Jets-Dolphins Recap: Studs, Duds From 20-6 Win

The Jets got their first win of the season this Sunday, taking out the division rival Dolphins 20-6 to move to 1-2. Who’s trending up? Who’s trending down?

STUDS

Jamal Adams - This man is a superstar. Right now. Adams makes plays all over the football field. Behind the line of scrimmage. At the first down marker. Far past it. Everywhere.

It’s really special how many roles Adams can thrive in. In this game, he saved a big gain through the air playing center field, ranging over to break up a pass down the sideline. He contributed on a more than a few tackles behind the line. Below, he looks like a seasoned defensive lineman picking up the sack in the trenches.

Demario Davis - Davis was terrible through Weeks 1-2, but today he was a monster and completely different player. You saw how helpful it is to a defense when your inside linebackers can play disciplined football. He was in the right position almost all of the time, packing a punishing punch in the run game. He also looked competent in coverage! Improvement!

Davis had 12 tackles in this game, but they weren’t the usual fluky, stockpiling kind. Five of them were for 3 yards or fewer, and three of them for a loss.

Josh McCown - Give McCown some credit where it’s due. He was very solid in this game. The receiving core definitely bailed him out with some nice catches, but most of the time you take it when your quarterback throws for over 10 yards an attempt without turning it over.

Robby Anderson - Anderson and McCown didn’t have much chemistry through the first two games but he finally got fed on the deep ball when open. He’s been open more often than his numbers would suggest, but in this game Anderson backed it up with production, highlighted by a 69 yard touchdown to put the team in control.

Terrence Brooks - Many fans complained when the Jets traded the revered Dexter McDougle for an unknown safety. That unknown safety produced more in this game than McDougle did in three years. Brooks picked up two picks, one on a fake punt, and made some impressive tackles.

David Bass - Bass joined the team only a few days before the Miami game but showed up with a sack and two tackles for a huge loss.

Darryl Roberts - Roberts was challenged quite a bit and made the Dolphins pay more often than not. He did a nice job contesting the ball and was solid in coverage throughout.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins - While only for 31 yards, Seferian-Jenkins caught 5 passes in his debut. Want to take a guess at the last time a Jets tight end caught that many balls in a game? It was Jace Amaro in Week 6 of 2014. The Jets have played 45 games since. Let that sink in.

DUDS

Morris Claiborne - Things never got out of hand, but it felt like the front seven may have bailed out the corners a bit, specifically Claiborne. DeVante Parker beat him a couple times, and he also picked up a pair of penalties (one declined). It doesn’t feel like the Jets have a secondary that will hold them up when they don’t get pressure. You saw that in Oakland.

Brandon Shell - Yikes. Shell has been the recipient of lots of praise so far, but this was a poor performance. Cameron Wake smoked him for a sack early, and he would continue to struggle against the strong Dolphins front. A step backward for the young right tackle. The offensive line as a whole wasn’t very good in this game, but Shell’s struggles stood out most.

Darron Lee - This was probably Lee’s best game of the year so far, so I don’t want to knock him too much. However, on a day where so many players flashed defensively, I thought Lee was still caught filling the wrong gaps and trailing in coverage a few times. Demario Davis bailed him out this game, however.