The Miami Dolphins managed to keep their playoff dreams alive by defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. However, their postseason aspirations might vanish altogether before they even step onto the field Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

If both the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers come out victorious in their Saturday games, the Dolphins will be officially out of the running. Despite this, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa insists that their strategy against Cleveland will remain unchanged. “Whether we’re still in contention or not, you learn a lot about a person by how they handle their responsibilities,” Tagovailoa mentioned to the media on Thursday.

“Do you see players giving up? That tells you something significant. Do you see players fighting on? That reveals a lot too. Hopefully, next year, you’ll know the guys who kept pushing when things were tough. Those are the teammates you want because they’re dependable.”

Earlier this season, the Dolphins struggled with a single victory across seven games. Tagovailoa’s concussion, which kept him out for four of those matches, was a major setback, resulting in a 2-6 record in the first nine weeks.

In the latter half of the season, Miami has clinched five wins out of seven games, but this resurgence might be too late. One of the AFC’s three wild card spots is already beyond their reach, with the Broncos and Chargers on the brink of securing the remaining two. Tagovailoa emphasizes that players shouldn’t require playoff implications to give their best effort. “This is an opportunity, and none of us should take it lightly,” Tagovailoa stated.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to reach this point, to play in the NFL. That in itself is a dream. To short-circuit that and think, ‘oh, we’ll get it next year.’ How can you be sure there will be a next year for your career or even another game for you?”

In his 11 starts this season, Tagovailoa has accumulated 19 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and boasts a passer rating of 101.4.