Dolphins in playoff mix with win over Jets

Dolphins in playoff mix with win over Jets

Safety #20 Reshad Jones ended a drive near the Jets goal line, — giving the Dolphins great field position early in the fourth quarter.

By Dedrick D. Henry, Sr.

QB #17 Ryan Tannehill saved the Dolphins’ season — with a huge assist from DE #80 Dion Sims and the Dolphin’s defense. Tannehill directed the Dolphins to scores — a touchdown and a field goal — on their final two drives’ to put Miami ahead of the Jets 16-13 on Monday night.

Tannehill completed 5 of 8 passes for 68 yards in the fourth quarter. No two throws were bigger than the missiles to Sims on the Dolphins’ late drive to set up K#9 Caleb Sturgis’ 26-yard, game-winning field goal.

Sims caught passes of 18 and 17 yards on that possession, the latter coming on third-and-7 with the Dolphins on the edge of Sturgis’ range. They were two of the biggest catches of his career, thus far.

CB #20 Reshad Jones picked off Geno Smith’s final pass in double coverage to Jeff Cumberland which was altered by LB #53 Jelani Jenkins with just seconds left in the game.

Although Tannehill was far from perfect he was good enough. He finished 25 of 35 for 235 yards, and led the Dolphins to three second-half scores.

Greg Salas took an end-a-round 20 yards for a touchdown, putting the Dolphins down early 7-0.

After a missed Sturgis field goal — wide left from 43 yards — the Jets went down the field . Ending a fast-paced first quarter with 131 rushing yards — the most gained by a team in the first quarter in any NFL game this season.

Nick Foles kicked  a 40-yarder to  put the Dolphins down by two scores in the first half.

Sturgis made contact from 43 yards to put the Dolphins on the scoreboard before the half.

Miami scuffled into the lead  on the opening possession of the second half — but should have had a touchdown instead of a 44-yard Sturgis field goal. Mike Wallace had a score in his hand but couldn’t pull the pass in from Tannehill.

Sturgis sent the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving the Jets a short field. They converted that gift into three points of their own; Folk’s 45-yard attempt nipped the goal post to put the lead back to seven.

On consecutive plays, Dion Jordan deflected a punt and Tannehill threw a pick which should have been caught.

Jordan’s deflection of Ryan Quigley’s punt netted just six yards for the Jets. Tannehill being pressured tried to dump off a pass to Lamar Miller, but Miller batted the ball into the air, allowing Darrin Walls to intercept the pass and return it 25 yards.

The Jets should have gone up two scores, but DE #91 Cam Wake had other planss.  With a strong bull rush through Crumberland, Wake dropped Jets’ Smtih in the backfield on third down, forcing New York to punt.

Another great defensive play — this time Jones ended

a drive near the Jets goal line — gave the Dolphins great field position early in the fourth quarter.

Tannehill managed to find Jarvis Landry on a crossing route, setting up a four-yard touchdown run by Miller.  The Dolphins were in a tie game with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Jets fnished with 277 rushing yards. The Jets fell to 2-10 with the lost from the Miami Dolphins. The win improved the Dolphins record to 7-5 and slides them into playoff contention something they haven’t seen since 2008.

GO FINS