Dolphins vs. Jets: Score and Twitter Reaction for Saturday Night Football

The Miami Dolphins took advantage of four New York Jets turnovers to earn a 34-13 road win and strengthen their case for an AFC wild-card spot in the process. 

The Jets jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the game's first possession when Bryce Petty found Robby Anderson for a 40-yard score. 

Coming off an ugly performance against the San Francisco 49ers last week, Petty got off to a hot start against the Dolphins and looked as comfortable at quarterback as he has in his NFL career. 

In an unusual coincidence, ESPN Stats & Info noted two of Petty's first three career touchdown passes covered exactly 40 yards. The second-year signal-caller finished 20-of-36 with 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. 

There were still multiple big blunders for Petty. He threw an interception right into the hands of Dolphins defender Cameron Wake after staring down Brandon Marshall on a slant route and lost a fumble after Wake sacked him. 

Not SportsCenter took a shot at the Jets' quarterback situation:

Current ESPN analyst and former Jets offensive lineman Damien Woody wasn't even cheeky in his criticism of the team:

There was a scary situation in the fourth quarter when Petty was sandwiched between two Miami defenders after throwing a pass. He stayed down on the field for a couple of minutes before going to the sidelines, with Ryan Fitzpatrick taking over under center.

It took the Dolphins nearly 20 minutes of game time to finally put things together on offense with quarterback Matt Moore starting in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill. He played well in his first start since the 2011 season by going 12-of-18 for 236 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

Moore was helped out by big plays from his receiving corps. Jarvis Landry, Dion Sims and Kenny Stills each had receptions of at least 28 yards. 

Stills' 52-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter that gave the Dolphins their first lead of the game was a thing of beauty. He simply ran by cornerback Juston Burris.

Per Pro Football Focus, Stills has been a big-play machine in Miami this season:

The Dolphins got a great deal when the New Orleans Saints traded Stills in 2015. They only had to give up Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick, and the results so far have been excellent for Miami. 

Yet Landry continues to be the go-to guy for the Dolphins regardless of who is under center. He finished with 108 yards on three receptions, including a 66-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that extended the lead to 34-10 and helped him reach a personal milestone, per Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel:

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Landry's long touchdown catch also helped Moore complete a career night for the Dolphins:

It's taken some time for the Dolphins to get national respect, largely because this is a team that can be maddening if you watch it in the wrong week.

Miami started the season 1-4, albeit with its first two losses on the road against Seattle and New England, and had its six-game winning streak snapped in a 38-6 destruction at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.

Despite some of those shortcomings, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald took a logical stance for any Dolphins doubters:

More important than what the Dolphins have done to improve their record to 9-5, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald noted their path to the postseason is set up nicely because of the Denver Broncos' difficult schedule:

The Dolphins have games against the Buffalo Bills and Patriots to close out the regular season. They already defeated the Bills earlier this year, and the Pats may be in a position to rest starters in Week 17 if they can clinch a first-round bye within the next two weeks. 

For the Jets, this game will only raise more questions about head coach Todd Bowles' future. Cian Fahey of Football Outsiders provided a rhetorical statement regarding the situation:

"

Todd Bowles' team getting blown out at home against Matt Moore. Can't blame Fitzpatrick for this one.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) December 18, 2016"

Bowles may be given another year to try righting the ship after winning 10 games last season, but the fall from grace in 2016 has been steep, with each week seemingly finding a new rock bottom. 

Whatever the Jets end up doing to try to improve in 2017, this roster is going to need significant retooling. Key veterans may be ending their tenure with the team, so they have two more games to put things together. 

The Dolphins, on the other hand, continue to trend in the right direction. They still have work to do if a playoff appearance is in the cards, but virtually everything head coach Adam Gase has done since mid-October is working. 

Postgame Reaction

Moore sounded like a kid in a candy store after the Dolphins' win. 

"I'm fired up, man," he said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post.

Gase noted there was a clear transfer in the locker room regarding his top two quarterbacks after Tannehill was confirmed to miss Week 15. 

"(Moore) and (Tannehill) switched personalities this week," Gase said, per Schad. "Matt became serious and Ryan was loose."

On the subject of Tannehill, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Gase says he doesn't know anything regarding a report from an NBC sideline reporter noting the Dolphins starting quarterback tore the MCL off his bone. 

From the Jets' side, per the team's official Twitter account, Petty doesn't sound too concerned about his injury: "I'm a little sore right now, but I'll be fine."

Bowles did not shy away from his responsibility for the current state of the Jets, per Eric Allen of the team's official website: "When we play like that, it all falls on me...Everything that happens falls on me."