Jeff Hafley had a towel draped around his neck as he stepped to the podium and the Miami Dolphins coach wiped his face one last time before taking questions from reporters.
asserted
coach → have → reporters
He had just been doused by his players in the middle of a jubilant locker room after they held on for a 28-25 victory — his first leading the Dolphins — over the New York Jets on Sunday.
asserted
they → douse → Sunday
“I grabbed every guy as they ran in,” a happy Hafley said.
asserted
Hafley → grab → guy
I had so much water on me.
asserted
I → have → me
It was a really, really special moment, one that I’m appreciative of and one that I won’t forget.
asserted
I → ’m → that
“They deserve it.
asserted
They → deserve → it
You could feel a lot come out of it.
uncertain
lot → feel → it
I’m very happy for the players.
asserted
I → ’m → players
They did a great job.”
asserted
They → do → job
Malik Willis threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and made a victory-sealing 2-yard push up the middle on fourth-and-1 as the Dolphins (1-5) came off their bye-week break and avoided their first 0-6 start since 2019.
asserted
Dolphins → throw → 2019
“It was awesome,” said Willis, who was 14 of 21 for 208 yards and two TD passes to rookie Caleb Douglas.
asserted
who → say → Douglas
He also ran for 37 yards on eight carries, but the last one was the biggest of the game.
asserted
one → run → game
The Jets (2-5) made a late push trailing 28-17.
asserted
Jets → make → push
On fourth-and-4, Geno Smith completed a short pass to Isaiah Davis, who zipped downfield 41 yards to the Dolphins 18.
asserted
who → complete → Dolphins
Three plays later, Smith found Mason Taylor for a 12-yard touchdown, the tight end’s second of the game.
asserted
Smith → find → game
Penalties negated New York’s first two 2-point tries before Smith threw to Taylor to make it 28-25 with 3:24 left.
asserted
3:24 → negate → Taylor
Looking to end it, the Dolphins faced fourth-and-1 from the Jets 49 at the two-minute warning and Hafley went straight to his offensive linemen.
asserted
Hafley → look → linemen
“I asked them what they thought,” Hafley said.
asserted
Hafley → ask → what
“When I saw the look in their eyes, I was very confident that we’d get it.
asserted
we → see → it
As soon as I saw that, there was no doubt in my mind that we’d go for it.”
asserted
we → see → it
Passing up the punt, Hafley left it to the offense — and Willis pushed forward for 2 yards as the Dolphins celebrated.
asserted
Dolphins → pass → yards
“He trusted us,” Willis said, “and we trusted him.”
asserted
we → trust → him
Hafley, who grew up about 20 minutes north of MetLife Stadium in Montvale, got the win in front of about 30 friends and family members.
asserted
who → grow → friends
The Jets, meanwhile, dropped to 0-8 against AFC East opponents under Aaron Glenn, including consecutive losses to New England and Miami.
asserted
Jets → drop → England
“When it comes to this game, highly disappointed,” Glenn said.
asserted
Glenn → come → game
Braelon Allen had 104 yards rushing.
asserted
Allen → have → yards
Dolphins and Jets start things off with a scoring spree
asserted
Dolphins → start → spree
The Dolphins started quickly, marching 76 yards on seven plays and taking their first lead in any game this season on Willis’ 7-yard touchdown pass to Douglas.
asserted
Dolphins → start → Douglas
It also ended New York’s streak of not allowing any points on an opening possession in five straight games.
asserted
It → end → games
But the Jets came right back with a 13-yard touchdown catch by Taylor — son of former Dolphins star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor — to tie it.
asserted
Jets → come → it
It’s the third straight game in which New York scored on its opening drive.
asserted
York → ’ → drive
Miami then went on a 14-play drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Gordon, who finished with 103 yards rushing.
asserted
who → go → yards
New York was driving again on its next possession at the Miami 21 when Smith was intercepted by Michael Taaffe.
asserted
Smith → drive → Taaffe
The Dolphins’ touchdown streak ended on their third possession when they went three-and-out.
asserted
they → end → three
They got right back at it on their next drive, with Willis scoring on a 2-yard scramble with 6 seconds left in the first half.
asserted
Willis → get → half
Jets’ woes extend into the second half
Allen gave New York some immediate second-half juice with a 27-yard run on the Jets’ first play of the third quarter, but the drive stalled.
asserted
drive → extend → quarter
Adding to the misery, Jason Sanders — a longtime Dolphins kicker in his first season with the Jets — hit the right upright on a 40-yard try.
asserted
Sanders → add → try
Cooper got New York’s next drive started with a 60-yard reception, and ended it five plays later with a 3-yard touchdown catch to make it a one-score game at 21-14 with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
asserted
5:50 → get → quarter
The Jets later got to the Dolphins 1, but couldn’t punch it in on runs by Andrew Beck and Allen and settled for a 33-yard field goal when Smith was sacked on third down.
asserted
Smith → get → down
Willis side-armed a short toss to Douglas, who tiptoed the sideline after the catch and raced for a 63-yard touchdown that put Miami up 28-17 with 4:44 remaining.
asserted
4:44 → arm → Miami
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
