The Miami Dolphins earned their first victory of the season on Sunday, defeating their AFC East division rivals — the New York Jets — by a score of 28-25. It wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination, but the Dolphins gave fans something they haven’t had much of lately — a reason to smile on a Sunday afternoon.
Malik Willis turned in his best performance since joining Miami, and as a result, the offense finally showed some signs of life. Unfortunately, the defense apparently decided
that a comfortable lead was an invitation to make things interesting.
Let’s hand out this week’s Fins Up and Fins Down honors!
FINS UP
Our Fins Up player of the week is quarterback Malik Willis. Willis finds himself on the positive side of this article for the first time this season — and for good reason. He finished Miami’s win over the New York Jets with three total touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) while not turning the ball over a single time. His 130.7 passer rating was easily the highest of his season so far — a whopping 79.7 points higher than the last time he took the field (51.0 against the Cincinnati Bengals).
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Willis’ performance was his ability to take what the defense gave him rather than constantly searching for the home run. Miami’s offense has looked downright painful at times this season, but Willis demonstrated that the unit can move the football when the quarterback makes good decisions and uses his athleticism effectively.
FINS DOWN
Our Fins Down player is… well, the entire defensive secondary. Yes, I know that rookie safety Michael Taaffe came down with and interception. That’s great. However, the New York Jets and quarterback Geno Smith moved the ball at will in the second half of Sunday’s contest — en route to a final tally of 287 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Smith completed an eye-popping 76.7% of his passes, and rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. enjoyed an afternoon that saw him nab five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Miami allowed New York to score 18 second half points after building a 21-7 halftime lead. The defense repeatedly gave the Jets opportunities to climb back into the game.
Against a better offense, those mistakes could easily turn a win into a loss. The Dolphins cannot expect their offense to keep producing enough points to compensate for a secondary that makes opposing receivers look like they’re running routes against air.
