Dolphins vs. Jets: Top 5 takeaways from Week 2

The New York Jets lose a heartbreaker in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins as here are the top five takeaways from the game.

Coming off an impressive Monday Night Football game, the New York Jets took a step back in moving forward in Week 2 as they lost to the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium with the final score of 20-12. Throughout the game, the Jets had a chance to make a comeback and secure a win but they stumbled through the game.

Looking at the offensive side of the football, the costly turnovers during the game was one of many key factors for the loss. After starting off strong, the Jets offense was very shaky and had the defense be on the field longer.

With the loss, the Jets are now 1-1 and will need to regroup and prepare for a tough Cleveland Browns team in Week 3. 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 2 matchup.

5. Offensive line struggles tremendously

What continues to be the weakest part of the team got exposed in Week 2. The Jets offensive line struggled again as it showed big time as the offense didn’t get much of a rhythm going.

The communication needs to improve before it gets out of hand later on in the season. 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. They have to fix the problems because the Browns also have excellent pass rushers like the Dolphins.

Next: 4. Secondary made too many mistakes

4. Secondary made too many mistakes

It felt like it was night and day for the way the secondary played yesterday, the Jets had a sub-par performance by their secondary. They couldn’t cause any interceptions, and had too many costly penalties and too many missed coverage’s allowing the Dolphins receivers and tight ends to get open.

The secondary was redone in the offseason and they are still working on things to be on the same page and play a solid game. Otherwise, mediocre and outstanding quarterbacks will pick them apart every week for the rest of the season.

It will take time for the secondary to work as a cohesive unit, but once again, they lacked in the fundamentals of coverage, assignments, and execution. The Dolphins aren’t even a great team but the Jets made them look like a top-tier team because of the lack of execution when it comes to thier pass defense.

Next: 3. Questionable plays on offense

3. Questionable plays on offense

New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates got some flack last week for some of his playcalling on offense but quickly course-corrected as the game went on. This time around, the offense looked completely flat and wasn’t opening up the field for the talent he has at the wide receiver position.

He needed to use some of the plays that worked against the Lions and establish it in his game plan against the Dolphins. It was hard to watch at times because it was very predictable in what plays were being called, which is likely what kept the Jets out of this game for the most part in Week 2.

We understand it is a young rookie quarterback and you are trying to simplify plays but don’t take it too far. He tried to force many passes when it seemed like nothing was working. Bates needed to possibly use dump pass plays as well as short route situations to get something going. Hopefully, Bates will look back from the Lions and Dolphins games and see what worked and put it in the playbook for Thursday’s game.

Next: 2. Sam Darnold has a mediocre performance

2. Sam Darnold has a mediocre performance

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Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold came back down to reality which, in essence, is good for his continued development. He tried to force things when he should have checked into a new play or make better decisions with the football. He still showed promising moments with certain throws and plays when he was forced out of the pocket.

Darnold was able to go 25 for 41 in passing and threw for 334 yards. He threw one touchdown and two interceptions.

He finished with 74.6 quarterback rating which is expected for a rookie quarterback making mistakes. When he was comfortable in the pocket, Darnold proved he can take care of business.

Darnold continues to show some ups and downs but will only get better over time. He just needs to continue to be a leader and develop his game because of the potential he brings to the franchise.

Next: 1. So many costly penalties on defense and offense

1. So many costly penalties on defense and offense

The Jets defense and offense played tough football on both sides until they made some huge mental mistakes. The secondary for the Jets made too many mistakes and allowed the Dolphins offensive drives to continue thanks to having reckless penalties.

The secondary along with the offensive line was the main cause for the mental errors. The defense front made key defensive stops and when they were supposed to be off the field but a penalty occurred. With those penalties, it allowed the Dolphins offense to be on the field longer.

Late in the third and fourth quarter, when the Jets offensive drives could have scored points, penalties defined them. The offensive line who had nearly no mistakes last week made too many crucial ones when it mattered most. Until the coaching staff implements a better discipline to stop these costly penalties, the Jets will continue to lose football games they could have easily won.