Dolphins... 24, Jets... 17
Chad Pennington walked off the field where he spent his first eight NFL seasons, surrounded by cameras and jubilant teammates after leading the Miami Dolphins to an improbable AFC East title.
On the New York Jets’ sideline, a disappointed Brett Favre jogged off the field and into the locker room, maybe for the last time in a storied career.
Pennington, cut in the off-season by the Jets (9-7) to make room for Favre, threw two touchdown passes in leading the Dolphins (11-5) to a division title with a 24-17 victory.
A year after going 1-15, the Dolphins completed a remarkable turnaround under first-year Coach Tony Sparano, joining the 1999 Indianapolis Colts as the only teams in history to make 10-game improvements.
Quoteworthy: “It’s always a sweet feeling to be a champion. . . . This has been an unbelievable ride.” -- Chad Pennington, Dolphins quarterback
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