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Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets
When the Miami Dolphins needed their defense to capitalize against a struggling New York Jets
defense for a chance at the postseason, they vanished. Miami’s defense looked nothing like
itself and allowed the Jets to control a 23-15 lead late in the third quarter off the leg of kicker
Anders Carlson with a 40-yard field goal.
Luckily for Miami, the consistent offense that has earned the Dolphins wins in four of their last
five games showed up. Like a rush for holiday shopping, Miami’s offense rushed up the field
toward its goal. Through frustrations, the team was poised to the end.
“It’s not always a bad thing when people think you can’t do stuff,” head coach Mike McDaniel
said. “I see that on our team. There’s so many people that can attest to being able to press
forward regardless of who says what.”
The Dolphins (6-7) defeated the Jets (3-10) 32-26 in an overtime win at Hard Rock Stadium in
Miami Gardens, Florida on Dec. 8. Despite an allowed 402 total yards of offense produced by
New York, Miami came back down 10 to eliminate its AFC East rivals from the playoffs while
keeping its own hopes alive.
The contest opened with an efficient drive by the Dolphins. Miami running back De’Von Achane
has been the premiere option on offense this season and it illustrated on the field throughout the
first drive. The series drained nearly five minutes of clock and ended with a 2-yard touchdown
run by Achane. However, a missed point after try by Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders soured it.
The Miami defense appeared to represent a bend-don’t-break mentality against the air assault
of New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall-Of-Famer setup Carlson for a 28 yard
field goal and answered a 39-yard try by Sanders with a scoring drive just under three minutes.
Jets rookie running back Isaiah Davis capped the drive with a 17-yard run to the house to give
New York its first lead of the game, up 10-9 early in the second quarter.
Both teams would seesaw on special teams with a Sanders field goal, followed by a Carlson
field goal. The Dolphins, who didn’t punt throughout the entire first half, placed Sanders deep
left of the logo with two seconds before the break. With full power, and no wind against him,
Sanders closed the first half with a 57-yard field goal and with Miami up 15-13.
The lead didn’t last long. The Dolphins’ defense was gassed out in the third quarter with more
than 10 minutes on the field. Left stranded on the gridiron against Rodgers’ weapons, Miami
allowed Jets Pro-Bowl wide receivers Wilson Garrett and Devante Adams to dismantle any
chance at a stop.
The Dolphins defense’s best chance when New York faced a 4th-and-2 on Miami’s 18 yard line.
Rodgers calmly read into the middle of the defense and ditched the ball to an open Davis. The
running back hustled toward the end zone, but was knocked out of bounds at the three. The
very next play, Rodgers found Adams for a 3-yard touchdown pass. The score marked the 79th
time that the duo has connected for a touchdown. It also pushed the two into fourth all-time in
league history within the same category.
By the end of the third quarter, the Jets commanded a 23-15 lead over the Dolphins. In a
must-win game for Miami, it was time for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The first-string
quarterback had been on fire walking into the matchup, and nothing changed since then.
Tagovailoa started the first quarter with a 60-yard scoring drive that spanned nine snaps. The
Polynesian standout quarterback hit Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a beautiful flat route
on a crucial 4th-and-goal at the Jets four yard line. Wideout Jaylen Waddle contributed after the
touchdown by catching a two-point conversion to tie the game 23 apiece with 9:04 remaining.
The game was put into a stalemate, until New York struck luck and conducted a drive that set up
Carlson for a 42-yard field goal with 52 seconds to spare in the game. Miami followed the field
with a successful one-minute drive that was boosted by a great 45-yard return by rookie
receiver Malik Washington.
Tagovailoa went down the field to set Sanders up for a 52-yard field goal, and the two teams
with postseason futures on the line went to overtime. Luckily for the Dolphins, they had the
upper hand on the coin toss. They preferred to start with the ball on offense and made quick
with its chance.
About four minutes, and eight plays later, Miami tight end Jonnu Smith took over the game.
Despite not having a single reception in regulation, the FIU alum finished the game with three
receptions and 44 receiving yards -- all within overtime. His evening concluded with a 10-yard
touchdown grab thrown by an incredibly accurate ball by Tagovailoa.
The Jets never touched the ball in overtime. The Dolphins won off the Smith touchdown and
continue to keep their playoff hopes alive. As of today, they have less than a 20% chance to
make the playoffs as a Wildcard team. They’ll need to win out for the rest of the season, next on
the road against the Houston Texans Sunday at 1 p.m.
Written by: Brandon Hernandez
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