For this year's Dolphins, the closest they'll come to the playoffs arrives Sunday, with a chance to bury the fast-talking Jets once and for all.
New York (8-7) is gasping for air, needing a win over Miami (5-10) and a host of other elements to fall neatly into place. But the Dolphins would like nothing more than to have their final memory of the Jets be them kicking and screaming as their season ends.
“As a Dolphin, that's all you want to do is shatter their dreams,” defensive lineman Kendall Langford told The Miami Herald this week. "I'm sure the fans would love it, too. I'm sure the New York fans would hate it."
The Dolphins botched an attempt to rattle the Patriots' cage last Saturday, something Langford and his teammates hope to reverse in one final outing under interim coach Todd Bowles.
"We went up there with the intention to win, but it went badly for us," Langford said. "But coming in this week, we've got the Jets and we know they're fighting for something. And we're fighting for something.
"We're fighting for pride, they're fighting for a playoff spot. We're going to see who wants it more comes Sunday.”