MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Ahlong Len declared last week that these were not the typical Jets. Yet, as the game unfolded, it certainly felt like a familiar scenario.
The Dolphins emerged victorious against the Jets, winning 27-21. The final score doesn’t quite tell the story; the Jets struggled throughout, turning the ball over three times and racking up 13 penalties.
Offensively, the Jets seemed disjointed most of the night. Their initial touchdown came from a scrambling 43-yard run by Justin Fields, but an ambitious 12-play opening drive ended in a fumble just short of the goal line.
The Jets did narrow the score with a 23-yard touchdown from Garrett Wilson, putting them at 27-21 with just 1:49 left in the game. They even managed a two-point conversion, but Miami recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the win.
This marks the Jets’ first 0-4 start since 2020. For the Dolphins, it was their first win of the season, now 1-3.
Hard Rock Stadium has become a daunting place for the Jets, who haven’t won there in 10 attempts—their last victory dating back to 2014 when Rex Ryan was coach.
The Jets described their previous losses as learning experiences against strong opponents. Yet, the Dolphins clearly matched them in skill, if not surpassed them.
Surprisingly, the Jets found themselves only down by a touchdown at halftime, despite a dismal first half where they committed five penalties and lost two fumbles, scoring only a 58-yard field goal from Nick Fork.
Miami started the second half with a solid drive, racking up 37 yards on 10 plays, capped off by a 47-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Jets had talked in the lead-up about needing a strong ground game, and they looked promising on their first drive, using additional linemen and tight ends to push through the Miami defense.
After a 76-yard drive to the Dolphins’ 6-yard line, Braelon Allen attempted to dive into the end zone, but Jack Jones of the Dolphins knocked the ball loose, and Minka Fitzpatrick recovered it. Oops.
Miami took control and mounted a lengthy drive, ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller, who made a spectacular catch despite heavy coverage from Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. This was Waller’s first game with the Dolphins after a year-long hiatus from the NFL.
The first half was riddled with errors for the Jets, full of pre-snap penalties that Coach Glenn had hoped to eliminate.
When they faced a fourth-and-five at the Dolphins’ 36-yard line, the Jets again faltered, resulting in a fumble recovered by Dolphins linebacker Gellan Phillips.
They finally got on the board toward the end of the half.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Jets had a chance to make a comeback but fumbled again, allowing Waller to score another touchdown, extending Miami’s lead to 17-3.
Touchdown drives have come with a cost for Miami; star receiver Tyreek Hill left the game after suffering a serious leg injury.
Fields, back from a concussion, had a rocky night but made a standout play with 9:23 left in the third quarter. In a crucial fourth-and-one situation, he escaped a tackle and raced 43 yards for a touchdown, narrowing Miami’s lead to 17-10.
However, penalties continued to plague the Jets in the second half. Miami capitalized with a 7-play drive, benefiting from pass interference against Gardner and an unnecessary roughness penalty on linebacker Kikomauigore.
De’von Achane ran in a touchdown from 9 yards out, extending the Dolphins’ lead to 24-10.
The Jets had a potential touchdown wiped away when Garrett Wilson made an impressive catch but was flagged for offensive pass interference.
A 50-yard field goal by Fork made it 24-13 at 13:09, but Patterson sealed the game for the Dolphins with a 36-yard field goal.
Next week, the Jets will return home to face the Cowboys, as Coach Glenn seeks his first win.
