The Miami Dolphins delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Sunday afternoon, rolling past the New York Jets 34–10 at MetLife Stadium for their fourth straight win and fifth victory in their last six games. Miami jumped out early behind a fast-start offense, controlled the line of scrimmage and leaned on a relentless defense that finished with six sacks and three interceptions. With the win, the Dolphins improved to 6–7 with four games remaining.
The Dolphins wasted no time asserting control. On the game's opening drive, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 21-yard gain before running back De'Von Achane burst through the middle for a 39-yard run to the Jets' 3-yard line. Two plays later, Tagovailoa connected with Waddle on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cap a four-play, 69-yard drive.
Following a quick three-and-out forced by the Miami defense, the Dolphins struck again. A five-play, 80-yard march featured contributions from tight end Greg Dulcich and tight end Darren Waller before Achane finished the drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown. On the ensuing possession, linebacker Tyrel Dodson intercepted Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor which led to third straight touchdown of the quarter when RB Jaylen Wright punched in a 2-yard score, giving the Dolphins a 21–0 advantage.
By the end of the first quarter, Miami had outgained New York 199–18 and recorded 11 first downs to the Jets' zero.
The Jets briefly found momentum late in the quarter when Isaiah Williams returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to trim the lead to 21–7. But Miami quickly reestablished control in the second quarter. A methodical 55-yard drive highlighted by a 29-yard run from Achane and multiple physical carries from Wright ended with kicker Riley Patterson drilling a 43-yard field goal. Miami carried a 24–7 lead into halftime after cornerback Rasul Douglas intercepted Jets quarterback Brady Cook at the goal line to spoil New York's best drive of the half.
New York showed signs of life coming out of the break, but the Dolphins' defense again set the tone. On the Jets' opening possession of the third quarter, defensive tackle Zach Sieler and linebacker Bradley Chubb combined for a sack to force another punt. Despite trading punts, Miami preserved its 24–7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Jets finally converted that momentum into points early in the fourth. A 12-play, 65-yard drive was capped by a 31-yard field goal by Nick Folk, cutting the deficit to 24–10.
Any hopes of a Jets comeback were short-lived. Miami answered immediately with a bruising nine-play, 67-yard drive dominated by Wright on the ground. The march ended when running back Ollie Gordon II powered in from seven yards out to restore the Dolphins' three-score advantage at 31–10.
Miami delivered the final blow midway through the fourth quarter when Patterson connected from 53 yards, his third field goal of the day, pushing the margin to 34–10. The Dolphins' defense closed the door from there. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu recorded a critical fourth-down sack, and the Jets' final threat was erased when cornerback Ethan Bonner intercepted Cook in the end zone with just over a minute remaining.
Tagovailoa finished 13-of-21 for 127 yards and one touchdown. Achane led the rushing attack with 92 yards on just seven carries and set up Miami's opening score before leaving the game in the second quarter. Wright delivered the most productive ground game of his career, rushing 24 times for a career-high 107 yards and a touchdown. Gordon added a score to round out a dominant rushing performance for the Miami running back room.
Waddle paced Miami's receiving corps with five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Malik Washington added three receptions, while Dulcich finished with three catches for 41 yards.
Defensively, the Dolphins completely overwhelmed the Jets' offense. LB Jordyn Brooks led the unit with five total tackles and one tackle for loss. Sieler posted 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries, while linebacker Chop Robinson added a sack and forced fumble. Douglas finished with an interception and five pass deflections. Safety Ashtyn Davis added five tackles, and Miami's six sacks came from Robinson, Sieler, Chubb, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and Melifonwu.
Miami finished the day with 358 total yards compared to New York's 207 and controlled the time of possession by more than 12 minutes. The Dolphins also dominated on the ground, outgaining the Jets 239–65.
The Dolphins will look to keep their momentum rolling next week as they travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Monday, Dec. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN.
