MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins, who badly wanted a victory, hosted the New York Jets on Monday and obtained that much-needed win, 27-21. However they could have misplaced star huge receiver Tyreek Hill for an prolonged interval with a left knee harm. That was the unhealthy information.
The excellent news is the Dolphins (1-3) obtained their first win of the season and likewise prolonged their residence profitable streak over the Jets to 10 video games.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was environment friendly, the protection answered the decision to play extra violently (strictly within the soccer sense), and particular groups continued making an enormous contribution to the sport’s end result.
Coach Mike McDaniel, whose job safety has been questioned, earned himself some semblance of peace in that sense with the win as he improved his general file to 29-28, together with playoffs, and 29-26 within the common season.
Right here’s what we discovered within the sport:
Has Tyreek Hill performed his final sport for the Dolphins?
Large receiver Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins’ most dynamic participant since being acquired in 2022, sustained a left knee harm within the third quarter of Monday’s sport. And contemplating the 31-year-old is because of depend greater than $50 million on the wage cap subsequent season you need to wonder if it was his final play for the Dolphins.
Hill, who ended the sport with six receptions for 67 yards, was already being touted as a commerce candidate due to the Dolphins’ 0-3 begin and his off-field points, which incorporates an ongoing NFL investigation into allegations of home violence towards his estranged spouse.
Hill, who solely talks with the media as soon as per week, missed Saturday’s observe for private causes so he didn’t communicate final week. Hill was one of many Dolphins’ most sturdy gamers having solely missed one sport since being acquired, a 30-0 win over the New York Jets in 2023. — Chris Perkins
Waller makes impactful debut
Tight finish Darren Waller, enjoying for the primary time since had a 14-yard reception for a primary down and a 4-yard landing reception for his first two catches as a Dolphins participant. He added one other landing within the third quarter, this one a 9-yard reception. Waller ended with three receptions for 27 yards and two touchdowns.
Waller, who turned 33 on Sept. 13, used his measurement and a few nifty footwork for his first landing reception. Tagovailoa threw the cross between cornerback Sauce Gardner and security Brandon Stephens at the back of the tip zone. Waller, at 6 foot 6, 238 kilos, went up excessive to grab the ball out of the air after which artfully obtained his left foot (his second foot) down ultimately zone to finish the landing reception.
Dolphins pressure turnovers
The Dolphins compelled three turnovers Monday, which is critical contemplating they entered Monday’s sport as considered one of three groups, together with Washington and the Jets, and not using a compelled turnover. That modified within the first quarter when cornerback Jack Jones stripped working again Braelon Allen close to the purpose line. Security Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered the free ball, resulting in a 15-play, 96-yard landing drive by the Dolphins.
Within the second quarter inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson had a strip-sack of Jets quarterback Justin Fields that was recovered by outdoors linebacker Jaelan Phillips on the Jets’ 47-yard line.
Within the third quarter linebacker Cam Goode and security Dante Dealer Jr. compelled a fumble on Jets kickoff returner Isaiah Williams that Dealer recovered.
Dolphins use three safeties amongst a number of seems to be
Safeties Iffy Melinfonwu, Ashtyn Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick performed collectively early within the sport with Fitzpatrick because the slot/nickel. At different instances cornerback Cornell Armstrong or security Dante Dealer Jr. got here in because the fifth defensive again.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver combined up the defensive seems to be within the secondary regularly and it appeared to provide good outcomes. The Jets weren’t in a position to throw downfield with success a lot of the sport.
The Dolphins, whose secondary remains to be eyed with suspicion, put rookie security Jason Marshall Jr. (hamstring) on the injured reserve record earlier than the sport, that means he should miss a minimum of 4 weeks.
Speeding defenses will get gashed early, then type of rights the ship
The Jets totaled 197 speeding yards, 115 speeding yards within the first half, and 76 speeding yards on their first possession, which resulted in a fumble when Jones stripped Allen of the ball close to the purpose line and security Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered.
The early-game run protection was troubling contemplating the Dolphins, who have been No. 9 towards the run final yr, entered Monday’s sport twenty ninth in speeding protection at 145 yards allowed per sport. However they obtained issues squared away by using defensive linemen Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Matthew Butler, generally on the identical time.
It needs to be identified quarterback Justin Fields (seven carries, 81 yards) scored on a 43-yard run within the third quarter on a scramble, nonetheless.
McDaniel falls to 4-16 on challenges
McDaniel challenged a Jets kickoff return possession within the second quarter and misplaced when referees dominated the return man, Allen, was down by contact. McDaniel is now 4-16 on challenges since turning into head coach in 2022.
Dolphins Deep Dive: Tyreek’s devastating harm; the place does offense go from right here? | VIDEO
Tua has respectable exhibiting
Tagovailoa ended 17 of 25 for 177 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 114.9 passer score in his most stable sport of the younger season. Tagovailoa had one fumbled snap however for essentially the most half he performed a sensible, environment friendly sport and didn’t take pointless dangers. He ended with three carries for six yards, didn’t have any near-interceptions and didn’t pressure any performs.
Unusual turns into third starter and fourth participant at RG
Dolphins proper guard Cole Unusual began towards the Jets, that means he’s the third proper guard to start out in 4 video games. James McDaniel, the free agent signee from Chicago, began the opener however sustained a pectoral harm and was positioned on injured reserve. Kion Smith began the following two video games however was changed by Daniel Brunskill final week at Buffalo. Unusual, signed Sept. 9, obtained the beginning towards the Jets, making him the fourth participant at proper guard.
Jets TE Mason Taylor excels as dad, Jason Taylor, watches
Jets rookie tight finish Mason Taylor, the son of Dolphins Corridor of Famer Jason Taylor, completed with 5 receptions for 65 yards. Mason Taylor, the second-round decide from LSU, entered the sport with six receptions for 43 yards.
Jason Taylor additionally performed for the Jets in 2010. Corridor of Famers Jason Taylor, an out of doors linebacker, and Zach Thomas, a center linebacker, served as Dolphins honorary staff captains for the coin toss Monday.
The Dolphins will face the Los Angeles Chargers tight finish Oronde Gadsden II, son of ex-Dolphins huge receiver Oronde Gadsen, on Oct. 12 when the Dolphins host the Chargers.
Particular groups loom giant once more
The Dolphins prompted a particular groups fumble Monday that they become a landing and a 17-6 lead. Particular groups have performed a job in all 4 video games this season. Within the opener at Indianapolis outdoors linebacker Matthew Judon bumped into the Colts punter, extending a 17-play drive that the Colts become a area purpose and a 20-0 halftime lead. Towards New England, the Dolphins had a 74-yard punt return landing matched by a 90-yard kickoff return landing by the Pats in a 33-27 loss. Towards Buffalo, Dolphins defensive deal with Zach Sieler had a roughing the punter penalty that allowed the Payments to attain a landing and take a 28-21 lead.
Dolphins crowd stays favorable . . . apart from that banner
The group at Exhausting Rock Stadium by no means booed, a departure from its habits towards New England, the Dolphins’ solely different residence sport, and packed Exhausting Rock Stadium with a very giant contingent of Dolphins followers among the many 65,848 tickets distributed.
There have been instances that Jets followers have had an enormous presence at Exhausting Rock Stadium, however Monday wasn’t a kind of instances regardless of the Dolphins coming into the sport winless.
There have been swaths of unused seats but it surely was a principally packed stadium and few cheers have been heard from Jets followers as their groups suffered from three turnovers and dedicated 12 penalties for 101 yards.
Sure, there was a banner flown over the stadium earlier than the sport that learn, “Assist needed. New GM. New Coach. New QB.” However that was it for the drama alongside these strains.
Tua has been a maestro with many-many-play landing drives
In line with pro-football-reference.com, since 2001, the Miami Dolphins have had 35 landing drives which have concerned a minimum of 14 snaps within the common season. Within the 310 regular-season Dolphins video games from 2001 by Tua’s first begin, in October of 2020, Miami had cashed in for six factors on 20 of these lengthy slogs (15.50 video games per such landing). Monday’s 15-play masterpiece was the fifteenth within the Dolphins’ 82 video games since Tagovailoa was named the beginning quarterback. Tua himself has been the starter for 13 of them in his 66 begins (5.08 video games per such landing drive, greater than thrice the frequency as from 2001-20). So, because the quick-strike offense has at all times been there for Tua and Tyreek, the above knowledge attests to the lefty’s persistence. — Steve Svekis
Miami’s protection prolonged a wild streak of game-turning turnovers on the doorstep of their finish zone
For the third season in a row, a Dolphins opponent fumbled the ball on the Miami 2 or 1 and the aqua-and-orange recovered as a part of a one-score win. The Jets, down 3-0, had their first possession chewing up yardage within the run sport once they handed it off to Braelon Allen on a dive play. As he made a leap towards the tip zone, Jack Jones compelled the ball out on the 1, and it was coated up by Minkah Fitzpatrick on the 4.
On Christmas Eve of 2023, the Dallas Cowboys had a first-and-goal on the 1 when the Cowboys botched a handoff, with Brandon Jones recovering it on the 2. Then, in final yr’s season opener, the Jaguars Travis Etienne seemingly had a transparent path to the tip zone to make the rating 24-7 Jags with lower than 18 minutes left within the sport. Jevon Holland, although, dislodged the ball and Kader Kohou recovered it ultimately zone. One play later, Tagovailoa discovered Hill on a crossing route and Hill blazed 80 yards to make in 17-14 en path to a 20-17 win. These are rare occurrences.
Tua Tagovailoa lastly lit it up at Exhausting Rock underneath the lights
The Dolphins quarterback had entered the Jets sport with 4 earlier prime-time begins at Exhausting Rock Stadium and had been restricted to a 75.7 passer score at underneath 16 factors scored per sport with a handful of dropped interceptions. He was in cost towards the Jets, breaking out a bunch of bootlegs and looking out very snug lastly having one other big-body receiving goal in Darren Waller and piling up a 114.9 passer score.
Shocker: Jason Taylor’s son had the most effective sport of his (microscopic) NFL profession in Miami Gardens
Tight finish Mason Taylor got here into Monday with 43 profession receiving yards. He had 65 towards the Dolphins within the stadium the place his dad solid a Corridor of Fame profession.
Tua’s eyes should brighten when he performs the Jets in Miami Gardens
Tua has now had 4 begins towards the Jets in Miami Gardens, and in these video games, the Dolphins’ offense has scored 31, 30, 32 and 27 factors for a 30.0 common.
Dolphins have performed the Jets a ton on Monday, however not just lately
Monday was the 14th Monday Evening Soccer matchup between the Dolphins and Jets, however the first since December of 2014. The Dolphins carried a 6-7 Monday night time file towards the Jets into the matchup. Earlier than the more-than-decadelong hiatus, the groups had stacked 11 of their MNF matchups in 30 years from 1984-2014.
On deck: At Carolina Panthers, Financial institution of America Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Panthers, since quarterback Bryce Younger returned from his benching final yr, have develop into a develop into a stable opponent at residence. In Carolina’s previous seven video games in Charlotte, the Panthers are 4-3, outsourcing the opposition 173-155. Most just lately, they roasted the Atlanta Falcons 30-0. That stated, their offense has been poor, with solely 289.3 yards per sport.
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Miami Dolphins tight finish Darren Waller (83) scores his second landing Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 at Exhausting Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
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Miami Dolphins tight finish Darren Waller (83) scores his second landing Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 at Exhausting Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Solar Sentinel)
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