The Miami Dolphins (1-3) earned their first win of the season on Monday night, forcing three turnovers while leaning on their new tight end Darren Waller in a 27-21 victory over the New York Jets (0-4) at Hard Rock Stadium. The win extended Miami's home dominance over the Jets, who haven't won in Hard Rock Stadium since 2015.
Miami set the tone immediately when wide receiver Malik Washington returned the opening kickoff 34 yards. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led a 10-play drive capped by a 47-yard Riley Patterson field goal to put the Dolphins ahead 3-0.
The Jets responded with a lengthy march inside the Miami red zone, but cornerback Jack Jones delivered a critical takeaway, stripping running back Braelon Allen at the 1-yard line with 3:06 left in the first quarter. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered the football to preserve the lead.
Tagovailoa and the offense capitalized with their longest possession of the game — a 15-play, 96-yard drive that lasted 8:40. On fourth down from the Jets' 4-yard line, Tagovailoa lofted a high pass to Waller in the back of the endzone, who outleaped his defender for his first touchdown since Oct. 22, 2023. It was also his first score in a Dolphins uniform and it raised Miami's lead to 10-0.
New York again threatened on its next drive, but the Dolphins' defense came up big. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson blitzed on fourth down and knocked the ball free from Jets quarterback Justin Fields. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips recovered it to give Miami its second takeaway of the night.
The Jets did manage to get on the board before halftime with a 58-yard field goal by kicker Nick Folk, trimming the margin to 10-3 at the break.
Following the Jets' second fumble, Miami kept its foot on the gas. Big gains from Tyreek Hill and Devon Achane pushed the Dolphins into the red zone, and Tagovailoa once again turned to his new weapon. Waller hauled in his second touchdown of the night, capping a six-play, 36-yard drive to make it 17-3.
Fields provided a quick answer, scrambling 43 yards for a touchdown to bring the Jets within seven. But Miami countered immediately. Tagovailoa connected with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle twice on the next series before running back De'Von Achane powered through multiple tackles on a 9-yard touchdown run, restoring a two-score lead at 24-10.
The defense struck again to open the second half when rookie safety Dante Trader Jr. forced and recovered a fumble on the kickoff return, Miami's third takeaway of the game. Although the drive stalled, the play kept momentum on the Dolphins' side and energized the home crowd.
Patterson later added a 36-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 27-13 with 3:33 remaining in the contest. The Jets closed the gap on a 23-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Garrett Wilson and a successful two-point conversion to bring the score to 27-21, but Waller — once again making his presence felt — secured the ensuing onside kick and Miami's defense closed it out.
Tagovailoa finished 17-of-25 for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Achane powered the ground game with 99 rushing yards on 20 carries and added one catch. Hill led the team with six receptions for 67 yards before exiting in the third quarter with a knee injury. Waddle added three catches for 48 yards, and Waller delivered three receptions for 27 yards and two touchdowns in his Dolphins debut.
Defensively, linebacker Jordyn Brooks piled up 18 tackles (15 solo), while Dodson contributed nine stops (five solo), a sack, and a forced fumble. Cornerback Rasul Douglas added a sack, and Jones' forced fumble in the first quarter set the tone for the night.
Fields went 20-of-27 for 226 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 81 yards, but his fumble in the red zone proved costly. Running back Breece Hall paced the Jets with 111 scrimmage yards, and Wilson led all receivers with six catches for 82 yards and a score.
The Dolphins (1-3) return to action on Sunday, Oct. 5, when they travel to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Bank of America Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
