On their opening possession, the Dolphins went three and out and settled for a Jason Sanders field goal to take an early lead of 3-0. On their next drive, De’Von Achane scored on an 80-yard run that gave New York their only touchdown lead of the day.
On Christmas night, two teams met in a winner-take-all battle for the last wild-card spot in the playoffs. Chad Pennington outwitted Brett Favre to claim victory after an exciting contest.
| Category | Miami Dolphins | New York Jets |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Tua Tagovailoa: 33/47, 331 yds, 2 TD | Aaron Rodgers: 27/39, 339 yds, 1 TD |
| Top Receiver | Tyreek Hill: 10 rec, 115 yds, 1 TD | Garrett Wilson: 7 rec, 114 yds |
| 2nd Receiver | Jaylen Waddle: 9 rec, 99 yds | Davante Adams: 9 rec, 109 yds, 1 TD |
| Top Rusher | De’Von Achane: 2-yd TD run | Isaiah Davis: 17-yd TD run |
| Kicker | Jason Sanders: 3 FGs (52, 57, 24 yds) | Anders Carlson: 3 FGs (28, 30, 42 yds) |
| Defense | Zach Sieler: 4 tackles, 2 sacks | No sacks or turnovers recorded |
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are the last team to lose twice to their division rival, the Jets, within any season, while winning six out of their past five head-to-head meetings between them and have also faced off three times at Super Bowl level, with each winning one game each; thus this matchup becomes key as both sides fight for playoff eligibility.
The rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets has produced many classic games over time, but perhaps none more memorable than “The Mud Bowl,” the 1981 AFC Championship game held January 23, 1982 known as a fight-filled AFC title game played between them on January 23. That season saw quarterback Bob Griese lead his Dolphins team to an 11-4-1 regular season record led by running back Larry Csonka during what became known as strike-shortened regular season play – ending up as 11-4-1 overall record with only 11-4-1 regular season regular season play to cap off that competition against their New York counterparts.
In that game, both teams were tied at 10-10 entering the fourth quarter before trading field goals until Mike Nugent’s 30-yard kick gave the Jets a 13-10 win that denied Dolphins any hope of reaching playoffs.
Throughout this time period, both teams would meet frequently and battle for AFC East supremacy. While the Dolphins took four of six first meetings between 1998-2001 and the Jets winning eight out of ten thereafter – ultimately giving the Jets a winning season overall in each divisional matchup against Dolphins as well as taking home an AFC East championship title due to superior division record over both years.
The identities of both franchises are intrinsically tied, with their colors — turquoise and orange — reflecting Florida’s vibrant spirit. The Dolphins logo features a leaping dolphin in midair with white football helmet and orange letter M on top; uniforms may change over time but still feature turquoise jerseys with black pants.
The Dolphins currently stand at 7-7 and need a win against the Jets in Week 19 to stay alive for playoff contention. Their chances stand at 11% and could increase further with victories in other remaining matches. Even without Tua Tagovailoa due to injury concerns, their chances should still remain intact against New York and continue their playoff pursuit.
New York Jets
The New York Jets have just finished up their bye week and hope to use this as an opportunity to turn their season around after three consecutive losses have dropped them to 4-12 and put into jeopardy their playoff hopes. They face Miami Dolphins on Sunday in cold MetLife Stadium and average only 16.5 points per game this year while suffering throughout the field.
The Jets rank second in rushing defense and fourth in passing offense in the NFL, and have one of the worst special teams, ranking 29th for punt returns and 30th for kickoff returns respectively. They are also among the bottom 10 in terms of total yards allowed, sacks, and interceptions.
As for injuries, the Jets have experienced many. Key players such as C.J. Mosley (neck), Tyron Smith (neck), Haason Reddick (neck), Zack Bailey (back) and Sauce Gardner (hamstring) have all been sidelined, forcing Tyler Huntley back into action after making his last start against Cincinnati in Week 8. Tyler Huntley will take over for Tyler Huntley who returns as starting QB after starting four times during Week 8.
On the bright side, the Jets appear poised for success at this year’s draft. They could secure either one of the top five picks – possibly third or fourth overall selection – while their division rivals Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals both endure losing seasons that may help their chances.
In the post-merger era, the Jets have won only twice in AFC East competition; 1998 and 2002. Since then they have made 12 playoff appearances, reaching four AFC Championship Games but without success; their longest playoff drought among New York professional sports franchises. Two-time Super Bowl Champion Bill Parcells led his team to an NFL-best record in 2000 before his departure left them unable to repeat that success; Wesley Walker and Al Toon served as their primary wide receivers throughout their respective eras and remain among the greatest performers ever.
Head-to-Head Record
The Dolphins and Jets have met in 41 games overall – both regular season and playoff – since 2003, winning 21 each while suffering 21 losses – split evenly throughout. When meeting in playoff match-ups five times, both sides have won one game against each other each time!
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based out of Miami Gardens in Florida and compete in the American Football Conference East division. Established in 1966 and owned by Stephen M. Ross, the Dolphins play their home games at Hard Rock Stadium located near Hard Rock Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium is known as their official stadium for games played there.
Miami Dolphins football has an illustrious past of victory and postseason success, winning seven AFC East divisional titles and reaching the Super Bowl twice (both times in 1972). Furthermore, nine separate seasons saw Miami win over 20 regular season games-a franchise record!
This year, the Dolphins are once again in contention for a wild card spot; however, to succeed they must win out and hope that Bengals lose at Kansas City – plus face off with stiff competition from New York Jets who want a spot in playoffs as well.
New York is also suffering from injuries; CB Sauce Gardner was placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring strain, while S Chuck Clark is out with a pectoral issue. With these absences in the secondary position, New York must rely on backup safety Davon House and cornerback Jamar Taylor as support this weekend.
The Miami Dolphins will attempt to gain their first road win of the season against the New York Jets this Sunday, without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is suffering from a hip injury; Tyler Huntley will replace him. Running back Mike Bell also suffered a rib injury. Huntley currently boasts two touchdowns without an interception on 61 of 92 passing attempts (66.3%).
Key Statistics
As both teams battle for playoff contention, their matchup will be of great significance. The winner will earn themselves a wild card slot in the AFC East while losingr could lose any chance at that altogether. While Dolphins defense has enough firepower to match Jets offense, their run game needs improvement in order to defeat this opponent.
The Jets will pair cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Jamar Taylor against Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace of the Dolphins for this game. Cromartie has proven himself superior so far this season by holding Hartline to only 57 yards on seven receptions while making him difficult to cover. Additionally, this second-year corner has shown great ball skills – recording a forced fumble during their previous meeting between these teams.
Taylor has been an invaluable member of the defensive end, recording six tackles and three quarterback pressures to go along with two sacks and pass deflections, plus excelling against tight ends. Unfortunately for the Jets however, defensive tackle Zach Sieler and linebacker Calais Campbell will both miss this matchup due to injuries but cornerback Emmanuel Ogbah should still be available for this contest.
Miami’s rushing attack has been inconsistent, with Jaylen Wright and DeVon Achane struggling against New York’s defensive front seven. On average, however, they have amassed an average of 137 rushing yards over their past four games against them.
The Dolphins took an initial 13-7 lead after Wright and Achane scored touchdown runs, but the Jets responded with John Hall field goals and Vinny Testaverde passing three yard touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet for Wayne Chrebet touchdown receptions to close out halftime scoreless. Following another scoreless third quarter, John Hall hit two more field goals to put this one out of reach with five minutes remaining in regulation time.
The Jets defense has been impressive over the last several weeks, yet will be missing cornerback Brandon Marshall and safety Eric Smith against the Dolphins. Haason Reddick and Quincy Williams should step in for those players respectively and ensure their run game stays out of the red zone.