Miami Dolphins 2019-20 NFL Postseason: Odds and Predictions

Right now, there are not a whole lot of believers in the 2019-20 Miami Dolphins, and that is mainly due to the fact that they are right in the midst of a huge rebuild that includes new faces from top to bottom.

Despite an active offseason that involved general manager Chris Grier making multiple positive changes – like hiring a new head coach and signing a new starting quarterback – there are still enough holes in the roster right now to cause odds makers and fans alike to doubt the potential success of the current Dolphins franchise.

Some suspect that Miami is gunning for the first overall pick in next year’s draft, but that would involve losing more games than any other NFL team this season, so here we take a look at whether this Dolphins’ team can actually (against overwhelming odds and predictions) pull it together enough to see the postseason next January.

The 2019 Miami Dolphins are:

• Owner: Stephen M. Ross, real estate developer
• General Manager: Chris Grier (Promoted January 2016)
• Head Coach: Brian Flores (Hired February 2019)
• Offensive Coordinator: Chad O’Shea (Hired February 2019)
• Defensive Coordinator: Patrick Graham (Hired February 2019)
• Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (15^th season, first with the Dolphins)

Josh Rosen (2nd season, first with Dolphin)

• Offensive Stars: Running back Kenyan Drake and wide receiver Kenny Stills
• Defensive Stars: Linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Xavien Howard

How Did the Miami Dolphins Do in 2018?

The 2018 Miami Dolphins posted a 7-9 record, finished in second place in the AFC East and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row, which was not exactly how franchise quarterback Ryan Tannehill thought his first season back from a torn ACL would go.

In fact, after missing the entire 2017 season, Tannehill only started in eleven games due to a nagging shoulder injury and subpar play, and he ended up throwing for under 2,000 total yards for the first time in his NFL career, adding 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions to his totals.

Miami’s general manager Chris Grier watched his Dolphins’ offense sink to 31^st best in a league of 32 teams, their defense barely better at 29^th overall, so by the end of the 2018 season he canned head coach Adam Gase, brought in two new coordinators and made big plans to trade Tannehill away.

What Major Offseason Moves Happened in Miami?

To replace the fired Gase (who as the Dolphins’ head coach had gone 23-45 overall in the regular seasons and 0-1 in the postseason), Grier hired defensive guru Brian Flores in February, who last year was the defacto defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.

Then the Dolphins signed veteran journeyman quarterback Ryan ‘Fitzmagic’ Fitzpatrick, and shortly thereafter traded the team’s second-round pick in the draft along with their fifth-round pick in next year’s draft for quarterback Josh Rosen, a top-ten pick last season.

With all of these changes came a new offensive coordinator, Chad O’Shea, who’d been working with Flores in New England as the Patriots’ wide receivers coach, and a new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, who spent last season as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach and run game coordinator.

Also brought in was Cornerback Eric Rowe, who signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million and tight end Dwayne Allen, who agreed to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million.

When Was the Last Time the Dolphins Made the Playoffs?

In the last decade, the Miami Dolphins have only been to the postseason once, and that was in 2016 during Adam Gase’s first season as head coach, but that playoff run was cut short in the Wild Card game by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won by a lopsided score of 12-30.

From 2002 to the present, the Dolphins have made the postseason just twice, in 2016 as mentioned and in 2008 before that, when once again they got crushed in the Wild Card Playoffs, this time by the Baltimore Ravens, 9-27.

The sweet spot that Miami wants to return to is the heyday of the last century, when between 1970 and 2001 they went to the playoffs twenty-one times, to the Super Bowl five times and to the Lombardi Trophy ceremony twice, winning Super Bowls VII and VIII.

Why WILL the Dolphins Make It To the Postseason in 2019?

For any team in the AFC East not named the New England Patriots, making it to the playoffs almost certainly means snagging one of the two AFC Wild Card spots, an accomplishment which would involve at least two things happening.

First off, the Miami Dolphins would have to win at least ten games or more in the regular season, which they have done twice in the last fifteen years, earning them a Wild Card spot each time.

The second thing that would have to happen is that all but one of the other potential AFC Wild Card teams – like the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens – would have to win nine games or less, something entirely possible but highly unlikely.

Why WON’T the Dolphins Make It To the Postseason in 2019?

The odds that a team with a brand new head coach and coordinators being led by a quarterback who either tends to fizzle out around midseason (Fitzpatrick) or who threw significantly more interceptions than touchdowns in his only NFL season (Rosen) are slim to none.

Currently, there is a culture of losing in Miami, so the first thing that Flores must do is to get his roster of players to believe that they are capable of winning a lot more football games, and that’s not easy given how  often the team has struggled to just break even.

If it is true that the Dolphins have their collective eye on next year’s first overall pick – and many experts suspect that this is still the case – then expect this franchise to value their slow rebuild over wins next season and bet accordingly.

What Are the Current Odds and Predictions For the Miami Dolphins’ 2019 NFL postseason?

The odds makers have made it very clear that they do not put much faith in the 2019-20 Miami Dolphins to win enough games to make a difference.

Chances are that most football gamblers, even the ones from Miami, will pass on the odds that the Dolphins have been given here.

Below we take a look at the odds and predictions of this particular Dolphins team making the postseason and beyond, and let’s just say that for this season the numbers are not too pretty.

Will the Miami Dolphins Make the NFL Postseason in 2019? 

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: So if you bet a hundred bucks that the Dolphins will make the playoffs this season, you could win $900 back, but if you want to bet they won’t play in January then it will cost you a $1,667 bet to win just a hundred dollars.

In other words, save your money on this one.

Unless, that is, you have a gut feeling that Flores can get the job done quickly and that by September these rebuilding Dolphins will suddenly be ready to win football games.

Odds Of the Dolphins Winning the AFC East:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Of the four teams in the AFC East (Patriots, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and the Dolphins) Miami is ranked 4th, or last place, to win the division.

Bet a hundred bucks on the Dolphins to win the AFC East and you could win $3,330, but you might be better off playing the lottery.

That’s because the Super Bowl Champ Patriots, the Le’Veon Bell enriched Jets and even the similarly struggling Bills seem a lot more likely to win the AFC East than the Dolphins do right now.

Odds Of the Dolphins Winning the AFC Championship:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: For this bet, the Miami Dolphins are ranked 16th, or last place, to be the AFC Champs in 2019-20.

The only team with the same horrible odds (+8000) for this bet are the Cincinnati Bengals, another AFC team that will be rebuilding under a new head coach this season.

It’s a renovation year in Miami, so it is probably best not to count on them shocking the football world any time soon.

Odds Of the Dolphins Winning Super Bowl LIV:

* 21+ | NJ only | If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Analysis: Of the thirty-two teams in the NFL, only one team has a less likely chance of winning the Super Bowl, and that’s the Arizona Cardinals, who will be led by a first-time head coach (Kliff Kingsbury) and an undersized rookie quarterback (Kyler Murray).

Sure the payoff is big here – bet a hundred bucks and win $12,500 if and when the Dolphins win the Super Bowl in 2020.

But again, save your money here – the chances of this bet paying off are about the same as the odds of a team of actual Dolphins winning the Super Bowl in 2020.