Both the Jets (3-5) and the Dolphins (4-3) came into Sunday’s game needing a win. But it was the Dolphins who came out with the victory at MetLife Stadium, beating the Jets 30-9.
So much for the groove the Jets offense was in last week in its overtime loss to the Patriots. The Jets had no groove, rhythm, not a lot of protection and, on defense, not a lot of tackling.
The first quarter was all Dolphins, and so were the second, third and fourth quarters.
Right out of the gate, Miami surprised the Jets with an onside kick following their first possession. And they recovered the ball. Then, CB Jimmy Wilson blocked a punt by the Jets Robert Malone that Miami DE Olivier Vernon recovered for a touchdown. With the Jets attempting to make something happen on their third possession, CB Nolan Carroll had a strip sack of QB Mark Sanchez, giving it back to the Dolphins. To top it off, the Dolphins played most of the game with their backup QB, Matt Moore, as QB Ryan Tannehill left the game in the first quarter with a left quad and knee injury following a sack by Jets LB Calvin Pace. The Dolphins' block of a Nick Folk field goal in the second half was the final insult.
Teams look for consistency, but this isn’t the consistency the Jets were looking for with poor protection and blocking (not to mention play-calling) on offense, and poor tackling on defense from beginning to end.
Jets QB Mark Sanchez finished the game with decent stats (28 of 54 for 283 yards, one touchdown and one interception) but almost none of the yards translated into scores.
“To say I never saw this coming, that’s an understatement,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said and then added, “I’m blown away by it. It might be as good a week of practice as we’ve had.”
Even with Tannehill out and backup Moore commanding the Dolphins offense, Miami was methodical and efficient, ending the day with 250 total yards on offense, including Moore going 11 of 19 for 131 yards and a touchdown.
The Dolphins defense also sacked Sanchez four times.
Jets RB Shonn Greene had a 36-yard run, the longest of his career, but he had a total of only 41 yards on 14 other runs. He refused to speak with reporters after the game.
When the game turned: It never turned. The Dolphins recovering their own onside kick in the first quarter was just the beginning of a game that was never within the Jets' grasp.
Highlight moments: The Dolphins' recovery of their own onside kick in the first quarter. …The Dolphins' block of Jets P Robert Malone’s punt in the first quarter. ... The Dolphins block of K Nick Folk’s field-goal attempt in the second quarter.
Top-shelf performances:
- Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll -- 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble.
- Dolphins P Brandon Fields -- 6 punts, 46.7 average, 4 inside the 20, long of 58 yards
What they said about the blocked punt by the Dolphins:
- Jets QB Tim Tebow (special teams personal protector) -- “They had a good rush designed and we just have to be better.”
- Jets coach Rex Ryan -- “It looked to me like they stemmed a guy in the secondary late and [Vernon] came in free. That’s inexcusable. We have to do a much better job against that.”
- Dolphins coach Joe Philbin -- "We had it in the plan. Yeah, it was a good situation, sure. We don't rush the punter (on) every play."
Numbers you should know: Neither team had a great day on third down. The Dolphins were 4-13 for 31 percent, and the Jets were 5-17 for 29 percent.
Injury update: Jets -- RB Joe McKnight left the game after re-injuring his already sprained ankle. CB Antonio Cromartie dislocated the pinkie finger on his left hand but returned to the game.
Dolphins -- QB Ryan Tannehill left the game in the first quarter with a left quad/knee injury after being sacked by Jets LB Calvin Pace. After the game, Tannehill said he hyper-extended the knee and has a deep bruise of the quad. DT Tony McDaniel left with a knee injury. LB Karlos Dansby returned after an elbow injury.
Going forward: Jets -- The Jets (now 2-2 in the AFC East) head into their bye week. When they return, they will be on the road for two weeks, first against the Seahawks and then the Rams. They come home in Week 11 to host the Patriots in a Sunday night game, which could have serious playoff implications given that they are already a step behind with the loss to the Dolphins. They finish out the third quarter of the season at home against the Cardinals. Dolphins -- Miami (now 1-1 in the AFC East) heads to Indianapolis, then returns home to host the Titans in Week 10. The Dolphins go on the road again in Week 11 to face division rival Buffalo before coming home to host the Seahawks for their final game of the third quarter of the season.
Stay dialed in on the New York Jets by following correspondent Lisa Zimmerman on Twitter @CBSJets and @LisaZimmerman.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Miami Dolphins from blogger Dave Carey, follow @CBSDolphins.