A bad review: ‘Just trash’
Jets kick game-winner as time expires after replay refs call pass interference
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores was livid, running up to officials as time expired to express his displeasure with a penalty call that he felt robbed him and his team of their fourth win of the season.
Dolphins cornerback Nik Needham thought he made a crucial defensive stop on a pass from New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold to receiver Vyncint Smith with 42 seconds left in Sunday’s game and Miami holding onto a slim lead.
It was a third-down stop that put the Jets offense, with no timeouts remaining, at fourth-and-17. That’s until referees at NFL headquarters in New York decided to review the play where they determined Needham, whose right hand appeared to tug on Smith’s shoulder, committed a pass interference penalty.
Darnold threw a short pass to running back Ty Montgomery out of the backfield for a 12-yard gain, and Jets kicker Sam Ficken hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired to spoil a record-breaking game by Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders and hand Miami a 22-21 loss at MetLife Stadium.
The Dolphins nearly won their fourth game under Flores, a rookie coach, and almost had their second two-game win streak this season. They almost fell out of the top five in the 2020 NFL draft order, too.
Instead, the Dolphins fall to 3-10 this season and remain behind the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants and Washington Redskins at fourth in the draft order.
The loss spoils a historic game Sanders, who made team history kicking seven field goals, one shy of the NFL record for most field goals in a game.
The game changed during the final drive when Needham’s pass breakup was reviewed, and overturned for defensive pass interference, giving new life to the Jets offense.
And New York took advantage, winning their fifth game under Adam Gase this season and splitting the season series.
The Dolphins attempted eight field goal kicks in the game, a new team record.
Miami had six trips in the red zone against the Jets, with Sanders converting five of them with field goals and a missed field goal during the second half that cost the Dolphins a road win.
Flores, enraged by the outcome, ran up to officials after the game to tell one in particular: “Hey, that’s a [horse-bleep] call.”
“We lost the game. I was upset we lost the game,” Flores said while deflecting questions on the gamechanging sequence that cost the Dolphins. “I’m not going to answer any questions about the officiating.”
Needham, however, did not mince his words after the game.
“Honestly, it’s just trash. We had a chance to win a game and we didn’t,” said Needham, an undrafted rookie who has become Miami’s starting cornerback this season.
NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron said “it’s clear and obvious” Needham grabbed Smith by his shoulder and turned him before the pass arrived from Darnold. The play was reviewed because it occurred inside the twominute warning.
Needham thought otherwise.
“It’s very frustrating. It’s frustrating to lose like that,” Needham said. “We got them in a four-down situation, sacked them, backed up out of field goal range, and we’re about to win the game right there. And then, they call that. You give the game to the officials. That’s crazy.”
Flores, after speaking with officials on the field after time expired, walked back into the locker room to address his team and their 10th loss of the season.
“I thought our guys fought hard,” Flores said. “We didn’t make enough plays to win the game.”
The reason Sanders made Dolphins history Sunday: Miami was abysmal in the red zone.
The Dolphins entered Sunday as the fourth-most efficient team in the red zone — perhaps, the greatest indicator of Miami’s inseason improvement. But they failed to score a touchdown on six trips inside the 20-yard line.
“That was one of the main points going into the game, how well they have been playing in the red zone,” Gase said. “They’ve been avoiding field goals and scoring touchdowns. We knew that would be a big challenge for us.”
The offensive performance followed Miami’s best of the season a week ago, where they scored a season-high 37 points with 409 yards of offense in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 21-of-37 passes for 245 yards and had an interception, leading the offense, which lost receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson after both suffered concussions in the first half and did not return.
Fitzpatrick led Miami with 65 yards rushing, while new tailback starter Patrick Laird finished with 15 carries for 48 yards. Receiver Isaiah Ford led the
Dolphins with six catches for 92 yards, while Allen Hurns had five catches for 68 yards.
The Dolphins were already playing without defensive end Taco Charlton, who leads Miami with five sacks, and benched rookie left guard Michael Deiter, who started the first 12 games, until he entered the game during the second half.
The Dolphins fell behind by double digits like they have notoriously done several times this season. And they nearly pulled off a comeback victory until Needham’s defensive play was reversed.
The Jets took advantage as Darnold won his first game in four attempts against the Dolphins, while Gase won his first game against his former team.
The Dolphins will return home to South Florida and prepare to play the New York Giants in this same stadium next week.
“It was a tough way to lose,” Fitzpatrick said after the game.