With two remaining games to go, the Miami Dolphins are still alive for the playoffs.  While most fans would be jumping for joy at this idea of playoffs, a lot of fans want to see GM Jeff Ireland fired at the end of the season.  Personally, this blogger, doesn't agree that the idea of losing two in a row translates to Ireland's fault, but that's beside the point.

Frankly, the Miami Dolphins have had their chances to improve playoff position.  After week 9 versus the Colts, the playoff picture appeared to cave-in on Miami and most sports writers wrote them off for the playoffs.

However, going back to a key week 5 matchup versus the Bengals, where the Dolphins escaped the clutches of the Jungle, this victory versus Cinncinnatti gave the Dolphins a critical tie breaker.  

Now here we stand, the Miami Dolphins have to do the following:  Win the next two versus Buffalo and at New England.  Both games prove challenging given that Miami played poorly versus Buffalo and ran out of time versus New England, but there is hope and winning two games is possible.

Buffalo has appeared to mail it in and play for draft position while the Patriots have nothing to play for in week 17 unless Houston or Denver give up a glimpse of home field.  

In addition, the Dolphins need some major help, first they need a New York Jets loss to San Diego tomorrow, a Bengals loss to Pittsburgh and a Bengals loss during week 17.  Then the Steelers have to win versus the Bengals and then lose versus the Cleveland Browns, a team in transition, and a new regime.  It could happen!

While it seems like kind of crazy, with two games left, the Miami Dolphins are in the playoff hunt.

These Dolphins who were picked to finish last in the AFC East, can in fact clinch 2nd place with a win over Buffalo.  

These Miami Dolphins who appeared to be playing for next year after losing three of four, still have a chance.  When things got pretty bleak after losing to San Francisco 27-13, the Dolphins continue to fight like cockroaches that won't go away!

Even with injuries to Jake Long, Charles Clay, Daniel Thomas, and kicker Dan Carpenter, the Dolphins appear to have this chance at the playoffs despite these setbacks!

So, keep your eyes peeled Dolfans, because this holliday season might have an exciting finish and you'll get to sport your Dolphins jersey at least once in January!

This morning, the Miami Dolphins placed kicker Dan Carpenter and placed him on injured reserve with a groin injury.  He has been placed on IR.  Carpenter was hitting on just over 81% of his field goals and was off to a slow start before getting on a roll in the past 8 games.  

In his place, Nate Kaeding has been signed for the final two games or more depending on how things shake out in the AFC.  Nate Kaeding has made 87% of his kicks for his career.  Kaeding was cut early in the season by the San Diego Chargers after making 7 of 7 in field goals and went down with a groin injury.  

An interesting anectdote besides being available is that Kaeding was the kicker at Iowa when Coach Joe Philbin was the line coach from 2000-2002.

As of now, the Dolphins have a new kicker and his name is Nate Kaeding.  If Nate Kaeding gets the Dolphins to the playoffs, let's hope his shakiness in the playoffs goes away on a new team!

As the Miami Dolphins season winds down without a winning record, one thing clearly stands out: Reshad Jones is bringing his lunch pail and getting the job done.

The Dolphins safety in his 3rd season, Reshad Jones has amassed 86 combined tackles, 3 interceptions, and plenty of big stops in his Pro Bowl campaign.  

Many fans are starting to take notice of his hard-hitting approach, game changing plays, and an ability to provide support down field.  

Even though the Dolphins rank in the bottom half of pass defense, it is the little things that have kept the Dolphins defense stout.  These intangibles of hard work, ability to take the ball away, read the defense, and make it a nightmare for receivers all fit the profile of what Reshad Jones means to the Dolphins on the field.

The numbers speak for themselves this season with big games versus the Patriots (10 tackles, 1 interception), 49ers (8 tackles), and Buffalo (14 tackles).  Not to mention a consistency in making tackles has made Jones well known in the NFL.  

In addition to these impressive game performances, Jones has learned how to be somewhat of a ball hawk and intercept passes versus Tom Brady, Andy Dalton,and Carson Palmer.  Two of those games resulted in wins and one particularly impressive interception versus New England was called back due to a questionnable block in the back wiping away a pick six.

Over the years, Yeremiah Bell, was the last known commodity in the defensive back field that could make plays.  However, Bell was not as versatile as Jones has been.  Jones can change the game's outcome if he can get his hands on the ball a bit more.  Jones has the speed of Ed Reed and is developing toward that level of talent.

In fact, just last week versus the Jaguars, Jones was credited for a pass defensed as he almost intercepted a Chad Henne pass which with all that space would have resulted in a touch down.

As Jones workload increases, sadly, the Dolphins don't win.  He has had to be more productive in stopping the run and pass in games where the Dolphins haven't won.  In wins, Jones has 30 tackles and two interceptions.  In losses, Jones has a whopping 54 tackles and 1 interception.  

Even though the Dolphins have lost games in the 4th quarter, Jones has shown every reason of why the Dolphins selected him in 2009 in the 5th round.

After having Yeremiah Bell for seven seasons, the Dolphins needed a guy that could plug holes versus the run, help cover receivers, and take away the ball.  Jones has thrived this season in the Kevin Coyle defense predicated on stopping the run and giving just enough space to keep the opponent from moving the sticks.

While Pro Bowl selection is possible for Reshad Jones, he has shown his knack for being a leader in the community.  Jones recently visited a long time fan of the Dolphins approaching her 101st birthday.  The visit prompted autographs and a signed jersey for her and the family.  See, while Jones could be busy nursing his banged up body, he voluntarily visited the family and his biggest fan.  In addition, Jones has been active by recently taking children on a shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods.   

Jones has proven all year long that he is worthy of a selection.  From an on the field and off the field standpoint, there is no one better on the Dolphins defense that deserves the honor more than Reshad Jones.

However, don't let a chance at this accolade fool you, Jones will be back with the Aqua and Orange next season ready to bring his lunch pail and work toward the common goal, being a stout and smart defense and making the Dolphins a winner!

While some Dolphins fans are trying to figure out playoff situations, I think instead of waiting for a Christmas or Hanukah miracle we should be spending our focus elsewhere. The Dolphins offense has been inconsistent and anemic at times this season; while we have seen promise at times we have seen disaster at others.

Some would argue it’s because of the lack of playmakers, other would say it’s because we have a rookie QB leading the team and then there is a group who would blame the play calling. To be honest all 3 factors are why the Dolphins offense has struggled however an aspect of the offense that hasn’t received much blame is the running game. Reggie Bush has been explosive at times but also very underwhelming at other times. Daniel Thomas has continued to show that the Dolphins made a mistake trading up for him. While Thomas has ran well at times he certainly cannot be trusted as a feature back. Lamar Miller has shown flashes at times however we still don’t know if he would be able to carry a load or even function in a 2 back rotation.

With Reggie Bush an impending free agent and perhaps not likely to return these final two games it is essential to find out what this team has in Lamar Miller. Miller needs to be given an opportunity to find out his place in this organization.

A position which once seemed like it had the most depth on the team has suddenly become very thing. At this time I don’t think you can be confident in a Miller + Thomas back field. Things can change and Miller could make the most of his opportunity if given one.

That being said as much as WR is a need for this team don’t count out adding a running back next year. Whether it is the draft or free agent the Dolphins need to find consistency in the running game to help Ryan Tannehill. Dolphins currently rank 16^th in rushing offense, however 20^th in yards per attempt.

Tannehill has played best rolled out or with the play action; the Phins have to be able to establish the run next year to get this offense running more smoothly.

We will see what happens next year but don’t rule out running back as another position of need. 

Following last week's 27-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins are nearly mathematically out of the playoff race and sit in a tie for last in the AFC East at a record of 5-8. With the Dolphins already exceeding the expectations set for them prior to the season, they must switch their focus to closing out the year on a high note which must start against the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although this matchup isn't an appealing one to the average NFL fan, it will have some added significance for Dolphins fans and players as Chad Henne returns to Miami. Drafted by the Dolphins with the 57th overall pick back in the 2008 draft, Henne was never able to amount to the franchise quarterback that he was projected to be. Throughout his four year career in aqua and orange, Henne had a 13-18 record as a starter with 31 touchdowns and 37 interceptions over that time. He particularly struggled at home in Sun Life Stadium as he lost 10 of his last 11 starts for a record of 5-11. 

Henne took over the Jaguars starting quarterback job midway through the campaign when Blaine Gabbert was placed on season ending injured reserve. In seven games with the Jaguars including a 1-2 record as a starter, the 27 year old has thrown eight touchdowns and five interceptions to go along with 1,217 yards passing for a rating of 76.2. 

Despite the fact that Henne has impressed as a Jaguar, he still has many of the flawed tendencies that ulimately resulted in his departure from Miami as a free agent. As many familiar with the Dolphins would know, Henne does not perform well against the blitz and that is already on display this year. When facing the blitz, Henne completes 11.7 percent fewer passes compared to when their is no pass rush, and his passer rating is also 9.9 points lower. This should bode well for Kevin Coyle's defense which has sent additional rushers on nearly 40 percent of snaps this season. Expect the Dolphins defense to repeat their style of play from the past two weeks and get consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback. Cameron Wake should be in store for another huge performance against arguably the weakest offensive line the team has played.

On the other end of the field will be Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill who is bound to be judged on his play Sunday in comparision to Chad Henne. Miami's offensive play calling has been noticeably conservative throughout the course of the season with a lot of short and intermediate throws. With only pride to play for at this point, expect Tannehill to have more freedom in the remaining three games as the coaching staff evaluates his consistency with deep passes. Against the 24th ranked passing defense in the league, Tannehill is primed to have the best game of his young career thus far.

The Dolphins are a better all round team than Jacksonville and should have no problem putting up points and taking care of business. However, if the Chad Henne led Jaguars manage to leave Sun Life Stadium with a win, it will add another disappointing chapter to a frustrating season in Miami.