Jets vs. Dolphins: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for New York
It was the talk all week; the common message resonating throughout the halls at the New York Jets practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
After rushing for just 47 yards in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago, if the Jets wanted to defeat the Miami Dolphins in London, the game plan would be simple:
Run the ball. Run the ball. Run the ball.
And run the ball they did.
New York tallied 207 yards on the ground, highlighted by running back Chris Ivory’s 166, as the Jets cruised to a 27-14 victory over the Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London. The victory improved the Jets' record to 3-1, while the Dolphins fall to 1-3.
“Big bulls up there,” Ivory said after the game. “They did the job up there today. I got behind those guys and made my reads. The rest is history. We came out with the win.”
While the Jets made their way up and down primarily on the ground, the play that got the offense started, and led to 425 total yards, came through the air. After a Dolphins punt on the game’s first possession, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick faked it to Ivory and went deep down the field for receiver Brandon Marshall.
Marshall, who finished with seven receptions for 128 yards, reached up and pulled the ball in for a 58-yard gain. Two plays later, Ivory rushed into the end zone to put the Jets on the scoreboard first.
“We came out fast,” Jets head coach Todd Bowles said. “We talked about being aggressive, starting out and being aggressive on both sides of the ball. We came out and made a play.”
After the Jets struck, the remainder of the game sang a similar tune: New York moved up and down the field with a heavy dose of Ivory, and the defense went to work and gave the Dolphins O fits.
Miami managed just 226 yards of offense, ran for only 59, failed to convert a third down despite 12 attempts and allowed regular pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Mixing in a variety of blitzes, the Jets brought Tannehill—who finished 19-of-44 for 189 yards with a two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions—down three times, two courtesy of defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson.
“We have so much talent, so much depth,” Wilkerson said. “No one knows who’s coming or who’s dropping. That’s a credit to the coaches.”
Despite being under constant duress, Tannehill still managed to get Miami back into the game. Trailing 27-7 in the fourth quarter, Tannehill connected with receiver Kenny Stills on a 10-yard touchdown with just over 10 minutes to play. After a Jets three-and-out gave the ball back to the Dolphins, Miami quickly marched into New York territory, but the drive stalled once there.
Facing a 4th-and-9 at the Jets' 9-yard line, Tannehill’s pass was intercepted by Darrelle Revis. The Dolphins defense forced a Jets punt on the next possession, but once again, a Tannehill interception, this time by cornerback Marcus Williams, ended any comeback attempt.
“I thought it was big for the guys to step up in the red zone with their backs up to the wall,” Bowles said. “We had to deal with some adversity, which helps us get some mental toughness going forward.”
The Jets and Dolphins will both be on byes next week. New York will return to the field Week 6 against the Washington Redskins, while Miami will take on the Tennessee Titans.
Positional Grades
1 of 7
| Position | Grade |
| QB | C- |
| RB | A |
| WR | A |
| TE | C |
| OL | A |
| DL | A |
| LB | B |
| DB | C+ |
| Special Teams | D- |
| Coaching | C |
Quarterbacks: For the second consecutive week, it wasn’t pretty for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The quarterback threw an interception and completed only 55 percent of his passes. The 11th-year veteran missed on multiple throws and had several more misses on miscommunications. It’s not time to bench Fitzpatrick, but another performance or two like Sunday’s may signal the end to his time as Jets starter. C-
Running Backs: Welcome back, Chris Ivory? After not playing last week, Ivory rushed for 166 yards on 29 carries and a score. Backups Zac Stacy and Bilal Powell didn’t do much running the ball but combined for three receptions for 30 yards, and Stacy ran for a touchdown. A
Receivers: Brandon Marshall had over 100 yards receiving for a third straight day, hauling in seven passes for 128 yards. Eric Decker, who also returned after missing last week, caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Devin Smith caught two passes for 14 yards. Despite poor play from Fitzpatrick, the wideouts were good. A
Tight Ends: Not one reception for the tight ends, but having run-blocking specialist Kellen Davis start the game for the injured Jeff Cumberland certainly helped the ground game. The Jets know what they have in their tight ends (not much) and have adjusted their offense accordingly. C
Offensive Line: Two numbers tell the entire story for the Jets big men up front: 207, 0. The first number? That’s many yards the Jets ran for. The second number? That’s the number of times the Dolphins sacked Fitzpatrick. It was a dominant performance for the big men up front. A
Defensive Line: Two sacks for Wilkerson, and the group as a whole limited the Dolphins to under 60 yards rushing. A good day, a good grade. Nice bounce-back after struggling against Philly. A
Linebackers: Rookie outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin had a few nice pressures on Tannehill, and David Harris had a sack. B
Secondary: This grade could easily have been an A, but it drops because of the constant penalties. Holdings and pass interferences continued to give the Dolphins second and third chances. Antonio Cromartie was also burned for a touchdown. Darrelle Revis? He gets an A. Buster Skrine? He gets an A. The unit as a whole? C+
Special Teams: For a second straight game, this special teams struggled. Jarvis Landry averaged 22 yards a return on punts and another 24 yards on kicks. This group needs to sure up their game. D-
Coaching: Offensive game plan was good, and so was the defensive, but 14 penalties for 163 yards isn’t going to cut it. Also, a few questionable play-call decisions—such as coming out with three straight passes after the Dolphins cut into the Jets' lead in the fourth quarter. C
Career Day for Chris Ivory; Welcome Back, Eric Decker
2 of 7
When the Jets fell to the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago, the team played without starters Ivory and Decker. Sunday against the Dolphins, both returned to the lineup.
And oh what a difference it made.
Decker finished with four catches for 46 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by an impressive 26-yard, one-handed catch to move the chains. With starter Marshall continuing to be double-teamed, Decker, while he wasn’t at 100 percent, made plays when he had to.
Ivory? He had a career day.
The big, bruising back ran the ball 26 times for 166 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time Ivory’s gone over 100 yards this year and his highest yardage total since 2010.
“He was the workhorse,” Bowles said. “He made some tough runs. He was getting hit, but he was doing some hitting. Helped us out a lot today.”
While Ivory’s yardage total is certainly impressive, how he put up the numbers deserves as much recognition. It wasn’t as if Ivory was running through gaping holes, but rather, he made his own. The back was regularly hit at or near the line of scrimmage.
The Dolphins just couldn’t bring him down.
Ivory ran through arm tackles, over defenders and was the unquestioned difference-maker in the game.
“Chris is an unbelievable football player,” Fitzpatrick said. “As a quarterback, it’s a lot of fun to watch. Just gotta hand it off to him.”
Brian Winters Steps Up for New York Jets
3 of 7
The last three times Brian Winters stepped foot on the football field, it wasn’t pretty. The guard allowed 13 quarterback hurries before suffering a season-ending injury that concluded his 2014 season.
So with guard Willie Colon sitting out Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, and Winters filling in as the man tasked with blocking four-time, first-team All-Pro Ndamukong Suh, the big defensive tackle was going to feast. Right?
Wrong. Aside from a holding call in the second half, Winters rendered Suh ineffective.
The player Miami gave $114 million to in order to bring him over from Detroit recorded just three tackles and no sacks. His lone quarterback hit came when Suh left Winters and lined up across from Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, wasn’t sacked once, and Ivory totaled 166 yards on the ground.
Winters wasn’t the lone reason for the Jets' success, and New York certainly gave him help. With that being said, nothing should be taken away from how he played. The cards were stacked against him, but the former third-round pick stepped up when the Jets needed him most.
.png?w=256)
Penalties, Special Teams Need Work
4 of 7
The victory is a good one for the Jets. With a quarter of the season in the books, New York sits 3-1. Few, if any, would have pegged the impressive start when the season began a month ago.
With that being said, as New York heads into the bye, there are certainly things to work on.
For the second consecutive week, the coverage unit struggled. Landry averaged 22 yards per punt return and another 24 yards on kick returns. Miami regularly started with tremendous field position, and it was poor play by the punt team that was the main culprit. It was bad all around. The coverage unit didn’t cover, and Ryan Quigley regularly punted balls that were returnable.
Then again, the special teams weren’t the worst part of the game for New York. That wet willy belonged to the continual, regular penalties. The Jets were flagged 14 times for 163 yards. Two defensive pass interference calls set up a Dolphins touchdown, and another in the fourth nearly brought Miami within a score.
“We gotta play cleaner,” Bowles said. “We gotta play cleaner. We can’t have the penalties. You won’t beat a lot of teams in the league like that. We were fortunate today.”
Again, it’s nit picking, and few can complain about the Jets' 3-1 start. Still, it’s something to work on with 14 days until New York’s next game.
Brandon Marshall on Chris Ivory's Day
5 of 7
“I’ve gotta do a better job run blocking. Sometimes, I’m a fan out there watching.”
It’s become a common theme for the Jets: If ever you’re looking for some positive words, ask any player about the play of Ivory.
Marshall has been one of Ivory’s strongest supporters since he was traded to the Jets in the offseason. After watching the back set a career high in rushing yards, Marshall admitted he could have done more to help the effort but couldn’t help but be a fan.
Ryan Fitzpatrick on Brandon Marshall
6 of 7
“If you ask Brandon, Brandon’s always my first read.”
It’s been quite some time since the Jets had a true No. 1 receiver with the abilities that Marshall has. Through the first four games of the season, the wideout has 30 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns.
Against the Dolphins, Marshall got going early, catching a 58-yard pass down the left sideline on the Jets' first offensive play.
Fitzpatrick was asked after the game about his connection with Marshall and how often he looks toward him. His answer? In Marshall's mind, he’s always the primary option.
Todd Bowles on the Return of Sheldon Richardson
7 of 7
“As far as I know. We haven’t heard anything from the league, so we’re planning on having him come back.”
Four games have passed, which means Jets Pro Bowl defensive end Sheldon Richardson is eligible to return from his suspension. That is as long as the NFL doesn’t suspend him additional time for his street-racing incident earlier this year.
Bowles was asked what Richardson’s status with the team is. His answer? They’re expecting to get him back.
New York’s defense has been dominant, arguably the NFL’s best through the first four games. The group is rushing the passer, shutting down the run and few, if any, can get open on the team’s secondary. The fact Richardson, who made the Pro Bowl last year, is now being added to the mix?
It’s scary. Very scary.
Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for the Journal Inquirer and Scout.com. All quotes and advanced stats referenced and used are gathered firsthand.
Connor can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes) or via email (Connor_j_hughes@yahoo.com)
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Absurd Simpson-McVay Story 😅")
.jpg?w=600 "Pickens' Trade Ultimatum")
.jpg?w=600 "Jags Tried Trading 2027 1st 😳")
.jpg?w=600 "Other Teams Eyeing Pavia")
.jpg?w=600 "Chiefs Sign Emmitt Smith's Son")