The Miami Dolphins will be suiting up for the first time since Sept. 18 when they take on the New York Jets on Sept. 29. They’ll also be searching for their first victory since the commencement of the 2025 NFL season.
Miami heads into that contest with a lot looking awry, as the Dolphins have debatably been the most porous defensive unit in all of football. Barring the results of all of the games on Sunday’s slate, teams are scoring a league-high 32.3 points per game against Miami through three contests. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill have struggled to put together bounce-back campaigns after forgettable 2024 seasons.
There’s so much that’s gone wrong for the Dolphins this season, but if the team can do a few things well against a 0-3 Jets squad, it should be able to finally get in the win column. Let’s go over three keys to a Dolphins win over the Jets in the looming Week 4 bout.
1. Slow down the running game
The Jets have had a surprisingly effective offense this season despite their winless record, and their running game has been a huge reason why they have scored 27-plus points twice through their first three contests.
Not counting Sunday’s results, New York ranks in the top half of the league in both total rushing yards (381) and yards per carry (4.6). The Jets have totaled at least 99 rushing yards in every game this season.
Keeping the Jets in check from a rushing standpoint will be key to limiting their points on Monday. The Dolphins can neutralize the team’s effectiveness in that area of the game by stopping quarterback Justin Fields from racking up rushing yards. Through two games played this season, he’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry and has racked up 97 rushing yards along with a pair of rushing touchdowns already.
Ultimately, Miami should do all it can to force New York to earn its yardage through passing the ball, as the team has seen little success doing just that. The Jets have just four passing touchdowns on the season.
2. Value offensive possessions by taking care of the ball
A team can have all the talent in the world offensively but still won’t be successful on that side of the ball if it’s prone to turning the ball over, and the Dolphins are learning that lesson the hard way this season.
Miami has been utterly careless with the football up to this point. The Dolphins have turned the ball over five times already, including four interceptions and one fumble.
Tagovailoa deserves the brunt of the blame for the squad’s struggles valuing possessions in the 2025 season, as he’s responsible for every one of the team’s interceptions so far. The former University of Alabama star has yet to log a game where he hasn’t also thrown an interception this season.
Tagovailoa avoiding an interception against the Jets would go a long way towards helping the Dolphins stop the bleeding and earn their first win.
3. Get Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill involved on offense
Hill and Waddle are two of the more talented players at the wide receiver position, yet one wouldn’t tell by looking at their receiving numbers this season. Waddle is averaging a career-low 45.7 receiving yards per contest in his fifth NFL season, while Hill is putting up 66.0, well below his career average.
Not only that, but both players have multiple games with under 50 receiving yards.
While Waddle and Hill have been off their games in the 2025 season, Monday’s contest might be the perfect game for them to regain their mojo and get back to being highly productive. After all, the Jets’ defense has almost been as ineffective as Miami’s, as New York has allowed a whopping 31.0 points per game this season. New York hasn’t held any of its opponents to fewer than 29 points.
Hill and Waddle each racked up 1,000-plus receiving yards for Miami back in the 2023 season, and should they put together performances against New York that remind Dolphins fans of how talented they are, the team will no longer have a zero in the win column.
