Scooter & Hum: Day 262, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Jets Game 11 Review

Welp, if ever a 17-point road victory against a hated rival could be called boring, this was it.

The Dolphins mercy-beat the New York Jets and destroyer of offenses Adam Gase and his chubby little Patton Oswalt impersonator, Dowell Loggains. In 120 minutes of football this season, Miami pummeled the Jests, 44-3.

The 'Fins have a ways to go in terms of playoff contention -- and a ton of offensive issues to figure out in their own right -- but dispatching an inferior opponent with such ease is often trickier than this one turned out to be.

Offense

Overall, this was a pedestrian effort against the Jets, who presented a number of exotic looks. Miami was sloppy at times, as evidenced by four fumbles (two lost), and the play-calling was largely predictable throughout the game. At this point, it's fair to wonder how much the attack has been muzzled based on the relative dominance of the Dolphins' defense and special teams.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's numbers -- 24 of 39 for 257 yards and two scores -- sound a lot better than what I looked at. Fitz was often under pressure and his arm strength looked to be an issue on a handful of throws. He added 10 yards on three rushes and made the clutch throw on occasion, but what raised this from a ho-hum effort from the trigger man to a winning performance was the lack of turnovers.
The running backs didn't find a ton of running room -- and frankly, could have gotten more opportunities -- but the room grade took a big hit with fumbles by both Matt Breida and Patrick Laird. With Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed sidelined, Breida got first crack at the starting gig, and he did put up 55 yards on 10 touches, but it's clear the coaching staff doesn't fully trust him. DeAndre Washington took over late, putting up 60 all-purpose yards on 15 touches but running hard late in the game.
DeVante Parker got back on track with Fitz at the helm, reeling in eight catches for 119 yards on a lot of back-shoulder throws. He was targeted a staggering 14 times, pointing up the need for the 'Fins to unearth a legitimate No. 2 receiver. Special-teamer Mack Hollins (two catches, 19 yards) and Jakeem Grant (two grabs for 15 yards) were quiet, while reformation project Antonio Callaway (one reception, seven yards) and gadget player Malcolm Perry (one catch, eight yards) feel like afterthoughts.
The tight ends put in a big day, with Fitz favorite Mike Gesicki notching two grabs for 35 yards and a contested touchdown and red zone threat Adam Shaheen converting a seven-yarder for another score. Durham Smythe was active early, making three first-quarter catches for 19 yards, but was shut out the rest of the way.
The offensive line was under siege for most of the game, with New York using a host of blitz looks and stunts. The front had no answer for Quinnen Williams, who wrecked the scheme with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, two stops for losses, two batted passes, and three hits on the quarterback. The Dolphins didn't do a ton to help matters with the frequency of no-back sets, and Erick Flowers (holding) and Robert Hunt (false start) drew flags.

Defense

The front seven struggled to slow down the timeless Frank Gore, who mostly had his way for the first three quarters of the game. Up front, Emmanuel Ogbah (five tackles) and Andrew Van Ginkel (four stops, drew a key holding call) were solid on the edges, though Shaq Lawson had a quiet day (one tackle). On the interior, Christian Wilkins was back, recording four tackles and a QB hit, but it was fast-rising Raekwon Davis (five stops, half a sack, QB hit) who flashed the most alongside steady Zach Sieler (three tackles). Overall, this unit had a hard time getting pressure and beating single blocks.
At linebacker, Jerome Baker, Kyle Van Noy, and Elandon Roberts each posted five tackles and half a sack, with Van Noy adding a QB hit and Roberts tacking on a QB hit and another tackle for loss. Roberts' fourth-down stop and a third-down tackle by Baker were among the biggest plays of the day on D.
At the risk of repeating myself every week, Xavien Howard led the way in the secondary, securing his league-leading seventh interception and adding three tackles and three pass breakups as well. He is playing stellar football and has entered the fray as a more-than-legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Nik Needham also had a big day, with five tackles, a pass breakup, and a key pick. Rookie Brandon Jones had a sack and a QB hit to go with his three stops, while Eric Rowe (three tackles), Jamal Perry (three stops), Byron Jones (two solo tackles), and Bobby McCain (somehow credited with exactly zero statistics) all had quiet outings. It should be noted that the Jets had two pass plays over 30 yards and a handful of other sizable gains in this one, so there are a few communication issues to work on in the back end.

Special Teams

Similar to the "X" conversation, Jason Sanders just continues to crush each and every week. He drilled two long field goals (51 and 54 yards), converted both extra points, and generally pinned the Jets deep -- despite the random sky kick that seems to be a weekly aberration.
Matt Haack has never been known for consistency, and he had probably his worst game of the season. He averaged just 35.5 yards on four punts and was only able to put one inside in the 20-yard line.
Jakeem Grant had two punt returns for 19 yards to give Miami respectable field position when he had the opportunity.

Momentum Plays

An opening drive that heavily featured Gore saw New York convert a 3rd & 9 with a 37-yarder to Breshad Perriman, but a sack from Brandon Jones stymied the drive and forced a field goal.
After an exchange of punts, Fitz hit Gesicki down the sideline on third down for 22 yards. The duo couldn't hook up again on the next third down (it looked like G-Sick may have lost the ball in the sun), but Sanders bailed out the unit with a 54-yarder to tie the score.
The D rose up again, then the offense embarked on an 88-yard drive, aided by a 19-yarder to Parker that he fumbled out of bounds (upheld on replay). On 3rd & 8, Fitz lofted a sky ball to Gesicki, who outmuscled the defender for a beautiful touchdown, staking the 'Fins to a 10-3 lead.
A 13-yard screen to Breida sparked the next drive for Miami, but a Fitz scramble came up short, leading to another Sanders long one for a 13-3 advantage.
A penalty on the ensuring kickoff pinned the Jets deep, but Sam Darnold hooked up with Denzel Mims for a 30-yarder to get New York out of trouble. After Darnold dove for a first down to convert a third-down play (upheld on replay), Gore ripped off two more big gainers, but Miami forced a 4th & 1 play that led to a 29-yard field goal attempt -- that somehow missed, dealing the Jets a kidney shot headed into halftime.
On the Jets first second-half possession, they got a solid drive going before "X" forced an offensive pass interference call. On 3rd & 8, Wilkins chased Darnold out of the pocket, where he threw back across his body for a relatively easy pick by Needham.
A nifty catch-and-run by Parker on a YOLO Fitz pass was offset by a sack fumble on 3rd & 10, forcing another punt by Haack after the recovery.
Baker made a huge open-field tackle on a third-down swing pass that looked like it could turn into a big gain and at least a first down for the Jets, but when the Dolphins got the ball back, Breida fumbled it back to New York while being swarmed 3 yards in the backfield.
Miami forced a three-and-out despite the Jets starting in 'Fins territory, aided by a pass breakup in the end zone by "X" and McCain.
After a sack and a couple of dangerous Fitz throws, Laird fumbled on a nine-yard run, with former 'Fin Neville Hewitt returning the ball all the way to the Dolphins 26-yard line as the third quarter came to an end.
On 3rd & 16, Mims got 15 to set up a 4th & 1, but Roberts shot the gap and put a massive hit on Gore to effectively end the Jets' chances in this one. You rarely see Gore fall backwards, but this was one of the bigger shots you'll ever see the all-timer take.
The teams traded punts again, but a nifty run by Washington and a couple of back-shoulder tosses to Parker got Miami moving. Grant drew a 30-yard pass interference call on 2nd & 15, setting up a third-down TD strike to Shaheen to make it 20-3 with under 7 minutes to play.
After a strong kickoff return, the Jets inexplicably ran it with Gore before "X" jumped a route for another interception, giving Miami the ball at New York's 40-yard line.
On 3rd & 4 from the Jets' 34, Fitz kept it on an option play for the first down, nearly breaking it for a long one. Breida converted a 3rd & 6 with a nice run, giving Miami first-and-goal, but they were content to go into victory formation and complete another bitching of the Jets.