Miami Dolphins Clinch Playoff Berth: Latest Comments and Reaction

The Miami Dolphins officially clinched a berth in the 2016-17 NFL playoffs as an AFC wild card following the Denver Broncos' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

The Dolphins announced the news after the Chiefs' 33-10 win over the Broncos: 

"

PLAYOFFS = CLINCHED  pic.twitter.com/Kvi2ToRrSM

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 26, 2016"

As James Walker of ESPN noted, it is the first playoff appearance for the Dolphins since 2008.  

The main reason Miami, which started 1-4, fought back to earn an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl trip in the coming weeks is its ability to win close games. Eight of its 10 victories so far during the regular season were decided by a single score.

Few were more dramatic than the one Saturday when the Dolphins scored a crucial 34-31 road triumph over the Buffalo Bills in overtime. Andrew Franks connected on a game-tying 55-yard field goal in the final seconds to force OT and then won it with a kick late in the extra session.

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel passed along comments from tight end Dion Sims after the Fins edged their division rivals from Buffalo that really summed up the team's entire season.

"It's never easy, but we got it done," Sims said.

It's rarely been pretty and the numbers don't point to a playoff team, with the Dolphins ranking in the bottom half of the league in both total offense and total defense. But they continue to find ways to win games late, and first-year head coach Adam Gase deserves a lot of credit for that.

The availability of quarterback Ryan Tannehill is now the biggest concern surrounding Miami with the team wrapping up its place in the playoffs.

Tannehill suffered a knee injury in the team's Week 14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Texas A&M product, who was enjoying his most complete season to date before the setback, hasn't played since, but the exact extent of the ailment is still unclear.

Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel noted that the QB previously disputed an NBC report stating he'd torn the MCL off the bone in his left knee. He stated it was a Grade 2 MCL sprain, adding there's "some integrity left" to the ligament.

Matt Moore has filled in admirably while the Dolphins awaited more concrete information on Tannehill, highlighted by a four-touchdown outing against the New York Jets. But his lackluster career numbers suggest regression is on the horizon if he's forced to continue as the team's starter.

A healthy and productive Tannehill combined with the hard-nosed running of Jay Ajayi and the big-play ability of Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills on the outside would give the Dolphins a dangerous offensive group heading into the playoffs.

Ultimately, Miami will head into the playoffs as a championship long shot.

But in an AFC where the New England Patriots have been the only dominant force throughout the duration of the regular season, the door isn't completely shut on a deep postseason run.