12/28 — The Jets get a gift at the top of the second half almost as generous as the one they gave the Dolphins at the end of the first half. Long-snapper John Denney sails his punt snap over Brandon Fields' head at midfield, so the hosts begin their first drive of the final 30 minutes from the 'Fins 28.

And after two misfires, Brett Favre, Leon Washington and Jerricho Cotchery cash in the present with eight points to put the Jets ahead, 17-14, 4½ minutes in. Favre and J-Co convert the third-and-14. Then Washington snakes his way, as he is wont to do, off his right side for a 10-yard TD run that he celebrates by hitting a short "jump shot" that banks off the camera situated on the goalpost stanchion.

Then to get up by three points, they went for two and got it, with Favre firing a low ball that Cotchery snared in the end zone.

Patrick Cobbs nearly commits a brutal error for the Dolphins on the ensuing Jay Feely kickoff, stepping into the field of play and swinging the ball toward the goal line before deciding to touch it down. Bill Leavy's officiating crew calls is a touchback, which brings Jets head coach Eric Mangini onto the field in protest. But there is no challenge as Leavy explains that the ball did not come out of the end zone completely.

Immediately Chad Pennington hits a fleaflicker to Ted Ginn down the middle. The pass is covered by Kerry Rhodes and Ty Law but the ball is underthrown and Ginn is able to make the 44-yard grab untouched.

That sets up Pennington's play action and pump fake and then pinpoint TD pass to TE Anthony Fasano, beating Abram Elam to the side of the end zone, and so Miami regains the lead, 21-17, midway through the third period.

Favre completes a third-down conversion to Laveranues Coles to make the Jets 5-for-9 on third downs, but can't find TE Dustin Keller on the next third down. Punt.

But the defense is on Pennington and the Fish as they drive toward midfield, with Rhodes rocking FB Lousaka Polite for a 2-yard loss on a third-down outlet pass. Punt right back at ya.

As the third period comes to an end, the Green & White are trying to find another touchdown drive in them.

Fourth Quarter

Washington continues to provide some spark to the offense. He goes 5 yards, then 8 yards on a direct snap, with Favre faking a snap over his head, for a first down, then Thomas Jones bursts 8 yards to the Miami 43. But Yeremiah Bell is right there with the diving PD on a Favre pass for Keller.

Then Reggie Hodges comes on, and his punt is blocked by Charlie Anderson coming up the middle to get a paw on the punt. The 'Fins take over at the Jets 49, drive little but convert on Dan Carpenter's 48-yard field goal — just ahead of Wallace Wright's block attempt — and the visitors open up a 24-17 lead over the Jets with 9:20 to play.

David Harris remained off the field on this drive, as he had been since the second quarter. The pressbox announcement is finally made that Harris suffered an ankle injury and his return to the game is doubtful.

The Ravens' lead over the Jaguars is 27-7 midway through the fourth period.

As the clock slips into eight minutes and change, then seven minutes and change, it looks bleak. LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson is called for a facemask penalty on a Jones run and it's second-and-22 at the Jets 13.

But Favre hits WR Chansi Stuckey, off the radar for several weeks, with three completions in a row. the first, for 26 yards over the middle, picks up the second-and-22, followed by 7- and 4-yard grabs for a first down at midfield.

Then more disaster as Favre, on third-and-10 at midfield, throws a ball in between Coles and Stuckey, right to CB Andre Goodman for his second pick of the day. With 4:53 left, the starch appears to be taken out of the Jets' sails with Ronnie Brown ripping off a 23-yard run out of the Wildcat formation.

The defense stiffens to force fourth-and-inches at their 39, then call their second timeout with 2:30 left. And after the TO, the 'Fins come back on to go for it. Pennington keeps and gets the inches he needed. The Jets are on life support.

And after Fields' hurried pooch punt with the block on and no Jets back deep, the Jets have 17 seconds left to go 99 yards for the tying touchdown. In other words, the season is over. After two "Stanford band" plays, neither of which is as successful as the original, the Jets have lost, 24-17.

The Dolphins have completed their comeback from 1-15 to 11-5 to oust the New England Patriots and win the AFC East title. The Jets have lost for the fourth time in their last five games to finish this once promising season at 9-7. We'll be back this evening with reports on Brett Favre and the Jets locker room.