Dolphins Dismantle Jets In Black Friday Special

East Rutherford, NJ – On an unusual time for an NFL game, the Miami Dolphins came out and had a feast on Black Friday, dismantling the New York Jets by a score of 34-13.

Being the first-ever NFL game scheduled the day after Thanksgiving, the hype surrounding this game at the beginning of the season was unreal. But issues with New York’s quarterbacks have slowed down their season. Aaron Rodgers tore his achilles in the first game of the season, and Zach Wilson was recently benched.

This left Tim Boyle with the monumental task of leading this Jets team against a Dolphins defense that has found its groove, thanks in part to the return of Jalen Ramsey. So all in all, Boyle did as well as you could expect, going for just 179 yards and two interceptions.

Breaking: The Jets will start QB Tim Boyle vs the Dolphins on Friday, a source told @AdamSchefter.

Zach Wilson goes to the bench. pic.twitter.com/uy9pt2mMna

— ESPN (@espn) November 20, 2023

Being real here, the moment Miami scored their first touchdown of the day, it felt like they had a firm grip on this game. What kept the Jets in this game for the longest time was the mental mistakes of the Dolphins, who committed three turnovers on the day, with 14 points scored off of them.

Still, stopping this Dolphins offense was too much for this Jets team to handle, even with star players like Sauce Gardner. Tua Tagovailoa had solid numbers despite the turnovers, but the duo of Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert had their way all game, and it resulted in a blowout on the road.

The Jets Offense Comes Crashing Down

New York’s offense was absolutely miserable in the first half, being forced to punt five straight times. They couldn’t convert a single first down and gave the Dolphins favorable field position in almost every drive.

While the Dolphins cruised along to a 10-0 lead early on, New York couldn’t find any success, leading to the boos of the Jets faithful at MetLife Stadium.

Their only source of points came from a pick-six thrown by Tua, which was immediately followed by a missed extra point. While certainly a setback for the Dolphins, the Jets couldn’t bounce back, even as Tua threw another pick giving the Jets one last chance to score before halftime.

Then something unprecedented happened.

99-YARD PICK SIX TO END THE HALF.@quickdrawjev did THAT. pic.twitter.com/uLKOzjiALC

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 24, 2023

A hail mary into the end zone by Boyle was intercepted by Jevon Holland, who ran the distance thanks in part to some class blocking by the defensive line, ending the first half with a touchdown for the Dolphins, stunning the New York / New Jersey Metropolitan Area.

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of the Jets sails, as they now faced a 17-6 deficit with the Dolphins getting the ball to begin the second half. Sure enough, things only went from bad to worse.

Another Classic Dolphins Takeover Up North

After a 54-yard field goal by Jason Sanders to extend Miami’s lead, it was more of the same for the Jets as they were forced to punt. The Fins then took the ball down the field while burning nine minutes off the clock; thanks to a stellar run game. Mostert punched it in for another score, raising their lead to 20-6.

For the first time all game, it looked like there was some momentum on the Jets side as they drove the ball to the Dolphins side of the field on a 17-play drive. But it was ultimately capped off with a tipped pass that was intercepted by Jerome Baker, wasting an extra seven minutes just for the heck of it.

New York’s only touchdown of the day came off a Miami fumble at their own 37-yard line. However, as soon as they had something brewing, a failed onside kick set up the Fins in premium field positioning. A 34-yard dash to the end zone by Mostert sealed the deal.

Second TD of the day for @RMos_8Ball!

📺: #MIAvsNYJ on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/1o70ZfE5Yv

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 24, 2023

The statistics speak for themselves. Miami’s offense managed 22 first downs, 395 yards, and dominated the time of possession with 35 minutes. Take away Tua’s tunovers, and his stats are solid with 21 completions off of 30 attempts with 243 yards.

Hill’s campaign to 2,000 yards continued with 102 yards, and Jaylen Waddle also had solid numbers with 114 yards. On the ground, Mostert had another solid game with 94 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, Baker led the way with six total tackles, but just about everyone contributed with at least a tackle on the day. A combined seven sacks were recorded on Boyle, with Christian Wilkins collecting two.

Unfortunately, the defense took a massive hit as Jaelan Phillips had to exit the game on a cart with what appeared to be a ruptured achilles, which was eventually confirmed as the star linebacker will have to miss the rest of the season.

They’ll have to regroup on that end, but Miami still controls their own destiny. With an 8-3 record and sole possession of the AFC East, things are looking promising for the Fins to host a playoff game down the line. Before that, they’ll head to Landover to take on the 4-8 Washington Commanders this Sunday, December 3rd at 1 pm.

📸Credit: Miami Dolphins