EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Mud, a Monday night miracle and a sneaky fake spike. They’ve all been part of an entertaining rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
Disregard the records whenever these AFC East foes get together because good, bad or mediocre, the Dolphins and Jets always seem to get fired up to face each other.
“A lot times, they’re in the way of getting to the playoffs,” Dolphins linebacker Jelani Jenkins said. “It’s not really a hatred thing for me, but it’s definitely competition.”
The Dolphins (6-5) are in the middle of the AFC playoff picture, hoping to make the postseason for the first time since 2008. First up is a Monday night showdown with the struggling Jets (2-9), who’d love nothing more than to put a crimp in Miami’s playoff plans.
You know, the way the Jets did last season, when they beat the Dolphins 20-7 at Miami in the regular-season finale and eliminated them from postseason contention.
“Although the record isn’t as we’d planned, it’s still a great rivalry and we look forward to facing the Dolphins,” Jets quarterback Geno Smith said.
The Jets hold a slight edge in the head-to-head meetings — 50-46-1 — including a playoff loss to the Dolphins. The teams also have met 12 times on Monday nights, with the Jets winning seven.
“They seem to play some of their best football against us and we understand that going in,” Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “So we have to be ready for it.”
Here are some memorable games between the Dolphins and Jets:
Mud Bowl (Jan. 2, 1983)
A.J. Duhe will forever be etched in the minds of Jets fans after he intercepted three of Richard Todd’s passes and kept New York from advancing to its second Super Bowl appearance. The Orange Bowl was a muddy mess because of heavy rainstorms, and things just got sloppier for the Jets and Todd, who finished with five interceptions in the Dolphins’ 14-0 victory. Duhe set up Miami’s first score with an interception and then sealed things when he picked off Todd’s screen pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
Sunday Shootout
(Sept. 21, 1986)
The Jets’ Ken O’Brien and the Dolphins’ Dan Marino just kept slinging in this slugfest.
With no time left in regulation, O’Brien connected with Wesley Walker on a 21-yard touchdown pass to tie it. Just 2:35 into overtime, O’Brien and Walker again hooked up, this time on a 43-yard toss that gave the Jets a 51-45 victory. The quarterbacks combined to set NFL single-game records of 884 net yards passing and 10 touchdown passes.
Winner-Take-All
(Dec. 22, 1991)
The final wild-card playoff spot was on the line in the regular-season finale, with the winner heading to the postseason and the loser going home.
The Dolphins took a 20-17 lead with 44 seconds remaining on Ferrell Edmunds’ 1-yard catch from Marino. But O’Brien drove the Jets downfield and Raul Allegre kicked a 44-yard field goal. The Dolphins went three-and-out on their first possession of OT, then Allegre booted a 30-yard winner.
Memorable moments in Jets-Phins rivalry

