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Posted by - Richard Thomas \
December 17, 2023 \
Filed in - Sports \
aaron rodgers miami dolphins new york jets trevor siemian zach wilson \
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Any delusions about the Jets bringing Aaron Rodgers back to make a late-season playoff push ended here Sunday in an utterly embarrassing, no-show performance against the Dolphins.
The Jets were outplayed and outcoached in every aspect of the game and suffered a humiliating 30-0 defeat at Hard Rock Stadium.
It is the first time the Jets have been shut out since Sept. 26, 2021, when the Broncos beat them 26-0. Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the head coach of Denver that day.
Quarterback Zach Wilson was under siege in the first half behind an offensive line that played an atrocious game. He exited the game just before halftime with a head injury. Wilson had no chance to duplicate his performance against the Texans last week as he was under pressure every time he dropped back and was sacked four times. Wilson was 4-for-11 passing for 26 yards and had a fumble.
Trevor Siemian replaced Wilson and did not fare any better, getting sacked two times and going 14-for-25 with 110 yards with two interceptions.
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is sacked by the Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb on Dec. 17, 2023.USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The game was over in the first half when the Jets had 4 total yards and minus-10 yards passing. They did not cross the 50 until midway through the third quarter. Star receiver Garrett Wilson did not have a catch until the third quarter as he was blanketed by Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
While Wilson and Siemian had their struggles on the field, the off-the-field speculation has all been on another quarterback — Rodgers. The Jets have until Wednesday to add him to the active roster or his season is over. The belief is that he will be medically cleared to return, but what is the point? The Jets are now 5-9 and not making the playoffs and playing Rodgers behind this offensive line would be a terrible idea.
The Dolphins (10-4) came into this game with injury issues, most notably star receiver Tyreek Hill was missing with an ankle injury. It did not matter, though. The Dolphins carved up the vaunted Jets defense with receiver Jaylen Waddle running free through the secondary and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completing his first 13 passes.
Aaron Rodgers looks up on the Jets sideline during a loss to the Dolphins on Dec. 17, 2023.AP
It is believed that coach Robert Saleh will return in 2024 but a performance like Sunday’s raises questions about whether owner Woody Johnson should make a change. The Jets were non-competitive against a division rival a week after they gained some momentum against the Texans.
It was clear this would be a long day for the Jets early. On their first possession, Wilson was sacked by Bradley Chubb and Christian Wilkins and fumbled. Zach Sieler recovered and returned it to the Jets’ 1. Three plays later, Raheem Mostert scored the first of his two touchdowns.
On their second possession, Saleh called a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from his own 42 and Ashtyn Davis failed to pick up the first down. That led to a Dolphins field goal and a 10-0 lead.
The Dolphins added to the lead midway through the second quarter when Tagovailoa hit Waddle for a 60-yard touchdown. Waddle beat D.J. Reed on the play and the rout was on.
Jets coach Robert Saleh during a loss to the Dolphins on Dec. 17, 2023.USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Mostert scored again just before halftime to make it 24-0.
The Jets have now lost in Miami eight straight times. Their last victory here was in the 2014 season finale, which was Rex Ryan’s final game as Jets coach. This was the largest margin of defeat for the Jets since Oct. 24, 2021, when the Patriots beat them 54-13.
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