Brian Flores may have another decision to make at the quarterback position.
Keep longtime NFL veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starter, or go back to fifth overall draft pick Tua Tagovailoa when the rookie's left thumb heals?
Fitzpatrick made a case for himself to continue playing Sunday. And the Dolphins can continue to depend on their standout defense to help either quarterback pull out victories.
Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes, and Miami's defense nearly shutout the New York Jets for the second time this season, as the Dolphins won 20-3 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Dolphins, winners of six of their last seven, improved to 7-4 and remain second in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills. But they also can gain some ground in the AFC playoff race. Miami could move from ninth to seventh, and back in the wildcard race, if the Las Vegas Raiders suffer a loss in Atlanta.
Tagovailoa did not make his fifth career start after suffering a thumb injury in practice this week, paving the way for Fitzpatrick to start his seventh game this season and 20th overall for Miami since joining Flores' team for the extensive rebuilding process.
Fitzpatrick completed a string of 10 straight passes in the first half, connecting with familiar faces like receiver DeVante Parker and tight end Mike Gesicki who both had career highs thanks to the veteran a season ago.
And Fitzpatrick's touchdown pass to tight end Adam Shaheen with less than 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter sealed the season sweep over the Jets.
Fitzpatrick had 180 yards passing in the first half, more than three of Tagovailoa's four starts this season, and he finished with 257 yards, which also eclipses Tagovailoa's career high, showing he can still be effective and productive on the same week he turned 38 years old.
The Dolphins needed every bit of Fitzpatrick's work as the third quarter saw running backs Matt Breida and Patrick Laird fumble the football on consecutive drives, keeping the Jets within striking distance.
Thankfully for the Dolphins, their defense was able to slow Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who returned from a shoulder injury to make the start, and Adam Gase, the former Dolphins head coach who may be relieved of his duties Jets coach after this season.
Dolphins nickel cornerback Nik Needham notched his third career interception in the third quarter. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a sack of Darnold to start the fourth quarter, and linebacker Elandon Roberts blew up a fourth-down run by Frank Gore in the back field after the second Dolphins fumble.
Roberts and linebacker Jerome Baker teamed up for another sack later in the fourth quarter, while cornerback Xavien Howard secured his league-leading seventh interception to seal the victory.
Even when the Dolphins offense stalled, Flores had no shame in fielding their defense against the Jets offense, which mustered just three points in the game after being shutout in Miami earlier this season.
The Jets remain winless, and very much in the hunt for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
As for the Dolphins, their high draft pick in Tagovailoa may have to take a back seat to their wily veteran in Fitzpatrick with a playoff spot on the line for the rest of the season.
