Dolphins drop Favre, Jets to win East

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In reality, neither Eric Mangini nor Brett Favre plotted to keep the Patriots out of the playoffs. But at times in the basin of a gusty Giants Stadium yesterday, it certainly seemed it.

In a game with story lines ranging from Chad Pennington's triumphant return to the Meadowlands to Favre's inglorious departure (again?) from the NFL, the Miami Dolphins knocked off the Jets, 24-17. While Miami claimed the AFC East championship and an accompanying playoff berth, Pennington took down the Jets, who took down the Patriots, who certainly seemed to deserve better.

The silver lining for New England? The Jets now appear to be in complete disarray, the fate of their coach and quarterback in flux.

"When you have a collapse like we had, nobody did a good enough job," said offensive lineman Damien Woody, formerly of Boston College and the Patriots. "I know everybody wants to point a finger, but it's a collective effort."

Mangini, in fact, called his team's Week 17 performance a "microcosm" of New York's struggles throughout the season, particularly during a season-ending five-game stretch in which the Jets sabotaged what was a promising 8-3 season (after wins in Foxborough and at Tennessee) and turned it into a relatively mediocre 9-7 campaign.

In New York, books are written about this sort of thing: How to Kill a Season in Five Easy Steps.

The Jets entered needing a win to go with a loss by either the Patriots or Baltimore Ravens, with New England claiming a 13-0 victory at Buffalo before the Jets and Ravens took to their respective home fields. Mangini was among those who said he did not learn of Baltimore's subsequent 27-7 victory over Jacksonville until after the Jets had lost, but New York played like a team more eager to end its season than extend it.

"I didn't know the [Baltimore] score. I didn't want to know the score. It didn't affect what we were doing," said Mangini, who said he did not expect to be fired despite speculation about his job security. "I didn't bring it up [during the game] and nobody else brought it up. I didn't know if they won or not."

Said Woody, "Early on, after they showed it [on the stadium scoreboard] that first time [with Jacksonville leading, 7-3], I was pretty sure Baltimore had taken control of the game. They didn't show it again. But at the end of the day, we didn't take care of our business, so it didn't matter."

No one handled his business more recklessly than the 39-year-old Favre, who will undergo an MRI today to determine the cause of pain in his right shoulder, a test that might result in his second departure from football. If the MRI proves inconclusive, Favre might consider this: in his final five games, he threw just two touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Yesterday, Favre finished a poor 20 of 40 for 233 yards, one touchdown, and three picks, one of which was returned for a score. The INT return came just 15 seconds after a Miami touchdown that gave the Dolphins a 7-6 edge, completing a stunning series of events during which the Jets went from ahead 6-0 to behind 14-6.

Nonetheless, the Jets managed a field goal before halftime to make it 14-9, then capitalized on a colossal Miami blunder at the start of the third quarter. After long snapper John Denney whipped the ball over the head of punter Brandon Fields, the Jets took over at the Miami 28. Five plays later, Leon Washington scampered for a 10-yard touchdown run and Favre fired a 2-point conversion pass to Jericho Cotchery, giving New York a 17-14 lead with 10:33 to go in the quarter.

At that point, prospects for the Jets (and the Patriots) were looking up. At least for a time.

"When you lose a game, it's easy to say you're flat or you didn't play with emotion. I never felt that in this game," Favre said.

As for his play down the stretch and the impact it could have on his future?

"Well, down the stretch, it wasn't good enough," Favre said. "I'm sure a lot of people are going to say he's old and washed up - and they might be right. In my mind I did the best I could."

Presented with a chance to grab the Dolphins by the throat, the Jets promptly stumbled. On the first play from scrimmage following Washington's TD, the Dolphins ran a flea flicker on which Pennington completed a 44-yard strike to Ted Ginn Jr. as two Jets overran coverage. The play was the first of a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took all of 3 minutes 17 seconds, a stretch in which Pennington completed 5 of 5 passes for 79 yards, the last 20 on a perfectly placed throw to a twisting Anthony Fasano for a score.

Just like that, the Jets were down again.

And the Patriots were all but out.

Not long after the Dolphins added a field goal that preceded Favre's third (and ugliest) interception, Miami effectively ran out the clock on a tumultuous season in the division. The Patriots lost Tom Brady and went 11-5, but missed the playoffs. The Jets cast off Pennington and added Favre, but finished third. And the Dolphins went from 1-15 to division champions, all behind a quarterback who similarly restored his credibility.

"He fell down but got back up. He's still working and he's still playing," Ginn said of his quarterback. "Believe it or not, it's a better situation for him [in Miami]. He came here, took over, and we got behind him as a team. He made us better and we made him better."

For the Patriots and Jets - albeit in different ways - he made the football season a lesson in frustration, too.

Tony Massarotti can be reached at tmassarotti@globe.com.