The Miami Dolphins finally have their first win of the 2025 NFL season. It just took a whole lot of fight — and a seemingly catastrophic injury — to get there. Matched up with the rival New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium, Tua Tagovailoa and Co. lost arguably their top weapon in Tyreek Hill, who was carted off the field and transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation of a serious knee injury. They stepped up on defense, however, with three forced turnovers en route to a 27-21 decision under the prime-time lights.

On paper, the Jets had the superior offensive night, outgaining the Dolphins in yards and first downs. Much of their production came from quarterback Justin Fields simply scrambling around, as the signal-caller led New York with 81 rushing yards. By the time Fields found Garrett Wilson for a late touchdown pass, the game was already effectively in the books. That’s because Fields, along with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Williams, lost a fumble earlier in the matchup, granting Miami three takeaways.

Tagovailoa, meanwhile, was sharp for most of the evening, though Hill’s departure early in the third quarter seemed to slow Miami’s passing momentum. Fortunately, De’Von Achane did solid work out of the backfield with 99 yards and a score, while Darren Waller showed up as a red-zone target in his first action since the 2023 season, hauling in a pair of touchdown passes.

Here are some of our top big-picture takeaways from Monday’s AFC East clash:

Play of the game

It was too little, too late for the Jets, but Garrett Wilson’s fourth-quarter touchdown grab was easily the catch of the night, as he secured Justin Fields’ pass atop his opponent’s helmet along the sideline of the end zone:

Miami can take a breath … and then panic a little more

Talk about a bittersweet night if you’re a Dolphins fan: On one hand, Tagovailoa and coach Mike McDaniel finally put forth a winning performance that didn’t end in a head-scratching blunder; the quarterback finally controlled the ball, and McDaniel kept speedsters like Achane involved until the end. On the other, Tyreek Hill’s serious injury is set to put even more pressure on an already top-heavy lineup, and Hill exited immediately after looking like he might finally be regaining his own steam as a high-volume outlet. Yes, Waller emerged as a potential safety valve Monday, but his own medical track record suggests he can’t be counted on for long.

The Jets’ offense is almost entirely one-dimensional

This isn’t to say Fields can’t throw a laser. He can. He did. Look no further than Garrett Wilson’s score and his other would-be score earlier in the contest, which was erased by an iffy offensive pass interference call. It’s just that for most of Fields’ time on the field Monday, his first action since exiting Week 2 with a concussion, New York’s offense amounted to No. 1 trying to make something out of nothing with his legs. And he can make things happen! But it’s not a sustainable story, which is partly why Fields is on his third NFL team and why the Jets are 0-4. This is a gifted athlete and respected kid. But the passing steadiness isn’t there.

Aaron Glenn still has a lot of work to do

Obvious, perhaps, given the Jets will enter Week 5 in search of their first win. But the wins and losses aren’t the only indicator. No, Glenn’s team also failed miserably in two critical categories Monday night: turnovers and penalties. Three giveaways is one thing (and not a pretty thing, we’ll add), but to throw 13 penalties for 101 yards on top of it? Yeah, you’re just not going to stay competitive at the NFL level with that degree of discipline, or lack thereof. It’s not all Glenn’s fault; he’s working with a roster in transition. It’s just clear evidence that the New York Jets are a long ways from making true noise in the AFC East.