Game Day Notes: Dolphins Must Hold Off Jets

This should be old hat for the Miami Dolphins. Playing against a team they are extremely familiar with, fighting through adversity to have a shot at the playoffs. This isn’t Dan Marino and Ken O’Brien, but this could still prove to be a pretty important contest for both the Dolphins and the New York Jets.
The Jets cannot make the playoffs, but an 8-8 record with a rookie quarterback in the Big Apple and a coach still on the hot seat might prove to be the elixir that keeps Rex Ryan in the New York spotlight.
A gritty performance from Geno Smith, bring his team to a .500 record and knocking Miami out of the playoffs could speak volumes of this kid’s maturity.
Whether Ryan is really fighting for his job right now is unknown - but he has treated this week and the past few weeks like he is coaching every game like it is his last.
The Dolphins, according to thephinsider.com, if Miami wins and the Ravens lose or tie, Miami is in. Also if Miami wins and the Chargers win, Miami is in. This scenario negates the Ravens' head-to-head advantage by ensuring Miami and San Diego would be in a three way tie, should Baltimore win.
There are also other scenarios to consider as well.
The third scenario involves a Miami tie with the Jets this weekend. If the Dolphins and Jets tie, and the Ravens lose, and San Diego either loses or ties the Chiefs then Miami would be in.
And, finally, if the Dolphins and Jets tie, the Ravens tie the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chargers and Chiefs tie, Miami is in.
If Miami loses on Sunday, they are out of the playoffs completely. End of story.
Ironically, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, San Diego and the Jets are all teams Miami has beaten this season - the only team not in the won column is the Ravens.
Right now, it is too complicated to decipher. More coffee and a pie chart to make this easier to understand.
Getting to 8-8 or 9-7 is an improvement for this team, but it is not exactly how I envisioned them at the start of the season. Free agency allows you to romanticize the idea of big named free agents wearing aqua and orange and Mike Wallace becoming the second coming of Mark Clayton and Nat Moore.
The Jets will play this game like there is no tomorrow. Miami must muster the same game plan they did over a month ago in a 23-3 win. If they can do that, then all other scenarios can be thrown out the window. Here is the simple fact - win and the Dolphins are in. Lose and well, that’s a whole other story.