The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Jets stumble as Dolphins get 1st win
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami coach Brian Flores got drenched with the orange contents of a Gatorade bucket when time expired. Kool and the
Gang’s “Celebration” blared through the stadium’s speakers. Players leaped in the air on their way to a joyous locker room.
The Dolphins are 17. And — for one day, anyway — they can be thrilled about that.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdown passes, two of them to rookie Preston Williams, and the Dolphins got their first win of the season by beating former coach Adam Gase and the New York Jets 2618 on Sunday.
“Hopefully, a lot more to come,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in the locker room before presenting Flores with the game ball after his first victory.
Flores gave his team Monday off. In the NFL, they call that “Victory Monday.” For this team, it was a long time coming.
“Any time you win, it feels good,” said Flores, the Dolphins’ firstyear coach. “That’s why we put in all the work.”
The Dolphins avoided what would have been the second 08 start in franchise history, joining 2007. The win leaves Cincinnati (08) as the NFL’s lone winless team this season, and for now the frontrunners to win the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Fitzpatrick completed 24 of 36 passes for 288 yards, and led the Dolphins to their highest point total of the season. It was also Miami’s fourth straight win over the Jets — the first three of those coming with Gase being the coach on the winning side.
“I had a lot of pressure on me today because my two boys were here and when we win, I bring my boys into the locker room,” Fitzpatrick said. “So I was tired of the puppydog eyes when I was walking off the field for them not being able to come in the locker room. We were going to get them in the dang locker room today.”
The Jets went 11 plays on the first drive of the game for a touchdown and a 70 lead, and their highlights were few and far between the rest of the day.
The Jets (17) actually fell below Miami in the AFC East standings based on the headtohead tiebreaker. It was the Dolphins’ first win since the “Miami Miracle” over New England last season — which was followed by three straight losses to end 2018, making this a 10game losing streak in all.
No miracle was required this time.
New York’s fate was largely sealed with 6:29 left, when a shotgun snap sailed right of quarterback Sam Darnold and wound up bouncing out of the back of the end zone for a safety and a 2615 Miami lead. The Jets got a field goal with 15 seconds left to close within eight, but Miami recovered the ensuing onside kick and could finally start to celebrate.
“We’re 17,” Gase said. “Everybody feels like crap. You don’t put in this much time and effort to come out here and lose.”
Darnold was 27 of 39 for 260 yards and a touchdown to Jamison Crowder. Fitzpatrick’s TD throws to Williams went for 12 and 5 yards, and DeVante Parker caught a 17yard scoring pass. All three came in the second quarter, as Miami turned the 70 deficit into a 217 lead.
As would be expected between teams with a combined 113 record entering the day, there were moments of ineptitude — the Jets had a 3rdand27 in the first half, a couple of plays before the Dolphins faced a 1stand18.
But the last minute of the half, which wound up taking nearly 20 minutes in real time, was filled with wackiness.
The Jets appeared to cut
Miami’s lead to 2113 with a PAT pending when Darnold connected with Ryan Griffin for a 2yard touchdown, one that was overturned after a long review because officials ruled that the tight end didn’t have full control of the ball when he skidded to a stop out of the back of the end zone.
“Better ball would have been a forsure touchdown,” Darnold said.
Darnold was intercepted by Miami’s Jomal Wiltz on the next play, giving the Dolphins the ball on their own 1. Fitzpatrick appeared to bobble the firstdown snap, the play — after another review — became a safety for the Jets, and New York made it 2112 at the half by turning the ensuing possession into a careerbest 52yard field goal by Sam Ficken.
But the lead stayed Miami’s, the rest of the way. A day off is their reward.
“I don’t know what to do with it,” rookie defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said.
INJURIES
Jets: Ty Montgomery was shaken up in the first quarter as he ran into Dolphins punter Matt Haack. Defensive lineman Steve McLendon injured a shoulder during the second half, and safety Jamal Adams was being evaluated late for a possible head injury.
GROUNDED
At 17, the Jets have matched their secondworst start in franchise history. They were 08 in 1996 and have been 17 on five other occasions, most recently 2014.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host the Giants next Sunday.