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The Miami Dolphins entered Week 18 against the New York Jets with less than a 15% chance of making the AFC playoffs and earning the final seventh seed. And, well, they didn’t disappoint—in the worst way possible.
The Dolphins needed help to secure their third straight playoff appearance under head coach Mike McDaniel. First and foremost, they had to beat the Jets, but that didn’t happen as they fell 32-20. Even if Miami had managed to leave East Rutherford, New Jersey with a win, the Denver Broncos’ throttling of a rest-sitting Kansas City Chiefs team would have dashed their playoff hopes anyway.
A season full of inconsistency and head-scratching decisions has now come to an end, leaving the Dolphins facing yet another year of playoff futility. Miami’s postseason drought now stands at 24 seasons without a win. It will be the first year under McDaniel without a playoff berth.
The disappointing finish also leaves the franchise with pressing questions about its future. That includes quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered yet another concussion this season, among other injuries; and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who hinted after the game that he might seek a trade. McDaniel, who now holds a 28-22 record and is 0-2 in playoff appearances, is reportedly safe.
While blame for the Jets loss might be easy to assign, it’s clear this game was merely a reflection of a broader problem—a sum of what was, ultimately, an all-around bad season for the Dolphins.
Tyler Huntley fills in for Tua Tagovailoa again
For the second week in a row, Tyler Huntley stepped in for the injury-plagued Tua Tagovailoa, who remained sidelined with a hip injury. But unlike his impressive performance last week against the Cleveland Browns—where he completed 84.6% of his passes and scored two touchdowns—Huntley struggled mightily in Week 18.
Huntley’s completion percentage dropped significantly from a week ago, falling to 61%. While respectable, it wasn’t enough to get the Dolphins’ offense into a consistent rhythm.
Huntley often stalled drives, whether by missing wide-open receivers on critical third downs—such as a first-quarter misfire to Jaylen Waddle that forced Miami to settle for a field goal—or by failing to take care of the football. Poor decisions, such as throwing into double coverage and fumbling under pressure, plagued his performance.
It’s worth remembering that Huntley was a practice squad player just a few months ago, and expectations for him weren’t particularly high. However, his strong outing against the Browns had elevated hopes heading into Week 18. In what was a must-win game for Miami, Huntley couldn’t deliver, finishing 25-of-41 for 227 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and four fumbles (one lost), while being sacked three times.
Ultimately, it’s clear that while Huntley has his own limitations, this Dolphins offense is simply not the same without Tagovailoa at the helm.
Jonnu Smith fumbles in the third quarter
Jonnu Smith has had one of the better seasons of his career this year in Miami, and he once again led the team in receiving in Week 18 with nine catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. However, his performance was marred by a costly third-quarter fumble.
Down 15-6 early in the third quarter, the Dolphins started a drive with favorable field position at their own 40-yard line. Unfortunately, it lasted just three plays for nine yards. On a second-and-10, Huntley connected with Smith, who fumbled the ball at the Dolphins’ 49-yard line, where it was recovered by the Jets.
The turnover proved costly, as the Jets used the ensuing drive to take nearly four minutes off the clock and capped it with a 20-yard field goal, extending their lead.
To his credit, Smith didn’t let the fumble affect him too much. He helped fuel a fourth-quarter comeback attempt, capping a 12-play, 70-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown reception to cut the Jets’ lead to five.
Dolphins defense allows Aaron Rodgers to have a career day
If this was Aaron Rodgers’ final performance, the Dolphins’ defense made sure it was a memorable one. Rodgers torched Miami for 274 yards and a season-high four touchdowns, becoming just the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 500 career regular-season touchdown passes.
Miami’s defense struggled throughout the game, allowing the Jets to rack up 375 yards of total offense while averaging 6.4 yards per play. New York was nearly perfect in the red zone, converting 4-of-5 opportunities, with their only turnover being a Rodgers interception.
Oddly enough, this was the first time since Week 14 that the Dolphins surrendered more than 17 points. Coincidentally, that Week 14 matchup was also against the Jets, where Miami fell 32-26 in overtime at home.
