Darnold a dud for winless Jets
Rival QB Fitzpatrick throws for 2 TDS with Tagovailoa out injured
There was some hope — albeit just a glimmer — coming in for the New York Jets.
Sam Darnold was back at quarterback after a two-game absence with a shoulder injury and he was playing with all three of his starting wide receivers for the first time this season. After two promising overall performances in their last two games, maybe this was the week the Jets would finally shed that ugly zero from their win column.
And then, thud.
The Jets fell to 0-11 with a 20-3 clunker against the Miami Dolphins as Darnold and coach Adam Gase’s offense struggled to do much of anything.
“We just didn’t take any advantage of turnovers, the defense stopping the ball and forcing those guys to punt, especially in the second half,” Gase said. “We had opportunities. We just didn’t make the plays we needed to make.”
That has been the running theme for the Jets all season and the primary reason they are off to the worst start in franchise history. The 11-game skid is just one shy of tying the streak the Rich Kotite-led squads had over the course of the 1995-96 seasons.
“I mean, 0-11, no one at the beginning of the season thought that we’d find ourselves in this position at this point in the season,” Darnold said.
The Jets are in real danger of joining the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns as the only teams in NFL history to go 0-16. It has gotten to the point where many fans are even rooting for that — if only to assure New York of getting the No. 1 overall draft pick, and likely Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Not that Darnold and his teammates are thinking along those lines.
“No,” the quarterback said. “I mean, we’ll find one.”
Some thought this could be that chance. And New York started on a positive note by getting a 38-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo on its first possession to take a 3-0 lead.
Little did the Jets know that would be it for the rest of the game.
“They’re a good defense,” right guard Greg Van Roten said of Miami. “We did not play well as an offense today.”
Darnold went 16-for-27 for 197 yards and two interceptions, failing to throw a touchdown pass in his third straight game.
“I’ve got to be better,” he said. “I didn’t play well enough to win a ballgame today.”
New York managed just 260 yards of total offense, only 10 first downs and 3-for-13 on third down. The Jets were also 0for-3 in the red zone. Castillo missed a chip-shot 29-yarder before halftime.
“Obviously, three points is what we get for that,” Gase said. “We just have to find a way to make the plays when they are there to be made.”
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes while starting in place of Tua Tagovailoa, who was sidelined with a left thumb injury. Fitzpatrick was 24-for-39 for 257 yards with TD throws to tight ends Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen, helping the Dolphins (7-4) bounce back after having a five-game winning streak end last week.