The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins exchanged plenty of trash talk leading up to Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium and, when the contest was over, it was the Dolphins left with bragging rights.
The Dolphins jumped out to an early lead against the Jets, were up 20-0 at halftime, and 27-3 after three quarters before eventually scoring a 30-9 win over their division rival. Perhaps nobody from the Dolphins was more pleased to get the big win than Reggie Bush, whom the Jets seemed to target to injure during the Week 2 meeting between the teams.
Bush only had 59 yards on 14 carries, but he fired up his team with a 19-yard run on the opening drive that included a stiff-arm on Antonio Cromartie. Add in a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, and the Dolphins didn’t need a ton of offense. Bush even says the Jets let up once the Dolphins got on top.
“We knew we wanted to jump on them early, and I think we were able to accomplish that. I think once we got them early, they kind of laid down a little bit,” Bush said after the game, per Newsday.
That’s a pretty strong indictment against a team that has developed a reputation for being tough defensively. The thing is, that’s the second time this season the Jets have been accused of quitting after falling behind early in a game. 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers said the same thing when the Niners whipped the Jets 34-0 in Week 4.
The Jets’ 3-5 record was already enough reason for ownership to be concerned about the direction of the club, but when you start hearing accusations of the players quitting, that’s when you have to start questioning the coaches.
Rex Ryan is beloved by many of the team’s players, but he’s not getting the most of the team (and yes, we fully realize they’ve lost many of their top players to injury). It’s a good thing the Jets have a bye week coming up so they can have some time to get things together before their Week 10 game against Seattle.
If we’re wondering about Reggie Bush saying the Darrelle Revis injury was karma for them targeting him, I think this game proved who was being punished by karma. It was the Jets and guys like LaRon Landry who ran their traps during the week, and they’re the ones who were embarrassed on Sunday.
Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE
