The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes appear to be on life support, and the last thing the team or its fans needed this week was the specter of a trip to Buffalo.

The Dolphins really need a win because they just don’t make the playoffs after starting 2-6.and the Dolphins just don’t win in Buffalo.

Eight years ago, in 2016, the Dolphins last defeated the Bills in Buffalo. With backup quarterback Matt Moore at quarterback, they won 34-31 in overtime on their way to their only playoff berth from 2008-2022.

The Dolphins opened the game as underdogs by 6 or 6.5 points, depending on where you look. This seemed like a very conservative spread given that Miami has lost five of six and the Bills have won three in a row, including a decisive 31-10 decision against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday.

Another ominous sign for the Dolphins heading into Buffalo has been their performance against playoff or playoff-caliber teams in recent years.

We don’t need to repeat the ugly statistic of the Dolphins going 1-6 last season against teams that made the playoffs (including the playoff loss in Kansas City) after losing their last six such games in 2022. This puts them at 1-12 in their last 13 games against teams that made the playoffs that season.

Given that the Dolphins’ two wins so far this season have come against Jacksonville and New England, both 2-6, it’s safe to suggest they haven’t improved their record in that department.

This is the type of signature victory missing from Mike McDaniel’s resume as Dolphins head coach. The only win against a playoff-type opponent last season was against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, but that was at Hard Rock Stadium.

Their biggest wins so far came in Weeks 2 and 3 of the 2022 season, with the fabulous comeback in Baltimore and the 21-19 victory against the Bills at Hard Rock Stadium.

That win in Week 3 of 2022 was the only time the Dolphins had won against Josh Allen since his first start against them in December 2018.

Given Allen’s 12-2 record against Miami, including the playoffs, it’s understandable that Dolphins fans feel defeated, but you know what they say about any given Sunday.

While they haven’t won in Buffalo since 2016, they came close not once but twice in the 2022 season.

There was the game Saturday night when the Dolphins lost 32-29, but they were the ones with the ball. With the score tied late and a chance to win the game before they punted, Allen drove the Bills down the field to score a game-winning field goal.

And then there was the playoff game, in which the Dolphins lost 34-31 despite starting rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson at quarterback when they had the ball at midfield late until his attempt failed. fourth attempt.

Yes, it’s a matter of results, and the Dolphins lost those games (like everyone else in Buffalo the last seven years), but the streak has to end at some point, right?

It seems unlikely to happen this year, but that’s why they play these games.

This type of unlikely victory would be encouraging and provide a glimmer of hope for the rest of 2024.