Dolphins' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Bracket Implications of Week 12

Like The Undertaker popping out of a casket, the Miami Dolphins are have shown over the last two week that they aren't dead yet. After back-to-back wins over the Rams and Raiders, they are back in the playoff race.

Granted, there's still a lot of work to do. According to the NFL.com playoff picture, the Dolphins are ninth in the AFC and have just an 11 percent chance of making the postseason. The Athletic's methodology is a little more friendly to the Fins. They project Miami has a 28 percent chance to make the field.

Regardless, some things are going to have to break Miami's way for them to make the field. The Dolphins have to win games (obviously), but they also are going to need help from others.

With that in mind, here's a look at three matchups Dolphins fans should be particularly interested in this weekend.

Let's start with the result that might be easiest on the Dolphins bingo card. The Detroit Lions have proven themselves as one of the best teams in the league this season. It's not asking too much to ask them for some help.

The 9-1 Lions are a game ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the NFC. With a playoff bye on the line, Detroit has all the motivation it needs to remain focused and work to earn that essential rest in the postseason.

That's good news for the Dolphins, because they are just a half-game behind the 5-6 Colts. While Indianapolis is currently the first team out of the playoffs, they could be a factor as we approach Week 18.

The concern here for the Dolphins is that the Chargers showed signs of life last week. Anthony Richardson played well in his return to the lineup after getting benched. He threw for 272 yards in a 28-27 win over the Jets.

On the other hand, the Jets are a team in free-fall right now and they might not be all that invested in winning.

The Dolphins don't want that performance to be the catalyst that starts a winning streak.

The Las Vegas Raiders have already shown they aren't good enough to be in the playoff race. Antonio Pierce's first year as head coach has not gone well.

That doesn't mean they can't mess up a division rival's season, though. The Broncos smashed the Falcons 38-6 at home last week and could be overlooking a 2-8 Raiders team that they beat 34-18 earlier in the year.

However, it's worth noting that the Broncos are 0-4 against the Raiders on the road since the team moved to Las Vegas.

An interesting name to watch for the Raiders is Dylan Laube. Vegas has had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league but Alexander Mattison and Zamir White are both dealing with injuries.

That could lead to a bigger role for Ameer Abdullah, but it also gives a rookie like Laube a potential opportunity to step up and make some plays.

Perhaps a surprise performance from Laube and the continued impressive work from Brock Bowers could be enough to knock off the Broncos.

Dolphins fans tuning into the Harbaugh Bowl on Monday night are going to be a little conflicted. It's unlikely that the Dolphins catch up with either of them. They both have seven wins already.

However, there's some merit to rooting for the Chargers to lose.

For this game to really matter, the losing team would have to go on to lose at least a couple more games while the Dolphins build a winning streak.

The Ravens have one more loss at 7-4, but two of those losses came in Weeks 1 and 2 and the others were both one-score losses to division rivals. The Ravens have been playing at an elite level for most of the season and could continue to ascend.

The Chargers, on the other hand, feel a little more vulnerable. They are 7-3, but their current four-game winning streak has come against the Saints, Browns, Titans and Bengals. None of those teams have a winning record.

A loss to the Ravens could kick off a tougher stretch of schedule for the Chargers. They host Baltimore before hitting the road for back-to-back away games against the Falcons and Chiefs.

A 1-2 or 0-3 stretch in those games could let the Dolphins back in the playoff race.