Three Jets who Deserve Praise in loss against Dolphins

Following their three-point victory over the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Jets returned to the field and this week welcomed the Miami Dolphins to MetLife Stadium. The Jets were after their fourth win of the season against their big division rival. Would lightning strike twice for the Jets? Sadly, no. The Jets got decimated by their division rival, the Dolphins, losing the game 34-10. This game was sadly a big mess from the opening quarter as they found themselves down 21-0 before the first quarter even came to an end.

Tyrod Taylor started the game for the Jets, but quickly suffered an injury. This forced the Jets’ hand a bit, as they didn’t have a choice but to let Brady Cook start. We’ll get to that more shortly. But Mason Taylor had a strong game, leading the team in receptions with five and yards with 51. Breece Hall had a rather quiet game, rushing for just 43 yards on 14 carries. So, in Sunday’s brutal game, who deserves praise for their performance? Here are three game balls, one for each aspect of the game.

Offense: Brady Cook, QB

The New York Jets just turned to undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook far earlier than anyone anticipated, and in just about the worst circumstances imaginable. Tyrod Taylor exited Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins with an apparent injury late in the first quarter, forcing Cook into action with the Jets already trailing 21–0 and getting completely overwhelmed on both sides of the ball.

Was this a great game for Cook? Absolutely not. He finished with two interceptions and two fumbles. However, he did throw for 163 yards, connecting on 14 of his 30 attempts. Alone, the yardage and completions don’t look bad at all. Cook was a former standout quarterback at Missouri who signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent this past spring.

Beautiful ball placement here from Brady Cook on what looks like a likely @nyjets TD but John Metchie logs Gang Green’s fifth drop of the day. pic.twitter.com/XMFWJ6pJhh

— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) December 7, 2025

The former Tigers starter beat out ex-UFL MVP Adrian Martinez for the third-string job after an impressive performance this summer. The Jets previously elevated Cook to the active game-day roster for the team’s matchups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals this season, both when Taylor was sidelined with a knee injury.

To Cook’s credit, he wasn’t an unplayable disaster. He had stretches where he looked poised and delivered accurate throws. But he was also let down repeatedly. The countless drops were a killer and didn’t help things at all. Pro Football Focus tagged the Jets for five drops and just one contested catch in six opportunities, including a wide-open John Metchie III touchdown that fell right through his hands. Instead of six points, the Jets committed a false start on the next play and settled for a field goal. The protection didn’t do him any favors either. However, through it all, Cook survived and looked okay doing so. That’s why he gets the game ball.

Defense: Jowon Briggs, DT

Second-year defensive tackle Jowon Briggs has been one of the New York Jets’ brightest silver linings in a dismal 3-10 season. Acquired from the Cleveland Browns in an August trade, the 2024 seventh-round pick did not generate much fanfare when the Jets acquired him. However, he sneakily provided an appealing upside relative to the price it took to bring him in (swapping a 2026 sixth-rounder for a seventh-rounder). Briggs was an efficient run stuffer for the Browns in limited rookie-year opportunities, and he had shown progress in the 2025 preseason.

.@JowonBriggs leads ALL defensive linemen in the NFL with a @PFF 91.8 pass-rush grade from Weeks 8-14

(yes you read that right) pic.twitter.com/ds02K5ceIF

— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 9, 2025

Seemingly out of nowhere, the many formerly known as a situational run stuffer has become one of the NFL’s most prolific pass rushers. Immediately following the Williams trade, Briggs vaulted to the top of just about any pass-rushing metric for NFL defensive tackles, and he has yet to show any signs of slowing down. Even in the Jets’ most recent game, a hapless 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Briggs still brought the thunder. Despite only getting 17 pass-rush snaps against a run-heavy Miami game script, Briggs finished the game with a team-high three pressures, giving him a sterling pressure rate of 17.6%.

With another impressive outing in the books, Briggs continues to hold up as one of the NFL’s hottest pass-rushing defensive tackles in recent weeks. Since Week 10, he ranks fourth among defensive tackles with 19 total pressures, trailing only a trio of superstars: Chris Jones (20), Jeffery Simmons (22), and the man Briggs stepped up to replace, Quinnen Williams (26). That’s despite each of those three players getting at least 30 more pass-rush snaps than Briggs over that span. From an efficiency standpoint, Briggs appears even more prolific relative to his peers. Briggs owns a pressure rate of 19% since Week 10, ranking second at the position behind only Williams’ 20%. He also has a 90.1 pass-rush grade at Pro Football Focus, which ranks second behind Chris Jones’ 91.1. A lot to be excited about.

Special Teams: Isaiah Williams, KR/PR

The New York Jets dug themselves in a 21-0 hole against the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, and a passing game that was forced to turn to Brady Cook thanks to a Tyrod Taylor injury proved incapable of even scoring an offensive touchdown in what was a sobering 34-10 loss. The one silver lining for this team has been the fact that special teams coordinator Chris Banjo continues to have his team performing at an absolutely elite level. The return game, led by kick returner Kene Nwangwu and punt returner Isaiah Williams, remains the best such group in football. Williams finished the game with two kick returns for 69 yards, and three punt returns for 91 yards, including one touchdown and a long of 78 yards.

ISAIAH WILLIAMS GOES 78 YARDS TO THE HOUSE FOR THE JETS

MIAvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/6armEBQiOp

— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025

Williams not only has two punt return touchdowns, but he nearly ran one back against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13 while filling in for Nwangwu on kick return duties. As a bonus, Williams has made some nice plays when called into action as a wide receiver. Williams is second in punt return yards, only seven behind a 2024 All-Pro in Denver’s Marvin Mims. Williams is one of just four players with multiple punt return touchdowns this season, joining New England’s Marcus Jones, Jacksonville’s Parker Washington, and Tennessee’s Chimere Dike.

Williams, who looked to have ended his pro career by fair-catching a punt at the two-yard line against Miami in Week 4, scored the only Jets touchdown on the day by running back a Dolphins punt 78 yards to the house. This marked his second return touchdown of the season. Williams has had quite the turnaround on the Jets, and fans have a lot to be excited about. Who knows, Williams could have secured his special teams spot here for next season already.

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