Dolphins’ best win and worst loss versus the New York Jets

The Miami Dolphins are scheduled to play 13 different opponents during the 2017 season. Before looking forward to the matches of the upcoming season, we can reflect back on arguably the best win and the worst loss against at least some of those opponents, beginning with divisional opponent and arch rival, the New York J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

Heading into the 2016 season, the Dolphins have faced the Jets 101 times in the regular season and playoffs. One hundred of those games came in the regular season, with the Dolphins winning 46, losing 53, and tying once.

Best Win. Picking the best win against this arch rival is difficult, but the pick here is the 14-0 playoff win on January 23, 1983 in the Orange Bowl. Although the field was wet and muddy and the play just as sloppy most times (the teams combined for 9 turnovers, 19 punts, and just 437 total yards), this game gets the nod over others for involving: (1) a shutout of the Jets, (2) the elimination of the Jets in the AFC Championship, and (3) the advancement of the Dolphins to Super Bowl XVII. This win also meant the Jets picked 3 spots ahead of the Dolphins in the 1983 Draft, and the Jets used their 24^th pick on Ken O’Brien, leaving the Dolphins to select Dan Marino with the 27^th pick. Honorable mentions, in chronological order: October 10, 1070 (Dolphins’ first win against the Jets, 20-6); October 19, 1975 (Miami 43 at Jets 0); November 27, 1994 (Dan Marino-Mark Ingram fake spike game); September 22, 2002 (Dolphins snap 8-game losing streak with 30-3 home win).

Worst Loss. Losing to the Jets is always painful, but some losses have proven particularly agonizing. The pick here is somewhat analogous to the Best Win pick, but on the flip side. On December 22, 1991, the teams met in Miami in the season finale, a winner-take-all game for the sixth and final wild card playoff spot. The game was competitive throughout, and the Dolphins took a 20–17 lead with just 44 seconds remaining. Nevertheless, the Jets drove down the field and tied the game on a 44-yard field goal at the end of regulation using a backup kicker, Raul Allegre. In overtime, Allegre converted a 30-yard field goal, sending the 8-8 Jets to the playoffs (where they lost 17-10 to the Houston Oilers) and the 8-8 Dolphins home. Honorable mentions, in chronological order: December 14, 1969 (Jets go 8-0 versus Dolphins all time with a 27-9 win); September 21, 1986 (Marino and O’Brien combine for 884 net passing yards and 10 touchdowns in Jets’ 51-45 overtime win); October 23, 2000 (Dolphins lose Monday Night game 40-37 in overtime after leading 30-7 at the end of the 4^th quarter, made better only by the fact that the Jets failed to make playoffs that season while Miami won the division); November 18, 2001 (Jets extend winning streak against Dolphins to 8 games with a shutout, 24-0).