1982 Divisional Playoff vs Dolphins

Lore & Background

The Jets and Dolphins were established in 1960 and 1966 respectively; both as members of the American Football League. After the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the Dolphins and the Jets were placed in the AFC East. The rivalry has stayed intense through the years as both teams are always competitive against one another regardless of the standings. The rivalry also maintains a high intensity because of the large number of transplanted New York Jets' fans who retire to South Florida.

Before the New England Patriots rise to dominance in the early 2000s, the Jets and Dolphins regularly contested for the AFC East title. Upon the Dolphins' joining the AFL in 1966, the Jets laid the seeds for their 1968 Super Bowl III victory. After the Jets' Super Bowl victory in 1968, the Dolphins began ascending to the top of the NFL, culminating in back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1973. The 1972 season also saw Miami finish with a 17–0 record; the only NFL team to finish the regular season and post-season without a loss or tie.

Reader's Guide

The 1982 AFC Championship on January 23, 1983, more appropriately known as 'The Mud Bowl,' was the only playoff meeting between the teams. After the Dolphins swept the Jets during the strike-shortened regular season, the two teams met again, this time with a trip to Super Bowl XVII on the line. The tarp was left off the field of the Orange Bowl during a 72-hour rainstorm leading up to the game, which resulted in a sloppy field covered in mud which kept both teams scoreless in the first half. The game was a classic defensive battle that featured ten turnovers, eight of them on quarterback interceptions. The star of the game was Dolphins' linebacker A. J. Duhe who picked off Jets' quarterback Richard Todd three times, returning one 35 yards for a touchdown to help seal the 14–0 win and send the Dolphins to Super Bowl XVII.

Did You Know?

• The Dolphins are one of four NFL teams with a winning record against every division rival after 100 games played against each of them.
• The Jets are one of only three NFL teams with a losing record against every division rival after 100 games played against each of them.
• The only tie in the series was a 28–28 stalemate in Miami in 1981.
• The highest-scoring game between the teams was a 51–45 Jets win in 1986, with 96 total points.