Just when things couldn’t get any worse for the New York Jets, they did.
After a week of drama surrounding the Kelechi Osemele release and trade talks involving Jamal Adams, the Jets suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season — a 26-18 result to the previously winless Miami Dolphins.
Former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick victimized his old team, passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns on the day to add further insult to injury as the Dolphins picked up their first win since Week 14 of last season.
Meanwhile, the Jets offense led by young quarterback Sam Darnold and directed by head coach Adam Gase continues to struggle mightily.
The second-year passer was stifled by one of the league’s worst defenses as he was limited to 260 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Things started well enough for the Jets against what many consider the worst team in football.
After going 31-consecutive games without a touchdown on their opening drive, the Jets got their second opening score in as many games when Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a 12-yard score.
Crowder was Darnold’s favorite target in the half, hauling in eight catches for 83 yards along with that score.
He didn’t have a single catch for the rest of the game.
Fitzpatrick, however, would lead three-straight touchdown drives, ending with three touchdown passes, to stun the Jets.
The Dolphins had scored 20 or more points in a game just one time in their previous seven games this season. They scored 21 in the first half alone.
The Jets would steal five quick points in the final 50 seconds of the half, making it a nine-point game at the break when Ryan Fitzpatrick was taken down in the end zone for a safety before Sam Ficken nailed a 52-yard field goal.
Field goals would be traded in an uneventful third quarter despite the Jets and Dolphins putting together long, promising drives that meandered near the red zone.
The Jets defense did their job, regardless, and kept Gase’s sputtering offense within touching distance.
But with six-and-a-half minutes to go, New York’s comedy of errors all but iced the loss when center Brian Winters’ snap flew past an unsuspecting Darnold inside the Jets’ five-yard-line and went out the back of the end zone for a safety.
