Dolphins game crucial for playoff hopes

The Panthers are staring .500 in the face tonight.

Win against the Dolphins, and they’ve got a shot at making the playoffs for a second straight year — a feat the team has never accomplished in their history.

Lose, and it’s likely that the Panthers will miss the playoffs.

It all comes down to this game against Miami.

The Panthers’ remaining schedule has some beatable teams, like the Jets and Buccaneers, and some of the NFL’s best in New England and Minnesota.

In the NFC, 9-7 might get you into the playoffs as a wild card. 8-8 most certainly won’t.

If the Panthers win, they are 5-5 with six games left, entering a stretch where they should win their next two against the Jets and Bucs.

At 7-5, they stand a decent chance at least being competitve against the New York Giants, and the last game of the season is against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte.

If the Panthers can steal one against New York, that’ll give them eight wins.

And perhaps the Saints, who sit at 9-0 presently and have all but locked-up a playoff spot already, may rest some of their key players in a meaningless season finale — making the road for the Panthers a little easier.

A win there would mean the Panthers would have that 9-7 record and be 4-2 in the NFC south and 7-5 against the NFC, giving them a good shot at nabbing the final wild card spot.

A loss against the Dolphins, and all bets are off. They’d have to win the aforementioned games, plus steal one from New England or Minnesota on the road in order to be in playoff contention.

That’s how important tonight’s game is.