MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The New York Jets faced yet another disappointment on Sunday, continuing a troubling trend that has plagued their season. Their hopes for the playoffs have officially been dashed after they lost to the Miami Dolphins, 32-26, in overtime. This defeat marked the fifth time this season the Jets have relinquished a lead in the fourth quarter, extending their playoff drought to a frustrating 14 years—the longest ongoing streak in the NFL.
Wide receiver Davante Adams expressed the sentiment of the team, saying, “Obviously, you work as hard as we do, it’s supposed to lead to wins and it could be demoralizing a little bit. But I try to remind everybody to keep going, regardless of the circumstances or the record. We’re playing for our pride at this point.” Despite Aaron Rodgers achieving his first 300-yard passing game since December 2021, it wasn’t nearly enough to retain the Jets’ slim chances for a postseason berth.
Rodgers threw a crucial 42-yard field goal that put the Jets ahead 26-23 with only 52 seconds left on the clock. However, Malik Washington returned the subsequent kickoff 45 yards to the Miami 46-yard line. With no timeouts left, the Dolphins mounted a quick drive to the New York 34, where Jason Sanders executed a 52-yard field goal to tie the game, scoring with only 12 seconds remaining in regulation.
In overtime, the Jets were unable to gain possession since the Dolphins won the coin toss. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa orchestrated a swift 70-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith, sealing the game for Miami. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who has seen the team struggle to a 1-7 record since taking over for the dismissed Robert Saleh, acknowledged the need to improve and stated, “We have to find a way to finish, give our best when our best is required. And not getting that accomplished, I’ve got to look at myself first.”
Prior to the heartbreaking finish, the Jets had made a strong start, scoring on their first five drives. Adams delivered a standout performance, catching seven passes for 114 yards, while Garrett Wilson added another 109 yards on nine receptions. Unfortunately, three of those drives resulted in field goals, which allowed the Dolphins to stay within striking distance.
Rodgers, finishing with a stat line of 27 completions on 39 attempts for 339 yards and a touchdown, remarked, “We had some good stretches. Got to be better in the red zone. We had a couple negative yards plays and false starts that hurt us. But I felt like we moved the ball pretty efficiently.” When Rodgers joined the Jets before the current season, there were high expectations that he would help break the playoff jinx.
However, just four snaps into his debut, Rodgers suffered a torn left Achilles tendon, altering the course of both his season and the team’s ambitions. The Jets started the year with renewed hope for the Super Bowl, having a record of 2-1 early on. Since then, however, they have faced nine losses in ten games. Reflecting on the season’s disappointments, Rodgers stated, “The expectations were high. We didn’t reach them, they weren’t close. We just didn’t figure out how to win enough games. I didn’t play good enough in some crunch times and that’s why we’re sitting here with the record we got.”