MIAMI — Jason Sanders put the Dolphins ahead with a 50-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left, helping Miami clinch its first playoff berth since 2016 by beating the New York Jets 11-6 on Sunday. .
The Dolphins (9-8) snapped a five-game losing streak and then had to wait a few minutes before the Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots 35-23. Thus, they made their appearance in the official postseason.
“We are inside”, was the message displayed on the Hard Rock Stadium giant screen.
Miami will play Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs next weekend. Rivals AFC East split the wins in the regular season series, each winning in their own stadium.
Sanders’ kick came after the Dolphins got help on a 15-yard penalty kick from Quincy Williams.
The Jets (7-10) finished the season with a sixth straight loss in a disappointing slump for Robert Saleh’s team. New York hasn’t gotten a single touchdown in their last three games.
Kansas City, leader of the American Conference (AFC), and Philadelphia, number one in the National Conference (NFC), will rest the first week of the playoffs that were finalized this Sunday following the conclusion of week 18 of the 2022 NFL season.
THIS IS HOW THE PLAYOFFS LOOKED LIKE
The Western champion Chiefs clinched their place in the AFC with their 13-31 victory over the Raiders on Saturday. They will make it to the wild card round which starts next week.
The Eagles, monarchs of the East, finished at the top of the NFC thanks to this Sunday’s victory 22-16 over the Giants, which also gives them the right not to play at the start of the postseason.
In the wild card round of the American Conference, the number two-ranked Buffalo Bills will host the seventh-place Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills, who finished as Eastern champions, beat the Patriots 35-23 on Sunday.
The Monarchs of the North division, the Cincinnati Bengals, occupying the third step, will play at Paul Brown Stadium, against the Baltimore Ravens, sixth in the AFC.
In their duel this Sunday, the Bengals beat the Ravens 27-16, something they will be looking to repeat next week.
The final matchup of said AFC round will be led by the No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers who visit the fourth-place finisher at EverBank Field, the Jacksonville Jaguars, South Division Monarchs.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
In the National Conference, the champions of the West, the San Francisco 49ers, finished as the second best team, since it gives them the right to receive the Seattle Seahawks, seventh ranked in the NFC, at Levi’s Stadium.
In their last game, the California team beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-13; It was the 49ers’ 10th straight win in the season finale. The Seahawks clinched their playoff berth with a 19-16 overtime win against the Rams.
The third-best team in the NFC, the North Division title holder Minnesota Vikings, will begin the postseason at home against the sixth-seeded New York Giants.
This Sunday the Vikings wrapped up the regular season with a 29-13 victory over the Chicago Bears. The Giants made it through with a 16-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the final game of the NFC wild card round (fourth vs. fifth) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady to the South title conquest, will meet the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Both teams lost at the end of the season. The Bucs fell 30-17 to the Falcons and the Cowboys fell to the Commanders 26-6.
