MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The handshakes and backslaps exchanged in the Miami Dolphins locker room late Sunday afternoon were gestures of consolation, not celebration, before players quietly slipped out the back door at the end of another disappointing season. Miami was eliminated from the scramble for the AFCs final wild-card berth by the New York Jets, who thrived in the role of spoilers against their archrivals and won 20-7. The Dolphins blew an early lead to complete a December collapse that will keep them out of the playoffs for a fifth straight year. "Its definitely going to take a little while to get over this one," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. New Yorks Geno Smith led three long scoring drives, ran for a touchdown and threw for 190 yards, while two interceptions by rookie Dee Milliner and one by 35-year-old Ed Reed prevented a Miami comeback. The Dolphins (8-8) squandered a shot at their first post-season berth since 2008 by losing the final two games to non-playoff teams, including a shutout defeat at last-place Buffalo. It was a dismal end to a roller-coaster season that included a four-game losing streak, a bullying scandal that drew national scrutiny, and a December surge that briefly left the Dolphins in control of their playoff destiny -- but turned out to be a tease. "Our record is 8-8, and thats the definition of average," cornerback Brent Grimes said. "We felt like we could be a much better than average team, so were disappointed. We messed up in the last two games. Weve just got to live with that." The Dolphins were outscored 39-7 in those final two games. Now owner Stephen Ross must decide whether to shake up a regime led by second-year coach Joe Philbin and sixth-year general manager Jeff Ireland. "You have to earn your way into the playoffs. Clearly we didnt do that," Philbin said. "The results start with me. The head coach is responsible for the results. The offence, the defence, the special teams, the record -- it starts with me. Lets not stand here and blame the players." The Jets (8-8) celebrated as though theyre playoff-bound but will sit out the post-season for the third year in a row. After the game, owner Woody Johnson announced that coach Rex Ryan would return for a sixth season in 2014. Ryan, whose future had been in question, said Johnson gave him the news before the game. When players were told afterward, they cheered in the locker room. "Ill say this -- I love being the head coach of the New York Jets, plain and simple," Ryan said. "You put everything youve got into it. I never wanted to go out this way. Weve missed the playoffs three straight years, and that bothers me, no question." The Jets made sure they were joined on the post-season sideline by Miami. The only points of the seasons final two weeks for the Dolphins put them ahead 7-0 in the second quarter, but the Jets rallied by mounting touchdown drives of 71 and 80 yards on their final possessions of the first half. When Smith scored on a 7-yard, third-down keeper up the middle with 3 seconds left for a 14-7 lead at halftime, an excited Ryan ran on the field to celebrate with his players. Fans were booing in the first half and streaming for the exits in the final minutes. Smith drove the Jets 63 yards to set up a field goal that gave them a 17-7 cushion with 4:18 left, and on the next play Reed grabbed a deflected pass for his 64th career interception to all but seal the victory. Milliner stopped a Miami threat in the third quarter with a diving interception of Tannehill one play after Mike Wallace dropped a potential touchdown pass that would have tied the game. The Jets played like a team with nothing to lose, which they were, and eager to spoil Miamis season. They kept the Dolphins off balance with swarming defence and imaginative play-calling, including 294-pound defensive lineman Sheldon Richardsons 1-yard plunge for his second rushing touchdown this season. Running back Bilal Powell threw a 30-yard completion to set up the Jets field goal. Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline left the game in the first quarter with a left knee injury, while Wallace and Tannehill found it difficult to click all day. Tannehill overthrew an open Wallace deep, and Wallace slipped and fell on Milliners first interception. They did combine for a 5-yard touchdown to cap an 89-yard drive. But the Dolphins running game sputtered, as usual, and Tannehill finished with a woeful passer rating of 42.1. "It cant get worse than this," Wallace said. "We let them win. We let them dominate the game. We knew what we had on the line, and we didnt come up with the plays we needed." Notes: Hartline limped out of the game after a 25-yard reception that put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the second year in a row. ... Jets reserve CB Kyle Wilson left in the first half with a knee injury and didnt return. ... Before the game, former LB-DE Kim Bokamper, WR O.J. McDuffie, RB Mercury Morris and G Keith Sims were inducted into the Dolphins Walk of Fame. Cheap MLB Jerseys . - Rookie Kyle Larson will start from the pole position Saturday night in the NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway after a thunderstorm arrived just in time to wash out qualifying. Cheap Jerseys . According to the Red Wings Twitter feed, Zetterberg plans to practice with the team on Thursday and is aiming for a second round comeback. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/. - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Wholesale NFL Jerseys USA . The Raptors second-year forward has been one of the primary beneficiaries of the early-season trade, breaking out and becoming a vital part of his teams success on both ends of the floor. Around the league, teams are starting to take notice and feature Ross more predominately in their pre-game scouting reports but its not just the opposition that hes impressing. Cheap NHL Jerseys . He liked what he saw on Tuesday night. Not only did his team post a comeback 3-2 victory in a shootout over the Montreal Canadiens, but the rival Washington Capitals were beaten 5-1 in Buffalo. MONTREAL -- For a second year in a row, the Montreal Alouettes will start the CFL season with a new head coach. Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall announced Monday that Tom Higgins will be the clubs new head coach. The former Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders bench boss replaces general manager Jim Popp, who took over on Aug. 1 when the inexperienced Dan Hawkins was fired only five games into the 2013 season. Wetenhall made it clear in a statement that he did not want Popp, who is considered one of the CFLs best GMs but has a career 16-20 record as a coach, to continue in both jobs. "As Ive expressed to the media in recent weeks, I wanted to continue with the formula which has brought us the success weve enjoyed these past 17 years -- having a full-time head coach and a full-time general manager to fill each of these positions," said Wetenhall. "The criteria we established was to find an individual familiar with the CFL; someone with success in that position and a background as a position coach. In addition, we sought an individual with a record for moulding and delivering championship teams. "In Toms seven years as a head coach he won three division championships along with a Grey Cup, and twice earned recognition as the CFLs coach of the year. His head coaching record of 72-53-1 speaks for itself. We welcome Tom to the Alouettes family." Popp had made no secret of wanting to continue coaching, but Wetenhall put out a statement recently saying candidates would be interviewed. A year ago, the Alouettes waited until Feb. 19 to name Hawkins, a former U.S. university coach with no experience of the Canadian game. He was 2-3 when he was fired with the team in disarray. Popp, the Alouettes GM since they returned to Montreal in 1996, took over as coach for the third time in his career and went 6-7. It marked only the second time since 1996 the teamm had a losing record, matching the 8-10 mark Popp put up in his only full season as head coach in 2007.dddddddddddd It hurt that starting quarterback Anthony Calvillo was lost for the season in August to a concussion. This time, the team waited five days longer to name a new coach and came up with Higgins, who stepped down in December after five years as the CFLs director of officiating. Higgins did not even get introduced at a press conference. The club said "time constraints and personal obligations" prevented bringing him to Montreal for the announcement, but that he will talk to the media Tuesday on a conference call. He takes over a team that will not have CFL all-time passing leader Calvillo as its starter for the first time since 2000. Instead, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and young prospect Tanner Marsh are pegged to replace the retired future Hall of Famer. Higgins, who will turn 60 on July 13, led the Eskimos to 13-5 records twice and won a Grey Cup in 2003 in his four years with the club. He had a 28-25 record in three seasons in Calgary from 2005 to 2007. "Tom has worked with and tutored many of the CFLs finest quarterbacks -- Doug Flutie, Henry Burris and Ricky Ray, to mention a few," said team president Mark Weightman. "His expertise will be invaluable in the development of Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh." Higgins has spent 23 years in various CFL jobs, including a stint as GM in Edmonton. A native of Woodbridge, N.J., and a former linebacker and defensive tackle, Higgins played for Calgary and Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Popp replaced Rod Rust as coach at the end of the 2001 season, but gave way for Don Matthews the following season. He stepped in again when Matthews left for health reasons in 2006. Marc Trestman, now coach of the Chicago Bears, coached the club from 2008-2012, winning two Grey Cups. ' ' '