Jets vs Dolphins final score, immediate reactions in Week 14 2024

The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets renewed their AFC East rivalry on Sunday, the 117th all-time regular-season meeting between the franchises. This year has not been the season either team thought they would be having in 2024, but this game always feels special.

The Dolphins entered the game 5-7 for the season, holding on to slim hopes in the AFC playoff picture. The Jets came in at 3-9, just above the elimination line for the 2024-2025 postseason. As both teams looked to get back to winning football, we reacted to all of the action from the game.

Final Score

Jets 26 – 32 Dolphins

Overtime

Immediate Reactions

First Quarter

Dolphins first possession

The Dolphins opened the game with the ball, and the offense came out firing. On an eight-play, 70-yard drive, Miami picked up six first downs, throwing for 45 yards and running for 10 yards (plus a 15-yard penalty on the Jets). Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was three-for-three on the drive, throwing passes to wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill and running back Devon Achane, who also had all 10 rushing yards and the two-yard touchdown. Kicker Jason Sanders missed an extra point for the first time this year.

That was a perfect opening drive for the Dolphins. The offense looked crisp and in rhythm early. They have to keep that up all day, putting the pressure on a Jets team that has struggled all year. Offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg was a force on the opening drive, getting into the head of the Jets to force the unnecessary roughness penalty and getting downfield for a lead block on the 14-yard screen pass to Achane. Great start – now keep it up.

Dolphins 6-0

Jets first possession

New York made an effort to match Miami with a good opening possession of their own. In 11 plays, they covered 60 yards, driving to the Dolphins’ 10-yard line. They picked up nine yards and a first down during the possession on a defensive pass interference penalty and did not feel as in rhythm as Miami’s offense, but it was effective – until it stalled out leading to a field goal.

The Jets got a gift on the defensive pass interfernce penalty called against cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The pass was uncatchable, with wide receiver Garrett Wilson running a comeback route while quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a pass downfield. Not sure how that was DPI. Miami’s defense needs to tighten up. This is the second-worst offense in the league. They cannot be allowing long drives like this.

Dolphins 6-3

Dolphins second possession

Miami again came out moving the ball quickly down the field. The team broke out several different looks, including rushing attempts from Waddle and Hill and getting rookie running back Jaylen Wright involved in the offense with both a run and a catch. As Miami moved to the Jets 27-yard line on Hill’s end-around run for six yards, the first quarter ended.

Second Quarter

Dolphins second possession (continued)

After the break, Tagovailoa’s first incomplete pass came on 3rd-and-1, leading to a field goal from Sanders.

The Dolphins’ drive was not as fluid, but they were able to add points to the scoreboard and keep the pressure on the Jets. Left tackle Terron Armstead, who missed most of the first possession dealing with the knee injury that had him questionable before the game, re-entered, but then headed back to the sideline with rookie Patrick Paul replacing him on the end of the offensive line. Armstead looks frustrated on the sideline, wanting to be on the field but not being able to do it.

Dolphins 9-3.

Jets second possession

The Jets started with a 12-yard pass from Rodgers to Wilson, beating the coverage of Ramsey, on a play that set the tone for the drive. Miami was close throughout the possession, but New York was able to do just enough to beat Miami’s defense. Two plays and a false start penalty later, the Jets faced 3rd-and-14, picking up 10 yards on a pass to tight end Tyler Conklin, then converting on 4th-and-4 near midfield with Wilson able to take a short pass and turn it into a 35-yard gain. Running back Isaiah Davis then scored on a 17-yard gain.

The Jets are not destroying the Dolphins defense right now, but they are doing enough to keep the defense playing on their heels. Miami needs to tighten up or this game is going to turn into a shootout rather than the domination the Dolphins have had against the Jets in Miami in recent years. The Jets’ touchdown was the first time they had been in the endzone in Miami since 2021. Need to stop that.

Jets 10-9.

Dolphins third possession

Miami started pressing the Jets’ defense on the third drive, looking to pick up chunks of yards. A pass to tight end Julian Hill turned into a 14-yard gain, to plays later Tagovailoa threw to Tyreek Hill for 10 yards, then again on the next play for a 21-yard gain. Miami appeared to be stopped at the Jets’ 17-yard line, facing a 4th-and-2, but a five-yard pass to Waddle kept Miami moving. They did, however, end up settling for another field goal three plays later.

Miami is playing with fire, settling for field goals. They are having success, but then just stall out. Keeping Rodgers in a game against you is not the ideal way to do this.

Dolphins 12-10.

Jets third possession

The story of the third possession from New York was simply penalties. The Jets were flagged on the second play for offensive holding, backing them into a 2nd-and-20. On the next snap, Miami was called for a defensive holding penalty on defensive tackle Zach Sieler, an extremely rare penalty call, giving the Jets a fre11e first down. Three snaps later, the Dolphins were flagged for an offsides penalty, but the call was declined as the Jets picked up seven yards on a pass from Rodgers to Adams. Three snaps later, following the two-minute warning and a Miami timeout, linebacker Chopp Robinson was called for a neutral zone infraction, with the Jets giving the yardage back on a false start the next snap. Four plays later, as the Jets line up for 3rd-and-4 from the Miami seven-yard line, a false start on the Jets moved them back five yard, ultimately leading to a field goal.

That was just an ugly possession, with both teams making multiple mistakes. And, again, the Dolphins are allowing the Jets to stay in this game rather than just crushing them. The defense has to figure out how to stop Rodgers – and the penalties – if Miami is going to beat a team that has not won since Halloween.

Jets 13-12.

Dolphins fourth possession

The game was delayed as Dolphins wide receiver Dee Eskridge was injured during the kickoff. Miami started the possession at their own 30-yard line with 41 seconds and no timeouts remaining. The drive started with a pass to Waddle for 10 yards, then immediately was followed by a pass to Tyreek Hill for six yards, with the receiver able to get out of bounds to stop the clock. A pass to Waddle over the middle gave Miami another 15 yards and led to Tagovailoa spiking the ball to stop the clock. Sanders then connected on a 57-yard field goal to give Miami back the lead.

Great job managing the clock and getting down the field. Waddle was stopped just before he could have gotten out of bounds on the first play, the only thing that was not executed perfectly on the drive. Good way to end the half. Now the defense needs to come out, make a stop, and let the Dolphins extend this lead early in the third quarter.

Dolphins 15-13.

Jets fourth possession

The Jets attempted to return the kickoff, receiving the ball with just two seconds on the clock. They made it out to the 22-yard line, but the half ended with the tackle.

Halftime Thoughts

Miami’s first-half possessions ended with a touchdown and three straight field goals. They are scoring on every drive, but they must turn those field goals into touchdowns. The bigger problem is the Jets’ drives have been field goal, touchdown, field goal, half. The Dolphins must force the Jets to punt.

The running game is not there for Miami, picking up just 40 yards on 14 carries so far, led by Achane’s 10 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown. An average of 2.4 yards per carry is not going to cut it for the game, but at least the Dolphins have not abandoned the run. Keep feeding the ground game – especially if Achane is healthy – to force the Jets to think about it.

Tagovailoa has been good through the first half. He is 15-for-18 for 165 yards and is working his way through his reads and making smart decisions. If he can keep that up in the second half, Miami should be able to come away with the win here.

This is all going to come down to the defense making a stop.

Third Quarter

Jets fifth possession

Receiving the ball to start the second half, the Jets began at their own 30-yard line. The second play of the drive featured an out-and-up move from Wilson, with Ramsey slipping during the coverage, leading to a 42-yard gain. Five plays later, including a 4th-and-2 conversion, the Jets found the endzone on a three-yard pass from Rodgers to Adams.

Damn. Just…damn. That was not the start to the half the Dolphins defense needed. The offense has to answer now and then Miami has to come up with a stop. They nearly had it twice on this drive, forcing a fourth down attempt and safety Jevon Holland having a pass thrown almost directly to him, but he was not able to make the interception. The defense must come up with an answer and the offense has to put up touchdowns.

Jets 20-15.

Dolphins fifth possession

Miami opened their drive with a 15-yard pass to Waddle and a 26-yard run from Achane. The run, however, was negated by offsetting penalties between the two teams. The Dolphins could not do anything after that, and they were forced to punt for the first time on the day.

The teams have been trading points all game, with Miami the first to be stopped. If the defense cannot figure out how to stop Rodgers, this game might get ugly pretty quickly here in the third quarter.

Jets sixth possession

Miami forced the Jets into a 3rd-and-8 on the opening set of downs, but the Jets converted as Rodgers avoided the pressure and found Davis as he leaked out of the backfield, picking up 10 yards. Three plays later, the Jets gained eight yards on a pass to Wilson, converting the 3rd-and-4. Miami penalties on two of the next three plays kept the Jets marching. New York eventually reached the Dolphins’ 17-yard line, but on 3rd-and-4, Rodgers tried to keep the play alive before eventually being sacked by linebacker Jordyn Brooks. The Jets kicked a field goal.

This defense just cannot make a stop right now. Even the sack came as Rodgers kept holding the ball and made multiple players, to include Brooks, miss on near sacks. Miami has to figure out something right now.

Jets 23-15.

Dolphins sixth possession

Miami accomplished absolutely nothing on their drive, with three incomplete passes leading to a punt.

Nope. Not going to cut it.

Jets seventh possession

A seven-yard run by Davis ended the third quarter

Fourth Quarter

Jets seventh possession (continued)

After a one-yard pass on second down, New York faced a 3rd-and-2, with Sieler breaking through the line for the sack. The Jets were forced to punt for the first time in the game.

Okay defense, it has been a minute since we have seen you, but there you are. Sieler making an impact is not a surprise – but now the team has to use this to grab the momentum and make something happen. It’s on the offense now.

Dolphins seventh possession

A dropped pass by Wright as Tagovailoa looked to avoid the blitz started the drive, with the second down pass targeting Waddle broken up. On 3rd-and-10, Tagovailoa was able to find Tyreek Hill for 18 yards and keep the Miami possession alive. Three plays later, Miami looked deep to wide receiver Malik Washington, who drew the defensive pass interference penalty to set up 1st-and-Goal from the Jets’ eight-yard line. A stuff of Achane for a four-yard loss, a gain of 11 yards on a screen pass to Waddle, and a stuff of Achane for a three-yard loss set up 4th-and-Goal from the four-yard line. Tagovailoa found Hill for the score, then connected with Waddle on an identical play on the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game.

Okay, the defense seemed to wake up and now the offense appears to be in the game. Can they make another stop and then take the lead?

Tied 23-23.

Jets eight possession

The Jets picked up seven yards on a run to start the drive, but then a one-yard loss and an incomplete pass forced a second-straight three-and-out.

The defense has joined the chat. It is about time. Now the offense needs to add another touchdown and make the Jets play from behind late in the quarter.

Dolphins eighth possession

Miami opened the drive with a nine-yard pass to Tyreek Hill, but a false start backed them out of the 2nd-and-1 and turned it into a 2nd-and-5. Waddle caught a seven-yard pass on the next play, with 15 yards added on a roughing the passer penalty, moving the ball out to midfield. A holding penalty dropped Miami back to their own territory and set up 2nd-and-17. The Jets blitzed on the play, with Tagovailoa having to dump the ball to Achane for a two-yard gain. On 3rd-and-15, Tagovailoa looked deep to Waddle, but the two could not connect and Miami was forced to punt.

That hurts. Miami had a chance to take the lead and control this game. Now, they have to try to hold Rodgers and the Jets offense out of field goal range. Not a good situation. The offense has to do better than that.

Jets ninth possession

After an incomplete pass on first down, the Jets completed a 15-yard pass to pick up a first down. A three-yard pass from Rodgers to Wilson gained three yards, then Rodgers threw to Wilson for six yards. On 3rd-and-1, a wild cat formation run from running back Braelon Adams picked up two yards and a first down. A 16-yard pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams took the ball to the Miami 45-yard line and the clock to the two-minute warning. AN 18-yard pass to Allen Lazard moved the Jets into field goal range, but the Dolphins defense stiffened there. Defensive tackle Benito Jones stuffed Davis for a five-yard loss, then Sieler recorded his second sack of the game to push the Jets back another six yards. After a 14-yard pass to Adams, New York kicked a field goal to retake the lead.

The defense did just enough to give the team a chance. They needed to make the stop earlier in the drive, both to keep the points off the board and to give the offense the ball with more time. But, they did enough to create an opportunity at least. The Jets lead, but Miami has a lifeline.

Jets 26-23

Dolphins ninth possession

After a 45-yard kick return from Washington, the Dolphins started with the ball near midfield. They have 52 seconds with no timeouts to make something happen. A 14-yard gain on a pass to Hill followed an incomplete pass on first down. A six-yard gain on a pass to Waddle followed another incomplete pass, setting up 3rd-and-4. Tagovailoa just missed Hill on the play, leading to a 52-yard field goal attempt from Sanders. Hitting on the kick tied the game with just seven seconds remaining.

That pass to Hill could have been a game winner if they had been able to connect, but Tagovailoa worked that perfectly and got the team down to within Sanders’ range. Very nicely done.

Tied 26-26

Jets tenth possession

The Jets ran a slant, hoping to break it for the touchdown, but Brooks tackles Conklin after a 12-yard gain and regulation ended.

Overtime

Dolphins tenth possession

Miami started at their own 30-yard line, with an incomplete pass bringing up 2nd-and-10. After being shut out during regulation, tight end Jonnu Smith took over the Dolphins’ offense in overtime, gaining 20 yards on a catch and run on second down, then doing it again for 14 more yards on the next play. After a pass to Achane for four yards and one to Tyreek Hill for nine yards, the Dolphins had a 1st-and-10 from the Jets’ 23-yard line. A 10-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Achane moved Miami to the 13 yard line. After a three-yard run from Achane, Tagovailoa looked back to Smith who caught the game-winning score in the endzone for the 10 yard touchdown.

Stress. So much stress. But they pulled it out at the end of the day – even if the end had to come in overtime. That was not pretty, and that was not the game the Dolphins should have had against the Jets, but they pulled off the win in the end and kept any potential playoff hopes alive. Great to see Smith come up huge down the stretch after being shutdown through most of the game.

Dolphins 32-26