Dolphins @ Jets
This game went about exactly as you’d expect. The Dolphins are clearly the better team, but they also didn’t do anything to jump out and declare themselves as real contenders in the AFC. After all, with a 20-3 win in Sunday’s matchup with the Jets, the 7-4 Dolphins are firmly entrenched in the playoff race and they’re a sneaky team that could upset a division winner in the playoffs. A big win against the worst team in the NFL could have gone a long way towards making believers out of a lot of fans, but it was ultimately a rather pedestrian performance for an offense that pretty much abandoned the run through the first three-quarters of the game. When it came time to start running time off the clock, bad fumbles by Matt Breida and Patrick Laird kept the Jets’ slight hopes for a victory alive, but nothing came of it. Read on to see what else you missed from this snoozefest!
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
Ryan Fitzpatrick: 24/39, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 4 sacks, 1 fumble | 3 carries, 10 yards
Ryan Fitzpatrick came out slinging it on the Dolphins’ first drive, and not to who you’d expect. He found Durham Smythe, Mack Hollins, and Malcolm Perry for completions before even looking DeVante Parker‘s way, and that would end up being the mantra for the afternoon: Spread the ball around. Yes, Parker had a beast of a game, but Fitzmagic completed passes to ten different players on the day and was looking anywhere he could find an open receiver. Miami essentially abandoned the running game for the first three quarters, and Fitzpatrick was 17/22 for 180 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins to three scores in their first four drives, and the only drive they didn’t score on ended prematurely; The offense lined up for a fourth-and-two play on the Jets’ 38, but a too-many-men-on-the-field penalty pushed them back five yards and they decided to punt instead.
Mistakes were what kept the Jets in this game for as long as they were, but Fitzpatrick wasn’t really to blame for any of them. Yes, he was certainly less efficient in the 2nd half, but the damage was already done. He did reward those who started him with a garbage-time touchdown later in the game, and otherwise, his fantasy output would have been disappointing given the matchup. Fitzpatrick still gives this team their best chance to win real football games, and for Brian Flores and company that’s all that matters for as long as Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined.
Running Backs
Matt Breida: 8 carries, 36 yards, 1 fumble | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
DeAndre Washington: 13 carries, 49 yards | 5 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards
Patrick Laird: 1 carry, 9 yards, 1 fumble
As I mentioned above, Miami pretty much ignored the running game for the majority of the game. They ran the ball only 11 times in the first three quarters, and that work was initially led by Matt Breida. DeAndre Washington did get some work in the 2nd quarter, and he converted a couple of first downs on catches out of the backfield that directly led to scores. He was easily the best back on the field for Miami, especially considering that both Breida and Patrick Laird (on his only carry) fumbled on consecutive drives in the third quarter. After the fumbles, Washington got the vast majority of the work as the Dolphins wound out the clock.
I really liked what I saw from Washington. He was shifty, looked good in his routes and he wasn’t afraid of making contact. He also held onto the ball, which is rather important. If Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin remain out next week, Washington might be worth an add and even a start against Cincinnati.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
DeVante Parker: 14 targets, 8 receptions, 119 yards
Mike Gesicki: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 35 yards, TD
Adam Shaheen: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards, TD
Jakeem Grant: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards
Mack Hollins: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards
Durham Smythe: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards
Malcolm Perry: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
The two stories in this game were DeAndre Washington and DeVante Parker. Parker is a bona-fide WR1 when Fitzpatrick is under center, and that was further confirmed on Sunday. He did drop a pass on the Dolphins’ opening drive, and there was another “catch” that was somehow confirmed on replay but really should have been called incomplete. Though he didn’t find the endzone, Parker can be counted on as long as Fitzpatrick is leading this offense.
Besides Parker, there isn’t really much to discuss. As I mentioned earlier, ten different players caught a pass from Fitzpatrick on Sunday, and none of it was fantasy relevant besides Mike Gesicki‘s touchdown. Gesicki was the recipient of five targets, but I honestly can’t tell you much about them because, frankly, I can’t tell any of their tight ends apart (and neither can the announcers).
I was disappointed that Malcolm Perry left the game early in the first quarter with a chest injury, because he was targeted on the opening drive after seeing four targets last week after Fitzpatrick entered the game. I really think there is something there between the two of them, so hopefully Perry can recover and return soon.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 16/27, 197 yards, 2 INTs, 3 sacks | 2 carries, 9 yards
This one was ugly. To be fair to Sam Darnold, the Jets had to start a 3rd string right tackle and a 2nd string right guard today, and that certainly didn’t help matters. Darnold took a bad 3rd down sack in the red zone, killing what was a promising opening drive and instead forcing the team to settle for a field goal. In the 2nd quarter, Miami forced three straight three-and-outs by getting good pressure on Darnold and keeping forcing some errant throws. He did keep a couple drives alive by scrambling on third downs, but it simply wasn’t enough to keep them in the game.
Darnold’s two interceptions were absolutely terrible decisions. The first came on a play where he scrambled out of the pocket and threw the ball across his body. The second came on a pass he tried to force to Breshad Perriman, but Xavien Howard had fantastic coverage on him and took the ball right out of the air. It was a bad throw and an even worse decision, and it’s something that Darnold needs to eradicate from his game as soon as possible if he ever wants to be viewed as a starting QB in the NFL. Darnold has no fantasy value at this point.
#Jets with Dowell Loggains calling plays and Joe Flacco playing QB: 27 and 28 points back to back.
Today: Gase calling plays and Sam Darnold playing QB: 3 points.
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) November 29, 2020
Running Backs
Frank Gore: 18 carries, 74 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 12 yards
Ty Johnson: 2 carries, 3 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 1 yard
Josh Adams: 1 carry, 1 yard
With La’Mical Perine missing the game (and likely the next couple) with a high ankle sprain, Frank Gore took over lead back duties and responded with his best game of the season. He carried the rock seven times in the first quarter, and on the Jets’ final drive of the 1st half, he had a 14-yard run and a 17-yard run to put them into field goal range. The Jets would end up missing the kick, but Gore’s 17-yard run was his longest of the season. He looked slow and he doesn’t hit the hole with the same burst that he used to. He was stuffed on a fourth-and-one attempt late in the game where he got absolutely run over by linebacker Elandon Roberts.
Gore’s 86 yards from scrimmage were also a season-high, but let’s not kid ourselves. Gore is neither the savior of the Jets’ offense, nor is he the savior of your fantasy teams heading into the playoffs. Yes, his upcoming matchups against the Raiders and Seahawks are good on paper, but those are games that could be done early and I wouldn’t want to fire Gore up anywhere except maybe as a desperation flex.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Breshad Perriman: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 79 yards
Denzel Mims: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 67 yards
Jamison Crowder: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 31 yards
Jeff Smith: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Make no mistake about it, the Jets have some talented receivers in Breshad Perriman, Denzel Mims, and Jamison Crowder. They all made some acrobatic catches at one point or another and, were they to be given a competent coach and a competent QB, this corps might actually be something worth investing in for fantasy purposes. Unfortunately, Darnold and Gase will hold them back for as long as they’re in town. They each showed a little flash in this game, however. Perriman made a catch early in the third quarter where he went up for the ball and caught it while falling backward and staying inbounds. He also had a nice toe tap on a deep ball to the sideline in the first quarter. A few of his targets were simply thrown over his head or into the ground in front of him, so his respectable numbers on the day could have been more if given the opportunity.
The same can be said about Mims. He had a ridiculous catch to convert a third-down deep in their own territory where he caught it with his fingertips on a slant route and proceeded to run for a 30 yard gain. It was a great catch, and another example of a talented player wasting away in this offense. Meanwhile, Jamison Crowder was targeted three times on their first two drives and then was targeted only once for the rest of the game. Crowder is supposed to be Darnold’s safety net but he was everything but that on Sunday, as Darnold rarely looked his way. Better days should be ahead for all three of these guys, we hope.
— Ben Brown (@FelixTheDog23 on Twitter, iamatechnician on Reddit)