New York Jets 9, Buffalo Bills 28
The New York Jets finished their lackluster season last Sunday with a 9-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Jets traveled to Orchard Park New York in the season finale against division rival Buffalo. The Jets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but that was as good as it would get for New York. The Bills dominated the game from there on.
The Jets struggles on offense continued as quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a pick-six to give Buffalo their first score. Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller caught a short screen pass and took it to the house for a 66 yard touchdown catch. This put Buffalo up 14-9 headed into halftime.
In the second half the Jet’s offense went into a tail spin. The Buffalo defense shut out the Jets for the remainder of the second half. The Bills ended the season on a winning note after suffering a three game losing skid prior to the victory over the Jets.
The win was not enough to save head coach Chan Gailey’s job as he was fired Monday along with several other NFL coaches. The Bills finished last in the division for the fifth consecutive year and like the Jets, have a cloudy off season ahead.
Sanchez may have played in his last game in a Jets uniform as an uncertain future looms ahead. The Jets began their house cleaning on Monday by firing general manager Mike Tannenbaum. Head coach Rex Ryan will remain with the team and I would be surprised to see any of the same signal callers under center next year. A complete revamping of the quarterback position is anticipated which means the end for Sanchez and Tim Tebow.
Miami Dolphins 0, New England 28
Two division foes faced off in the regular season finale at Gillette Stadium. The Miami Dolphins traveled north to face the New England Patriots to conclude the 2012 season. The Patriots were looking to lock up a first round playoff bye while Miami was trying to avoid its fourth straight losing season.
Quarterback Tom Brady rebounded nicely from a subpar performance last week by throwing two touchdown passes and sealing the number two seed in the AFC playoffs. The loss dropped Miami to a 7-9 record and cementing a fourth straight losing season.
The game was completely dominated by New England and the Dolphins were shut out for the first time this season. A thin Miami receiving core was even thinner Sunday as starting receiver Davone Bess sat out with a back injury. The absence of Bess was magnified as the backup receivers failed to pick up the slack. The Dolphins couldn’t score even a single point in the lopsided season finale.
The Dolphins ended the season on a down note but finished with an overall positive outlook. The Dolphins were able to groom rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill despite the glaring lack of offensive talent. Offense will surely be an off season priority as the Dolphins are desperately lacking a number one wide receiver.
The Patriots on the other hand are the complete opposite of Miami on offense. New England has an abundance of offensive weapons and they enter the playoffs with the second seed. The Patriots will look to get some much needed rest as they try and heal their wounded players. Star tight end Rob Gronkowski returned from injury and was able to find the end zone in his debut. Despite the strong performance, Gronkowski seemed to be favoring his injured arm and a first round playoff bye next week will be a welcome sight.