The New York Jets were backed up near midfield and facing 4th and 17 in the final minute of Sunday’s contest against the Miami Dolphins. With the team out of timeouts and down by 2, New York would have to try to extend the game by drawing up a conversion for 4th and 17 — until the officials stepped in to provide an assist to Gang Green. After a lengthy review, it was determined that Miami had committed pass interference on the previous play despite no flag being thrown during the live-action, gifting the Jets a fresh set of downs at the Dolphins 38-yard line.
From there, New York would pick up the necessary yardage for kicker Sam Ficken to boot the game-winning field goal as time expired. Game over, Jets win, 22-21.
The official review of pass interference is infuriating, mainly because the league has seen more egregious contact not called in the past — including on reviews. For the end result of Miami’s Week 14 contest to effectively be decided by a reviewed pass interference call is a disappointing outcome, to say the least.
Losing would be one thing. But to have the opportunity to make a game-winning play taken out of the hands of the players on the field by an official review for a penalty? That hurts.
This isn’t to say the Dolphins didn’t have their chances. Miami got shut out of the end zone all game, as kicker Jason Sanders was asked to kick eight field goals on the day — seven of them split the uprights. Injuries to wide receivers Albert Wilson and DeVante Parker in the first half neutered Miami’s passing offense, significantly hindering the team’s ability to move the ball with consistency.
In all, the loss to New York drops the Dolphins to 3-10 on the season, with just three games left to play. Mercifully, Miami’s 2019 season is almost over. But let it serve as a measure of how far this team has come that a December loss, in this fashion, stings so badly — because Miami expected to win. For a program that many tabbed as tanking throughout the season, that in itself counts for something.
Just not a win.