NFL playoff picture: Aaron Rodgers, Jets eliminated from postseason after loss to Dolphins

NFL playoff picture: Aaron Rodgers, Jets eliminated from postseason after loss to Dolphins

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are officially out of the playoff hunt.

The Jets were eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday afternoon following their 32-26 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins. That loss, their fourth straight, dropped the Jets to 3-10 on the season. They are now tied for last place in the AFC East standings.

The Jets missed the playoffs for the 14th straight year. Their last postseason appearance came in the 2010 season. Their postseason drought is the longest active streak in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL and MLB.

The Jets had little chance of reaching the playoffs with Sunday’s game. They have won just once since a 24-3 victory over the Patriots in mid-September. They have since fired both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. It’s unclear whether the Jets will rule out Rodgers for the remainder of the season, something that has been widely rumored in recent weeks due to his numerous injuries with the playoffs now out of reach.

Rodgers and the Jets nearly clinched victory in South Florida on Sunday. They took a 23-15 lead in the fourth quarter and held a three-point lead after Anders Carlson hit a 42-yarder with 52 seconds left. However, the Dolphins quickly marched down the field and set up a 52-yarder by Jason Sanders to force overtime. Tua Tagovailoa then hit Jonnu Smith for a 10-yard touchdown in overtime to secure the victory.

The Dolphins are 6-7 this season. They have won four of their last five. They need a boost if they want to steal one of the final wild card spots in the AFC. The Buffalo Bills have already secured the AFC East title and are in a battle with the Kansas City Chiefs for first place and the bye in the conference. If the Dolphins make it, it would be their third straight postseason appearance under head coach Mike McDaniel. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.

Elsewhere around the league, both the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars scored 10 unanswered points and stunned the Titans with a 10-6 win in Nashville. Both teams are just 3-10 this season and have been eliminated from postseason contention.

The Pittsburgh Steelers earned a 27-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are also 3-10 this season and will miss the playoffs for the third time in five seasons under head coach Kevin Stefanski.

The Las Vegas Raiders have also already been eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC. The New York Giants, who haven’t won a game in more than two months, are the only NFC team officially out of the playoff race.

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