The Miami Dolphins‘ 2024 playoff hopes are alive. I won’t say “and well”, but hey, they’re still technically alive. However, you now can’t say the same for the Dolphins’ rival from the Northeast.
Miami rallied from a 23-15 fourth quarter deficit to defeat the New York Jets 32-26 in overtime on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
A Davante Adams 3-yard touchdown catch to start the second half, and a field goal on their ensuing drive put the 3-win Jets in position to potentially spoil Miami’s playoff hopes.
However, Miami went 60 yards early in the fourth quarter and found the end zone on fourth and goal on a 4-yard strike to Tyreek Hill – who went over 100 receiving yards for the first time since the opener with 115. Tua connected with Waddle for the two-point try to even the score.
That being said, the Jets appeared all but set to close the game out in the final minute. A 14-yard catch by Davante Adams got the Jets into comfortable field goal range, but he allowed himself to be forced out of bounds instead of going down in bounds to run the clock. The Jets took the lead on a 42-yard field goal, but Miami still had 52 seconds left. A 45-yard Malik Washington kickoff and two completions set up a Jason Sanders 52-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
The Dolphins won the toss and took the ball, and from there, Jonnu Smith put the team on his back and carried them into the end zone. With no stats in regulation, he totaled 3 catches for 44 yards and pulled down the game-winning 10-yard touchdown.
The win improved the Dolphins to 6-7 on the season and kept their wild card hopes alive. However, the loss officially eliminated the Jets from playoff contention, closing the door on the astronomically slim chances New York had of reaching the postseason in Aaron Rodgers’ second year with the team.
The Dolphins and Jets rivalry isn’t nearly what it used to be when Dan Marino and Boomer Esiason were dueling it out. However, there’s still undoubtedly some enjoyment among Dolphins fans in seeing their rival bow out of the playoff at the Dolphins’ hands.
After all, there’s not much else to cling to in South Florida right now, aside from outside playoff hopes.
