It's hard to figure out the mood with the Miami Dolphins this week. Players and coaches are saying the right things. The team claims it wants to finish strong despite essentially ruining its playoff chances by losing three of their past four games. But we won’t truly know how much fight the Dolphins (7-7) have left until they get on the field Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (6-8).

The Dolphins are springing leaks in every phase. Their defense has allowed 30.25 points per game in the past four weeks. The offense isn't doing much better, averaging just 19.5 points in that same stretch. The special teams, which have been inconsistent all season, allowed a blocked field goal for a touchdown in last week’s 41-13 loss to the New England Patriots.

However, there are two strong trends favoring the Dolphins that should put them over the top against Minnesota. First, they have feasted on rookie quarterbacks this season. Miami is 2-0 against rookies, having Derek Carr and Blake Bortles -- and neither game was close. Carr and Bortles had QBRs of 45.5 and 2.8, respectively, against Miami’s defense, which doesn’t bode well for Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

Second, the inconsistent Dolphins have been consistent in beating bad times. They are 4-0 this season against teams currently with losing records. Miami should improve that mark to 5-0 by doing just enough at home to beat the Vikings.

Prediction: Dolphins 20, Vikings 17