Dolphins will enter Sunday’s game with playoff hopes still alive. What must happen now

The Dolphins will take the field Sunday with their playoff hopes still alive.

Cincinnati’s overtime win against Denver on Saturday evening prevented the Broncos from clinching the AFC’s final available playoff spot and left the Dolphins, Bengals, Broncos and Colts all mathematically alive for that final spot.

To make the playoffs, the Dolphins need to win Sunday in Cleveland (4:05 p.m., CBS) and win in Week 18 at the Jets, combined with one loss by the Colts and a Denver loss at home to Kansas City next weekend. The Colts will be favored in both of their remaining games - Sunday at the Giants and home against Jacksonville.

That scenario -- two Dolphins wins, a Denver loss against Kansas City, and a Colts loss -- is now the only possible pathway for Miami to make the postseason.

The Dolphins entered Saturday with three possible paths to the playoffs, but two of those were eliminated on Saturday afternoon when the Los Angeles Chargers won at New England to clinch a playoff spot.

The Dolphins are expected to play Sunday without Tua Tagovailoa, who was downgraded to doubtful with a hip injury. Tyler Huntley is expected to start.

Denver would clinch the AFC’s final playoff spot by winning at home against the Chiefs, who already have clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Miami (7-8) would win a tiebreaker with Denver (9-7) and Cincinnati (8-8) but would lose a tiebreaker with the Colts (7-8).

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since the first year of the century. Their 24-year drought without a postseason win is the longest active streak in the NFL.

This and that

Linebacker Shaq Barrett, who was released by the Dolphins at his request earlier this week, agreed to terms with Tampa Bay, allowing him to finish the season in the city where he lives and played previously.

Barrett retired four days before the start of training camp and decided to come out of retirement in late November. But the Dolphins opted against activating him. They agreed to release him this week because doing so did not put the Dolphins at a competitive disadvantage, Mike McDaniel said.

▪ Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is eager, in the months ahead, to see more of outside linebacker Cam Goode, who made his 2024 season debut with six defensive snaps in the 49ers game, after being sidelined nearly a year after sustaining a torn patellar in week 18 against Buffalo.

“Sometimes it seemed like this day would never come,” Goode, a former seventh-round pick, said.

Goode, who played 76 defensive snaps last season, has upside as a pass rusher. “I’m still carving out my role, will keep flashing and get the trust of coaches.”

▪ Rookie cornerback Storm Duck said only one receiver has said anything that could be considered trash talking all season, but not directly to his face.

When Duck entered the September Monday night game against Tennessee, Titans receiver DeAndre Hopkins said “on the sideline, ‘you got this guy over here’ to attack. “That’s motivation,” he said. (Hopkins was traded to Kansas City in October.)

Duck is expected to play a lot Sunday as Miami’s No. 3 cornerback, in Fuller’s absence. What has he learned this season?

“You have to have short-term memory to be successful,” he said. “Overall I’m [happy] how I’ve played.”

Here’s a wrap-up of the Dolphins’ four roster moves Saturday and Tua Tagovailoa being downgraded to doubtful.