The Dolphins went into the Meadowlands to face the NY Jets at MetLife Stadium on the NFL’s very first Black Friday Game. I loved it because it was our Dolphins we got to watch with no distractions from any other NFL games being played. While the NY Jets aren’t a winning team, they have the type of defense that has given even elite opposing offenses trouble, so my feeling is this was a somewhat a measuring stick game for our team. Could our offense play well against a strong defensive team? The answer was mixed, a little of YES and a little of NO. Our running game was a bright spot, both starter Raheem Mostert and backup Jeff Wilson had success against the Jets. Mostert tallied 20 carries good for 94 yards and a 4.7 YPC average which is a bit below his season average, but excellent considering it was against the Jets defense. Jeff Wilson added 11 carries for 56 yards and a nice 5.1 yards per carry. QB Tua Tagovailoa played well most of the game with the exception of 2 bonehead throws, he finished 21-30, 243 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT’s, one of them a costly pick six. If not for the heroic 99 yard INT return by S Jevon Holland, that pick 6 could have had more impact on this game, but in truth, the Hell Mary pick six took the wind out of the Jets aircrafts wings.
To be fair, the Jets offense was not in a good place coming into this game. The Jets brass finally pulled the plug on QB Zach Wilson, and one could question the timing of the move. Believe me, I’m not advocating for Zach Wilson, but they could have made the change much earlier if they didn’t believe in him, and at 4-6, the Jets were not out of it. I find it hard to believe many Jets fans were looking to Tim Boyle to be the savior of their season, but that’s precisely the position the Jets put him in. In 2022, it was Zach Wilson that beat the Dolphins at MetLife 40-17, so maybe one more game wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. It’s possible Aaron Rodgers has so much influence on what the Jets do that they put his understudy in for this game. Tim Boyle wasn’t all that bad, and you could make the case that the Hell Mary was just a stroke of bad luck, mainly because it was. I don’t think either Jets QB would have won on Friday, because the real hero was the Dolphins defense, the one we have long waited to see.
We all know OLB Jaelan Phillips is done for the season with a torn achilles injury, yet another non-contact season ending injury for the NFL to ponder. Before Jaelan Phillips exited the game, he left his mark with 4 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, 2 QB hits. Phillips was really coming on and playing his best football, so it’s with sadness that we say goodbye to him before finishing out the season. The blessing is that we do have a couple of capable players behind him to replace him. I know most of us are down on Emmanuel Ogbah, and of course his playing time could still be limited because of Andrew Van Ginkel, but this really is a great opportunity for Ogbah to reclaim his status as a professional pass rusher. Ogbah does have 4 sacks this season with only 10 total tackles, this while playing only 21% of the snaps on defense. He’s as fresh as he will ever be, and this is a perfect chance to resurrect his career. It absolutely hurts this team to lose a rising star like Jaelan Phillips, but having Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah as depth is wonderful.
Let’s get back to the defense. The Dolphins secondary at this very moment now looks to be one of the top units in the NFL. The Jalen Ramsey effect is startling. 4 games, 3 INT’s. The pass rush seems so much better when receivers aren’t getting open lickety split. Xavien Howard is healthy, and CB Kader Kohou now looks like a beast again playing the slot, and of course, it’s fantastic to Jevon holland healthy along with DeShon Elliott. This great secondary absolutely transforms the pass rush. QB’s now facing this secondary can’t really throw to either side confidently, and while Kader Kohou might have shown some holes out on the boundary, he looks more than comfortable to be back on the inside where he made hay last season. The Dolphins were relentless Friday afternoon, tormenting the Jets with 7 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 2 INT’s (one for a TD), and 1 forced fumble. THAT’s how you impose your will. It was something to see, and hopefully this continues to trend, especially against the teams that actually are a threat offensively. No offense to Breece Hall of Garrett Wilson, both who are excellent players, but Tim Boyle was not the answer, especially burdened by their porous offensive line. I feel for both Hall and Wilson who must be so frustrated, but only so much.
I’m not going to focus on next weeks quite yet, that happens Friday, but just enjoy this victory. Although not all the things we wanted to see, for example see our offense play at a high level against a top NFL defensive unit, we got most of it. Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t bad, he just wasn’t great, maybe not even good. If you’re throwing to the flat, and I’ve seen some great QB’s make the same throw, same mistake, you had better put some mustard on that throw when the defender is within 5 yards and closing. I didn’t hate the playcall, I hated the execution. It looked like a lazy throw as if there weren’t a defender for 10 yards near the receiver, but it’s just one throw. As it turned out, as I’ve already mentioned, Jevon Holland stepped up and made the play of the day, the 99 yard Hell Mary pick six TD INT. It was glorious! Great win, and a great team win. This how good teams win in the NFL, if one unit doesn’t get it done, the other unit picks it up and takes the W.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
First?
I believe so! Congratulations!
I had to read after I posted that! Thank you Mike for the perspective. After the game, or even towards the end of it I was feeling disappointed. Not sure what I expected. A few years ago I’d have been thrilled with a 21 point margin win over a division rival. I’m spoiled now.
Phillips was really coming on and playing his best football???????????
What happened to the “over-hyped” rendition?
JBB
LOL, he was overhyped, but he was seemingly healthy and playing well
I’ll just say this, Hill and Waddle get the 10 yard cushion on that WR screen!
And I hated the call! I’d rather run a draw or inside screen on short yardage!
but that’s JMHO
I hear ya, I see teams run that play all the time, I thought the throw was too casual
Herd – that’s just more evidence of how much different things are now. We know this team is capable of doing some really good things. It’s crazy that we’re disappointed with 21 point victories. Much better than lamenting 21 point losses
New OC but Pickett still sucks
Mac Jones still sucks
I thought the play-call was fine. I’ve given up hoping any NFL team will run the ball when I’d like them to. You also throw that pass to the flat to get out of bounds and work the clock. Basic 2023 NFL offense really. Tua could’ve had better placement too.
***
I was more disappointed with the offensive performance when we got the ball with about 6 minutes left and couldn’t run the clock down and score. Instead, we give it back to them and all the craziness of the last 2 minutes happened. Score a TD on that drive…or at least burn clock and kick a half ending FG….and you’re looking good. Situational football.
Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett, Tommy Devito, Boyle, DTR just some real mid QBs in the NFL this weekend
In other words all these games on now suck
The Mahomes/Maauto commercial is hilarious, but it really bothers me that it isn’t Maautos.
The unnecessary lack of symmetry is deeply offensive.
🤣
I now have three current era epic game memories.
1. Wake’s walk off safety
2. Doofas Gronk whiffing on the mirracle
3. The Black Friday pick 6
Which one🤪
The Tony Nathan hook and ladder (happened right in front of me) is one of mine, would replace the Wake safety
He did say current though
2-15 cheats is what I want to see, don’t care about the draft, want their arrogant fans to suffer for the next 20 years with under 500 seasons
6-11 is suffering enough, suffering without the reward of getting the next best QB
I don’t think Bo Nix is any better than Taysum Hill
Bellicheck will trade down he won’t draft a QB that high. It goes against everything he believes and he is a genius 😉
Pats fans are full of themselves, but they are polite about it….. least the ones who come to games in Miami. Makes you feel like the blue collar brother in the family talking to his brother at Thanksgiving. But that may be changing now.
Sorry — the other brother is a doctor.
Too close
LOL — but you are far from blue collar.
Awesome write Mike E — but I’m not going to put quibbles on the Dolphins O after that game. The Phins controlled the game. Was the most points the Jets have given up all year. I could say not true with just their D cause of the Hail Mary 6, but our O still did about as good as any team has done against their D.
Thanks Stanger – it was 10-6 though before the Hell Mary, which IMO opened the floodgates. The Jets were done after that.
But regardless that, seemed we were in charge. And the yardage figures showed it. We go in 10-6 at half and we still win.
Anyone watching the Texans/Jags? Crazy last 30 seconds of the half
Texans go up 14-13
Stroud has been a really impressive rookie QB. Not sure about that celebration though, lol
refs doing everything they can to give the Jags a TD
The Buffalo Bills at this moment have had the easiest schedule in the NFL,
but they have the most difficult remaining schedule.
PERFECT!
Niiiiice
https://x.com/ckparrot/status/1728781034517381196?s=20
Jevon
https://x.com/houtz/status/1728777480448667834?s=20
Mac Jones has a 27.8 passer rating today.
LOL, the Pets ineptitude is awesome to behold
Houston going to get the ball with 3 minutes down 3. Let’s go Texans!
The Pats season getting worse and worse.🤪
Patsies lose!!!!
I hope that makes you sick, Bellicheat.
Wow, worst possible sack by Stroud
Texans blow it on the last drive and bounce a 58 yd game tying fg off the crossbar. Oh well, as long as the Bills lose today, I’ll be happy.
Man, gotta feel bad for Ammendola, the Texans kicker. SO CLOSE!
His career-long was 49 and JUST MISSED the 58-yarder!
Stanger – I don’t agree with that at all. I’m surprised you feel that way. I recall it was 10-6 and the Jets were going into the half just getting a pick six on Tua. If we don’t get the Hell Mary we’re facing a totally different Jets team down only 4 points and with all the momentum. The Holland play was the shot to the heart against the Jets, the needle that popped their balloon and took all the air from their sails. That’s how I see it.
We outgained them 395 to 159, and that doesn’t include the 99 on the Holland pick 6. Not sure what the numbers were at half, but they were dismal for the Jets already. But you could be right they gave up after Holland scored, even if we were dominating on the field — if not the scoreboard — before that.
Denver and Russ up 7-0 on the Brownies.
The Jags’ next 3 games are versus Bengals, Browns, and Ravens, so they should lose at least one of those.
I wanted the Texans to lose this one because they have an easier remaining schedule.
We have the conference advantage over the Texans, that gives us the tiebreaker- the equivalent of an extra loss.
Browns and Bengals are playing backup QBs, so the Jags should win those games.
Statistically, Jags losing today was better for us.
Hopefully we get a Chiefs loss, but a Bills loss gets us a monstrous step closer to winning the division.
As long as the Bills lose 2 of their next 3 (@Philly, @KC, vs Dallas), and we win our next 3 VERY winnable games (@Wash, vs Tenn, vs NYJ), we’ll have the division wrapped up at the end of week 15 and we can focus on trying to get that #1 seed.
Fly, Eagles, Fly today!!!
^
I think I want Denver to beat the Browns, so our SOS/SOV goes up.
^
Good!
Carolina lost, so they stay worse than the Patriots,
although the New England Patriots are one of the worst teams ever.
Bills force 3 consecutive throw aways by Hurts
Raiders jump out 7-0
Bills D looking STRONG on this first series against Jalen Hurts.
Raiders starting off strong. Getting the ball back after forcing a 3 and out
Stanger – we were definitely outplaying the Jets before the pick 6. I do think they had the momentum though after their pick 6. If the Hell Mary never happened, who knows how differently the game could have played out.
Do you really think that offense the way it was playing was going to score a bunch of points? They got one TD of the pick 6 and another in garbage time. Again — 159 yards for the Jets O.
I think we probably would have won, but my point was our offense wasn’t great in the first half, turnovers can be killers. The defense sealed this game, not the offense. We need to stop turning the ball over. I think the Jets might have hung around and made it a much closer game, but they lost their heart after Holland stole it. In the end it, like I said, it doesn’t really matter. Good teams win when either unit can do what it takes to win. In this game, it was the defense.
We won by 3 TDs, but I do agree the O could have scored more points in the first half. But their offense just looked pathetic and ours looking pretty good against a strong D. The recent turnovers do concern me though.
Eagles
Chiefs
Cowboys
Chargers
That’s the Bills next four games, including today. And they are 2 games back of a Div Leader upstart.
Actually, Naples, you have a valid point, looking at the schedules and the records, the Texans do have a really easy six games left, and could possibly win out (I don’t think they will, but the potential is there), and we only picked up the conference advantage in losses over them today with their loss (we would still have had 2 more wins than them if they won today).
wtf did Hurts take a 3 yd loss there instead of throwing it away?
Bills defense playing well
Raiders driving again, looking to go up two scores.
fucking raiders miss a 6 inch fg
Steelers won today, and they have a pretty easy schedule the next four games- about as easy as it gets
That play is impossible to stop when the Eagles run it
woohoo
7-0 Philly
man, I hate the tush push
Raiders with another stop. Their D playing well.
Maybe the Chiefs didn’t have someone playing Cosby pushing around Mahomes in practice as game prep.
lol
Woohooo!! Raiders up 14-0
Bills up 10-7 on the Eagles TO, and looking better overall than the Eagles right now. Eagles have benefitted from a number of iffy calls.
Chiefs just scored to make it 14-7 Raiders
The Colts pushed the Texans out of the playoffs.
I’d rather play Gardiner Minshew than CJ Stroud.
^
Hurts is not having a good game. His thinking looks slow.
Well, both these games have gone to shyte, lol.
Broncos are up 14-6 against the Browns at half. If they win we will have finally beaten a team with a winning record. How screwy would it be for it to be them?
Eagles getting thoroughly outplayed
Whiny Josh Allen
Good lord, the Eagles offense is playing pathetic
So no comments on the muscular Dolphin . . .
I found it quite amusing!
I should have told you.
I saved it into my fins folder and sent it to a bunch of friends.
Cool! I thought it conveyed what I was feeling about our team right now
The dog muzzle is a bit weird, lol.
You’re totally fine with the muscular legs though? 🤣
Looks like the Eagles aren’t going to do us any favors.
We don’t need no stinking help!!!
I’m confident in week 18…if we need it.
I think we’re going to win the division on our own
LOL
Half dolphin, half dog…ang half human…
Hey! You moved it, jerk!! 🤣
Hurts looks concussed.
Too many hits to the head on the ass push.
Philly block the FG, then fumble, then Bills score TD all in last 1:30. Philly needs to come out much better in the second half. Fuckers
Chasing a lead is not ideal for Philly
Sorry Kong, realized I replied to the wrong comment
lol, no worries, that was hilarious
I was just thinking, why not sign Shaq Leonard for the rest of the season to rotate at ILB that way AVG can strictly concentrate on playing OLB/Edge.
I think Leonard is not the same guy he was before his injury
Eagles are toast
Hurts needs to throw the ball to the open guy bang bang instead if dancing around like he’s drunk.
The Bills might win
But they never learn
Seeing a Josh Allen lead the team in rushing isn’t good
They make him play hero ball every week
C’mon, Iggles… play some D!
Where’s this Philly D that gave us such a hard time?
These 2 teams are Physical as hell!
This is NFL Football!
Go Philly. Break Buffalo’s heart.
pour it on ’em, Philly!
Eagles turning it on!
I pink corrected
I guess they can come back
and all of a sudden, Philly D looks gassed.
Maybe the Philly offense got rested. Otherwise, it’s over.
Eagles wasted too much clock right there.
stupid QB draw
twice
wow, two false starts in 3 plays when they were basically in fg range
wtf was that throw?
Eagles freaking choked
wow, what a kick!
wow he nailed that kick!!!!
OT, BABY!!!
Hey a tie is as good as a loss for Buffalo for us, right?
Allen made #7 his bitch
Effing Eagles
Fucking act job
Absolutely. Also I’ve seen worse not called at all.
What a flop by Allen. The wuss
they all look tired.
WOOOOOOHOOO!!
AWESOME
Thank you Philadelphia
I wonder what Hurts is going to do when his legs go?
Mat
Bye learn to use the 4 RBs he has 🤷♂️🤔😊
Or maybe
Buffaloed
wow talk about an easy walk-off score
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Okay Go Chargers
Go Jets Go
#10 seed
That gave me anxiety and it wasn’t even our game. Whew! 😂
lol, me too
Totally
checking the standings
Let’s seeee …
Where are those Buffalo guys?
Oh yeah … wayyyy down there.
Shoot. They don’t even qualify for the playoffs!!!!!!!
Hell yeah!!!!!!!
Hey we have now beaten a winning team. By 50 points
Oh they won’t count that , it doesn’t fit the agenda , and they were under when we played
Let’s go San Diego
Errr…Los Angeles
(Whispering)
Buffalo is behind Denver, as in 70-20 Denver.