Miami wins its place in the playoffs

Headcoach Mike McDaniel has been in charge of the Dolphins for less than a year and now, he has put them in the playoffs.

“To come out ahead like Jason Sanders did and get all the points, you have to be different. I’m very, very happy with the whole wardrobe.”

Miami clinched the final AFC playoff spot thanks to their victory over the New York Jets and the New England Patriots falling to the Buffalo Bills, who eliminated New England and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle for the number 7 seed. Kicker Jason Sanders gave Miami the lead with a 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds left.

“I felt like I owed it to the guys,” said Jason Sanders, whose explosive 18-second go-ahead kick helped Miami beat the New York Jets 11-6 on Sunday to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2016. .

Miami (9-8) snapped a five-game losing streak and then had to wait a few minutes for Buffalo to beat New England 35-23 to make the Dolphins’ playoff appearance official.

Miami will play Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs next weekend. The AFC East rivals split the season series, with each winning at home. The Jets (7-10) finished the season with six straight losses, ending with a disappointing collapse for Robert Saleh’s team. New York has failed to score a touchdown in its last three games.

The Dolphins’ offense was limited with veteran left tackle Terron Armstead inactive and rookie Skylar Thompson at quarterback. But Thompson, with no turnovers and 152 passing yards, did enough to earn his first career win.

“It hasn’t always been perfect, but I think everything I’ve been through has prepared me for this moment. I was so confident going into this game because looking back on this year, I was like, ‘What haven’t I experienced?’ I’m ready for this,” Thompson said.

Tagovailoa remains in concussion protocol after suffering his second concussion of the season on Christmas against Green Bay. McDaniel did not say whether Tagovailoa might be available against the Bills. Miami punted on two of their first four drives. The other two ended in a fumble on attempts and a 37-yard pass from Sanders.

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