Dolphins-Jets rivalry

The Miami Dolphins-New York Jets rivalry is a rivalry between two franchises in the National Football League. The teams both play in the American Football Conference East Division, and play two scheduled games each season as a result. They have often competed for divisional supremacy, and have played a number of classic, memorable games. Currently, the Jets hold the advantage in the all-time series with a record of 45-39-1, while the Dolphins have won the lone postseason meeting, defeating the Jets in the 1982 AFC Championship.

History

The New York Jets were established in 1960, and the Miami Dolphins in 1966. The Dolphins and the Jets have co-existed in the AFC East every year since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, and meet annually twice a year. Whether one team is better than the other, both teams are good, or both teams are bad, this rivalry is always competitive, not only between players on the field but between native Miamians and transplanted New Yorkers in the stands and on sports radio. Prior to the New England Patriots dynasty, the battle for AFC East supremacy has been between the Dolphins and Jets and in the 90's, the Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. Since Miami joined the AFC East in 1966, they have grown into a more successful and more established franchise, especially when it comes to championships.

Right when the Jets were about to take over the AFL after their unbelievable win over the Colts in Super Bowl III, the rise of the Dolphins began. It seemed that the Jets peaked at Super Bowl III and then began going down, while Miami was on the rise, especially in the 70s. The Miami Dolphins have even sent more players to the NFL Hall of Fame than the Jets:

Jets: (3) - Joe Namath, Weeb Ewbank, Don Maynard (John Riggins counts as a Redskin, Ronnie Lott counts as a 49er).

Dolphins: (9) - Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Larry Little, Jim Langer, Dwight Stephenson, Bob Griese, Don Shula, Nick Buoniconti, Dan Marino (Thurman Thomas counts as a Bill).

1960s and 1970s

When the Dolphins joined the American Football League in 1966, the Jets were ascending the ranks of the AFL powerhouses on the arm of quarterback Joe Namath. The Jets won the first eight contests against the Dolphins. When the Dolphins finally posted their first winning record in 1970, injuries plagued Namath and the Jets stumbled to a 4-10 record. Thanks to Namath's inability to consistently stay healthy, the Jets never posted a record above .500 in the 1970s. Meanwhile, the Dolphins quickly surged to the NFL's elite after the AFL-NFL merger, peaking with one of two undefeated seasons in NFL history in 1972 and back-to-back Super Bowl wins in Super Bowls VII and VIII.

1980s

Heading into the 1980 season, the Dolphins were aiming toward another playoff run, while the Jets were struggling. The Jets won a total of only four games. Two of those games were wins over Miami:17-14 in New York on October 27, and 24-17 in Miami on December 20. Miami went on to finish with a record of 8-8, but it was the season sweep by the Jets that largely cost them their chances of a playoff berth.

The mid-1980s saw both teams being simultaneously competitive for the first time, beginning with a battle for the AFC East in 1981. That season also saw the first and only tie in the series, a 28-28 stalemate in Miami. The tie became crucial in the final standings; had the Jets won the game, combined with their 16-15 victory as well during the season, they would've clinched the division on a tiebreaker. Instead, Miami won the division by one game. Still, the Jets' 10-5-1 record allowed them to clinch their first postseason berth in twelve seasons. but they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, 31-27.

Perhaps the apex of the rivalry came in the 1982 AFC Championship on January 23, 1983, more appropriately known as "The Mud Bowl." After the Dolphins swept the Jets during the strike- shortened regular season by scores of 45-28 and 20-19, the two teams met again, this time with a trip to Super Bowl XVII on the line. A sloppy field covered in mud kept both teams scoreless in the first half. The game was a classic defensive battle that featured ten turnovers, eight of them on quarterback interceptions. The star of the game was undoubtedly Dolphins linebacker A.J. Duhe who picked off three of Jets quarterback Richard Todd's five interceptions, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown to help seal the 14-0 win and send the Dolphins to Super Bowl XVII.

On November 10, 1985, another storied chapter occurred. After being sidelined for seven weeks with a broken leg, Mark "Super" Duper had the game of his life against the Jets. He set a Dolphins club single game record with 217 receiving yards, but not before helping Miami catapult to victory. Down 17-14 with less than a minute to play, Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino fired a 50 yard touchdown pass to "Super" Duper for the win, 21-17.

Two of the most memorable contests between the teams occurred in 1986. On September 21, Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino put on a legendary offensive performance. The two quarterbacks combined set NFL single game records of 884 net passing yards and ten touchdown passes, records that still stand to this day. Dan Marino completed 30 of 50 passes for 448 yards and six touchdown passes. Mark Duper and Mark Clayton had big games, each having over 100 yards receiving (Duper with 154, Clayton with 174). Ken O'Brien threw for 479 yards and four touchdown passes all to wide receiver Wesley Walker, including one with no time left on the clock to force overtime, and then the game clincher in overtime for the win, 51-45. To this day, it is the highest scoring game between the teams (96 total points). The win propelled the Jets to a team-record nine-game winning streak, and an NFL-leading 10-1 record, when the teams met again on November 24 on Monday Night Football. However, Marino and the Dolphins exacted some revenge with a blowout win at home. Dan Marino completed 29 of 36 passes for 288 yards and four touchdown passes, while Dolphins running back Lorenzo Hampton rushed for 148 yards on 19 carries and two scores, one being a 50-yard touchdown run. As for the Jets, they could only manage three points, as the Dolphins defeated the Jets 45-3. The game also reflected a swift change in momentum for the Jets, who lost their final five games of 1986 to finish with a 10-6 record, but managed to still back into a playoff berth. They eventually fell to the Cleveland Browns in a double-overtime Divisional round loss.

On December 7, 1987, Miami lost one of their premier all time players. Miami defeated the Jets 37-28, but came out of this game with a huge loss. Jets defensive tackle Marty Lyons's illegal chop block on Dolphins center Dwight Stephenson turned Stephenson's knee turned into a mangled mess of torn ligaments and nerve damage, ending Stephenson's Hall of Fame career. What makes this hit even more significant is the fact that Lyons and Stephenson were teammates at the University of Alabama together, and close friends up until that fateful night in Miami. After the game a distraught Lyons went to the Dolphins locker room to apologize, but Dolphins head coach Don Shula chased him out in one of the most ugly profanity-laced tirades in NFL history.

Dan Marino made history the next year on October 23 when he joined a very elite club. Marino became one of the few quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 500 yards, completing 35 of 60 passes for a career high 521 yards. However, he also threw five interceptions. Three of them were to rookie Jets cornerback Erik McMillan, who returned one of them 55 yards for a touchdown. The Jets were ahead the entire game, including 30-10 at halftime.

1990s

The teams met in the season finale on December 22, 1991 a winner-take-all game for the final wild card spot in the playoffs. It was a seesaw battle, and the Dolphins took the lead 20-17 with 44 seconds remaining. When the Jets got the ball back, they drove down the field and tied the game to force overtime on Raul Allegre's 44-yard field goal. Allegre came through for the Jets once again in OT with a 30-yard field goal, sending the Jets to the playoffs, and sending the Dolphins home.

In 1994, the Jets found themselves one game back of the Dolphins for the AFC East division lead heading into their November 27 match at the Meadowlands. In a game with first place on the line, the Jets held a 24-6 lead, outplaying the Dolphins for three quarters. However, Dan Marino led the Dolphins back with two touchdowns, cutting the score to 24-21. Marino got the ball one last time and drove the Dolphins down the field to within the Jets' five-yard line. With thirty seconds remaining, and the clock continuing to wind down, it appeared Marino was going to spike the ball to stop the clock and send out the field goal unit to tie the game. Instead, Marino took the snap from center, and after motioning as if he would spike the ball, fired the ball in the corner of the end zone past Aaron Glenn and into the hands of Mark Ingram. It was Ingram's fourth touchdown catch of the game, which tied a club record with former Dolphins wide receiver Paul Warfield. The touchdown gave the Dolphins a 28-24 victory, and Miami went on to win the division. The Jets went into a spiral after that play, losing all of their remaining games. Indeed, the game marked the beginning of a period of ignominy for the Jets as they compiled a record of 4-33 from that game to the end of the 1996 season.

After 1996, the Jets made several changes to turn things around, the most significant of which was the hiring of Bill Parcells from the New England Patriots. The turnaround was immediate, and by 1998 the team once again was a serious division contender. Both teams were 9-4 on December 13, 1998 when they met on Sunday Night Football with the division lead, and possibly the division title, on the line. The Jets led 14-10 when Jets defender Chad Cascadden picked up a Marino fumble and returned it for a touchdown with just under two minutes to play to put the Jets ahead 21-10. The Dolphins were able to score a quick touchdown to come close, but it was not enough, and the Jets won 21-16, and they went on to win their first post-merger division title the following Saturday at Buffalo.

The teams' contest on December 27, 1999 marked Marino's last against the Jets, as well as the last Monday Night Football appearance in his career. Marino faced a young quarterback named Ray Lucas, who, along with Rick Mirer, replaced an injured Vinny Testaverde early in the season. The Dolphins were trying to clinch a playoff spot, while the Jets, who started their season 1-6, and were at 6-8, having won five out of their last seven. The Jets did not make it easy for the Dolphins. Lucas completed 11 of 23 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns.cite web |url=http://www.jt-sw.com/football/boxes/index.nsf/Games/1999-16-nyj-mia |title=New York Jets 38, Miami Dolphins 31 |date=2001-09-09 |accessdate=2007-04-02] Dan Marino put on one of his last great performances, completing 29 of 52 passes for 322 yards and three touchdown passes, but also three interceptions. It was the last of Marino's NFL regular season record 63 career games with 300 yards passing. The Jets came away with a 38-31 victory, with two long Lucas touchdowns sealing the game. The Jets finished the season 8-8 (including a season sweep of Miami), while the Dolphins finished the season 9-7 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost handily to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marino retired six weeks later.

2000s

Both the Jets and Dolphins started the 2000 season 5-1 when they met on Monday Night Football on October 23, 2000, to determine control of the AFC East. What looked to be an exciting match between two of the top teams in the NFL at the time was anything but for the first three quarters. The Dolphins held a 23-7 lead at halftime that grew to 30-7 at the end of the third quarter. Vinny Testaverde threw three interceptions, running back Curtis Martin was limited to 30 yards on the ground, and the Jets offense could only manage two first downs in the first half. Meanwhile, running back Lamar Smith scored two touchdowns for the Dolphins on his way to 155 rushing yards for the night. So great was the 23-point advantage that Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler was heard on the sidelines telling defensive end Jason Taylor, "They ain't coming back on us!" to which Taylor replied, "Hell no! You kidding? C'mon now."

However, the Jets looked to prove that statement wrong. Touchdowns from Testaverde to Laveranues Coles and Jermaine Wiggins cut the lead to 30-20. After a field goal by John Hall, Testaverde fired a touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet to tie the game 30-30 with 3:55 left. Fans who had left the stadium when the game looked to be a rout suddenly piled back in wanting to see the Jets' comeback. Still, it took only two plays for Miami to respond. Fiedler aired a long touchdown pass to Leslie Shepherd to retake the lead 37-30, seemingly crushing the Jets' hopes. Nonetheless, Testaverde marched the Jets downfield and, with 42 seconds left, found eligible offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott on a three-yard touchdown (which Elliott memorably bobbled as he fell to the ground) to tie the game at 37-37 and sent it to overtime. In the fourth quarter, Testaverde was 18 for 26 for 235 yards and four touchdowns, and the offense converted twenty first downs in the quarter, after managing just five beforehand.

In overtime, Fiedler was intercepted for the third time, setting up the dramatic finish. At 1:08 AM EDT, Hall nailed a 40-yard field goal to win the game for the Jets, 40-37. The game came to be known in NFL lore as The Monday Night Miracle. When Monday Night Football celebrated its 500th telecast on November 11, 2002, fans picked the game as the greatest in the series' history.cite web | url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/greatestgames/miaminewyorkjets2000.html
title=MNF's Greatest Games: Miami-New York Jets 2000 | first=Mike
last=Diegnan | publisher=ABC Sports Online| date=2002-12-04 | accessdate=2007-03-08] It was also the largest comeback from a fourth quarter deficit in NFL history. Despite the win, and a subsequent victory later in the season in Miami, the Jets missed the playoffs losing six of their final nine games and their last three. Miami clinched the division with a win over New England on the last day of the season.

The Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots each came into the last week of the 2002 season with a chance to win the AFC East; the Dolphins had a record of 9-6, while the Patriots and Jets were 8-7. The Dolphins and Patriots met in Foxborough in what was essentially an elimination game, while the Jets played the Green Bay Packers later in the afternoon. The Dolphins simply needed to win the game to win the division, while the Jets needed a Patriots victory coupled with their own. The Patriots came back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime, and won on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. News of the Patriots' victory sent the crowd at the Meadowlands into celebration.cite web|url=http://nflhistory.net/shared/greatestgames.asp?Team=4|title=New York Jets History Greatest Games|publisher=NFL History Network|accessdate=2007-12-24] The Jets, meanwhile, played a close first half with Green Bay before opening the game up in the second half for a 42-17 victory and the AFC East championship.

The 2003 season finale of the Dolphins and Jets had neither playoff implications nor division title on the line. The Dolphins took the early lead with a pair of Olindo Mare field goals and a Ricky Williams touchdown run to make the score 13-0. Jets running back Curtis Martin then scored a touchdown of his own to narrow the margin to 13-7. Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler, who threw for 328 yards in this game, hit wide receiver Chris Chambers in the end zone for a touchdown grab. Chris Chambers was magnificent all game as he hauled in 9 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown grab. A Jet field goal later and the score was 20-10 at halftime. Jets quarterback Chad Pennington did not give up however. In the third quarter, the Jets hit another field goal, and even got a safety to narrow the margin to 20-15. Pennington, who was 22 for 28 for 221 yards and one touchdown, hit his tight end Anthony Becht for a one yard touchdown to grab their first lead of the game 21-20 with less than nine minutes to go. The Dolphins however got the ball one last time and drove down the field. With three seconds left on the clock, the Dolphins relied on their kicker Olindo Mare who nailed an ugly 22 yard field goal to seal the win 23-21 and the season for both the Dolphins and the Jets.

Both games in 2006 were tight contests that came down to the wire. The season was surprising for both teams; the Dolphins were considered a serious playoff contender in the preseason, [cite web |url=http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=514986 |title=Ripe for the picking |first=Mark |last=McGuire |publisher=Albany Times Union |date=2006-09-07 |accessdate=2006-07-06] but stumbled to a 6-10 record, while the Jets were considered to be in a rebuilding stage, yet managed to go 10-6 and reach the playoffs. On October 15, 2006, the Jets opened up a 20-3 lead with less than 13 minutes to play at home. Miami didn't give up, though, as touchdowns by Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown cut the margin to three. The Dolphins got the ball one last time and got in field goal range for kicker Olindo Mare to attempt a 51 yard field goal with 33 seconds left to tie the game. Mare kicked it, but it was short and wide right and the Jets held on to win 20-17.

The teams met again on Christmas night that season. The Dolphins came into the game 6-8 and out of playoff contention. The Jets were 8-6 and in the position to clinch a playoff berth with victories in their final two games. A rainy field kept both offenses quiet for most of the night. All of the scoring happened in the final 17:25 of the game. Miami hit a game-tying field goal with 2:09 remaining to make the score 10-10. However, Chad Pennington threw a short pass to Leon Washington, which he turned into a 64-yard gain. Four plays later, Jets kicker Mike Nugent hit a 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to give the Jets a 13-10 win.

On August 7, 2008 the Jets acquired quarterback Brett Favre from the Green Bay Packers.cite web|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8381934|title=Packers trade Favre to Jets|author=Glazer, Jay|publisher=FOX Sports|date=2008-08-07|accessdate=2008-09-30] Favre's acquisition made Chad Pennington expendable, and he was subsequently released from the team. [cite web|url=http://www.newser.com/article/d92dp0fo0/qb-chad-pennington-released-by-jets-after-eight-year-injury-plagued-stint-in-new-york.html|title=QB Chad Pennington released by Jets after eight-year, injury-plagued stint in New York|author=Waszak, Jr., Dennis|publisher=Associated Press|date=2008-08-07|accessdate=2008-09-30] Pennington immediately signed with the Dolphins and became their starting quarterback. [cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/sports/football/09pennington.html|title=As Dolphin, Pennington Will Face Jets in Opener|author=Crouse, Karen|publisher=The New York Times|page=D6|date=2008-08-09|accessdate=2008-09-30] Favre made his debut for the Jets against Pennington and the Dolphins in Miami on September 7. Favre threw two touchdown passes for the Jets, while Pennington attempted to rally the Dolphins in the fourth quarter, reaching the Jets' red zone with under a minute to play, before throwing an interception in the end zone to end a 20-14 Jets win. [cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/sports/football/08jets.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=Favre Wins in Debut for Jets|author=Bishop, Greg|publisher=The New York Times|page=D1|date=2008-09-08|accessdate=2008-09-30]

Game results

The following is a list of results from all of the meetings between the Dolphins and Jets from their first meeting on September 9, 1966 to the present.

1980s (Dolphins 11-9-1)

References

External links

* [http://www.footballdb.com/teamvsteam.html?tm=17&opp=22 The Football Database: Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets]

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