The Dolphins had been in a bit of a slump. They hadn’t managed to lead in any game this season—until they faced the Jets defense.
Coming into Sunday’s matchup, the Dolphins were winless and averaging only 14 points per game, the lowest in the league alongside the Titans. However, they had quite a showing against the Jets, especially in the first half, during the 28-25 defeat of Gang Green at MetLife Stadium.
After the Jets won the coin toss and decided to defer, the Dolphins wasted no time, launching into a seven-play, 76-yard touchdown drive to finally take the lead. The Jets quickly tied the game, but the Dolphins then orchestrated a 14-play, 60-yard drive, which allowed them to regain the lead—one they would hold onto for the remainder of the game.
By halftime, the Dolphins had established a strong 21-7 lead, something they hadn’t achieved in four of their first five games.
“You definitely don’t want to give up 21 points in the first half,” said Demario Davis. “They really did a great job with those long drives. They executed well. A heads up to them for making those plays. It wasn’t like we completely messed up; they just found a way to get it done.”
While the Jets defense picked it up a bit in the second half, conceding only one touchdown, that touchdown was a glaring mistake that crushed their hopes of a comeback.
With under five minutes remaining and the Jets down 21-17, they needed a critical stop to regain possession. But Malik Willis connected with a wide-open Caleb Douglas near the sideline. Minkah Fitzpatrick had a chance to limit Douglas’s gain but missed the tackle completely.
Douglas then dashed away for a 63-yard touchdown, extending the Dolphins’ lead to 28-17 with 4:44 still to play.
“We were supposed to have someone covering the flat, but I just have to make that tackle… We let them get too many big plays,” Fitzpatrick said.
The Jets got one last opportunity to recover after narrowing the gap to three points with just over three minutes left. Unfortunately for them, the Dolphins sustained two crucial first downs, allowing the clock to run down without giving the Jets’ offense another chance to tie or win.
It appeared the Jets weren’t ready for Willis, who ended the game with 208 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and another touchdown from 37 rushing yards. His ability to scramble particularly benefited the Dolphins in their first-half performance.
“He’s definitely an athletic and talented player,” noted Dane Belton. “Regardless of what people may think about his start this season, he has experienced success in this league before. He’s got skills.”
“We really need to get off to a better start, especially as a defense,” he added. “We want different outcomes.”
