Dolphins finished, lose to Jets 20-7 in season finale

Today, the Dolphins had everything working in their favor.  After taking a 7-0 lead with a pretty five yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to Mike Wallace, fans were jumping up and down with plenty of time left in the half.  While it was awesome to see the two teammates connect, the drive started from the Miami 11 yard line with a Brian Hartline comeback reception to spark life into the Dolphins.  Unfortunately, the efforts of Hartline lead to an injury to his left knee.  The injury seemed to hinder the efforts of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who lost his security blanket and trusted receiver having to go to Rishard Matthews and Mike Wallace on a more consistent basis which lead to forcing the ball into coverage.

Overall, the Dolphins defense was the story on the field in that they were just not dominant.  Stopping the run was a critical key to beating the Jets who came limping into the game 6^th in the league in rush yards per game and rushed a combination of Bilal Powell, Chris Ivory, and even Jeremy Kerley got in on the action.  Unfortunately, the Dolphins defense could only grab Jets running backs on their arms only to get them down several yards down the field.  Complicating matters, was the use of Geno Smith and his instincts to run the ball himself who accounted for 47 of the 157 yards rushing.  The Dolphins defense witnessed a renaissance this season of forcing turnovers and having cornerbacks catch interceptions to a tune of 18 this season.  Today, the tables were turned on the Miami Dolphins as the Jets won the game 20-7 with the help of forcing three interceptions (two by Dee Milliner) and getting points off turnovers.

All in all, the Dolphins have much more to be focused in the offseason and that is a renewed effort to get better as a team no matter what type coaches or front office changes are made. 

While the result of dropping two straight games and mustering up seven points in eight quarters leaves a bad taste in Dolfans mouths, the Dolphins showed glimpses this season of the team they want to be next season, one that is winning on a consistent basis.  The question is: Will it be their time next season?

Dolphins Statistics

Passing:

Ryan Tannehill:  20-40, 204 yards passing, 1 TD, 3 INT, 42.1 Rating

Rushing:

Lamar Miller: 17 for 73 yards rushing

Receiving:

Rishard Matthews: 4 receptions, 58 yards (Mike Wallace: 5 REC, 25 yards, 1TD)

Defense:

Reshad Jones: 10 tackles, 1 assisted