Grading the Jets' Week 7 loss to the Miami Dolphins

OFFENSE

When you look at the season-high 377 yards and overall numbers of some players – two TDs and a 2-point conversion for Mason Taylor, 115 receiving yards for Omar Cooper Jr., 104 rushing yards for Braelon Allen – you’d think the unit was humming. It was not. That was obvious when it had first-and-goal inside the 1 in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get those inches needed to tie the score. Geno Smith threw for 287 yards and three scores but had a costly turnover in the first half. Adonai Mitchell’s return from a finger injury was a nonfactor (3 targets, zero catches) and made him only slightly less productive than Garrett Wilson (3 official targets, two catches, 26 yards).

Grade: D

DEFENSE

The Dolphins opened the game marching the length of the field for a touchdown (their first lead of the season!) and closed it with a fourth-and-1 tush push for a first down. In between there were seldom times when the Jets looked like they were affecting Malik Willis and his crew in any way. Allowing a 63-yard touchdown on a late-game checkdown to Caleb Douglas was awful. The Jets didn’t have a takeaway and their two sacks resulted in a total loss of 4 yards. Miami had 156 rushing yards; 103 from Ollie Gordon II and 37 mostly on scrambles by Willis.

Grade: F

SPECIAL TEAMS

It was a little overshadowed by other ineptitudes in other areas but there is a strong argument to be made that Jason Sanders’ missed 40-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the right upright cost the Jets this game. Forfeiting three points in a three-point loss? Rough. Isaiah Williams returned just one punt for 7 yards. The Jets made the Dolphins field two kickoffs uncleanly on bounces but neither resulted in particularly poor starting field position. The Dolphins had one punt return for 13 yards.

Grade: F

COACHING

The lack of interest in getting the ball to Garrett Wilson has become comical on the outside and obviously disruptive to the team. In this game, the Jets’ best player didn’t get his first official target until the third quarter. Everyone in the organization agrees that can’t happen… and yet somehow it continues to. This staff continues to let down the players in so many other ways, too. Aaron Glenn didn’t use any of his timeouts late in the first half, which could have allowed for a threatening possession rather than taking a knee with six seconds left when they got the ball back after a Miami touchdown. There was no creativity on the critical goal-to-go series in the fourth quarter (unless you count a handoff to fullback Andrew Beck as a change of pace). At least this week Glenn seemed to know who got the ball to start the second half.

Grade: F

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.