Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins really needed a win on Sunday afternoon.
But now, after a 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans, their chances of a playoff spot are dwindling quickly.
Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in their loss to the Texans at NRG Stadium on Sunday, moving them to 6-8 on the season. While they are not technically eliminated from the AFC playoff race, it will take three straight wins and a lot of help before they can reach the postseason for the third straight year under coach Mike McDaniel.
The Texans took a 13-6 lead into the locker room on Sunday after three Ka’imi Fairbairn field goals in the first half, then pushed it to 14 points on their first drive of the third quarter after CJ Stroud hit Nico Collins. for his second 6-yard touchdown reception of the day.
While Tagovailoa responded and hit Jonnu Smith for a seven-yard score later in the quarter, their two-point conversion attempt failed. Tagovailoa then threw two interceptions on their next three drives to seal the eight-point victory for Houston.
Stroud went 18 of 26 for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Texans, pushing them to 9-5 on the season and keeping their lead alive in the AFC South. They are currently looking at No. 4 in the AFC playoff race. Joe Mixon led the Texans with 33 receiving yards on five catches, and he had another 23 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Tagovailoa went 29 of 40 for 196 yards with his touchdown pass and three interceptions for the Dolphins. De’Von Achane had 41 yards on 12 carries, and Malik Washington had 52 yards on five catches.
The Dolphins had made a very solid impression in the second half of the season, especially after Tagovailoa returned to the field after being sidelined with his latest concussion. The team was on a three-game win streak, starting with a 23-15 victory over the Rams in early November, and they entered Sunday having won four of their last five games.
While a wild card spot isn’t completely out of the question — the Buffalo Bills have already clinched the AFC East — the Dolphins need to win the rest of the way. Based on their remaining schedule, that’s not an impossible task. They will host the San Francisco 49ers, who are dealing with numerous injuries and are coming off a horrible 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams next Thursday. The Dolphins will then close out the regular season with back-to-back road games against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, who have a combined seven wins and both have already been eliminated from postseason contention.
But where they currently stand in the standings, the NFL only gives them a 5% chance of reaching the postseason. To make that happen, it will take losses to several others in the mix, such as the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
