New York Jets win tight divisional matchup over Miami Dolphins
The NFL's featured Sunday night game saw the New York Jets travel to Miami where they edged out rivals and division leaders the Miami Dolphins 31-23 in a nail-biter.
There has been a lot of talk flying around the NFL all during the off-season, and early into the regular season, about the controversial New York Jets who again found themselves in the headlines over the
past week for all the wrong reasons when wide receiver Braylon Edwards was stopped by police for driving under the influence. Edwards was forced to sit out the first quarter of last night's game as supplemental discipline, but it didn't seem to bother the
Jets as they took the game's opening drive 72 yards over 10 plays capped off by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to tight end Dustin Keller.
It was another Sanchez to Keller hookup which put the Jets ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter, but the Dolphins got their game plan together and fought back late on in the first half. Quarterback Chad
Henne found tight end Anthony Fasano in the end zone on a short play capping off a strong 9-play, 76-yard drive. Dolphin kicker, Dan Carpenter, also hit a 44-yard field goal after a strong 59-yard drive just before the end of the half as the Dolphins went
into halftime down 10-14.
After the first drive of the second half the Dolphins found themselves up by three points after the Dolphin offence controlled the football for almost nine minutes and capped off a 12-play, 73-yard drive
with a 12-yard play from Henne to wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The touchdown play was one of Marshall's 10 catches for 166 yards.
It took the Jets only one play to bounce back as Sanchez found Braylon Edwards for a huge 67-yard play. Edwards caught the ball along the sideline and maneuvered a nifty spin move around a sprawling Dolphin
defensive back and took it all the way to the house.
The Jets never again relinquished their lead as the teams traded field goals until the Jets put together an impressive 12-play, 80-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. It was the controversial Edwards
who was involved in two key plays on the series including hooking up on a 20-yard play on third and ten when it looked like the Jets' drive might stall at midfield; the second drawing a pass interference call in the end zone which created a new set of downs
for the Jets to work with in the red zone. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson eventually ran the football in from one yard.
The Dolphins drove down all the way into the red zone in the closing seconds looking for a miracle but Henne was intercepted in the end zone by Jets cornerback Drew Coleman, which sealed it for the Jets.
The Jets victory tightens up the AFC East division with Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots all tied with two wins and one loss ahead of the 0-3 Buffalo Bills. The Jets have a small advantage by virtue of now
having beaten both Dolphins and the Patriots this season.
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