It’s a Christmas(ish) Miracle! It’s a Happy New Year!

The Miami Dolphins — astoundingly, almost preposterously — enter the calendar year 2025 alive in the NFL playoff hunt.

This team was 2-6 at midseason. This same team clawed to an even 8-8 on Sunday with a 20-3 victory in Cleveland despite the injury-absence of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

It was a slop-fest of a victory over a bad Browns team inept on offense. Miami did not Sunday,, and does in general, look like a playoff-quality team.

But here they are, and credit where it is due. They no-quit Dolphins got a bunch of weekend luck, took advantage of it, and now are two results from the postseason:

Miami must beat the rival New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers next week in East Rutherford, N.J., with Tua back (they hope).

And hope the Denver Broncos lose at home to Kansas City — a maybe much more likely with the Chiefs already secure as the AFC’s No. 1 seed and planning to sit their key starters including QB Patrick Mahomes.

Odds still are slightly against Miami ... but not like they were at 2-6.

A once-sinking season fought to give itself a chance, nothing more. But not nothing.

It was an ugly game. Miami had 11 accepted penalties for 94 yards. Was 2-for-11 on third down conversions. Punted seven times. Excelled on defense aided by the opponent’s ineptitude with the ball.

Miami also caught lucky.

Denver losing to Cincinnati on Saturday was huge for the Fins’ playoff chances. Indianapolis an upset loser Sunday to the woeful New York Gianst was another hife break.

But Miami took advantage — when missing its star QB to a hip injury might have been reason (or excuse) not to.

Fill-in Tyler Huntley played the star role,completing 22 of 26b passes for 225 yards and a scoring throwe to Jonnu Smith, who set a Fins club season record for a tight end with his seventh TD catch. Huntley also ran for 52 yards including a 14-yard scoring run of his own.

I did not see what looked like a playoffs-worthy Dolphins team especially in a first half Miami led 6-3, on Jason Sanders’ club-record 24th and 25th consecutive field goals.

The Fins were flagged for seven accepted penalties for 65 yards.

“We need to eliminate self-inflicted wounds,” coach Mike McDaniel said as he left the field at halftime.

We have heard him say that after games before this season. A lot.

Miami in its 16th of 17 games, continues making mistake that mirror an undisciplined team.

“The Dolphins can’t get out of their own way,” a CBS announcer said at one point.

The sequence that epitomized Miami not looking like a playoff team:

The Fins’ Tyrel Dodson makes an interception to put Miami around midfield late in the second quarter. But Dodson takes off his helmet on the field to celebrate, a 15-yard penalty.

Then Terron Armstead is called for holding.

Then fill-in QB Tyler Huntley is sacked.

Then there’s a false start penalty.

All of a sudden it’s 3rd and 27 from Miami’s 18. A punt followed.

That isn’t a playoff team. That’s a team starring in a comedy of errors. In early August.

Embarrassing.

And yet here they are: Still in the playoff hunt entering the final week of the regular season.

“I think it feels like the team that I had hoped we were when we were looking at the mirror at 2-6,” said McDaniel.. “I think the team [was] very hungry to go after this game against Cleveland to make us 6-2 from that juncture. I think starting the season off unfavorably makes for a long season and I’ve seen it go different ways, so I think the team has an opportunity to really exemplify their internal fortitude and their belief in each other because it’s not easy to flip the script that way.”

This is not a celebration of 8-8.

They are where they are partly because Tagovailoa missed four games with a concussion, three of them losses.

But this is an appreciation of fortitude, of believing, even when everyone around you was advising you to do what’s easiest and just quit.

The once 2-6 Dolphins have a real chance at the playoffs as the calendar turns.

Happy new year.

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