trying to contemplate his next move as his pedestrian offense would simply stroll up and down the field to no avail while the defense was giving up over 28 PPG.

With running backs Adrian Foster and Isaiah Pead sitting on the sidelines with injuries and QB Ryan Tannehill spending much of his game sitting on his rear in the backfield after a sack, “Superman” Jay Ajayi was lying in wake. With his back against the wall, Gase gave the ball to Ajayi and asked to see what he could do with it. Three games later, Gase is starting to look like a genius.

In his first game as the Dolphins’ starting running back, Ajayi responded by leading the team to a 30-15 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with 204 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Just to make sure everyone knew he wasn’t a one-hit wonder, Ajayi came right back to rush for 214 yards and 1 TD in the win over AFC East rival Buffalo. He finally capped off a fine stretch of games with a serviceable 111 yards rushing and 1 TD in a road victory over the New York Jets.

It might be nothing more than a modest 3-game winning streak, but it was important in that it has given the team some momentum and confidence that they can compete again. They currently sit 2^nd in the division behind the New England Patriots with a 4-4 record at the halfway point.

There’s still issues that must be dealt with. The defense is still giving up to many points and Tannehill needs to step and start delivering the ball downfield to help open up some rushing lanes for Ajayi to work his magic. With all that said, owner Steve Ross and Dolphins fans have to be encouraged,

Is it realistic for the Dolphins to make the playoffs in what was suppose to be a rebuilding year? To begin with, they only have one game left on the schedule against a team with a winning record after week 9. That game is at home against the New England Patriots in the last week of the regular season. On the negative side, five of the remaining games are on the road.

If a gambler was to find a few of the best betting offers for the NFL ,please check out gamblingwebsites.org.uk , a wager on the Dolphins to win the AFC might be sitting at juicy odds about now. In the NFL, a team that has the ability to run the ball and control the clock always has a chance. More importantly, this is a young team with a young coach. They’re playing loose because expectations are low. The combination of these factors would indicate the Dolphins might have the goods to sneak into a wild card spot and scare a few teams along the way.