Jets vs. Dolphins: Top 5 takeaways from Week 7

The New York Jets lost another heartbreaker in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins as here are the takeaways from this game.

The New York Jets took another huge step back in development in Week 7 as they lost to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium with the final score of 31-28. From the start of the second half and to the end of the game, the Jets had a chance to secure a win but they stumbled at the end once again.

Looking at the offensive side of the football, the costly turnover at the end of the game was the key factor for the loss. After starting off strong, the Jets offense went 3 and out numerous times and made the defense be on the field longer.

With the loss, the Jets are now 3-4 and will need to regroup and prepare for a tough Atlanta Falcons team in Week 8. In this game, there were a lot of things that as a fan you shake your head. Now, let’s take a deeper look and break down the top five takeaways from this Week 7 matchup.

Next: 5. Offensive line struggles for a fourth straight week

5. Offensive line struggles for a fourth straight week

The weakest part of the team continues to get exposed as the offensive line struggled again. It showed big time as the offensive line didn’t get much penetration.

The communication needs to improve before it gets out of hand to be able to fix. The offensive line was not able to contain the Dolphins defensive pressure which allowed them to cash in on the Jets mental mistakes. They committed very costly penalties that were brought on themselves.

The inexperience on the line will hurt the team from growing in a positive way. For now, they will continue to struggle and at the end of the day, they need to figure this problem out fast.

Next: 4. Secondary couldn't stop a runaway train once again

4. Secondary couldn’t stop a runaway train once again

Just like in the beginning of the season, the Jets had a sub-par performance by their secondary. Even though they had two interceptions, they had too many costly penalties and too many missed coverages allowing the Dolphins receivers and tight ends to get open.

Clearly, the secondary of the Jets has major things to work on before they can play a full solid game. Otherwise, mediocre and outstanding quarterbacks will continue to pick them apart every single week.

Obviously, it’ll take some time for the secondary to work as a cohesive unit, but yet again they lack the fundamentals of coverage, sticking to their assignments, and execution. The Dolphins aren’t even that great a team but the Jets made them look as such due to a lack of consistency when it came to their pass defense.

Next: 3. Defensive line is unable to establish consistent pressure

3. Defense is unable to establish consistent pressure

Sunday’s game had two different results in the first and second half. In the first half, the Jets applied plenty of pressure to get to Jay Cutler. In the second half, it was a completely different story after Cutler went out with an injury and Matt Moore entered the game.

Cutler and Moore combined to throw 304 yards and Moore looked like he was having a grand old time against the Jets defense. The Dolphins were 3 for 3 in the red zone and the Jets were unable to do much against them as they made a solid comeback in the second half.

The defensive line was playing incredible in the first half, and in the second half, it completely changed. They didn’t bring consistent pressure and they were embarrassed by too many missed assignments.

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The offense of the Dolphins tallied 357 yards of total offense which tells you their defensive struggles continue to grow. Like always, it’s frustrating to watch and you keep saying it’s the “Same old Jets” when it comes to the lack of effort and execution from the start and finish of a football game.

Next: 2. Offense struggles after a strong start

2. Offense struggles after a strong start

Just like last week, the Jets looked completely lost in the second half and couldn’t establish consistent drives.

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The Jets established 272 yards of total offense which is nothing to be ashamed of. They had multiple penalties in the game and six out of the twelve were on the offensive side of the football.

The offensive play calling in the second half produced lackluster results which continue to be a recurring theme under new offensive coordinator John Morton. When the run game was not working in the second half they should have just stuck with the passing game. They need to stick with what works and not abandon it so quickly.

The Jets easily could have won this game if they continued to play aggressively from start to finish but in the end, when it mattered most, they fizzled out. The Dolphins took advantage and ended up with a big win.

Next: 1. Costly penalties on defense hurt in crucial moments

1. Costly penalties on defense hurt in crucial moments

The Jets defense played excellent football until they made some huge mental mistakes. The secondary for the Jets made too many mistakes and allowed the Dolphins offensive drives to continue.

Cornerback Buster Skrine was the main cause for the mental errors. He doesn’t establish consistent weeks of good clean football. You don’t know what player you will get week to week. He plays incredible football one week and the following week he makes bad decisions but should have been benched after racking up so many penalties and blown coverages.

Must Read: 5 Jets that lost the game against the Dolphins

In the fourth quarter,  Skrine was the culprit that had caused the big penalties. He had been beaten on many plays and was hung out to dry. It comes down to bad coaching since Skrine continued to put the Jets in a position to now only blow a lead but lose a game they should have won. Until the coaching staff implements better discipline to stop these costly penalties, the Jets will continue to be on the outside looking in.