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New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins: Five Takeaways

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:03 p.m. ET

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Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) and New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) shake hands after the game at Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins defeat the New York Jets 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets lost their sixth game of the season on Sunday to the Miami Dolphins. Here are five takeaways from the loss.

It was another difficult week for the New York Jets, as after two straight wins, they lost 27-23 to the Miami Dolphins. There was a glimmer of hope for the Jets’ season if they were able to win on Sunday, but that was not the case.

The loss moves the Jets to 3-6 on the season and makes the Dolphins move to .500. Due to the New England Patriots running away with the AFC East, the Jets season is now all but over. The Jets very well could have, and possibly should have won this game.

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Compared to most of the Jets’ other losses this season, this was an entertaining game, but the mistakes should leave a sour taste in their mouths. While the Jets made plenty of mistakes, it was another poor game for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

With the season all but over, it will be interesting to see if the Jets eventually give Bryce Petty a chance to prove himself. On Sunday, Petty did make his NFL debut when Fitzpatrick left for a few plays with a knee injury. Petty did complete two passes on two attempts, but Fitzpatrick would end up coming back in the game.

It was a brutal loss for the Jets on Sunday, and their playoff hopes are officially dead. Here are five takeaways from the loss.

Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Jalin Marshall (89) runs into the end zone for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins defeat the New York Jets 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

– Young WR’s stepping up

The Jets’ passing offense wasn’t very impressive for the Jets on Sunday, but we did see some of their young wide receivers begin to step up. The loss of Eric Decker for the season was a crucial blow to the Jets offense without a doubt, but this is a wide receiver corps that has some talent.

Brandon Marshall and Quincy Enunwa have both been very good for Jets this season, but they can use all the help that they can get. In the loss to the Dolphins, it was Robby Anderson and Jalin Marshall who were the two leading receivers.

Both Marshall and Anderson were standouts in the preseason and training camp for the Jets. However, that success hasn’t quite translated to the regular season prior to Sunday. Against the Dolphins, Marshall was the leading receiver for the Jets with 59 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Anderson also played very well, as he totaled four receptions and 49 receiving yards.

Seeing both of these young receivers begin to have success is a good thing for the Jets in the future. With the season all but over, it is important for young players like Marshall and Anderson to get opportunities to develop.

Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) is tackled by Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas (31) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

– FitzTragic

To no surprise, it was another poor game for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The mistakes continue to mount for Fitzpatrick, and he was a reason why the Jets lost the game on Sunday. The Jets aren’t a good enough team to be losing the turnover battle, yet Fitzpatrick continues to make bad mistakes and turn the ball over.

In the loss, Fitzpatrick had two interceptions, and both of them were very poor throws. On the first interception, Fitzpatrick was fooled by the Dolphins defense when defensive tackle Jordan Phillips dropped into coverage. While the design of the play was nice by the Dolphins, it was an inexcusable interception by Fitzpatrick, as he threw it right to Phillips.

While throwing an interception to a defensive lineman is usually as bad as it can get for a quarterback, Fitzpatrick’s second interception might have been worse. In the fourth quarter, Fitzpatrick threw a horrible red zone pick on what looked like a possible miscommunication with a wide receiver. The ball was throw to two Dolphins players without a wide receiver in sight. Even if there was a receiver in the neighborhood, it still would have been a throw into double coverage.

Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) runs the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

– Needed more Forte

Coming into the game, the Jets had what appeared to be an advantage on the Dolphins run defense. The Dolphins were giving a lot of yards up on the ground coming into Sunday, and the Jets had success on the ground in the loss.

This season, the Jets have had a lot of success when Matt Forte gets touches. In the three games that the Jets have won this season, Forte has totaled more than 20 touches in each of those games.

On Sunday, Forte only totaled 12 carries and had just one reception. It was very surprising not see the Jets get Forte more involved, as he totaled 92 rushing yards. Even Bilal Powell didn’t get too many touches in the game, as he only totaled six carries in the game. Considering how poor the Dolphins defense has been at defending the run this season, it was surprising to not see the Jets run the ball more.

Due to the success that the team has when Forte touches the ball, it seems odd that the coaching staff didn’t give it to him. Considering how poorly Fitzpatrick has played this season, the Jets should be more focused on running the football this season.

Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) celebrates during the second half against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

– Strong game for Ajayi

Coming into the game on Sunday, one of the biggest keys was to stop Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi. Prior to playing the Jets, Ajayi had totaled 200 rushing yards in his previous two games. Against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills, Ajayi was able to provide the Dolphins with some big plays to help them win.

It is no secret that the improved running game for the Dolphins has helped them win recently, and that continued against the Jets. In the win, Ajayi was able to total 111 rushing yards on 24 carries with one rushing touchdown. A nice run late in the game helped the Dolphins win the game, and he also ripped off a big run for the first touchdown of the game.

The Jets run defense was able to contain Ayaji for stretches of the game, but he was able to make a few big runs to help his team. The Jets run defense really needed to dominate, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Surprisingly, the Dolphins never really tried to exploit the Jets’ poor passing defense, but the steady success on the ground helped them move the ball on offense.

Nov 6, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Bobby McCain (28) celebrates after making an interception catch during the second half against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

– Too many mistakes

It was a common theme throughout the game that the Jets were very undisciplined. From the first quarter on, the Jets committed far too many penalties, and there were a few costly ones. On the Dolphins first drive of the game, the Jets committed two really dumb penalties, as both Buster Skrine and Calvin Pryor were hit for 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties.

The Jets also had penalties hurt them on offense, as a false start in the red zone set the Jets back. This season, the Jets have really struggled in the red zone, and they simply can’t afford penalties when they are down there.

The most costly penalty of the day for the Jets was after they took the lead late in the fourth quarter. A costly offside penalty would result in a re-kick, and the Dolphins capitalized. Kenyan Drake would take the re-kick all the way to the house for a touchdown.

If not for the offside call late in the game, the Jets could have won this game. Losing the turnover battle and committing 10 penalties isn’t going to result in wins on the road. The Jets don’t have to look long and hard to figure out why they lost this game.

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