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In a game that did not feature a third down conversion from either team until the fourth quarter, the Miami Dolphins soundly stomped the New York Jets on Sunday, 24-0.
It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing display of NFL football you will ever see, but there were still valuable conclusions fans could draw from this game about each team.
5. Brian Flores’ stable of tight ends for the Miami Dolphins
It’s not surprising that Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who spent 14 years developing under Bill Belichick in New England, would construct his roster in a similar fashion as the Patriots did over the years.
In addition to their most notable tight end, Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots would also deploy a second receiving threat at TE in their “12 personnel” formations. Martellus Bennett, Dwayne Allen, and yes, Aaron Hernandez, were among the notable depth they had during Flores’ time there.
In Miami, the versatility at that position was on full display Sunday.
Former Chicago Bears draft pick Adam Shaheen caught a touchdown for the second straight week, and Durham Smythe also reached the end zone. Miami Dolphins' starter Mike Gesicki, who also has two touchdowns on the season, was Ryan Fitzpatrick’s target on his first interception.
4. The New York Jets are undisciplined
Unfortunately for New York, they were never able to get into much of a rhythm during this contest, and a lot of that difficulty was self-inflicted.
In the first half alone, the Jets committed six penalties for 67 yards. Penalties included facemasks, false starts, and offensive pass interference, which indicates that the operation on both sides of the ball needs improvement.
On special teams, Vyncint Smith muffed the catch into the field of play while intending to take a knee in the end zone, which cost the Jets a chance to start that drive on the 25-yard line.
3. Jamison Crowder’s routes are crisp
On a Jets team which just got Breshad Perriman back from injury, and doesn’t feature much else in the way of offensive weapons, Jamison Crowder was still able to have a nice game.
Against a Miami Dolphins defense that was sure to key in Crowder knowing the other limitations of the Jets’ offense, quarterback Joe Flacco targeted him a team-high 13 times. Crowder was able to come up with seven of those targets for 48 yards on the day.
Against a solid Miami Dolphins secondary, Crowder was able to get open in the slot and provide Flacco with a reliable safety valve.
2. Myles Gaskin is a viable NFL starting RB
The Miami Dolphins continue to funnel carries and targets in Myles Gaskin’s direction.
In each game this season, the young running back has recorded 10 or more touches per game (carries+catches), and has been so impressive that offseason acquisitions Matt Breida and Jordan Howard have been relegated to scrap duty for the Miami Dolphins.
Playing with a quarterback who is not shy about taking chances, Gaskin has reeled in four or more catches in every game except one this season, which gives Fitzpatrick the confidence to check down when the deep pass is not available.
1. It’s not Tua Time ... yet
Although it’s been well-documented that Fitzpatrick is just keeping the seat warm for rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa, it’s evident that the veteran signal caller still has a lot to offer this season. His calming personality as a teammate is well known, and his performance, especially in the last two games, has given Miami Dolphins fans hope that they could be playing meaningful games in December.
However, there were a couple of decisions Fitzpatrick made that could’ve been costly against a better team. He threw a pass in the fourth quarter that was batted down at the line of scrimmage, but had it not been, it could have been returned for a touchdown.
Additionally, Fitz stared down Mike Gesicki in the red zone, throwing an interception to the Jets’ Brian Poole.
Fitzpatrick will need to avoid unnecessary risks as the season progresses if he wants to retain the Miami Dolphins' starting QB job all year.
Tagovailoa made his pro debut late in the fourth quarter in mop-up duty. He completed two passes for nine yards.
