An improbably sunny forecast for NFL's playoff-starved Florida pair


The Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have enjoyed surprising reversals of fortune, now with play-off hopes after a combined 3-7 start

A funny thing happened on the way to this year’s NFL play-offs: two Florida teams suddenly became relevant again.

From the wreckage of a combined 3-7 start to the season – and the distinct possibility of an eighth straight year without post-season play in the Sunshine State – Miami and Tampa Bay have unexpectedly bucked a disturbing trend and given the region’s football fans reason to hope again.

Related: How the Chicago Bears became NFL's most untroubled losers

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