Have you looked at the playoff race?

[dolphinsneu]

It is mind-boggling.

Is it normal for it to be this tight, or I am just not used to being in the playoff race as a Dolphins fan?

I can't even figure out who to root for this weekend.

It is very possible the matchup between Miami and Denver could be playoff meaningful.

Having to play New England twice does not help Miami at all.

However, Miami will probably need help from the Patriots to make the playoffs, like they have the last few years.

Last year, it was their victory over the Broncos that got Miami in.

This is funny because Denver has defeated the Patriots in two AFC championship games at home and both of those games were at home because the Dolphins defeated the Patriots during the regular season, giving the number 1 seed to Denver.

[Spice 1]

It is mind-boggling.

Is it normal for it to be this tight, or I am just not used to being in the playoff race as a Dolphins fan?

I can't even figure out who to root for this weekend.

It is very possible the matchup between Miami and Denver could be playoff meaningful.

Having to play New England twice does not help Miami at all.

However, Miami will probably need help from the Patriots to make the playoffs, like they have the last few years.

Last year, it was their victory over the Broncos that got Miami in.

This is funny because Denver has defeated the Patriots in two AFC championship games at home and both of those games were at home because the Dolphins defeated the Patriots during the regular season, giving the number 1 seed to Denver.

I know if Moore doesn't start playing better, the Kaepernick knuckle draggers are going to start picketing outside your stadium.

I got a serious question for you though. You're the perfect guy to ask about this. Watching the game Thursday night I got to thinking. Ndamukong Sue has tried to injure just about every quarterback he's played against at some point in time. He plays Brady twice a year now, and I don't remember ever seeing him take a cheap shot on Brady (If I'm wrong, give me a heads up). What gives? Is it just that he knows if he goes after the golden boy, they'll throw him out of the league? Alonso just about decapitated Flacco Thursday, and he'll probably get fined, but can you imagine what would happen if that was Brady? That, or if Sue had grabbed Brady by the neck instead of Ryan Mallet? There would at least be a multi-game suspension with Robert Kraft jumping up and down on his soapbox the entire time. It would've been pandemonium. I think that's why he doesn't do that stuff to Brady. The only team I've really seen take cheap shots on him this year was Tampa Bay, and it was little stuff like bumping into him. He was hobbled, and throwing a massive hissy fit about it too. People think of Brady as an iron man, but he's really just protected by the league. If he played in the 80's he would've been out of the league a long time ago. That's why I have a hard time understanding why Sue doesn't rough him up every chance he gets.

Now I know, I know. For the bleeding hearts out there, I'm not condoning trying to take players out here. I'm just saying, Sue has been trying to take guys out for years, and he's still around. Makes me wonder why he hasn't done it to Brady.

Now I'm going waaaay off topic here, so for topic's sake, I will say that neither of our teams deserve to be in the playoffs right now. Look what happened last year anyway. You guys got in, and the Steelers carved you up like a turkey in a homeless shelter. I know we hired your DC to coach our team, but I don't think either of us can beat PIT right now regardless of who the coach is.

[dolphinsneu]

A couple of years ago, Suh was caught on camera berating a ref for not calling a play dead when he had Tyrod Taylor in his grasp, screaming, "You gotta call that dead, or I'm going to slam the **** out of him next time."

I have never seen him go after Brady.

The Patriots are universally resented for their good luck, and how teams seem to do stupid things against them. Their fans are resented for their arrogance and how they throw around the ridiculous GOAT tag on Brady, who is lucky to have an amazing clutch defense and opponents that roll over and hand games to him, like the Seahawks and Falcons did.

The Patriots do NOT have the league in their pockets though. They are often on the WRONG end of calls many times in the postseason, the most glaring example being the AFC title game against the Colts.

I think Alonso got a raw deal on that play. He was not trying to hurt Flacco. He was trying to prevent him from getting the first down. If Flacco wants to be protected, he needs to slide much sooner than that.

The playoff race is mind-boggling. Miami wants Jacksonville to win the division.

[Denver Scores]

If we are discussing the entire AFC playoff race, watch the South. It is not normal to have the media hype it up as a tough division. Since the division was created, it has never had three playoff contenders. That was, without a doubt, beginning to change before the Texans returned home from Seattle.

[L.M.]

This is funny because Denver has defeated the Patriots in two AFC championship games at home and both of those games were at home because the Dolphins defeated the Patriots during the regular season, giving the number 1 seed to Denver.

I rooted hard for the Phins then and was happy that you won, as much as Phin fans were to do anything to hurt the friggin' P*ts! But we also earned our path with some hard-fought victories -the Broncos deserve credit too.

And in retrospect, our pass rush was so ferocious that I think that we would have beat the crap out of Brady on any field, even Foxborough. Manning was also very good at managing the line and a veteran for dealing with crowd noise so I don't see that making too much difference either. The Force was just with the team throughout the playoffs that year... and not so long ago --how quickly things change! Ugh!

[Denver Scores]

I am thinking we should root for Miami tonight. Kansas City is the only AFCW team with f ewer than five losses. That means if Oakland wins, we will fall to third in the division standings. No Broncos fan wants that now, right?

[bronx_2003]

Miami and Denver are not playoff quality and won't get anywhere near the final 6.

3 division winners are crowned. Then you have a shootout between the Jags and Titans for the South. The loser will probably be a wildcard as they are both decent and play really weak schedules.

The other wildcard could be the Bills but whoever it is won't be that good or make any noise.

Hate to say it but the AFC is weak and it looks like NE and Pittsburgh once again. Would love to see the Jags make a run but might be asking too much

[Denver Scores]

The Jags are on TV almost every week here so I watch most of their games. They are for real. I expect their season closer in Nashville to decide the division. The only reason people put Tennessee on top is the QB.

[Denver Scores]

I know it seems certain the Broncos are out of it, but seeing who the real contenders are is always interesting at this time of year. Right now only one AFC West team is in it (the Chiefs, of course). The wild cards now are the Ravens and Titans (boo).

http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture