Jets Sink to Season Low in Miami as Playoff Hopes Completely Disappear
It was as bad as it gets for the New York Jets' offense at Miami in Week 15.
Gaining a season-low 103 net yards, the Jets suffered a 30-0 shutout at the hands of the Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. New York averaged only 1.9 yards per play and didn't take a single snap from inside of the red zone.
The loss mathematically eliminated the Jets (5-9) from postseason contention and guarantees the franchise a losing record for the eight straight year.
"It’s disappointing. Starting from the first series of the year all the way to now, it’s just been a constant battle," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh
The Jets' troubles begin on the first offensive possession as Zach Wilson's fumble set Miami up at the 1-yard line. New York was out-gained 197 to 4 in the first half and was forced to make a quarterback change with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter. Wilson went into concussion protocol and Trevor Siemian entered the game to no avail.
"I thought they obviously won the battle up front, right from the get, and just made it hard on us to be able to get anything going," said Saleh.
Combined, Wilson and Siemian were 18-of-37 passing for 136 yards. They were sacked six times behind a patchwork offensive line that failed to provide adequate protection.
"They beat us up front," said Saleh bluntly.
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 24 pass attempts on the way to a 117.9 rating. His 60-yard strike to Jaylen Waddle gave the Dolphins a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
With NFL receiving leader Tyreek Hill unavailable due to an ankle injury, Waddle stepped up and delivered 142 yards on eight catches.
"I could tell all week there were certain things that him in particular, him [Tagovailoa] and Jaylen Waddle were doing together," said Dolphins' head coach Mike McDaniel. "I knew they were going to be able to do some explosive stuff, and he really did a great job playing within the play."
The Jets' defense, which was put in tough spots on multiple occasions, did manage to hold Miami under 300 yards of offense. The Dolphins were limited to 16 first downs after having moved the chains at least 20 times in each of their last six games.
The Jets will close out their home schedule in Week 16 when the Washington Commanders visit MetLife Stadium on December 24.
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