(East Rutherford, NJ) – Following their come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week, the Miami Dolphins (1-1) took a big step backward on Sunday afternoon when they were defeated 20-6 by the New York Jets (1-2) at MetLife Stadium.
“They just beat the s— out of us, that’s the best way to put it,” Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said immediately following the game. “We didn’t show up, didn’t play physical. Defense did the best they could with 40 minutes of time of possession.”
It was an ugly day for the Dolphins on both offense and defense, as Miami struggled to find any rhythm to sustain drives until it was already too late for a realistic comeback attempt.
Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler and the offense had a poor performance against the Jets as Cutler finished with 220 yards passing (26-of-44 passes completed) to go along with one touchdown and one interception.
Miami’s offensive woes can largely be attributed to a lack of success running the football. While star running back Jay Ajayi rushed for 122 yards last week against the Chargers, he was able to muster only 16 yards on 11 carries against the Jets.
Cutler reflected on the game following the loss.
“I think that game was a wakeup call for us,” Cutler said. “We can’t just roll it out there and expect it to happen. We’ve got to prepare and we’ve got to be ready each and every game.”
The game was scoreless after the first quarter, but the Jets were able to get on the board first when kicker Chandler Catanzaro nailed a 40-yard field goal to give New York a 3-0 lead with 7:21 remaining in the first half.
The play of the day came with 1:42 left in the first half when Jets quarterback Josh McCown connected with wide receiver Robby Anderson for a deep 69-yard touchdown pass. Dolphins cornerback Alterraun Verner, who signed with the team in late July, was beaten badly in pass coverage on the play.
The 38-year-old McCown, who had lost his previous nine starts at quarterback heading into Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, looked very comfortable all day en route to 249 yards passing and an impressive 18-of-23 passes completed. Jets running back Bilal Powell had a strong day as well, and scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to expand the New York lead to 17-0.
Down 17-0, Miami tried to get something going on offense when they tried a fake punt on fourth down with punter Matt Haack. The trick play failed, hwoever, as Haack was intercepted by Jets defensive back Terrence Brooks.
The Dolphins’ lone score of the game came as time expired in regulation as Cutler connected with wide receiver DeVante Parker for a three-yard touchdown pass.
While Miami’s defense played relatively well, recording sacks by defensive linemen Cameron Wake and Andre Branch, and a forced fumble cornerback Byron Maxwell, it was not enough to change the outcome of the game.
Up next, the Dolphins will head overseas to London to take on the New Orleans Saints (1-2) at Wembley Stadium. The contest, which is scheduled to kick off shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET, will be broadcast nationally on Fox.
