Jets Blow 14-Point Fourth-Quarter Lead, Lose To Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Matt Moore replaced an injured Jay Cutler and threw two touchdown passes in the final 12 minutes, and the Miami Dolphins pulled off another comeback win by erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the New York Jets 31-28 on Sunday.
Josh McCown threw three touchdown passes and ran for another for the Jets, but his interception in the final minute set up the winning field goal.
Bobby McCain stepped in front of a pass intended for Jermaine Kearse to give Miami the ball at the Jets 27 with 39 seconds left. Cody Parkey kicked a 39-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go for the Dolphins' first lead of the game.
It was the second consecutive comeback win by the Dolphins, who overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half a week ago for an upset victory at Atlanta. They've won 12 games in a row when the margin is seven points or less.
The Dolphins (4-2) earned their third consecutive victory and avenged a loss to the Jets (3-4) in Week 3.
Cutler left the game due to a chest injury with his team trailing 21-14. After the Jets took a two-touchdown lead, Moore threw scoring passes to Kenny Stills covering 28 and 2 yards to tie the game.
McCown threw for touchdowns of 29 yards to Kearse, 17 yards to Robby Anderson and 10 yards to Austin Seferian-Jenkins. They came against a defense that hadn't allowed more than 20 points all season.
But McCown's poor pass on first down from his own 15 with 47 seconds left and the score tied proved costly.
Cutler threw for two touchdowns before going to the locker room with a chest injury after being hit by linebacker Jordan Jenkins early in the third quarter. Some Miami fans cheered when Moore entered the game to replace Cutler, who drew boos in his Dolphins home debut two weeks ago.
Moore's fifth pass was intercepted by Marcus Maye, whose 33-yard return set up the Jets' final score. Moore finished 13 for 21 for 188 yards.
Teammate Jarvis Landry had seven catches for 93 yards and a score. He gained 17 yards on a catch and run that included a leap over a defender.
OVERTURNED
Stills set up Miami's first score with a sensational 36-yard catch, pulling in a jump ball after he fell to the turf. The pass was first ruled incomplete, but the call was reversed following a replay review.
DEFENSIVE SCORE
An interception by 315-pound defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson set up the touchdown that gave the Jets a 21-14 halftime lead. With the Dolphins backed up at their 7, Wilkerson caught a pass deflected by Jamal Adams on a safety blitz and was tackled at the 1. McCown scored on a sneak two plays later.
Seferian-Jenkins scored for the third week in a row.
GETTING COMFORTABLE
Jets receiver Robby Anderson celebrated his 18-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter by joining the crowd.
After Anderson made the grab, he ran through through the end zone, leaped over the retaining wall and took a seat in a cushy first-row chair, his feet propped on the wall. Fans around him laughed even though the score left Miami behind 14-7.
INJURIES
Jets: T Brandon Shell suffered a neck injury in the first quarter. LB Darron Lee went to the sideline with cramps in the second quarter. Reserve CB Xavier Coleman suffered a shoulder injury in the third period.
Dolphins: LT Laremy Tunsil suffered a knee injury and DE Andrew Branch hurt his groin. Both departed in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Dolphins: play at Baltimore on Thursday.
Jets: play at home against Atlanta next Sunday.
(Copyright 2017 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)