Dave Hyde's Sports Blog

You wake up one day and the Dolphins are completely out of the wilderness and in the playoffs. It’s not Groundhog Day anymore. Tomorrow has come. And with it comes some interesting questions, like:

1. Can they upgrade to an easier fifth playoff seed? Right now, they’re the sixth seed and would play at Pittsburgh, the winner of the AFC North division. With a fifth seed, they’d play at Houston.

In a great day of great drama, the Miami Dolphins took a big step closer to the playoffs with their 34-31 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. By Sunday night, they could be in the playoffs if Denver loses at Kansas City.

Here are 10 thoughts on the game:

1. Play of the Game I: Jay Ajayi ran 57 yards down the sideline to put the Dolphins in winning position late in the overtime.

This won't be easy. At a better-than-the-record Buffalo. In the December cold. With the playoffs on the line.

In the weekly series of How the Dolphins Win This Week, there are some clear-cut thingst that have to happen. That starts with ...

1. Stop LeSean McCoy. There’s no secret to what Rex Ryan will do in the cold and possible snow of Buffalo.

It was 10 years ago today that Dolphins Nick Saban said at a post-practice news conference, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach,” even though a decade later he’s still the Alabama coach.

So how did that quote come about?

Glad you asked. Because I asked the question. But the odd background to the question is I really thought he was staying with the Dolphins.

The Dolphins now are in control-your-own-destiny mode for the playoffs. Win their final two games, and they're in. Of course, that won't be easy considering the two games are at Buffalo on Saturday and home against New England in the finale.

But there's another way in, too, and that could happen as soon as this weekend:

1. The Dolphins (9-5) beat Buffalo.

2. Denver (8-6) loses at Kansas City.

What more could you ask for? The Miami Dolphins crushed New York Jets, 34-13. They kept their playoff hopes moving forward. They swept the Jets for the first time since 2009. They assured their first winning season since 2008.

It sounds like a shopping list of things Dolphins fans would want from Saturday night.

Here are 10 thoughts on the win:

1. Player of the game: Matt Moore. What a week for Moore.