The beat goes on for the Miami Dolphins.
The New York Jets visited the Miami Dolphins in week 14. The first half can be summed up like this for the Jets. Quarterback Zach Wilson was consistently running away from the Dolphins defense. The Dolphins’ offense scored against the Jets defense. Dolphins led 24-0 with 1:03 to play in the first half. Wilson was taken out of the game because of a head injury.
The Jets had weather delays with turbulent weather flying into Miami for the game. The stormy weather during a clear sky game continued. Dolphins beat the Jets for the eighth consecutive year in Miami after a 31-0 shutout.
The Dolphins are 10-4 for the first time since 2000.
The Jets had negative ten yards passing and four total yards of offense, and their most extended play in the first half was eight yards.
The Dolphins’ defense had five sacks in the first half.
Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb had his best day in a Dolphins uniform with seven combined tackles and two strip-sacks (three sacks total).
“Everyone is athletic, everyone is talented, but it is about the mindset,” Chubb said. “You can not pitch a shutout with just one person.”
Chubb also had three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery for Miami’s No. 9-ranked defense. He leads the NFL with six forced fumbles.
Dolphins are now 10-0 when leading at the half.
Raheem Mostert scored two more touchdowns to set Miami’s single-season record with 20, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 224 yards and a score, and the Dolphins shut out the Jets without star receiver Tyreek Hill.
“It is hard to shut out a team, especially a divisional opponent like the Jets,” Mostert said. “We swept them this year. It shows you the type of characters we have in the locker room.”
At 31, Mostert becomes the second-oldest player in NFL history to score 20 touchdowns in a season. Only Washington RB John Riggins, who had 24 touchdowns in 1983 at 34 years old, was older.
Mostert’s 20 total touchdowns make him the third undrafted player since 1967 to record at least 20 touchdowns in a season, joining RB Austin Ekeler (20 in 2021) and RB Priest Holmes (27 in 2003 and 24 in 2002).
Tagovailoa’s first incompletion came with 2:46 to play in the first half of the game.
“We shouldn’t change who we are as on offense because one player is down. There are a lot of other guys that we trust that we believe in,” Tagovailoa said. “That is what happened put the play in, what we see, play fast.
Miami is now 19-5 all-time in home games started by Tagovailoa, including 15-2 in his past 17 home starts. His .792 home winning percentage is the best among any active NFL quarterback with a minimum of 20 starts.
The Dolphins put that devastating loss in the rearview mirror on Monday night and took it out on the Jets. A dominating defensive performance set the tempo for the entire football game.
Vic Fangio called an impressive defensive scheme in this game. Anytime you can set the tempo upfront and win both lines of scrimmage, it makes it easy for your playmakers to get in position to make plays. The Jets were wounded upfront, and the Dolphins’ defense exposed that.
Jaylen Waddle finished with eight receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown, Braxton Berrios stepped up, and the entire receiving core stepped up, though Hill was out. Tua was protected well. There was quick passing, balls were out in the flat, and tons of run-after-catch opportunities, kickstarting the offense with field position set up by the defense.
“What is giving me confidence is how they respond to adversity throughout the season. We have had four losses,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said. “There was a point of emphasis that our losses came in streaks last year. There is a lot of character in the locker room and the organization.”
Dolphins prove to themselves that they made this offense look like Hill was still in it. They were efficient, did not have tons of procedural penalties, and were in and out of the huddle playing with poise.
“Football is not a game of avoiding adversity,” McDaniel added. “Or go through a season and not have things happen to you; it is quite the opposite; you need to have things happen to you to grow.”
The Dolphins saw a 14-point fourth-quarter lead fizzle in less than five minutes on their last outing; they made sure not to have a point scored on the opposite side of the scoreboard this week.
Jets: Host Washington next Sunday.
Dolphins: Host Dallas next Sunday.
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