The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets treated NFL fans to a memorable game on Sunday, not just by keeping playoff dreams alive, but by etching their names into the annals of NFL history. The Dolphins edged out the Jets in a thrilling overtime win, ending with a score of 32-26—a so-called scorigami, meaning it was the first time such a score was posted in a game in the league’s long history. That’s right, 1,089 unique scores have now graced the NFL scoreboard, and this game gave us the latest addition.
Let’s dive into the action. The game was full of drama as Jason Sanders of the Dolphins nailed a clutch 52-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, pushing the score to 26-26 and sending the game into overtime.
The real excitement began when the Dolphins won the overtime coin toss, opted to receive, and Tua Tagovailoa and his squad took the field. Miami impressively pieced together a 70-yard drive, culminating in a 10-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Jonnu Smith for the winning touchdown.
This touchdown not only secured the win but was pivotal because it avoided the need for an extra point attempt. In the regular season, if a team scores a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, there’s no extra point attempt, which cemented the unique scorigami by keeping the final tally at 32-26. Had this been a playoff game, where the rules require an extra point attempt in such situations, the opportunity for a scorigami would have been lost.
Tua was nothing short of spectacular in overtime, showcasing precision with 6 of 7 passes completed for 67 yards along with the game-winning touchdown. For the day, Tua racked up a solid 331 yards and two scores.
Over on the Jets’ side, Aaron Rodgers was no slouch either, putting up an impressive 339 yards. This marked his first 300-yard performance since December 2021.
On the topic of scorigamis, the Jets have been part of this unique NFL subplot before, having played in a 32-19 scorigami game against the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 1. For the Dolphins, Sunday’s game marked their fourth scorigami appearance since the kick-off of the 2023 season, but it was the first such instance in 2024.
While we’ve witnessed five scorigamis by Week 14 this season, it’s starting to look like topping the nine scorigamis seen in 2023 might be a tall order. But if the Dolphins and Jets taught us anything, it’s that there’s always room for excitement and surprises in the NFL. As the season races towards its conclusion, one can only wonder what other unique final scores might be lurking just over the next horizon of football Sundays.