The disappointing trend that has marked the New York Jets’ season showed up again on Sunday.
With this loss, their playoff chances are officially gone.
The Jets blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time, losing 32-26 in overtime to the Miami Dolphins, which extended their playoff drought to 14 consecutive years—the longest active streak in the NFL.
“Obviously, you work as hard as we do, it’s supposed to lead to wins and it could be demoralizing a little bit,” said wide receiver Davante Adams. “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.”
Even Aaron Rodgers’ first 300-yard passing game since December 2021, and Anders Carlson’s 42-yard field goal to put the Jets (3-10) ahead 26-23 with 52 seconds left, weren’t enough to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Malik Washington returned Carlson’s kickoff 45 yards to the Miami 46. With no timeouts left, the Dolphins moved to the Jets’ 34-yard line, where Jason Sanders made his fourth field goal, a 52-yarder, with 12 seconds left in regulation.
Rodgers and the Jets never had the ball in overtime. After winning the coin toss, the Dolphins, led by Tua Tagovailoa, drove 70 yards for a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith, sealing the win.
“We have to find a way to finish, give our best when our best is required,” said Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, whose record dropped to 1-7 since taking over for the fired Robert Saleh. “And not getting that accomplished, I’ve got to look at myself first.”
Before the late collapse, the Jets scored on their first five drives. Adams had seven catches for 114 yards, and Garrett Wilson finished with 109 yards on nine catches. But three of those drives ended in field goals, allowing the Dolphins to stay within reach.
“We had some good stretches,” Rodgers said after completing 27 of 39 passes for 339 yards and a 3-yard touchdown to Adams in the third quarter. “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 2023 season, there were high hopes that the four-time MVP would help end the playoff drought.
However, Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon just four snaps into his Jets debut.
The Jets started the season with fresh Super Bowl dreams and a 2-1 record. But they have since lost nine of their last ten games, and Rodgers’ performances have not matched his 18-year run with Green Bay.
“The expectations were high. We didn’t reach them, they weren’t close,” Rodgers said. “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.”
