On World Oceans Day, we look back on the finest metropolitan moments the New York Jets-Miami Dolphins rivalry gave us during the 2010s.
As the world commemorates World Oceans Day, ESM looks back on the finest moments between the New York Jets and their most traditional aquatic opponents, the Miami Dolphins, from the past decade.
The 2010s were an interesting time for the Jets and Dolphins, a pair of star-crossed opponents trapped in the New England monopoly that was the AFC East. As such, postseason success was limited on both sides, but they did manage to provide their football-starved fans some brief moments of pride…
9/26/10: On the Mark in Miami
The last decade began with so much hope for the Jets, and the opening stanzas of the opening season did nothing to quell these feelings. New York began its season with a 5-1 mark, including a 31-23 victory in Miami in its first road game of the campaign. Mark Sanchez got things rolling with two touchdown tosses to Dustin Keller, but 17 unanswered points but the Dolphins ahead. Immediately after Brandon Marshall’s 11-yard score, however, Sanchez put the Jets ahead for good on a 67-yard hookup with Braylon Edwards. Miami was five yards away from a potential tying score in the dying stages, but Drew Coleman’s interception of Chad Henne officially set off the celebratory journey back home.
10/17/11: 100-Yard Grand
A winless Dolphins team waltzed into MetLife Stadium looking for some early momentum on Monday night. They succeeded with an early field goal deep in Jets territory and seemed poised to increase that lead as they got closer to the goal line. But, like so many other hopeful drives in the decade, Miami’s surge was put to a swift end by Darrelle Revis, who took back a Matt Moore toss the length of the field for a touchdown…literally. Revis’ 100-yard return permanently shifted momentum in what became a 24-6 Jets win, one that required only 13 New York first downs.
1/1/12: Wipeout in Miami
One week after Victor Cruz and his 99 yards put a major dent in the Jets’ playoff hopes, the Dolphins official deflated them with a 19-17 victory in the 2011 season’s listless finale. A lot needed to happen for the Jets to recover their dwindling playoff hopes, but Miami rendered it fully null and void by forcing their opponent into three Sanchez interceptions (two landing in the hands of Randy Starks). The game was also a coda for Dolphins legend (and brief Jet) Jason Taylor, who retired shortly after.
9/23/12: The Sparanos
That offseason, the Jets brought in a former enemy in Miami head coach Tony Sparano, who was hired to be the offensive coordinator. Sparano didn’t have to wait too long to administer revenge, as the first matchup of the Jets’ yearly Miami pair came in September. Miami took an early 10-0 lead, but the Jets knotted things up with a Nick Folk field goal and LaRon Landry’s interception return for a touchdown in the early stages of the third quarter. Overtime was needed as the teams went back forth for the rest of regulation. Sparano got to put the finishes touches on the victory, as Folk’s game-winning field goal from 33 yards out was set up by a 38-yard hookup between Sanchez and Santonio Holmes.
12/28/14: Geno’s Perfecto
Geno Smith’s perfect game didn’t go down in New York lore like those of, say David Wells, Don Larsen, and David Cone, but it was nonetheless impressive in an otherwise meaningless game. With the Jets and Dolphins set for quiet exits once again, Smith sent New York (as well as soon-to-be-fired head coach Rex Ryan) out in style with a 158.3 passer rating, the highest mark a quarterback can earn. Smith went 20-for-25 for 358 yards and three scores in a 37-24 victory to earn the sixth perfect game in Jets history…and the only one during the 2014 NFL season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yeTlz4TbnE
10/5/15: Cheerio, Joe!
The Jets dealt the final blow to Miami’s Joe Philbin era, indirectly paving the way for Adam Gase’s inclusion in the rivalry. Philbin’s last stand came when the rivalry went international, as the Jets beat up Miami in front their “home” crowd at Wembley Stadium in London. Chris Ivory put in a career-best 166 rushing yards in the upheaval while Muhammad Wilkerson tallied two sacks and a forced fumble. Revis Island was in effect on the island nation as well, earning an interception of Ryan Tannehill overseas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e_sZncvnfg
12/17/16: Saturday Night Heaver
Head coach Adam Gase’s first career playoff clincher as a head coach came at MetLife Stadium. Alas for the metropolitan area, it wasn’t for the Jets, but rather the Dolphins, who more or less clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a 34-13 shellacking of the Jets in East Rutherford in a Saturday night prime time game (Miami officially clinched based on results from the next day). The third quarter was the dealbreaker via 21 unanswered Miami points, which consisted of two Matt Moore scoring passes and Walt Aikens returning a blocked punt for a touchdown.
9/16/18: Miami Thrice
The Jets’ 2018 home opener was one of the more hopeful ones the team had had in a long time. They were coming off a victory in Sam Darnold’s first career start in Detroit and were eager to see what he could do in the first AFC East tilt. Darnold was passable to the tune of 334 yards and a touchdown pass to Bilal Powell, but the Jets’ raucous crowd was silenced by a 20-12 Miami victory. Time was limited for Darnold, who was sacked three times and forced into two interceptions by a relentless Dolphin pass rush. It also didn’t help that Miami had jumped out to an early 20-0 lead via assistance from two Ryan Tannehill touchdown passes.
12/8/19: You’re a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith
Five weeks after granting the downtrodden Dolphins their first win of the season, the Jets were on the brink of a most embarrassing sweep at MetLife Stadium. They had built a lead via 16 points in the second quarter and kept Miami out of the end zone, but seven Jason Sanders field goals were enough for the visitors to hold a 21-19 lead in the penultimate minute. On the potential drive to victory, Darnold found Vyncint Smith for an immediate 37-yard gain into Miami territory before getting sacked by Andrew Van Ginkel. Darnold once again sought Smith for a big play downfield, but it appeared for naught when it fell incomplete. However, a review determined that Smith’s quest for the ball was interfered with by Nik Needham, and the Miami defender became the rare victim of a penalty view replay. The Jets subsequently moved back into Dolphins territory, where Sam Ficken booted the game-winning field goal from 44 yards out.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags