Black Friday Game Brings Injury, Blood, Woe And Leaves One Coach Facing Uncertain Future
It was a horrible, exasperating, bloody, season-threatening game that the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins just played.
It was fittingly played on Black Friday because there was a whole lot of darkness and woe coming out of this one.
Start with the biggest issue:
Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips suffered a calf injury in the fourth quarter that threatens his status for the remainder of the season. Phillips seemed to pop something in his right calf as he rushed the passer.
Phillips was not touched but went down in a heap.
The Dolphins soon confirmed everyone's worst fear: An Achilles injury.
"It doesn't look good," coach Mike McDaniel said afterward before adding the team will know more Saturday after further testing.
Jaelan Phillips Suffers Achilles Injury
If indeed the Dolphins have lost Phillips to a ruptured Achilles, they will turn to Andrew Van Ginkel to take the pass rushing spot Phillips had filled in collecting 5.5 sacks in 12 games.
This was the worst and clearly most persistent worry the Dolphins take out of this game because they obviously leave New Jersey with a 34-6 victory over the Jets.
Those numbers offer more than a sliver of good news for the Dolphins because their schedule suggests they're about to enjoy something of a break the first few weeks of December.
Miami, 8-3 and leading the AFC East, play the Commanders, Titans and Jets (again) the next three games. None of those teams have a winning record. All those teams have already fired coaches or have coaches on the hot seat as the end of the season draws closer.
So the Dolphins seem to get a respite before their final three games of the season -- against Dallas, Baltimore and Buffalo -- that will determine their long-term fate and playoff seeding.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins calls a play against the New York Jets during the second quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on Friday. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Tua Tagovailoa Struggles Amid Ugly Cut
The play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will obviously be perhaps the most important factor to determine Miami's direction.
This game was not kind in that regard. Because Tagovailoa was simply not sharp against the Jets. Yes, the Dolphins won and Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass.
But he had 2 interceptions that increased his season total to 10 and that ties his 2021 career high despite having one less start to his credit.
It could be argued Tagovailoa played this game somewhat injured because in the first half he suffered an ugly gash that required Dolphins trainers to patch.
Dolphins Defense Steps Up When Needed
The gash, however, was on Tagovailoa's right bicep. And the Miami quarterback is left-handed so there seems no real excuse for the opening to have affected his throwing.
One of Tagovailoa's interceptions was returned 30 yards for a touchdown.
The Dolphins offense nonetheless accounted for three touchdowns against the Jets solid defense.
But it was Miami's defense, which has played a featured role behind the high-scoring offense's starring billing, that shined brightest this game.
The Dolphins limited the Jets to 159 yards. The Jets averaged only 2.9 yards per gain the entire game. And there was the Hell Mary.
That's the play in which Dolphins safety Jevon Holland intercepted what was supposed to be a last-second Hail Mary before halftime at the 1 yard line.
And he returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.
It was an amazing moment for the Dolphins. It was a bloody embarrassing one, as the British would say, for the Jets. The play joins infamous plays such as the Butt Fumble and Spike Play as moments to forget.
And speaking of bloody:
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - Umpire Carl Paganelli wipes his mouth after being hit in the face during the fourth quarter in the game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Jets Coach Robert Saleh Not Worried About Job
There was a scrum on a Dolphins extra point to start the fourth quarter when frustrations boiled over. Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley did something or other and then all heck broke loose. Austin Jackson of the Dolphins and Michael Clemons of the Jets got into it.
And Clemons hit the umpire in the mouth.
And the umpire started bleeding from said mouth.
So Mosley got himself a roughing penalty. While Jackson and Clemons got disqualified.
"He's pointing and accidently hits the referee but it's still a foul," Jets coach Robert Saleh said.
Saleh and his staff, by the way, are increasingly under scrutiny in the New York media. Appropriately so because the team has lost four consecutive games and nothing is working.
This game the Jets not only benched quarterback Zach Wilson but demoted him to the No. 3 quarterback. And new starter Tim Boyle played poorly.
Boyle underthrew the pass that turned into that terrible Hell Mary interception. He had another interception later. He was sacked seven times. It was not Lou Gehrig coming off the bench to replace Wally Pipp, say that much.
Saleh also benched starting receiver Allen Lazard to the extent he also was inactive for the game. So the coach and his staff have been trying things, none of which are working
"We'll keep digging, gotta keep diggin," Saleh said.
One thing he won't try is take away the play-calling from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. "No, there's no consideration there," Saleh said of making that change.
That's the coach's decision but barring a direction change, the question will stop being whether Saleh would consider making changes to whether Saleh should be part of the changes.
The Jets coach was asked about this after New York's record dropped to 4-7. He was asked if he's worried about his job status.
I'm not," Saleh said. "I'm not worried about it."
Maybe he should start worrying.