Heading into Week 12, the Dolphins are in position for a playoff run

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
If the season were to end today, the Miami Dolphins would be the sixth seed in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the season isn't ending today nor is it ending anytime soon. The Dolphins, along with every other team in the playoff mix, have a lot of work to do over the next several weeks.

However, the Dolphins have put themselves in good position so far in terms of tiebreakers and defeating the teams that they are supposed to. On Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, they continued to do just that and saved their season with a victory.  

"I had a chance to watch the tape and I thought it was a good team effort," Joe Philbin said. "Like I said on Thursday, all three phases contributed. But certainly we’ve got a lot of things to work on as we get ready to head to Denver. The players are going to have some time off. They’re off now until Tuesday morning. Right now, the immediate priority is for us, as a staff, is to put together a great plan for the team to execute against an excellent Denver team and then get back on the practice field and get ready to play a game.”"

Philbin, of course, said he would love to have more victories right now but their record is what it is and that there can be no excuses and thinking about what could've been.  

 “That’s what we’ve earned, six victories and we’ve earned four defeats. It is what it is. There are no excuses or wish it was this. We are what we are. We’re really focused on getting the team ready to play an excellent Denver football team. I think this semi-bye week, if you want to call it, comes at a good time. We had four games and then we’ve what six games. When you play those three games in 11 days, it’s good to have a little bit of a break. I anticipate the team coming back healthy and ready to roll on Tuesday.”

The coaching staff, who had some time off this past weekend, returned to work on Sunday in preparation for the Broncos. The Dolphins may catch a break with several key players banged up for Denver. This includes Julius Thomas, Montee Ball and Emmanuel Sanders. All left the game on Sunday without returning but the full extent of their injuries are not known at this time. Nonetheless, regardless of who's out there on the field, the Dolphins are ready to play and are focused on getting a victory. 
 
“I said this to the team on Thursday – there’s only 16 games. Each game is so important in the National Football League. Again, I don’t know. I just have a hard time distinguishing that this game is more important than that game or this win is better than that win, or this loss is worse than that loss. I don’t know. I have a hard time with that. They are all important. They’re all big. Certainly, this is a big one coming up for us, a big test.”

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