The Miami Dolphins didn’t find their first win of the season until the second-to-last day of September, but they aren’t as buried in the standings as you make think.
Catching the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East doesn’t feel realistic. The Bills are 4-0 and already have wins over two of the three teams in the division with a chance to make it all three when they face the New England Patriots in Week 5. But thanks to a weak AFC, in general, the Dolphins are very much in the mix despite their 1-3 record.
With September’s games all in the books, only five teams in the AFC have a winning record. Four are division leaders, leaving not many teams between the Dolphins and contention for a wild card berth:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
AFC playoff picture
For now, there are four 2-2 teams tied for the final two spots in the AFC’s postseason field. That includes the rudderless Bengals, who lost in the last two weeks by a combined 63 points with Jake Browning at quarterbacks.
The Dolphins face the 1-3 Carolina Panthers, 3-1 Chargers, 1-3 Browns, 2-2 Falcons, and 1-3 Ravens in October.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL standings 2025: How the AFC playoff race stacks up after September
Reporting by Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
