5 takeaways: Dolphins get first win of season vs. Jets but lose Tyreek Hill
The Miami Dolphins might have come out on top, but their first victory of the season doesn’t feel sweet at all.
Miami beat the New York Jets 27-21 but lost star wideout Tyreek Hill to what many believe to be a dislocated left knee.
The play occurred early in the third quarter after the star receiver caught a 10-yard pass. When Jets safety Malachi Moore went to tackle Hill, the wideout’s leg got caught underneath him, mangling the appendage in the process. Hill’s leg was quickly put in an air cast, and he was carted off.
“It sucks, especially a player of his caliber,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said of Hill’s injury, later adding that “it’s hard to get a win in this league so we’re going to celebrate that” without forgetting about their teammate.
Hill, however, appeared to be in high spirits as he was shuttled off the field, apparently cracking jokes about the state of his leg.
“And as you can see on the jumbotron – he was kind of joking,” Tua Tagovailoa said. “That’s just his personality. So he was joking when I came up and talked to him and when a lot of the guys came up and talked to him. That’s just his personality. That’s just who he is. But our thoughts and our prayers are with him."
Tua protects the ball
Tagovailoa had committed a turnover in every single game to start the season. His four interceptions — five total turnovers — were among the highest in the league.
The franchise quarterback played a clean game against the Jets, however, as he smartly protected the ball. Tagovailoa also played rather efficient, completing 68-percent of his passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Arguably the best part? Tagovailoa connected with both Jaylen Waddle (25 yards) and Hill (28 yards) for huge gains.
Darren Waller came back with a bang
That’s certainly one way to announce your presence.
Waller finished with three catches for 27 yards and two touchdowns. The stats, however, don’t tell you the circumstances of each grab.
His first catch – a 14-yard gain – helped the Dolphins convert on third down. Waller’s touchdown came as he mossed Jets All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner on fourth down. He then snagged his second touchdown after Hill’s injury, providing a much-needed energy boost after what can only be described as a gruesome moment.
“It felt like when I started playing football as a kid,” Waller said of his two-touchdown performance. “I felt like I lost it sometimes but tonight was pretty cool”
After missing all of training camp and the first three games of the season, Waller certainly made his presence felt.
Dolphins defense ends turnover drought
The Dolphins spent much of the weak practicing how to strip the ball.
Well, it looks like their hard work paid off.
The Dolphins forced three fumbles — two on the defense and one on special teams — that led to 14 points.
“We just got to keep doing it,” safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said of the turnovers. “We got points off I think two of those turnovers if I’m correct, so we just got to keep doing it. We won the game. We won the turnover battle, so I think that definitely played a huge part in the victory.”
Arguably the best turnover came in the first quarter when cornerback Jack Jones ripped the ball from running back Braelon Allen just before he crossed the goal line.
“When a team is running the ball like that, especially on the first drive of the game, it can be super deflating,” Fitzpatrick said. “But to end that drive with a turnover, especially in the red zone, taking points off the board for them and putting the ball in our possession, is definitely huge and definitely a big momentum swing.”
Dolphins run defense has still issues
Miami came into Monday night as the fifth-worst run defense, ceding roughly 145 yards per game on the ground.
That much didn’t change as the Jets hung 197 yards on the Dolphins. Even worse: Gang Green averaged a whopping seven yards per carry. This was in large part due to duo of quarterback Justin Fields, who finished with seven carries for 81 yards plus a touchdown, and Breece Hall, who added another 81 on 14 touches.
By halftime, the Jets had racked up 115 rushing yards. On the Jets’ first possession after the break, Fields scored on 43-yard scramble.
This must be fixed as the Dolphins will play quite a few teams with successful rushing attacks before the season ends, including the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders.
The Jets might have found their tight end of the future
And he’s from down the street.
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas graduate Mason Taylor recorded career highs in catches (five) and yards receiving (65) in his homecoming game. Mason, of course, happens to be the son of Dolphins legend Jason Taylor. The six-time Pro Bowler was in attendance, noticeably wearing neither Jets nor Dolphins colors, choosing instead to rock his golden Pro Hall of Fame jacket.
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 10:21 PM.
