Short-handed Dolphins Falter Down the Stretch

The Miami Dolphins lost more players to injuries, but still had a chance to win into the fourth quarter before losing against the New York Jets

Robert Deutsch - USA Today Sports

Despite mounting injury issues, the Miami Dolphins gave themselves a chance against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium before crumbling down the stretch and eventually losing 40-17.

Already missing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and cornerback Xavien Howard, the Dolphins lost backup QB Teddy Bridgewater and Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead before the first quarter was over, turning to rookie Skylar Thompson and veteran tackle Brandon Shell making his first appearance in a Miami uniform.

Even then, the Dolphins had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter when Jason Sanders attempted a 54-yard field goal.

But after his kick sailed wide right, the Jets scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span to put the game away, and then tacked on another late TD for good measure.

Rookie second-round pick Breece Hall rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown and had 100 receiving yards for the Jets, who ended a streak of 12 consecutive losses in division games.

DOLPHINS MISS CHANCE AT ELUSIVE 4-1 START

For the Dolphins, the loss dropped them to 3-2 and in a tie for second place with the Jets, one game behind the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins failed in their attempt what would have been their first 4-1 start since 2003.

More importantly, the Dolphins now have a staggering list of injuries to key players. Along with Tagovailoa, Howard and Armstead, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Durham Smythe each left the game in the fourth quarter with injuries.

Hill left with a foot injury after coming into the game with a quad injury that had him listed as questionable for the game.

The Dolphins' two touchdowns came on running plays, a 12-yard run by Raheem Mostert and 1-yard sneak by Smythe at the end of the first half.

BIG PERFORMANCE BY RAHEEM MOSTERT

Mostert had the first 100-yard rushing performance of the season for the Dolphins, as the running game found its footing for the first time.

Mostert finished with 113 yards on 18 carries with the one touchdown, with a healthy 6.3-yard average.

Safety Brandon Jones had a sack (which netted a 17-yard loss), marking the third time in three games at MetLife Stadium he had a sack after he dropped Sam Darnold in 2020 and Joe Flacco last year.

In his first regular season appearance in the NFL, Thompson completed 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns and one interception — his arm was hit on the play — for a passer rating of 58.4.

The Dolphins didn't have a pass play of at least 20 yards until the outcome had been decided when Thompson connected with tight end Mike Gesicki for a 30-yard gain down the middle.

Actually, the bulk of the Dolphins' best work in the passing game came when they drew defensive pass inference penalties, with three of them producing 95 yards.

The Dolphins, for their part, were flagged three different times for a facemask penalty, including one against Raekwon Davis that nullified a sack.

It was a penalty on the Dolphins — and a dubious at that — that set the tone for the day when Bridgewater was flagged for intentional grounding and a safety when he was hit by rookie Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner as he threw the ball.

Worse, the play knocked Bridgewater out of the game based on the new concussion regulations when the spotter ruled him out based on the new ataxia criteria — even though Bridgewater passed concussion tests.

The Dolphins trailed by scores of 12-0 and 19-7 before scoring 10 unanswered points between the end of the first half and the start of the second half to make it 19-17 after three quarters.

But this fourth quarter was about as bad as the fourth quarter in Baltimore in week 2 was outstanding for the Dolphins, and the result was a loss that appeared a lot worse on the scoreboard than it actually was.