Game Recap: Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
I predicted a huge win for the Miami Dolphins team yesterday as they were favored by six points on the road. I expected Jay Ajayi to have a great game and the defense to get pressure on McCown. I expected the playbook to be limited for Cutler, as he is still getting used to his surroundings. A win convincing win yesterday would have solidified that the Dolphins of old are long gone.
The first quarter was a bit of a tough watch if you are a Dolphins fan. The biggest takeaway was that regardless of how bad they played they weren’t out of it. It was nice to see Cameron Wake have a sack on the first drive of the game.
However, the offense struggled to get going in the first quarter just as they were slow to start last week in Los Angeles. Communication issues killed a drive and the offensive line was not able to get a push for Ajayi.
The Dolphins secondary is an issue, as they were shredded for the second time in as many games. Also the special teams leprechaun stayed around for field goals as the Jets missed a makeable one.
The Dolphins began the second quarter with the ball, and penalties helped to continue the drive as well as stop the drive. In this quarter the Dolphins still could not generate offense on the ground or through the air. Gase needed to dial up some easier completions before the final drive. The Jets continued to torch the secondary. Our run defense continued strong play, but was offset by very poor play by the secondary. The secondary is now an issue and not just a worry. I tweeted during this game that if a Richard Sherman deal is available, it’s time to make a deal.
We opened the second half with a ten point deficit but did receive the ball. The offense just seemed off and I wondered why head coach Adam Gase chose not to go with the no-huddle. In this quarter, the Fins attempted an atrocious fake punt in their own territory. The Jets also continued to throw at will on the Dolphins defense. Cutler showed some bad footwork because of his trust in his arm strength.
This was the first time that I can remember during the Gase era where the team looked totally underprepared. They had awful communication during the game. The entire team looked lost and disheartened at times.
The Dolphins started the final quarter of the game with the ball. They looked most comfortable in the no huddle. The offense consistently struggles to maintain drives without Jay Ajayi.
The only bright spot from this game for the Dolphins was the defensive line. However, the secondary, linebackers in coverage, offensive line, quarterback and wide receivers had a poor showing.
Jay Ajayi can’t run if there are no holes and we have serious concerns with Drew Brees up next.
This Dolphins team certainly has some glaring issues. The Jets had a gameplan to take Ajayi out of the game and they were successful. With Ajayi not being the anchor of the offense it was tough to move the ball. I expect Gase to adjust and make some changes in the defensive backfield. My biggest thought from this game is how much this reminded me of pre-Gase Dolphins. Until next time, Fins Up.
