The Dolphins won easily without Tyreek Hill. Now they need to show they can beat a winning team

Updated Dec. 18, 2023 5:40 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa had already checked out of the game along with many other Dolphins starters when Miami fans started chanting, “We want Dallas!”

Miami's 30-0 win over the New York Jets was the bounce-back the Dolphins needed after an embarrassing collapse against Tennessee six days prior. And Miami was just fine playing a full game without star receiver Tyreek Hill.

Tagovailoa said he felt the offense was a bit disoriented with Hill limited to 34 snaps against the Titans because of an ankle injury, but getting reps without Hill in the week leading up to Sunday's game helped with Miami's production.

“It’s tough not having one of your star guys out there,” Tagovailoa said. “But as a collective group, it’s like, well, what are we going to do? Are we going to run the ball the entire game or are we going to do action game the entire game? No, we shouldn’t change who we are as an offense because one guy is out. We’ve got a lot of other guys that we trust, that we believed in, to keep on the team, and that’s what happened out there.”

Miami (10-4) can clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season with a win over Dallas next week. The Cowboys are the first of three tough opponents left on the schedule — followed by Baltimore and Buffalo.

All three foes have winning records, and Miami hasn't beaten a team all season that entered the game over .500.

Ending that trend without its No. 1 deep threat in Hill would be tough, but the good news is that the Dolphins got production from almost everywhere on Sunday.

Raheem Mostert had two rushing touchdowns, giving him franchise bests of 20 total TDs and 18 on the ground. Jaylen Waddle had his best game of the year with eight receptions for 142 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown catch. Tagovailoa completed 87.5% of his passes, and six players recorded a sack.

“Tyreek, it sucks that we didn’t have him (Sunday) because he’s a hell of a player, definitely a gold jacket guy, and I say that with full conviction,” Mostert said. “It’s hard to shut out a team, especially a divisional opponent like the Jets and we swept them this year. It just shows you the type of characters that we have in this locker room.”

WHAT'S WORKING

Miami's defense held an opponent under 100 yards rushing for the seventh time in the last eight games and recorded at least six sacks for the third time. The Dolphins were also a yard away from extending their streak of three straight games with a defensive touchdown when Bradley Chubb knocked the ball free from Zach Wilson's hands and Zach Sieler recovered it at the Jets 1.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Dolphins were 2 of 5 in the red zone for the second straight week. Miami drove inside the Jets 14 in the first quarter but was penalized three times, including an offsides call against receiver Robbie Chosen, and settled for a field goal. Penalties and negative plays also stalled momentum on a drive into the red zone in the fourth quarter, which ended in a sack of Tagovailoa and another field goal.

STOCK UP

Chubb admitted he let his emotions get the best of him against the Titans when he took off his helmet in frustration after missing a sack on quarterback Will Levis, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. The Dolphins' high-priced edge rusher recorded three sacks against the Jets, increasing his season total to 9 1/2 Chubb had a strip-sack of Tevor Siemian in the fourth quarter and recovered the fumble, and he leads the NFL with six forced fumbles.

STOCK DOWN

Offensive line health. Right tackle Austin Jackson entered the game as the only starter on Miami's offensive line who hasn't missed time with an injury, but he was limited to 29 snaps after hurting his oblique in the second quarter.

INJURIES

Waddle said he got the wind knocked out of him when he landed hard after a catch on the first offensive series. Waddle remained on the ground for a while after the play and appeared to be pointing at his chest as he slowly walked to the medical tent, but he returned and played 41 snaps. ... LB Andrew Van Ginkel broke his nose in the first quarter but still played 88% of defensive snaps.

KEY NUMBER

3,921 — Tagovailoa's passing yardage this season, which leads the NFL. He's poised to join Dan Marino and Ryan Tannehill as the only players in Dolphins history to throw for 4,000 or more in a season.

NEXT STEPS

After hosting the Cowboys on Sunday, the Dolphins will travel to face the Ravens, who are currently the top team in the AFC.

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