Game 6 thoughts: Jets at Dolphins

The Dolphins dominated the Jets today, crushing them 24-0 behind the strength of a devastating defensive effort. With the Patriots surprisingly losing a home game to the Broncos, the Phins now sit all alone in second place in the AFC East with a 3-3 record and an excellent +47 point differential.

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 21-0 lead courtesy of 3 Ryan Fitzpatrick TDs, to Preston Williams and backup TEs Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe. RB Myles Gaskin ran like a man possessed today, trying to show the Dolphins that they made the right choice by not overpaying for Le’Veon Bell. Gaskin produced 126 all-purpose yards (including 91 on the ground for a 5.1 average) and looked unstoppable early in the game. Unfortunately, after the third TD the Dolphins’ offense all but disappeared, as Fitzpatrick’s passes got more and more off-target and the running game couldn’t get any momentum going. The OL played probably their worst game of the season and even with the 3 TDs is was a mostly ugly day for the offense.

The defense, on the other hand, was outstanding from start to finish. The Dolphins only finished with 3 sacks, but they were hitting Jets’ QB Joe Flacco on nearly every play. Emmanuel Ogbah had a great game finishing with 2 sacks – one for a loss of 28 yards! Christian Wilkins was all over the place, knocking down 2 passes and getting a sack. Xavien Howard had another INT, and he looked like a receiver as he dove for the pass. Shaq Lawson didn’t make the stat sheet but had a couple of pressures. The run defense wasn’t particularly good, but it almost seemed like it was by design, as the Dolphins made it their mission to stifle the Jets’ passing game. Overall it was an excellent effort by a defense that just keeps getting better.

Special mention to Jakeem Grant, who has had a rough start to the season but looked great today. He racked up 154 all-purpose yards, including a great 30-yard catch-and-run and a sweet 30-yard punt return.

Last but not least, Tua Tagovailoa made an appearance in mop-up duty and completed both of his passes, one a first down to Grant where the rookie hung in the pocket to deliver a dart with Jet defenders all around him. Tua’s first NFL pass was a 1-yard completion to Patrick Laird, on a play where Tua used his athleticism to get out of the pocket and avoid pressure. On that play, he looked quick and showed no signs of the hip injury. All in all, a good start for the rookie, and it was great to see both fans and teammates (led by Fitz) cheering him on.

The Dolphins did sustain several injuries in this game, so next week’s bye comes at a good time. Coach Flores has to continue to preach the “only concentrate on the next game” philosophy and keep this team focused, but right now things are definitely looking up for the Phins.


Hero of the Game: This one is easy: the entire Dolphins defense, for dominating the game with a relentless pass rush and pitching a shutout.

Goat of the Game: We won 24-0…so no Goat today!

Beer of the Game: Nothing crazy…just a couple of Heinekens.

Forgot to mention...Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins to ZERO third-down conversions today. UGLY.

At least they did what needed to be done in the first half. I thought they’d be flat in the beginning.

Yeah, they started out great...offense just couldn't do anything after that third score.

Miami won't win against the Broncos if they play the way they played yesterday. Miami has to be able to convert on third downs and give the Defense some time to rest between drives, unless you know Gaskin finds a way to run in a TD on every first touch which is not likely. I feel like it almost time for Tua to come and show us what he can really do.

the Dolphins did what they were supposed to do - they beat a very, very bad team. i'm actually surprised (but glad) Gase still has a job this morning. but as has been pointed out, the offense was not particularly good. while it is hard to argue with 24-0, the score probably should've been closer to 41-0 at a minimum. once they were up 3 TDs, its like the Phins offense felt like they were playing with house money and made some pretty curious decisions. the only thing i could think was they didn't take the Jets very seriously and decided they didn't want to waste some of their better plays against an inferior opponent - or put anything on film they might need later.

while the defense looked good, Ogbah with pressures and Howard the pick, they were also the beneficiaries of facing an untalented team with a seemingly disinterested backup QB - honestly, it was hard to tell if anyone other than Gore was even trying (and the playcalling didn't seem like the were trying very hard to win either - but that's Gase for ya). i suspect that with all that has gone on with the Jets, that group of guys have given up. and while the score dictated a one dimensional NY offense, it did kind of feel like Gore could've run at will if that had been necessary.

nonetheless, all victories count the same and the Phins convincingly beat a hated rival...and the Tua appearance was an added bonus.

rightchea wrote:Miami won't win against the Broncos if they play the way they played yesterday. Miami has to be able to convert on third downs and give the Defense some time to rest between drives, unless you know Gaskin finds a way to run in a TD on every first touch which is not likely. I feel like it almost time for Tua to come and show us what he can really do.

I actually think we can easily beat the Broncos. The Patriots left points on the field that I think the Phins can produce. And the Broncos couldn't find the endzone, and our defense has actually been better than the Patriots. But of course, we do have to do better on third downs on offense than we did yesterday.

Joe Schad

@schadjoe

The Dolphins are #1 in the NFL in third-down defense. And #2 in the NFL in points per game allowed. HC Brian Flores, DC Josh Boyer getting it done.

Amazing!

We beat SF, so I don't think it's a matter of the opponent as much as it is two things:

- Like many / most teams, the players and coaches are evolving, seeking to find out and leverage what they do well vs their weaknesses. Every team in the league is at a different point, we have two new coordinators and a slew of new players, including three rookies on the OL who to this point have done an excellent job showing they belong in the league. They will improve, until they hit the 'rookie wall' - December might be bad for them.

- How Fitz plays is huge, and he's proven without a doubt that when he is ON he can beat anyone. Yesterday was not his best day. Two INTs and many throws he seemed to just "miss". I think the Jets sensed that, and also being down three scores most of the game their focus was to stop the run and make us throw. It worked in the second half, but the damage was done we earned the victory.

So against Denver as long as we continue to identify and build on our strengths with the offense, and the defense keeps doing it's job, I have no worries. Plus with the bye week, we probably get some guys healthy like Van Noy, and hopefully Van Ginkel. Howard I'm sure can use the time off also, as well as Brandon Jones since they were dinged up earlier this season.

However, if the BAD Fitz shows up, any game is up for grabs.

white1 wrote:We beat SF

And that win looks even better after watching SF destroy the Rams last night!

white1 wrote:However, if the BAD Fitz shows up, any game is up for grabs.

That's always the worry with Fitz...you just never know if you will get the Magic or Tragic version.

BTW, Chan Gailey has a set of balls the size of Texas for calling a naked bootleg in the endzone on the first play of Tua's career!! That was a play I doubt most coordinators would call with ANY QB, let alone on a rookie's first play!

Maybe Gailey and Flores wanted to test Tua...if so, he passed! Showed great movement, didn't get flustered, and completed a short pass while on the move. Great to see!

I was at the game. First off, an extremely surreal atmosphere. The lack of attendance made for a very lonely walk around the stadium perimiter a couple laps looking for cheap tickets. It seemd as if there were more staff, than fans. As the time got closer to game time, (2:45 ish), more fans showed up. I was finally able to score two tix for $40 each. I was literally about 5 minute from saying, fuck it, let's just go to Hooters down the road and watch the game there. But, I found the tickets in the nick of time.

The jests are a joke. That team has packed it in on gase, as the Fins of a couple years ago did. They are down 0-24 late in 3rd qtr, 4th down and short in Dolphins territory and they try a FG. It sails wide of uprights for no score. Typical gase, chicken shit play calling. The jests get the ball back in 4th qtr, still down 0-24. What do they do? They huddle up. No sence of urgency. Like it ain't no thang. If I was a jests fan I would be livid. I actually almost felt sorry for jests fans, but then I thought, fuck that, they are stinkin jests fan. Fuk em.

But the topper of all is when Fitz throws his second Int. This is why the team has checked out. They have no respect for the team or the head coach. They pick the ball off. The DB is ruled down by contact deep in Fins territory. The DB gets up and runs toward the Fins end zone like the ball is still in play, when the whistle has clearly blown. You know they hear it because there may be 2,000 people left in the stands at that stage. So, after runnug all the way to deep in Fins territory, what does the DB and his teammates do? Keep in mind the score is 0-24. About at least 5 of these brain surgeoun/rocket scientists proceed to celebtare near the sideline like they had just won the Suer Bowl. And ham it up they did. I mean the actually did a coreographed celebration, hoopin and hollerin, shuckin and jivin, all the while while trailing 0-24 with mybe 10 minutes left in the game. All about me. No team aspect. That is what adam gase does to a proffesional football team.

As for the game, Gaskin is a stud. The D line supplied constant pressure. Ogbah is ballin. I love Seiler. That boy is always around the ball carrier. The D won this game. Jakeem Grant got out of my dog house. Excellent job acutally returning punts. It is as if someone told him, hey look, " we have 2 guys, Bowden and Perry that would just love to take your job, so you need to start making things happen on returns". Great job Jakeem. Also, leaving my dog house this week was Nick Needham. No penalties on him. He actually made a couple plays. Got beat a couple times, which is going to happen, but stop giving the other team a break by commiting stupid holding/PI calls.

Kudos to our special teams. We already know Jason Sanders is awesome, but how bout Matt Haak pinning the jests back deep all day. Several punts downed deep in their territory. The Fins played a field position game, especially the 2nd half.

Dissapointed in Fitz performance. He was off all day. But, hey, we won.

I feel as good with this team's progress as I have in ages. Not drinking any Kool Aid, but it is fun to be a Fins fan again.

That's awesome, scot! 40 bucks a ticket is well worth it to see the Phins shut out the Jets!

That Jets team is really, really bad. Gase's playcalling makes no sense whatsoever and really doesn't consider the situation at all. He's gotten even worse from his Miami days. And the players are so undisciplined on both sides of the ball, especially defense. Iy's like there is no coaching and teaching on that team at all. I don't see any way they win a game with Gase this season.

It does seem like the Jets are tanking, but there are some huge differences between what they are doing and what the Phins did last season. Both teams set themselves up well with draft picks and cap space, but the similarities end there. Flores tried to instill a culture of winning as soon as he took over, and he focused on accountability, fundamentals and limiting mistakes. He knew he had job security, and wasn't afraid to play young players. He is a born leader and a steady influence on the team, and he is a teacher first and foremost - and not just on the field, but with life in general - he said that as a coach, he is there to serve the players and coaches. Can you imagine Gase saying something like that??? He completely ignores fundamentals and accountability, he has set up a culture of backstabbing, disinterest and general laziness, and he has zero leadership ability. Basically, the Dolphins prepared a long-term plan and direction and are making it happen - while the Jets are just floundering and treading water with no direction whatsoever.

Ogbah is ballin. I love Seiler. That boy is always around the ball carrier. The D won this game.

Two of the best Dolphins signings in many, many years.

How is Gase still employed?

The Jets signing Gase was an outstanding Dolphins signing!

JMP wrote:That's awesome, scot!  40 bucks a ticket is well worth it to see the Phins shut out the Jets!  

Reading his post took me back to that one NFL game I attended where the crowd was so lacking I wound up sitting nowhere near the cheap seat ticket I'd bought, and almost all the few fans there were all rooting for the Steelers--in Memphis.

Can you imagine Gase saying something like that???  He completely ignores fundamentals and accountability, he has set up a culture of backstabbing, disinterest and general laziness, and he has zero leadership ability.  Basically, the Dolphins prepared a long-term plan and direction and are making it happen - while the Jets are just floundering and treading water with no direction whatsoever.

So in other words Gase is a big fan of Democrats? Got it.

Degarmo wrote:How is Gase still employed?

Dude, you're better than this. The Jets have to keep him around to make sure they get Lawrence, if they fire Gase now they might pull a '19 Fins and win too much to get the top pick. I think they do fire Gase, but with just 1-2 games left (if the season goes that long). I hear the Vikings are giving them stiff competition for that top spot though.