Malik Willis delivered the kind of performance Miami had been waiting for, and the Dolphins finally walked off the field with their first win of the season.
Willis threw two touchdown passes to rookie Caleb Douglas and added another score on the ground as Miami outlasted the New York Jets 28-25 on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. He finished 14 of 21 for 208 yards, with no interceptions, while also rushing for 37 yards on eight carries.
The Dolphins’ biggest answer came late. Willis’ final rush before the kneel-downs was a 2-yard quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Jets’ 49, a conversion that helped Miami secure the win with less than two minutes remaining and New York out of timeouts.
Miami also leaned on Ollie Gordon II, who turned in a heavy workload and a big result. Gordon ran 25 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, and the Dolphins finished with 156 yards on the ground overall. That run game helped close out the game on the decisive fourth-quarter possession.
The Jets kept pushing, but not enough to avoid another damaging result. New York dropped its fifth game in six tries and fell to 2-5, while also losing for the eighth straight time against an AFC East opponent.
Geno Smith put together a productive line for New York, completing 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His third scoring throw went 12 yards to Mason Taylor, who was one of the night’s biggest targets with five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith later found Taylor again on a two-point conversion that trimmed Miami’s lead to three points with 3:24 left. The Dolphins answered by grinding out the clock, starting with a 14-yard run from Gordon and then stringing together the first downs they needed.
Braelon Allen made his second straight start in place of injured running back Breece Hall and came through with 104 yards on 17 carries, while also adding six receptions for 30 yards. Omar Cooper Jr. finished with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Miami opened fast in a way it hadn’t all season, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives for the first time this year. It was also the first time the Dolphins held the lead in a game this season, sparked by Willis’ 7-yard touchdown pass to Douglas, who returned Sunday after missing the previous three games because of an ankle injury.
That advantage lasted just 2:16 before Smith hit Taylor for a 13-yard touchdown to answer. Miami responded with a 14-play, 60-yard march that ended with Gordon powering in from 1 yard out to make it 14-7.
The Dolphins pushed the lead to 28-17 with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter when Willis connected with Douglas on a 63-yard touchdown down the sideline. That score gave Miami its highest point total of the season and set up the tense finish that followed.
In Other News...
Jets Still Have A Breece Hall Problem They Can't Solve
Breece Halls long wait back onto the field is likely to stretch at least another week, leaving the Jets to keep navigating without one of their most important offensive playmakers. Hall has missed the last three games with a quad strain, and he still has not been a full participant in practice, which has made his status for Week 7 difficult to read even as the team continues to monitor his progress closely.
For a Jets offense that has already had to adjust on the fly, the bigger concern is how long it may take before Hall is truly ready to go. The current signs point to a return in Week 8 as the more realistic target, giving New York another round of uncertainty in the backfield while it waits for clearer momentum from a player it badly needs back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Wilson Sideline Tension Revives A Bigger Jets Problem
After the Jets loss to the Dolphins, a sideline exchange between Garrett Wilson and Geno Smith drew attention because it reflected a familiar problem for a passing game that still struggles to find its rhythm. Wilsons frustration appeared to stem from how little he was involved, and the moment landed as part of a larger concern for a team trying to build consistency on offense.
Aaron Glenn addressed the issue after the game, acknowledging the team did not do enough to get Wilson involved. Later reports suggested Wilson and Smith talked it through in a calm way, with the receiver framing the irritation as part of the groups overall performance rather than a personal rift. Even so, the clip was a reminder that the Jets biggest questions on offense are still hovering just beneath the surface. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Finally Get Adonai Mitchell Back With One Strange Mystery Lingering
Adonai Mitchell is finally set to rejoin the Jets lineup Sunday against the Dolphins after missing four games with a finger injury suffered in practice. His return gives New York another needed option on offense and comes at a good time, with Omar Cooper Jr. also back from injury and the unit getting healthier at the same time.
Mitchell spoke with reporters this week but kept the details of the injury close to the vest, offering little beyond the fact that it sidelined him for a month. Even with the immediate concern now focused on getting him back on the field, there is still a small mystery hanging around how it all happened and what the next steps might have been. [Read more 🡒]