The Miami Dolphins held onto their slim playoff hopes Sunday after surviving a 32-26 overtime win over the New York Jets.
The Dolphins (6-7) entered the week with an 11 percent chance to make the postseason, and picking up their fourth win in five weeks after a 2-6 start keeps those hopes alive.
Meanwhile, the Jets (3-10) were officially eliminated from the postseason with the loss. They extended their playoff drought to 14 seasons, the longest such drought of any team in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.
New York’s offense moved at one of the highest rates all season, posting a season-high 402 total offensive yards. The Jets scored on five straight drives and did not punt until the fourth quarter. However, Miami was able to lead two scoring drives off the back of a Tyreek Hill touchdown reception and a game-tying 52-yard Jason Sanders field goal to send the game to overtime.
.@AaronRodgers12 to @tae15adams CLASSIC TD!!!#NYJvsMIA on CBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/16PssHpjr0
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 8, 2024
From there, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins marched down the field undeterred against a defense that came into the game missing defensive cornerstones like cornerback Sauce Gardner and linebacker C.J. Mosley. Tight end Jonnu Smith — who entered overtime without a catch on the day — caught three passes for a combined 44 yards, including the game-winning 10-yard touchdown reception.
Aaron Rodgers (27-for-39, 339 yards, one TD) posted his first 300-yard passing game since December 2021. The 34-game streak without a 300-yard game was the longest active streak in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. Tagovailoa (33-for-47, 331 yards, two TD) posted his third straight game with at least 300 passing yards and multiple passing touchdowns.
The game-winner 🏈
📺: #NYJvsMIA on @NFLonCBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/p3XezuWxIO
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 8, 2024
Jets finally met their expectations — until they didn’t
This game was a tale of two versions of the Jets. There was the version the Jets have been missing all season, an offense firing on all cylinders with Rodgers connecting with his star wide receivers — Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams — and getting adequate support from the running game. The Jets made it to the red zone on five drives in a row to start the game and didn’t punt until the fourth quarter, and they scored on all five of those drives.
The Jets went into the fourth quarter with a 23-15 lead — and then it felt like they started to lose some momentum. The offense stagnated with back-to-back three-and-outs to open the quarter. The defense struggled — beset by bad penalties — and the Dolphins tied the game up on a nine-play, 60-yard drive capped off by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Hill.
Rodgers got the ball back with 4:25 remaining — which is not unfamiliar territory. Rodgers had gotten the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead five times this season and the Jets lost all five games. He brought the Jets down the field and completed a 14-yard pass to Adams who, for some reason, went out of bounds rather than tried to run the clock out. Anders Carlson converted the 42-yard field goal. The Jets felt good.
And then they allowed a 35-yard kick return on the ensuing kickoff. Then the Dolphins worked their way up the field and tied it up with a field goal, won the coin toss in overtime and quickly worked their way up the field to win the game on a touchdown pass to Smith. New York never forced Miami to a third down during their overtime drive, and four of Miami’s seven overtime passes went for at least 10 yards. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer
Jets passing attack bounces back too late in season
Rodgers completed his first 300-yard game since December of 2021 and both Adams and Wilson were stellar (combined for 16 catches on 21 targets for 223 yards and a touchdown). But it ultimately didn’t matter and the Jets lost in the most Jets fashion imaginable — officially eliminating themselves from playoff contention for the 14th straight year. They were eliminated in Miami last year too. — Rosenblatt
Required reading
- NFL Week 14 scores and live updates: Playoff picture, standings, news, inactives, predictions, odds
- NFL playoff projections 2024: The Athletic’s model predicts the field
- 2025 NFL Draft: Projection model ranks 6 teams most likely to pick No. 1
- Aaron Rodgers dishes on lack of public backing for Jets coaches from ownership
(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
