I don’t think anybody saw this coming, but that sure was worth waiting for Jets fans. New York scored their first divisional victory since 2019 and have a winning record at 3-2 after smacking the Miami Dolphins, 40-17. Let’s share some quick thoughts on the huge victory to move the Jets into second place in the AFC East.
Quick Hits
- Breece freaking Hall. What more needs to be said? Today was his breakout party in a big way. 197 total yards and a touchdown, including a 79-yard reception that set up one of Michael Carter’s touchdowns. Have to think he’s the early favorite for AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
- Hall wasn’t the only rookie showing up big today. Sauce Gardner got the game started with an early hit on Teddy Bridgewater that became a safety and knocked Bridgewater out of the game. Gardner also scored his first career interception. Gardner finished with five tackles, one quarterback hit, one interception and one pass defended.
- This is the latest the Jets have had a winning record since 2017 and the Jets are now in second place as they hold the tiebreaker over the Dolphins. So in a matter of two weeks, the Dolphins have gone from 3-0 and atop the AFC to 3-2 and in third place in the division.
- Quinnen Williams, yet again. Another half-sack to help lead the charge on defense for the Jets. And he wasn’t alone. Carl Lawson (7 QB hits) and John Franklin-Myers (5) combined to hit Dolphins quarterbacks 12 times and each found themselves in the sack category (Franklin-Myers shared the sack with Williams, Lawson had the strip-sack).
- There were moments in the third quarter where it seemed the defense was lulled to sleep and allowed the Dolphins to hang around. But a few key stops and holding the Dolphins to 4/11 on third downs allowed the Jets to build back momentum in the second half and run away with this one.
- The Jets were absolutely fantastic in the red zone. In six trips to the area, the Jets were successful five times, including 4/4 on goal-to-go situations. Having backs like Hall and Carter (and the occasional legwork from Zach Wilson) is a great asset deep in opponents’ territory.
Key Stat
Breece Hall 20 touches, 197 yards, 1 touchdown: There really wasn’t much debate on this one. Sure, Sauce Gardner’s line is very nice, but Hall set the Jets up twice at the 1-yard line, had a touchdown of his own and recorded 100 yards receiving.
Game Balls
Breece Hall: See above. This was a no-brainer.
Sauce Gardner: Getting a safety on a corner blitz and grabbing an interception is always a good day for a cornerback, especially a rookie.
Quinnen Williams: The leader of the defense continued his climb up the charts toward elite status with another half-sack to remain the team leader with three sacks for the season, though Carl Lawson is now right on his heels with 2.5.
Top Takeaway
This was the explosive offense we’ve been waiting for.
With all the young talent on this Jets team, including on offense, there was excitement in the air. There was hope that the Jets could actually field a watchable offense for a change. Now that the expected starting lineup is finally starting to come back together, we’re finally starting to see the potential of what this team can do. Zach Wilson to Garrett Wilson can be a dynamic pairing for years to come and the Jets showed how strong their 1-2 punch at the running back position can be, especially with Hall.
We knew Hall was a great running back coming out of Iowa State. He just needed to get a few games under his belt to learn the ways of the NFL. He’s figured it out and opposing defenses now have to be completely concerned. That includes next week’s opponent, the Green Bay Packers, who have struggled to stop the run this season.