The Dolphins gave up a seven-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter on a Tua Tagovailoa interception, but they were able to bounce back in time to secure their sixth-straight win.
Tua Tagovailoa hit DeVante Parker for an 11-yard touchdown with 3:37 left in the game and the defense held off the Jets to seal a 31-24 home win for Miami. The win lifts their record to 7-7 and keeps them very much alive in the AFC playoff chase as they head toward a Week 16 Monday night matchup with the Saints.
Parker got the game-winning score, but the running game was the primary offensive generator for the Dolphins on Sunday. Duke Johnson ran 22 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns while Myles Gaskin had 10 carries for 54 yards, including a 30-yarder on the game-winning drive.
Tagovailoa was less accurate than he’s been throughout the winning streak as he threw another pick in the first half and finished 16-of-27 overall.
The Dolphins have been one of the league’s worst rushing teams this season, so repeats of this performance would be welcome as they continue their push for a postseason bid. The role of the Jets defense in their success can’t be overlooked, especially when it comes to the number of missed tackles over the course of the afternoon.
Miami would also welcome the kind of effort they got from their pass rush. They sacked Zach Wilson six times, including one by Zach Sieler that resulted in a lost fumble for the Jets first-round pick. After helping the offense produce 17 points in the first half, Wilson was just 4-of-9 throwing the ball in the second half as the Jets only ran 18 plays and gave him little time to throw when they did call passing plays.
The Jets are now 3-11 and they’ll face the Jaguars in a battle for draft positioning next Sunday. They’ll hope to see some signs of progress from Wilson in that game and the other two left to play in another losing season.
