The Miami Dolphins have been relieved of a protracted offseason of speak of a collapse and one other playoff berth eluding the franchise with one lengthy kick off the suitable foot of Jason Sanders.
The Dolphins are headed to the postseason for the primary time for the reason that 2016 season and third time since 2001. Needing a win in Sunday’s regular-season finale towards the New York Jets and a Buffalo Bills win over the New England Patriots, the Dolphins acquired each.
Sanders, maligned for lacking area objectives of 50-plus all through the season, nailed a 50-yard try with 18 seconds left. Miami, including a security on the ultimate play, gained its must-win Week 18 assembly with New York, 11-6, on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, out as he recovers from concussion, watched the ultimate moments from the group tunnel with working again Raheem Mostert, who exited Sunday with a thumb damage. They greeted their teammates as they got here off the sector.
Hard Rock Stadium screens confirmed the ultimate minutes of Buffalo’s 35-23 win over New England after Miami’s end result went ultimate, and the ultimate kneel-downs by Bills quarterback Josh Allen sealed the Dolphins’ place within the postseason.
“It feels tremendous,” mentioned Miami coach Mike McDaniel, in his postgame press convention minutes after strutting by means of the locker room shouting “Playoffs?!” like former Colts coach Jim Mora as soon as famously mentioned.
“That doesn’t mean that [was] the goal, was just to get to the playoffs, however.”
The Dolphins (9-8) captured the AFC’s No. 7 seed and can go to the division-rival and second-seeded Bills (13-3) within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs. The date and time are to be introduced Sunday evening, and kickoff in Orchard Park might happen subsequent Saturday, Sunday and even Monday evening, Jan. 16. Miami snapped a five-game shedding streak Sunday to narrowly keep away from the franchise’s worst collapse in its historical past.
The Jets (7-10), who have been already eradicated getting into the regular-season finale, had their season come to an finish. The Patriots (8-9), recent off a 23-21 win over the Dolphins on Jan. 1, have been additionally eradicated, vacating the ultimate AFC playoff spot they entered the weekend holding.
With rookie third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson main Miami as fellow quarterbacks Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater have been unavailable to begin, Thompson managed the sport for a 20-of-31 efficiency for 152 yards with out an interception in an total offensively challenged sport for each side the place no landing was scored.
“Throughout this whole entire year for this entire football team, to experience the things that we experienced and to finish it like this, it’s pretty special,” Thompson mentioned.
A key horse-collar penalty was drawn by Jaylen Waddle late to set Miami up for the late 50-yard area objective, and Sanders made the kick after getting into 1 for five on the season on makes an attempt of 50-plus.
“I felt like I owed the guys a big kick and just happy to get it in,” Sanders mentioned.
In a 6-6 sport deep into the fourth quarter, the Dolphins acquired a crucial cease by means of McDaniel’s first profitable problem of his rookie head teaching season. Previously 0 for five on challenges, the primary one gained — reversing a Garrett Wilson catch — pressured the Jets to punt with simply greater than six minutes to play.
“I was very aware of that,” McDaniel mentioned. “I had a feeling, and I was like, ‘You know what? How fitting would this be if I finally get one right, and it’s the 18th week, 17th game, fourth quarter.’”
The Dolphins broke a 3-3 tie within the third quarter when Sanders transformed his second area objective of 37 yards. Miami marched down the sector for 72 yards over 15 performs on a drive that consumed 8:12 with the run sport anchoring the hassle. Mostert had runs of 14, 11 and a 21-yarder the place he lowered his shoulders by means of a defender.
The Jets countered with a 14-play, 58-yard drive of their very own that took 8:19 and tied the sport at 6 with 11:59 to play on kicker Greg Zuerlein’s 35-yard area objective.
Miami acquired on the board first Sunday when Sanders’ first 37-yard area objective was good to cap a drive that took 5:31 and went 36 yards in 10 performs. Running again Jeff Wilson Jr. had a key first-down run, and Thompson discovered Waddle for an additional chunk within the sequence.
The Jets responded with their ensuing drive, going 11 performs and 61 yards for a Zuerlein area objective of 32 yards that ultimately despatched the groups into halftime tied, 3-3. Quarterback Joe Flacco hit Wilson on a key 36-yard play to get the Jets in place for the tying factors after Miami allowed a checkdown on third-and-9 to go for a primary down.
Wilson led the Jets with 9 receptions for 89 yards as Flacco went 18 of 33 for 149 yards — with out a landing nor an interception, like Thompson.
The Dolphins and Jets performed to a scoreless first quarter the place the 2 greatest performs might have come from New York punter Braden Mann, who pinned one punt down on the 2-yard line and booted one other one 61 yards. It wasn’t all nice on Jets particular groups early, although, as Zuerlein missed a 55-yard area objective try early within the second quarter.
The Dolphins had a drive late within the first quarter that reached the Jets’ 39-yard line come to a halt by an airmailed Connor Williams snap, over the top of Thompson as he was making a name to his offense.
Miami helped Thompson with an efficient floor sport that averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Wilson had 72 yards on 16 carries, and Mostert went for 71 yards on 11 carries earlier than his exit.
Thompson unfold the ball out as tight finish Mike Gesicki had 4 receptions for 46 yards, Waddle caught all 5 of his targets for 44 yards, tight finish Durham Smythe had 39 yards on three catches and star wideout Tyreek Hill made two catches for 23 yards as he was out and in with an ankle damage.
While the Dolphins protection allowed New York to increase drives by going 7 of 16 on third downs, the Jets have been held to 187 complete yards and have been stored out of the tip zone.
Tagovailoa was “all smiles,” based on McDaniel, after the sport, however he wouldn’t make any determinations in regards to the beginning quarterback’s availability for the postseason as he missed a second consecutive sport in concussion protocol.
The date and time of Miami’s wild card-round matchup with the Bills at Orchard Park is anticipated to be introduced late Sunday evening on the conclusion of the Packers-Lions sport that determines the ultimate NFC playoff group.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com