EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (AP) Malik Willis threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, leading the Miami Dolphins to their first victory of the season with a 28-25 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.
The Dolphins (1-5) came out of their weeklong hiatus and avoided their first 0-6 start since 2019 by scoring on their first two drives and controlling most of the game before holding on to give coach Jeff Hafley his first victory.
Trailing 28-17 with 4:44 to play, the Jets (2-5) made a late effort. On fourth-and-4, Geno Smith completed a short pass to Isaiah Davis, who raced 41 yards to the Dolphins 18. Three plays later, Smith found Mason Taylor in the left back corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, the tight end’s second of the game.
Penalties wiped out New York’s first two 2-point tries before Smith threw to Taylor to make it 28-25 with 3:24 left.
But Willis sealed the victory when he advanced 2 yards on fourth-and-1 as the Dolphins celebrated and frustrated Jets fans filed out of MetLife Stadium.
Willis finished 14 of 21 for 208 yards and two touchdown passes to rookie Caleb Douglas, and ran for 37 yards on eight carries. Ollie Gordon ran for 103 yards and a score.
Smith was 23 of 30 for 287 yards and three touchdowns, both to Taylor and another to Omar Cooper Jr., and an interception. Braelon Allen had 104 rushing yards for the Jets, who fell to 0-8 against AFC East opponents under coach Aaron Glenn.
The Dolphins started quickly, driving 76 yards in seven plays and taking their first lead in any game this season on Willis’ 7-yard touchdown pass to Douglas.
It also ended New York’s streak of not allowing a point on a first possession in five straight games.
But the Jets came right back as Smith connected with Cooper for a 52-yard gain on their first offensive snap. Three plays later, Taylor — son of former Dolphins star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor — passed Jason Marshall Jr. in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard score that tied it at 7.
This is the third straight game in which New York has scored in its first game.
Miami then went on a 14-play, 60-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Gordon.
New York was driving again on its next possession at the Miami 21 when Smith tried to throw a pass through a tight window to Taylor, but Michael Taaffe stepped in front and intercepted it.
The Dolphins’ touchdown streak, however, ended on their third possession, when they scored three points. They got right back at it on their next drive, with Willis scoring on a 2-yard scramble with 6 seconds left in the first half to take a 21-7 lead.
Allen gave New York some immediate juice in the second half with a 27-yard run on the Jets’ first play of the third quarter, but the drive stalled. To add to the misery, Jason Sanders – a longtime Dolphins kicker in his first season with the Jets – hit the right upright on a 40-yard try.
Cooper started New York’s next drive with a 60-yard reception and finished it five plays later with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it a 21-14 game with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
The Jets then reached the Dolphins 1, but couldn’t get it going on runs by Andrew Beck and Allen and settled for a 33-yard field goal when Smith was sacked on third down.
Willis threw a short throw to Douglas, who got on his tiptoes after the catch and raced down the sideline for a 63-yard touchdown that put Miami up 28-17 with 4:44 to play.
Dolphins: S Dante Trader Jr. injured his left shoulder in the third quarter. … CB JuJu Brents left with a stinger in the second half, but returned in the fourth quarter.
Jets: DT T’Vondre Sweat limped off with a knee injury late in the second quarter and did not return.
Dolphins: Host New England next Sunday.
Jets: Host Las Vegas next Sunday.
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