The New York Jets could not carry over any momentum from their 30-6 win over the Houston Texans in Week 14, losing to the Miami Dolphins 30-0 in Week 15. The Jets have fallen to 5-9 with the loss to the Dolphins, making it extremely unlikely that Aaron Rodgers will return this season.
Zach Wilson made his second straight start since returning as the starter, but it was short-lived on Sunday. The third-year quarterback suffered a head injury in the first half and he would be ruled out immediately.
In yet another embarrassing loss for the Jets, here are our five immediate takeaways in Sunday’s matchup versus the Dolphins.
Zach Wilson left the game early
From the moment the game began, Wilson and the offense of the Jets were overwhelmed by the defense of the Dolphins. Wilson was sacked four times in his limited time on the field and he would take a few massive hits when dropping back to pass. The former first-round pick would exit the contest with a head injury and Trevor Siemian would replace him for the rest of the game. If Wilson is unable to clear concussion protocol this upcoming week, it will be Siemian or Brett Rypien starting at quarterback in Week 16.
The running game was ineffective yet again
When the Jets gashed the Denver Broncos for over 200 rushing yards in Week 5, it appeared the offense may have figured things out in the running game. But since Week 5, the Jets have yet to have a player rush for more than 55 yards in a game. Breece Hall and the other members of the Jets combined for only 23 rushing yards on 12 attempts in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins. With the Jets no longer having playoff aspirations, we could see rookie Israel Abanikanda a bit more down the stretch.
Garrett Wilson didn't have a catch until the 2nd half
Garrett Wilson notched a season-high 108 yards on nine receptions in the victory over the Texans in Week 14. Things were much different for the talented wideout in Week 15 as he was held to zero catches in the first half against the Dolphins. Wilson didn’t make his first reception until the third quarter and he finished with only three catches for a team-high 29 yards. While Wilson has been one of the lone bright spots for the Jets, he could be catching passes from a new quarterback in Week 16.
Jaylen Waddle dominated Jets with Tyreek Hill sidelined
Shortly before Sunday’s game kicked off, Tyreek Hill was ruled out due to the ankle injury he picked up in the loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. Even with Hill inactive, the Dolphins still possess another talented receiver in Jaylen Waddle. Waddle registered 114 yards on eight receptions against the Jets in Week 12 and he followed that up with nine receptions for 142 yards and a score in Week 15. The Dolphins concluded the game with 290 yards of offense and Waddle had nearly half of their offensive production.
The red-zone defense made the score better than it could have been
It’s hard to find any positives in a game where a team loses by 30 points and gets shut out, but the defense did make a couple of stands in the red zone. The score was already bad enough, however, it could have been much worse if the defense didn’t prevent the Dolphins from converting a few of their red-zone trips into touchdowns instead of field goals. Jason Sanders made three field goals for the Dolphins and all of them came within the Jets’ 20-yard line.
