Dolphins bounce back from Monday night debacle, trounce rival Jets, 30-0
MIAMI GARDENS — Reports of the Miami Dolphins’ demise may have been slightly exaggerated.
Coming off their demoralizing Monday night defeat, the Dolphins made a statement, at least for this week, that they’re not going the way of past Miami teams in December off one bad loss.
Without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and missing three-fourths of their starting secondary, the Dolphins dominated the New York Jets, 30-0, Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami (10-4) surpassed its win total from its first season under coach Mike McDaniel and is 2/12 games ahead of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East with three games remaining and Buffalo playing in the late afternoon slot Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins will get through Week 15 at least No. 2 in the AFC, with a chance to leapfrog the Baltimore Ravens for the top seed if Baltimore loses against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Sunday night game.
New York (5-9) is out of playoff contention, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to make his return from his Achilles injury suffered in the Jets’ season opener. Miami swept New York for the third time in the past four seasons and has won seven of eight and 11 of its past 13 in the divisional rivalry.
The Dolphins, after blowing a two-touchdown lead with three minutes remaining Monday night against the Tennessee Titans, get a boost going into the challenging three-game gauntlet of the Cowboys, the Ravens in Baltimore and a home regular-season finale against Buffalo.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, completing his first 13 passes Sunday, finished 21 of 24 for 224 yards and a long touchdown to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had eight receptions for 142 yards. Running back Raheem Mostert scored twice on the ground to set multiple team records for a season.
The Jets were held to 4 yards of offense in the first half and finished with a pedestrian 103. They didn’t cross midfield until deep into the third quarter. The Dolphins had six sacks, with Bradley Chubb picking up three of them, and forced four turnovers. Safety Brandon Jones had two interceptions, Zach Sieler recovered a fumble that Chubb forced, and Chubb also recovered another fumble he forced.
With Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey shadowing Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, Wilson finished with three catches for 29 yards, all once the score was out of reach. He wasn’t even targeted in the first half. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, coming off his AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor, was knocked out late in the first half with a concussion. He finished 4 of 11 for 26 yards, and Trevor Siemian finished off the game for New York.
While Hill, Tagovailoa’s usual deep-ball target was out, Tagovailoa instead threw a 60-yard touchdown to Waddle as he streaked free from Jets cornerback D.J. Reed with no safety over the top.
It gave Miami a 17-0 lead in the middle of the second quarter, and it was clear the team was rolling and wouldn’t look back.
Mostert broke the team’s single-season total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns records with his first score, a 2-yard run to the end zone in the first quarter. It was his 19th overall and 17th rushing of 2023. The previous total touchdowns record of 18 was held by Mark Clayton in 1984 and the rushing touchdowns mark of 16 by Ricky Williams in 2002.
The rush to the outside was set up by a near defensive score. Christian Wilkins and Chubb split a sack of Wilson, with Chubb dislodging the ball from his grasp. Sieler nearly scored a second defensive touchdown in six days picking up the fumble but getting touched on his foot as he stumbled to the 1-yard line. Sieler, in Monday night’s loss to Tennessee, had a 5-yard interception return for a touchdown.
After Miami’s first score, the Jets tried a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from their side of the field, but the Dolphins’ special teams unit was all over it. Wilkins and Raekwon Davis combined on the stop with Duke Riley also there if either of them missed.
After Waddle’s deep touchdown and one of three field goals from kicker Jason Sanders, Mostert scored his second touchdown Sunday, from 1-yard out, to put him at 18 rushing touchdowns on the season and 20 overall. The 31-year-old running back had 19 career touchdowns entering 2023.
Besides Hill, the Dolphins were missing cornerback Xavien Howard and safeties Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott on Sunday.
The Dolphins stay at home for a Christmas Eve showdown with the Cowboys next Sunday.
This story will be updated.