Astonishing news: The Dolphins activate their star linebacker,  from injured reserve.

The NFL regular season comes to a close this weekend. The Miami Dolphins have claimed their playoff berth, but where will they finish?

The Miami Dolphins head into Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season locked into the playoffs, but with a lot of questions still to be answered. Can they claim their first AFC East division title since 2008? Can they guarantee themselves home playoff games by clinching the second seed in the AFC playoff picture? Will they have to head out on the road as a wild card?

Week 18 includes two Saturday games, with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens opening the week, then the Houston Texans at the Indianapolis Colts taking the Saturday night primetime slot. Sunday will have a full slate of games, with both CBS and FOX broadcasting doubleheaders. The weekend, and season, ends with the Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins AFC East title game on Sunday Night Football.

With a win, Miami has their division title and the second seed. With a loss, they fall to the sixth seed as a wild card team, handing the division and second position to the Bills. If the Bills lose, they could find themselves in the sixth seed, in the seven seed, or even out of the playoffs altogether.

The Dolphins fan rooting guide for this weekend is pretty simple when it comes to Miami’s playoff chances. The Dolphins need to win to claim the AFC East and the second seed. That is it. No help needed. However, we are going to include in the guide the possibility of the Bills missing out on the playoffs because, well, it would be funny.

Note: The elimination scenarios are not included this week because they are just the opposite of the clinching scenarios. As one team clinches, another will see all of their scenarios end, essentially giving us the elimination scenarios as well.