Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets: Top 5 takeaways from Week 3 matchup

In the Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets Week 3 matchup, Gang Green came out on top thanks to sticking with their fundamentals. Here are the top five takeaways from the Week 3 contest.

The New York Jets finally broke their two-game losing streak and defeated the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 by the score of 20-6. From the first snap of the game to the final whistle, the Jets had controlled the time of possession battle and wore out the Dolphins. It was like night and day for this team from what they looked like the first two weeks of this season.

With the victory, the Jets are now 1-2 and can rest up for the week and get ready to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. In this game, there were many improvements but they still have some mistakes to work on. It was a small baby step for them to improve as a team. They will look to continue to build on this victory with a big game in Week 4 against a very strong Jaguars team.

This is a great opportunity for the Jets to even out their record and be at .500. Let’s take a deeper look from this Week 3 contest.

Next: 5. Josh McCown looked very impressive

5. Josh McCown looked very impressive

Quarterback Josh McCown was finally able to lead his team to a victory with an excellent performance. He was very careful with the football and was making smart decisions.

McCown was able to go 18 for 23 in passing and threw for 249 yards. The big thing that he didn’t do is throw any interceptions.

He finished with a 73 quarterback rating which is much better for what it has been. McCown was able to make the Dolphins defense frustrated by managing the game well.

McCown will need to build on this performance because the next few weeks will decide the future of his Jets career. McCown will have to do the same performance next week when they face the Jaguars.

The offense kept the football for a great amount of time and kept the defense relaxed. They had the football for 36 minutes and 8 seconds which is a 12 minute and 56-second difference from the Dolphins which they had the ball for 23 minutes and 52 seconds.

Next: 4. Jets defensive front line steps up in a huge way

4. Jets defensive front line steps up in a huge way

After struggling the past two weeks, the Jets defense stepped up in a big way. They were able to get key defensive stops and set the tone from start to finish.

With putting pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler all game, the defense caused him to throw multiple interceptions. The defense only gave up 30 yards in rushing, and 195 total yards in passing.

They improved big time in the second half and made the correct adjustments which are very impressive. They finally stepped up and delivered a complete performance for the most part.

The three quarterback sacks they had caused the Dolphins drives to be stalled. They need to use their speed and agility because they could cause major problems against any opponent in the NFL once they get consistent.

Next: 3. Wide receivers show up in a big way

3. Wide receivers show up in a big way

The Jets wide receiver corps of Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Jeremy Kerley showed up when their numbers were called. These three players combined to total up 179 yards of the 336 yards in total offense.

Anderson and Kerley were quiet these past two weeks and Sunday they came alive. They both had big plays as Anderson had a 69-yard touchdown pass and Kerley had a big 14-yard reception that helped move the chains.

Kearse also had made a big catch to also keep the momentum going. If they are able to continue this success, then they will have an improved passing offense.

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They need to continue to be a physical group these next few weeks because these next few opponents are amongst the best. It is time for the receivers to continue to step up and become a real threat on offense.

Next: 2. Commitment to the running game

2. Commitment to the running game

It has been like night and day in how the running game has been thus far in the season for the Jets. Running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell had a combined total of 24 carries for 62 yards and one touchdown for Powell.

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The both of them were very effective throughout the game and the running holes opened up quicker. Forte looked like his old self before his toe injury as he was being a physical runner and gained major yardage.

Forte is more of an efficient runner and Powell is a cutback and speed runner. If both are able to do this every game both could help the offense develop even more.

They need to establish this type of game plan because it will allow the defense to be fresh and dominate. If they can continue this type of play, then it will help out the passing game of the Jets to be effective as well.

Next: 1. The defensive secondary finally delivers

1. The defensive secondary finally delivers

For the first two weeks of the season, the Jets secondary was getting embarrassed and Sunday was a different story. The Jets secondary was able to produce two interceptions that were big drive stoppers.

They made the tackles and had helped when they needed it. This is what a complete team effort should look like on defense. Everyone was talking and being physical in the entire game.

In the second half, the Dolphins were having a lot of trouble of getting open which was good to see. They played more of a bump and run kind of coverage and made it frustrating for the Dolphins receivers to get open.

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It was good to see that the whole defense from the front line and secondary produce big time.  They will need to play with the same intensity for the rest of the season and not just week to week. But this is indeed a great step in the right direction.