After a late surge, the Miami Dolphins somehow found themselves still in contention for the NFL playoffs ahead of their Week 15 showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, as many had expected, their season has now crashed down following a 15-28 loss in Week 15.
This means that yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers are indeed eliminated from playoff contention, with their record going down to 6-8 for the season. With only three weeks remaining, the team has no hope of catching up to the teams above them. On the bright side, they got eliminated at the same time as the team that usually wins the AFC and heads to the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Houston Texans hold the seventh seed, also known as the last Wild Card berth in the AFC, with their record standing at 9-5. The Texans clinched a tiebreaker over the Dolphins, which means that Miami has no hope of making it to the playoffs anymore. This is the second year in a row that Miami has failed to make it to the postseason.
Because of their playoff elimination and relatively okay season, the Dolphins may now be focusing on getting a high pick for the 2026 NFL draft. Currently, they have a chance to get the No. 11 overall pick, with very low chances of getting the much higher picks.
Mike McDaniel led the team to a four-game winning streak that kept their playoff dreams alive for a time. Now that the streak is over and their playoff hopes dashed, this means that the Dolphins have also not won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000, which is almost 25 years ago already.
Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa May Lose Jobs After Miami Dolphins Get Eliminated
Most of the blame for the Miami Dolphins’ elimination from the playoffs fell not just on Mike McDaniel, but also on QB1 Tua Tagovailoa, who was dismal during that loss against the Steelers. Now, both of them are facing the axe as soon as the season is over. With just three games remaining, that may happen sooner, rather than later.
Tagovailoa is the most intercepted quarterback in the NFL this year with 15, and his disappointing performances have led many to think that he may get released or replaced as the starting quarterback next season. As for McDaniel, he currently has a 34-31 record with the Dolphins, and while he has led the Dolphins to the playoffs before, he has failed to do so for two years in a row.
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