Dolphins blow out Jets on Black Friday to improve to 8-3, keep pace at top of AFC
Not much could threaten the Dolphins’ control of a downward-spiraling New York Jets team.
Not even a pair of interceptions from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, both of which came in the final minute of the first half.
The first, which was returned 30 yards by cornerback Brandin Echols for a touchdown, gave New York its first points and made it a 10-6 game with about a minute remaining.
The second came six plays later, as corner D.J. Reed intercepted Tagovailoa with two seconds remaining.
But quarterback Tim Boyle’s Hail Mary attempt was intercepted by safety Jevon Holland and Holland returned it, weaving past New York’s offensive players along the way for a 99 yard-score, giving Miami a 17-6 lead at halftime.
The Dolphins’ 34-13 victory on Black Friday was an economical win over the Jets (4-7) that, while not always pretty for Miami’s offense, showed the clear division between the Dolphins and their division rival.
With the victory, Miami improved to 8-3 and momentarily claimed first place of the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Dolphins’ place at the top of the conference is tentative, though, with the Baltimore Ravens (8-3), Kansas City Chiefs (7-3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3) still needing to play this weekend.
However, the win kept the Dolphins among the AFC’s top teams and with breathing space in the division amid a favorable second-half slate that includes four of the last six games at home.
In the NFL’s first Black Friday Game, the Dolphins put together a wire-to-wire victory, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first half after Tagovailoa found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 7-yard score in the second quarter.
Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His two picks didn’t come back to bite Miami, though, as Holland’s pick-six took back any momentum New York grabbed and delivered one of the most memorable plays in recent Dolphins history.
“When I had the opportunity, I was like, ‘Oh, I need that,’” Holland said. “And then everybody blocking in front of me, I knew they felt the same thing: I’m trying to get in the [end] zone.”
Hill (nine catches, 102 yards) and Waddle (eight catches, 114 yards) both went over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season and running back Raheem Mostert (94 rushing yards) scored twice, increasing his total to a league-leading 13 rushing touchdowns.
The Jets started Boyle for the first time this season after benching Zach Wilson and the Dolphins’ defense did what many expected against an inexperienced quarterback making his fourth career start in five seasons. Miami held New York to 159 total yards, sacked Boyle seven times and forced punts on the Jets’ first five drives.
“We’re starting to have a team that’s complementing each other in all three phases,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “You can’t just show up and say ‘We’re going to stop this’ or ‘We’re going to beat this’ to beat the Miami Dolphins. You have to deal with all sides of the ball.”
Another standout defensive performance was overshadowed, though, by a potentially serious injury to outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips.
Phillips was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a non-contact Achilles injury and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. McDaniel said the injury “doesn’t look great” and that the team would gather more information tomorrow.
The victory gave the Dolphins an 8-3 start for the second straight season, marking the first time the team has done so in back-to-back seasons since 2000-01. Miami is well on its way to reaching the playoffs for the second consecutive year but hoping to avoid a second-half collapse marked by Tagovailoa’s second stint in the league’s concussion protocol.
Phillips’ injury was a sobering blow in the midst of a satisfying win, and the other notable injuries hovering — rookie running back De’Von Achane was sidelined by a knee injury and left tackle Terron Armstead left with a quad injury in the third quarter — was a reminder of how fraught the stretch run of the season can be. So were the spurts of Friday’s game.
Tagovailoa’s interceptions raised his season total to 10, which ties a career-high, and were two of three Miami giveaways in the game, the other coming off a botched handoff with running back Darrynton Evans with the Dolphins leading 27-6 late in the fourth quarter. The Jets scored their sole offensive touchdown of the game, a 1-yard pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson, after the giveaway.
In the last two games, the Dolphins have turned the ball over six times.
“I feel good about my game,” said Tagovailoa, who increased his streak of passing touchdowns to 20 games, the longest active streak in the NFL. “I’m not satisfied whatsoever about what I’m doing right now. I know I have to continue to get better with that. Throughout these late stretches of having these games, we’re going to need better ball from me. I need to do that.”
The mistakes will otherwise go as a blip for a Dolphins team that remains on track to play meaningful football in January but is searching to make sure they’re playing their best at that time.
“The sky’s the limit for us,” Tagovailoa said. “Whatever we want to accomplish, everything’s right there in front of us and we basically turn it on fate here in this league. So, we just have to continue stacking those wins.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 6:07 PM.
