The Draw Play

If I am going to mock the Jets for a negative playoff streak, I may as well mock their division rival too.

Patriots fans hate the accusation that part of the reason for their 2-decades long dynasty was a weak division gifting them easy wins every year, but lets admire some fun facts: The Jets haven’t been in a playoff game since 2010. The Bills held the longest streak in the NFL before they did, not reaching the playoffs for 17 years (2000-2017), pretty much the entire dynasty’s length. And the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since December 2000.

Just some perspective on that last one. Lebron was still in high school. The twin towers were still standing. Tom Brady still had his original face. The Cowboys were only 5 years removed from their last NFCCG appearance. The Dolphins’ playoff loser streak can legally rent a car. The Dolphins’ streak is old enough that Leonardo DiCaprio won’t date it.

I’m genuinely torn on which streak is worse, the Jets or Dolphins. Making the playoffs is definitely not all that difficult. Usually a weaker/mid team or two sneaks in at wildcard every year. You have one average season against a weak schedule and you can fraud your way in, like the 2016 NY Giants did before they got on a boat and got plastered in Green Bay. The next longest drought behind the Jets is the Falcons, who are only at 8 seasons, almost half the Jets’ streak. The Falcons also feel pretty close to sneaking in very soon. The Jets missing out every year since reaching the AFCCG in 2010 is remarkable. Honestly though, I think they got a bit screwed in 2015, the Jets won 10 games but got held out on tiebreakers with the 10-win Steelers. If that season happens now, they are the 7th seed. Of course the Jets would still own the current streak had they made it in 2015, as they haven’t sniffed .500 since. But 10 years isn’t as embarassing as 15.

There is also the looming threat of an 18th game and 8th seed, which would increase the Jets chances of ending the streak reasonably soon even if they aren’t great. I can see the Jets ending the drought sooner than the Dolphins ending theirs.

So what about Miami? Well they beat the young Manning-led Colts in the 2000 Wildcard round, and have lost every attempt since. Here’s the real ball-buster: they’ve only had 5 tries in 25 years. ’01, ’08 (the Wildcat year), ’16, ’22’ and ’23. The only year they put up a fight was 2022 against Buffalo. 2023 was the infamous freezing game against KC. 25 years is a long time. The only thing the Dolphins can really be proud of during that quarter-century span was the amusing Wildcat season where they stole the division from the Matt Cassell Pats and the Miami Miracle.

Winning a playoff game is harder than making the playoffs. It’s possible to fraud your way in, but it’s much harder to fraud your way up, like the 2022 Giants did. So these streaks lasting longer is somewhat more acceptable. It notoriously took Cincy 31 years to end its historical win drought. On top of that, the Raiders are right behind them at 23 seasons. At least the Raiders have managed to witness a playoff win post-9/11. The Jets sit at a distant third, with 15. The last Jets playoff team was the Sanchez/Rex team that made the AFCCG twice, so at least the Jets got to witness good football before the hard drop off.

So what are your thoughts? Which AFCE playoff drought is more embarassing? Neither team looks to be in a position to end that streak next year, either.