After 1-7 start, Dolphins control their playoff…

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At the end of October, the Dolphins were 1-7 and making the playoffs seemed like an impossible task. But after a six-game winning streak got them to 7-7, the playoffs are a very realistic possibility.

In fact, the Dolphins’ path to the playoffs is simple: Win their final three games, and they’re in the playoffs.

That starts tonight against the Saints, where the Dolphins are favored to win thanks to a New Orleans COVID-19 outbreak that left the team down to rookie Ian Book at quarterback.

After tonight, the Dolphins are at Tennessee next week and then close the season at home against the Patriots. The Dolphins will likely be underdogs in both of those games, but winning both is not out of the question.

The Dolphins have benefited from a much easier schedule in November and December than they had in September and October, and the Saints’ quarterback situation made the schedule easier still. But they’ve won the games they needed to win, and they’re three more wins away from a remarkable turnaround to a season that once looked lost.