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The Miami Dolphins’ slim playoff chances are getting slimmer and could go down to zero by the end of Week 15’s games.

After the results in the league’s Sunday slate, the Dolphins are now facing elimination from postseason contention in their Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6). They must win to keep their hopes alive.

If Miami was to lose, falling to 6-8, it would only have a chance to catch the Houston Texans, who currently hold the final playoff spot in the AFC at 9-5. That would take three Dolphins wins to finish the season and three Texans losses. But even then, the Texans would own the conference record tiebreaker.

A Dolphins loss would mean they can’t catch up to either the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars — all who are 10-4.

The Sunday results in the NFL didn’t go Miami’s way. Buffalo came back against New England to win. The Texans took down the Arizona Cardinals, and the Chargers held on late against the Kansas Chiefs.

A win for the Dolphins in the frigid cold of Pittsburgh on Monday keeps different paths, albeit unlikely, for Miami to reach the postseason.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They passed directly in our flight path. … They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao, which is just off the coast of Venezuela, en route to New York City’s JFK airport. It comes as the U.S. military has stepped up its drug interdiction activities in the Caribbean and is also seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela’s government.

“We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us — maybe 2 or 3 miles — but it was an air-to air-refueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude,” the pilot said. “We had to stop our climb.” The pilot said the Air Force plane then headed into Venezuelan air space.

Derek Dombrowski, a spokesman for JetBlue, said Sunday: “We have reported this incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation.” He added, “Our crewmembers are trained on proper procedures for various flight situations, and we appreciate our crew for promptly reporting this situation to our leadership team.”

The Pentagon referred The Associated Press to the Air Force for comment. The Air Force didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

___

Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

MIAMI GARDENS — Defense and the run game have received most of the attention during the Miami Dolphins’ four-game winning streak. The fact is Miami’s success goes deeper. The Dolphins are also getting a big boost from playing smart, clean football.

Take a look at the statistical categories coach Mike McDaniel and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver value most — turnover margin and points allowed, respectively. The numbers are hugely favorable recently and offer another glimpse into why the Dolphins have won five of their past six games heading into their Monday night game against the Steelers (7-6) in Pittsburgh.

Also, take a look at penalties. Those numbers are hugely favorable, too.

It’s all connected, these ancillary elements to winning — turnover margin, scoring defense and penalties.

But when you want to understand the true depth of this Dolphins (6-7) midseason turnaround start at the beginning, meaning the beginning of the game.

When the Dolphins have won the toss during the past six games, McDaniel has taken the ball, a change in strategy, instead of deferring his option to receive until the third quarter. Consequently, the Dolphins have scored first in every game of this six-game stretch although not always on their first possession. They’ve scored first-quarter touchdowns in four of the six games. Playing with the lead has allowed McDaniel to stick with running back De’Von Achane and the running game, which leads the league during the past five weeks at 192.3 yards rushing per game.

Additionally, the run game success reduces the burden on inconsistent quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (18 touchdowns, career-worst 14 interceptions, career-worst 86.4 passer rating). Tagovailoa’s success, and the success of the passing game, has been much different this season than previous seasons and a primary reason is likely the absence of injured star wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

But just as importantly as winning the coin toss, taking the ball, scoring first, and utilizing the ground game, the Dolphins are plus-seven in turnover margin over the past six games. They’re now plus-one for the season. McDaniel regards turnover margin as the best statistical indicator of wins and losses.

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“I think it’s no coincidence what came first, the chicken or the egg,” McDaniel said. “I think our play style is leading to the takeaway margin, and we’ll need to continue that to hope to have the same success.”

When it comes to points allowed consider the Dolphins have only allowed more than 17 points once during the past six games, that being the 28-6 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The scoring defense success represents a huge turnaround considering the Dolphins allowed at least 21 points in each of their first seven games, and four opponents scored 30 or more.

“We have unwavering faith and conviction in what we do,” Weaver said, “and we knew that if we would just keep taking small incremental steps forward in whatever that was, whether that was schematically, effort, focus on takeaways, technique and fundamentals, eventually the dam would break and we’d start getting the results that we were looking for.”

When it comes to penalties the Dolphins have had fewer penalty yards than each of their past six opponents. They haven’t had more than five penalties in any game during this stretch.

Dolphins now facing elimination at Pittsburgh on Monday after NFL’s Sunday slate

The bottom line is the Dolphins are playing smart, clean football along with executing when it comes to run games and defense.

McDaniel attributes all of the improved numbers and better results to more convicted efforts.

“We’re talking about takeaways every week,” he said, “but it’s all connected to high-effort strain, conviction, the style of play that is very violent in nature. The game of inches that lead to touchdowns versus field goals, first downs versus fourth downs, and then those tips and overthrows that lead to takeaways, they’re all packed into a style of play that is very much convicted and high effort.”

Dolphins Deep Dive: Prediction time — Will Miami win Monday at Steelers? | VIDEO

Dolphins (6-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m., Monday, Acrisure Stadium

TV: ESPN, CBS (Ch. 4 in Miami-Dade, Broward counties; Ch. 12 in Palm Beach); RADIO: Westwood One, NFL+, WBGG (105.9-FM), WINZ (940-AM), WTZU (94.9-FM, Spanish); Palm Beach: ESPN (106.3 FM); WEFL (760-AM, Spanish)


Coaches: The Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel is 34-32, including the playoffs, in his fourth season as a head coach; the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin is 198-124-2 in his 19th season.

Series: The Steelers lead the all-time series, 15-14, including 2-2 in the postseason. The Dolphins have won four of the past five regular-season meetings. These teams last met in the regular season in 2022, a 16-10 Miami victory at Hard Rock Stadium. Their postseason meeting after the 2016 season was Pittsburgh’s last playoff win, a 30-12 Steelers decision. Miami has lost its past two games in Pittsburgh (2016 playoffs, 2019 regular season).

Weather: 20 degrees (feels-like temperature of 12 degrees), 74 percent humidity; 0 percent chance of precipitation, 8 mph winds from the SW with gusts up to 22 mph.


Line: The Steelers are 3-point favorites; the over-under is 42 points.

Injuries: Dolphins — Doubtful: S Elijah Campbell (ankle/knee); Questionable: OL Andrew Meyer (triceps). Physically unable to perform: OL Liam Eichenberg; Injured reserve: WR Tyreek Hill (knee), RG James Daniels (pectoral), K Jason Sanders (hip), CB Storm Duck (knee), CB Kader Kohou (knee), RB Alexander Mattison (neck), CB Artie Burns (knee), TE Jalin Conyers, CB Jason Maitre, OL Obinna Eze, OL Germain Ifedi, OL Yodny Cajuste …

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Steelers — Out: OL Andrus Peat (concussion), CB James Pierre (calf), LB T.J. Watt (lung). Questionable: DT Derrick Harmon (knee), TE Darnell Washington (concussion). Injured reserve: S DeShon Elliott, QB Skylar Thompson are among 12 players on the list.

Noteworthy: This is another “cold-weather” game for the Dolphins with the line of delineation for this purpose being 45 degrees or colder at kickoff. The Dolphins are 1-5 in cold-weather games under McDaniel and QB Tua Tagovailoa with the most recent victory being last week’s 34-10 win at the New York Jets. Aside from that game, the Dolphins lost at Buffalo (32-29) in the 2022 regular season, at Buffalo (34-31) in the 2022 playoffs, at Kansas City (26-7) in the 2023 playoffs, at Green Bay on Thanksgiving last season (30-17), and lost at the Jets (32-20) in last season’s finale. …

A win would be the fifth consecutive for the the Dolphins, matching their longest winning streak in the McDaniel era, achieved in 2022. …

A victory would improve Miami’s record to 7-7, making the Dolphins the fifth team in NFL history to reach .500 after starting 2-7. The 2021 Dolphins also turned the trick. …

The Dolphins are 7-7 in December games under McDaniel. …

This is usually a troubling time of the season for the Dolphins, who are 8-10 in December-January games under McDaniel, including 3-7 on the road. …

The Steelers and Dolphins had a high-profile offseason trade that involved Pittsburgh sending S Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith. Each player will want to show that their former team was wrong to let them go. …

RB De’Von Achane (1,126 yard rushing, No. 3 in NFL) ranks No. 2 among RBs in the NFL for receiving TDs (four) and No. 4 in receptions (55) and receiving yards (383). …

Pittsburgh is without OLB T.J. Watt, and that will certainly hurt its defense, especially the pass rush. …

QB Aaron Rodgers is playing with a left (non-throwing) wrist injury. …

WR DK Metcalf will have to be monitored closely because he brings a combination of speed and size that’s rarely seen. …

DL Cameron Heyward, a future Hall of Famer, will have spirited matchups with C Aaron Brewer, who is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. …

The Dolphins played the song “Renegade” by Styx on a loop during Friday’s practice. Renegade is a song played at Acrisure Stadium to get the crowd fired up. …

Former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, the twin brother of ex-Dolphins C Mike Pouncey, is being inducted into the Hall of Honor so both will be at Monday’s game. QB Ben Roethlisberger and S Joey Porter, another former Dolphins player, are also being inducted in the Hall of Honor.

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MIAMI — For the Miami Heat, Monday represents more than a return to action after a five-day break. It also opens an additional window for transactions.

Dec. 15 is the first day that most players signed in the offseason can be traded.

For the Heat, that makes Monday that first day that guard Dru Smith and Jahmir Young can be dealt, not that the team has offered any such indications.

Typically, the Heat would have a higher number of players trade-eligible on Dec. 15, but this, by their standards, was a relatively tame offseason.

While guard Davion Mitchell also was signed this past offseason, because he received a raise higher than 20% and was retained by Bird Rights, his trade window does not open until Jan. 15.

That does not mean the Heat are poised for a deal, only that transaction dates now are at hand ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trading deadline.

While Young is one of three Heat players on two-way contracts, the NBA limit, he does not become trade eligible until Monday because he was converted from a standard contract during the preseason. The Heat’s other two-way players — Vlad Goldin and Myron Gardner — were trade eligible 30 days after they were directly signed to two-way deals in July.

All of the Heat’s other offseason signings either were a matter of picking up player options or picking up guarantees, such as with Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson.

The Heat currently have one spot vacant on their standard roster, with teams eligible to carry up to 15. While they also have enough space below the luxury tax to sign an additional player — a window that opened Saturday — such additional space also can now be utilized in a trade.

In all, about 77 players will turn trade-eligible on Monday, about 17% of the NBA, a list that also includes the likes of former Heat forward Duncan Robinson, former Heat guard Kyle Lowry, and recently banished Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul.

Among offseason signings in addition to the Heat’s Mitchell that won’t be trade eligible until Jan, 15 are Jonathan Kuminga, Naz Reid and Josh Giddey.

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Worth noting amid Giannis Antetokounmpo speculation, with the Heat listed as potential landing spots if such a trade is considered, is that the Milwaukee Bucks have 10 players who become trade eligible Monday, creating significant optionality.

Monday’s 7:30 p.m. game at Kaseya Center was added to the schedule when the Heat and Toronto Raptors were knocked out in Tuesday night quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. The game is in Miami because the Raptors otherwise had been scheduled only once in South Florida (Dec. 23). The Heat play in Toronto on April 7 and April 9.

Both teams have struggled after unexpectedly hot early starts, the Heat entering at 14-11, on a four-game losing streak, the Raptors at 15-11, also on a four-game losing streak.

“This year, it’s been almost a mirror image of the style of play, where we’ve been in the conference,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “the aggressiveness, commitment to defense. But I would say any year that the Heat and Toronto face each other, it always ends up being competitive games.”

Among the reasons for the Raptors’ revival has been the play of forward Brandon Ingram, who was acquired at last season’s trade deadline and then signed to a contract extension. He is coming off a 31-point NBA Cup performance against the New York Knicks.

“He’s healthy,” said Spoelstra, with Ingram not having played since Feb. 10, 2022 against the Heat. “I think that’s a big part of the success. Whenever he’s been healthy, he’s been an explosive scorer. He’s a tough guard. He gets to his spots and raises up above most defenses and he’s in a great system, a great rhythm right now.”

Larsson, who sprained his left ankle in last week’s loss in Orlando, was the lone Heat player not to practice Sunday, as the Heat completed three consecutive days of work on their practice court at Kaseya Center, their longest training period since the preseason.

The only other player listed as out by the Heat for Monday is Terry Rozier, who remains on league-mandated leave.

Otherwise on the Heat injury report, rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis is listed as probable with a sprained left ankle, with Tyler Herro (toe) and Dru Smith (hip) both listed as available.

For the Raptors, RJ Barrett (knee) is out, with the balance of their rotation healthy and not on their injury report.