Scooter & Hum: Day 1,732, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Jets Game 13 Review

The season looked all but over several times as Miami struggled to keep pace with the ... New York Jets? The 'Fins allowed Aaron Rodgers to turn back the clock, enjoying his first 300-yard passing game in three seasons, and were flagged 11 times. Yet, a massive special-teams play and a clutch overtime drive gave the Dolphins new life and its fourth win in five contests.

On to the so-you're-saying-there's-a-chance recap ...

Offense

The run game was nonexistent (44 yards, 2.3 yards per carry) and third down was a nightmare (just one conversion in nine tries). Miami didn't commit a turnover or allow a sack, though, allowing the offensive attack to put up 375 total yards and convert three of four red-zone trips into touchdowns. The persistent lack of balance remains a massive concern down the stretch, though the re-emergence of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in recent weeks bodes well.
Tua Tagovailoa fired it 47 times, connecting on 33 attempts for 331 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 77.2 grade from Pro Football Focus. He got rid of the ball extremely quickly -- too early at times -- and handled the pocket well, avoiding a sack and running once for three yards. Tua was also at his best when the 'Fins needed him most.
De'Von Achane dominated action yet again at running back (60 snaps, 20 touches, 61.7 mark from PFF), running for just 24 yards and a score and reeling in six passes for 45 yards. With Raheem Mostert inactive with a hip injury, rookie Jaylen Wright got 13 yards on four touches in 14 snaps, while little-used Jeff Wilson had a four-yard carry and a seven-yard catch in his four snaps. Alec Ingold had a costly holding penalty in his 17 snaps, contributing to a 42.7 grade from PFF. The Dolphins will likely need to be careful not to wear out the undersized Achane, as their running game has been going nowhere in recent weeks.
At wideout, it was a vintage Tyreek Hill game -- he caught 10 of 14 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown in 70 snaps, earning a 72.1 grade from PFF. Jaylen Waddle continued his surge, reeling in nine of 12 targets for 99 yards (82.8 mark from PFF), while Malik Washington was targeted once without a catch in 30 snaps (49.6 PFF grade). Odell Beckham contributed a one-yard catch in 10 snaps, while Dee Eskridge played four snaps in deep reserve.
Miami forgot about Jonnu Smith for too much of the game, but he emerged when he was most needed -- in overtime. He grabbed three passes for 44 yards and the game-winning score in extra time, though he got only one other target in regulation (46 snaps overall, 67.4 PFF grade). Julian Hill had a 14-yard catch on his lone target in 32 snaps (47.5 mark from PFF), while Durham Smythe was targeted once without a reception in 14 snaps. Miami may need to consider more snaps for Smythe in an effort to jumpstart the rushing attack.
Up front, rookie Patrick Paul had to play 67 snaps at left tackle after Terron Armstead left with a knee injury after just five snaps. Paul had an illegal formation penalty, but largely acquitted himself well despite a 52.3 mark from PFF that felt harsh in context. Center Aaron Brewer (false start, 66.9 PFF grade) and right guard Liam Eichenberg displayed some solid downfield blocking, while left guard Robert Jones was whistled for holding and was graded at 44.1 by PFF. The interior struggled against a strong Jets interior, but the backup tackles (Paul and right tackle Kendall Lamm, who posted a 78.5 PFF grade) did a strong job against New York's edge rushers.

Defense

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver finally dialed up some pressures in the second half, and the Dolphins started to get home (three sacks) just before it was too late. The "D" limited the Jets to four of 12 on third-down attempts, but did allow 402 yards, 6.4 yards per play, and a four-yards-per carry average (83 rushing yards). Miami did not force a turnover yet again and had no answer for Garrett Wilson (seven catches, 114 yards), but stiffened in the red zone, limiting the visitors to two touchdowns in five visits to scoring territory.
Zach Sieler led the way on the interior yet again, registering four tackles, two solos, a pair of sacks, two stops for losses, and three quarterback hits in 56 snaps, though he was called for defensive holding at a critical moment (69.6 PFF grade). Calais Campbell added three tackles, a solo, and a quarterback hit in 43 snaps (72.6 mark from PFF), while Benito Jones collected four tackles, three solos, and two stops for losses in 36 snaps. Da'Shawn Hand recorded three solo tackles and an offsides call in 38 snaps, while Neil Farrell did not record a statistic in three snaps.
On the edge, Emmanuel Ogbah led in snaps with 47, but was quiet, with an assisted tackle to his name (54.6 grade from PFF). Chop Robinson got 37 snaps, but managed only one solo tackle, a batted pass, and a neutral-zone infraction (63.6 mark from PFF). Quintin Bell had two assisted tackles and an offside flag in 28 snaps (team-low 33.2 grade from PFF), while Mo Kamara did not dent the scorebook in three snaps and Tyus Bowser did not get a snap from scrimmage. This unit has been battered all year long -- they hope to get Bradley Chubb back soon -- and was simply unable to muster any sort of pass rush against New York.
Jordyn Brooks was extremely active, tallying nine tackles, four solos, a sack, a stop for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit in 68 snaps -- earning a team-high 91.5 mark from PFF. Anthony Walker returned to the lineup for 62 snaps, collecting seven tackles and four solo stops (41.2 PFF grade). Tyrel Dodson contributed two assisted tackles in six snaps (62.1 mark from PFF).
It's almost shocking to see Jalen Ramsey struggle, so the matchup with Wilson was hard to look at at times. Ramsey notched four solo tackles and a pass breakup in 68 snaps, but he got burned frequently and was also called for a ridiculous pass interference penalty on his way to a 43.7 grade from PFF. Kendall Fuller was back in action, racking up eight tackles, six solos, and a pass breakup in 67 snaps to garner a 57.3 PFF mark. Kader Kohou had two tackles and one solo in 47 snaps, and his tackling looked marginally improved from recent weeks, though he still ended up with a 45.9 mark from PFF. With Cam Smith out injured, Storm Duck did not see any action from scrimmage.
At safety, Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland played all 68 snaps, with Poyer having one of his better games with seven tackles, four solos, and a quarterback hit (76.2 grade from PFF). Holland managed three tackles and one solo (64.6 mark from PFF), while Elijah Campbell did not post a statistic in three snaps. The best defenses lean on the safety spot for turnovers, and the Dolphins have not delivered in any way, shape, or form this season.

Special teams

Jason Sanders overcame an early extra-point miss to drill four field goals, including a 57-yarder before halftime and a clutch 52-yarder to put the game into overtime.
Jake Bailey averaged 49.3 yards on three punts, with two placed inside the 20-yard line and the other resulting in a touchback.
Washington overcame last week's muffed point to average 31.7 yards on three kickoff returns, including a 45-yarder at the end of regulation that put Miami in tremendous position. He added a 10-yard punt return, while Eskridge had a 28-yard kickoff return.
Duke Riley and Siran Neal led defensive players in special-teams snaps with 26 each, while Duck added 23. Julian Hill paced offensive players with 19 snaps in the third phase. Campbell (offsides) and Kamara (holding) were flagged in the kicking game, while Neal made a pair of solo tackles and Hill and Channing Tindall added assisted stops.

Momentum plays

Two plays into the contest, Miami added onto a 20-yard pass to Waddle with 15 more yards on an unnecessary roughness penalty. Tua then found Hill for 11 and Achane for 14, setting up first & goal from the Jets' three-yard line. A third-down pass to Hill was incomplete, but pass interference gave the Dolphins a fresh set of downs, and Achane's fourth run from inside the three-yard line finally paid off, as he burst across from two yards away. However, the lead would only be 6-0 after Sanders pulled the extra point wide left.
After an initial first down, New York was stopped on a third-down incompletion. However, a ludicrous flag for a phantom pass interference went on Ramsey, setting the tone for a difficult day for both the cornerback and the refs. The Jets took advantage of the gift with two more first downs, but Miami stopped them with a 3rd & 2 completion, forcing the visitors to settle for a 28-yard field goal to make it 6-3.
The 'Fins used a short passing game to get on the move again, as Tua hit three straight passes for 28 yards. However, a 3rd & 1 pass for Hill was incomplete, and Miami somewhat surprisingly passed up a 4th & 1 attempt for a 39-yard field goal from Sanders, extending the advantage to 9-3.
Rodgers found Wilson for a dozen yards to start the following possession, and his 10-yard pass on 3rd & 14 set up New York with a 4th & 4 from its own 48-yard line. The signal-caller found Wilson for 35 yards after a timeout, then the Jets' fourth-string running back raced 17 yards pretty much untouched right up the middle for the go-ahead score, 10-9.
Tua headed for the Hills on the next drive, finding Julian for 14 before connecting with Tyreek for 10 and 21 yards. On a 4th & 2 play, the QB calmly hit Waddle for five yards. An incompletion and a penalty set up 2nd & 15, and after an 11-yard pass to Waddle, a dumpoff to Wright got nothing. Miami was again forced to settle for a field goal, and Sanders was good from 24 yards away to put the home team ahead, 12-10.
An incompletion and a holding penalty put the Jets behind the sticks at 2nd & 20, and an Ogbah sack appeared to set up a 3rd & 32. However, a late flag on Sieler for defensive holding somehow gave New York an automatic first down. On the next play, Rodgers found an unguarded Davante Adams for 34 yards on yet another coverage bust. After two more Jets first downs -- including a 3rd & 6 conversion -- the 'Fins got a stop, leading to a 30-yard New York field goal to put the visitors back on top, 13-12.
The Dolphins took over at their own 30-yard line with just 41 seconds remaining, and Tua found Waddle (10 yards), Hill (six), and Waddle again (15). Tua spiked the ball with just six seconds remaining, and after a New York timeout, Sanders delivered from 57 yards away to give Miami the halftime lead at 15-13.
New York wasted little time retaking the lead as the second half began. Rodgers connected with Wilson for 42 yards, then the Jets converted another fourth down when the quarterback hit the fourth-string running back for 15 yards on 4th & 2. Rodgers found Adams for three yards and a touchdown on the very next play, making the score 20-15, bad guys.
A 15-yard strike from Tua to Waddle got the ensuing possession off to a promising start, but an Ingold hold on a 26-yard Achane run resulted in offsetting penalties when Achane was dragged down on a horsecollar tackle. Miami couldn't convert a 3rd & 4 and had to punt.
The Jets seized firmer control of the game on a 14-play drive that featured conversions on 3rd & 8 and 3rd & 4. Finally, a third-down sack by Brooks halted the possession, with a 40-yard field goal extending the New York advantage to 23-15.
A three-and-out with three straight Tua incompletions put the 'Fins squarely in the danger zone, but the Dolphins countered by forcing a three-and-out of their own, punctuated by a Sieler sack on 3rd & 2.
Two more Tua incompletions threatened another three-and-out, but the signal-caller hit Hill for 18 yards, then two straight Wilson touches earned another first down. A 23-yard pass interference penalty on a deep ball to Washington set up Miami at the Jets' eight-yard line, but two Achane carries that lost six yards were sandwiched around a 10-yard strike to Waddle. On 4th & goal from the four-yard line, Tua hit Hill at the front edge of the end zone, and the QB then hit Waddle for the two-point conversion to knot the game at 23.
The Dolphins delivered another three-and-out on "D," and an initial first down on a Waddle pass was extended thanks to another roughing-the-passer call on the Jets. However, a holding call on Jones put Miami behind the sticks with a 2nd & 17, and the 'Fins ended up having to punt.
New York picked up an initial first down before converting a 3rd & 1 with a Wildcat run, then Rodgers found Adams for 16 yards and Allen Lazard for 18 more. A run stuff by Jones resulted in a five-yard loss, then a Sieler sack resulted in a 3rd & 21 after Miami used its final timeout. Rodgers found Adams again for 14 yards to move the Jets into field-goal range, but Fuller saved Miami a timeout by pushing the receiver out of bounds with 0:52 remaining. Unable to run more clock, the visitors converted a 42-yard field goal to move ahead, 26-23.
A clutch and physical 45-yard kick return by Washington set up the Dolphins at their own 46-yard line with 44 seconds on the clock. Two plays later, Tua found Hill for 14 yards, then Waddle for six. The Jets tried to ice Sanders with 12 seconds remaining, but he calmly delivered a 52-yard field goal to tie the score with just seven seconds left in the contest.
New York completed a 12-yard pass, but the clock ran out, forcing overtime.
Miami won the coin toss and elected to receive. On the second play of its ensuing drive, Tua found Smith for the first time in the entire game, and the shifty tight end took the screen pass 20 yards to midfield. The 'Fins ran the same play on the next snap, and Smith rumbled for 14 more. An Achane run and Hill catch netted another first down, then Tua found Achane for 10 more after a Jets timeout. After another Achane carry to the 10-yard line, Tua got great pass protection and lofted a pass to Smith for the walk-off touchdown.