Dolphins 2024 Week 10 Rooting Guide

The Miami Dolphins will need help to make an unlikely run to the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) on the sidelines with head coach Mike McDaniel in the second quarter game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium last Sunday. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins have a long way to go to make the playoffs, but they certainly haven't given up on the season, as evidenced by their actions (or inaction) at the NFL trade deadline.

At 2-6 heading into their Monday night game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Dolphins clearly will need help, as they operate with a slim margin for error.

The Dolphins will have to take care of their end, and that means finishing the season with at least seven wins in their final nine games. Anything less than a 9-8 record won't give them a shot at a wild-card berth, and the AFC East title is probably out of reach already.

THE DOLPHINS AND THE AFC STANDINGS

By looking at the AFC standings, we can divide the other 15 teams into three categories, and they're split evenly.

Through Week 9, five teams look like they will likely or almost assuredly make the playoffs: the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans.

Five teams don't look like they have much of a shot at making the playoffs: the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns.

The other five would seem to be the teams the Dolphins will be competing against for the final two playoff spots in the AFC: the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets.

The Dolphins have two games left against the Jets — in Week 14 and Week 18 — so they could hand them two losses right there, but in every other instance, the Dolphins and their fans should be rooting against those last five teams.

To that end, Baltimore hanging on for that wild 35-34 victory against Cincinnati in the Thursday night thriller was good for Miami. Here's how the Dolphins and their fans should want to see the rest of Week 10 play out before Miami takes the field at SoFi Stadium.

THE TEAMS THE DOLPHINS MOST WANT TO SEE WIN IN WEEK 10

1) Arizona (vs. N.Y. Jets), Sunday, 4:25 PM EDT

When in doubt, always choose an interconference matchup if a "contender" is involved. The Jets are coming off an impressive victory against the AFC South-leading Texans, which has some believing they're ready to make a run.

2) Kansas City (at home vs. Denver), Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT

This isn't to please those nostalgic Dolphins fans who want to see the Chiefs lose a game already and not get any closer to the possibility of a 17-0 season, but they're winning the AFC West regardless. A Broncos loss is much more valuable here.

3) Tennessee (at L.A. Chargers), Sunday, 4:05 PM EDT

Yes, the Titans hold a tiebreaker advantage because they defeated the Dolphins, but does anybody think they could go on a second-half run?

4) Buffalo (at Indianapolis), Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT

Yes, it's painful to root for the Bills, but reality says their lead atop the AFC East is probably insurmountable. Having Indianapolis suffer a fifth loss is much more important for the Dolphins' playoff outlook, grim as it may be.

5) Washington (at home vs. Pittsburgh), Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT

We don't envision the Steelers collapsing in the second half of the season, but there's nothing bad here about them losing this game, just in case that's in the cards.

6) Detroit (at Houston), Sunday, 8:20 PM EDT

Again, we don't envision a Houston collapse, but this is an AFC-NFC matchup, so there's no real downside to the Lions winning this game.

7) Minnesota (at Jacksonville), Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT

The Jaguars are spiraling and will have Mac Jones at quarterback for this game and maybe others. They don't look like a threat right now.

8) Chicago (vs. New England), 1:00 PM EDT

This is similar to the MIN-JAX game because there's no downside to Chicago winning except for the positioning of the 2025 seventh-round pick the Dolphins will get as part of the Chase Claypool trade, but that's really not that significant.

WEEK 10 GAMES OF NO CONSEQUENCE TO THE DOLPHINS

These are games for Dolphins fans to watch for pure enjoyment or fantasy football because they don't involve AFC teams or have future draft implications.

But here's the rest of the Sunday slate, in the interest of thoroughness:

• N.Y. Giants vs. Carolina (in Germany), Sunday, 9:30 AM EDT
• Atlanta at New Orleans, Sunday, 1:00 PM EDT
• San Francisco at Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM EDT
• Philadelphia at Dallas, Sunday, 4:25 PM EDT