Jets Country

Jets Make Statement, Thrash Dolphins to End Losing Streak in AFC East

New York exploded in the fourth quarter to pull away, dominating in this game on both sides of the ball.

Max Goodman

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The Jets didn't just win their second game in a row on Sunday, upsetting the Dolphins and ending their 12-game losing streak in the AFC East.

They made a statement. 

New York was dominant on both sides of the ball against Miami, erupting in the fourth quarter to pull away in a 40-17 victory.

The Jets were forcing turnovers and wreaking havoc on defense, taking advantage of Miami's injuries. They ran all over the Dolphins on offense, racking up five rushing touchdowns. 

It was a tremendous performance from Robert Saleh's squad, a sign of what this team is capable of as they hop above .500 for the first time since their season-opening victory in 2018.

New York’s defense immediately set the tone in front of their home crowd at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, leaning on their rookie cornerback to put them in front.

On Miami’s first play from scrimmage on offense, Sauce Gardner walloped Teddy Bridgewater on a corner blitz, hitting the quarterback as he threw. With Bridgewater’s feet in the end zone and his pass falling before the line of scrimmage, Gardner’s hit resulted in intentional grounding, a safety and a 2-0 lead. 

The Dolphins lost Bridgewater to a concussion on the Gardner safety as well, forcing Miami to bring seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson into the game. Bridgewater, who was replacing Tua Tagovailoa (another concussed quarterback), didn't return.

After a field goal and a touchdown—the first of two scores from Michael Carter following a 79-yard gain from Breece Hall on a catch and run down the sideline—the Jets had a 12-0 lead. They were in front 19-7 after Zach Wilson scampered and dove head first for a five-yard score with 2:38 remaining in the first half. 

Leading into halftime and early in the second half, the Dolphins started to battle back. New York's lead dwindled down to 19-17 after Miami scored on two consecutive drives—a touchdown before halftime and a field goal on their first drive in the third quarter. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Miami had an opportunity to take the lead. Lining up for a 54-yard field goal with 13 minutes remaining in the fourth, it looked like New York was going to need another comeback if they wanted to secure their third win of the season. But after Jason Sanders' field goal attempt sailed wide right, it was all Jets the rest of the way. New York scored 21 unanswered points over the next nine minutes, stomping the Dolphins' attempt at a comeback in emphatic fashion.

Wilson and the offense responded to the missed field goal with a seven-play, 56-yard touchdown drive, Carter's second score of the game. On the very next play, after the subsequent kickoff, defensive end Carl Lawson brought Thompson down deep in Jets territory for a strip sack. Tackle Quinnen Williams recovered, setting the table for Hall's first touchdown of the game, a five-yard run. 

Hall finished with 97 rushing yards (on 18 carries) and a game-high 100 receiving yards. It was a spectacular, breakout performance for the second-round pick. 

Wilson ended his day with 14 completions and 210 passing yards. Wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Elijah Moore were kept quiet, but New York didn't need to force the issue through the air. Their ground game was more than enough to seal the deal. 

The Jets didn't stop there. Miami proceeded to turn the ball over on downs, coming up empty on a fourth-down run to the outside thanks to an impressive open-field tackle from Kwon Alexander. Three minutes later, the Jets were back in the end zone once again. Wilson snuck a handoff to wideout Braxton Berrios on a jet sweep from 15 yards out. Berrios dove for the pylon, igniting the crowd at MetLife one final time, officially putting the game on ice. 

New York hadn't scored 40 points in 63 weeks, not since Week 6 of the 2018 season. They did it in Week 5 of the 2022 season, taking their record to 3-2 this year, without one single passing touchdown.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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