Not many teams throw at CB Darrelle Revis, but the Miami Dolphins were stupid enough last night to do so on quite a few occasions. They paid the price, as Revis intercepted two passes and returned one of them 100 yards for a touchdown that turned out to be the game winner. Revis' pick six was crucial as it turned a potential 10-0 in favor of Miami into a 7-3 Jets' lead. It also completely changed the momentum in the first quarter when it seemed like the Dolphins were completely dominating the game on both sides of the football.
Rex Ryan's Jets once again came out flat in the opening period and, if it wasn't for Miami's mistakes, who knows how this game would have turned out. The offense went 3 and out on the first four possessions, finally getting a first down nine minutes into the second quarter when QB Mark Sanchez connected with rookie WR Jeremy Kerley on a 3rd and 9. The Jets scored a touchdown on that drive, as they extended their lead to 14-6. The Gang Green never looked back from that point on, but there are plenty of reasons to be concerned when you punt on 8 out of 11 possessions against one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the league.
The Jets once again failed to get their running game going, averaging only 3.6 yards/carry (104 yards total). The defense, on the other hand, allowed 4.7 yards/carry (118 total). Mark Sanchez had a decent game - 14 of 25 for 201 yards, 1 TD. These stats, however, don't mean much as the Dolphins were hardly putting any pressure on him throughout the game.
All in all, the Jets got the so much needed win but it's really hard to say whether this team is on the right path. The Dolphins are just a bad football team, period. Next Sunday we'll get a better idea whether Rex Ryan's team has left their early season slump behind them when they face the San Diego Chargers (4-1). If they win that one, then we can start talking about turning the season around and making the playoffs.
The good:
CB Darrelle Revis - 4 defended passes, 2 interceptions, one of them for a touchdown
RB/KR Joe McKnight - he impressed again, returning the opening kickoff for 31 yards and making Miami kick away from him for the rest of the game. McKnight also caught two passes for 29 yards and averaged 6.3 yards on two punt returns
LB Aaron Maybin - he forced two fumbles and registered another sack. He now leads Vernon Gholston 2-0
WR Santonio Holmes - 4 receptions for 63 yards, 1 TD. The 38-yard touchdown was a thing of beauty, as Holmes gained 31 yards after the catch
LB Calvin Pace - 7 tackles (6 solo), 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble
The bad:
Run defense - once again the heralded Rex Ryan's defense allowed over 100 yards rushing
WR Plaxico Burress - he had 4 passes thrown to him but caught only 1 for 16 yards
Game preparation - once again the team looked atrocious in the first quarter on both offense and defense