Jaylen Wright ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 34-10 victory over the host New York Jets on Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J.
New York was officially eliminated from playoff contention and will miss a 15th consecutive postseason.
Wright’s yards and attempts were significant career highs as he kept the Dolphins’ running game working efficiently even after a rib injury sidelined starter De’Von Achane midway through the second quarter.
Achane ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on seven carries before the injury, and Miami (6-7) won its fourth in a row. The Dolphins ran for 239 yards as a team to send the Jets (3-10) to their third loss in the past four games.
The Jets lost their own key player when quarterback Tyrod Taylor sustained a groin injury in the first quarter and did not return. Taylor made his third consecutive start for the injured Justin Fields and completed one pass on four attempts for six yards.
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook replaced Taylor and completed 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Dolphins’ defense held the Jets to 47 total yards in the first half and recorded six sacks, led by Zach Sieler’s 2 1/2.
The Dolphins built a 21-0 lead with 3:39 left in the first quarter on Wright’s 2-yard touchdown run. The Jets interrupted the scoring run when Isaiah Williams returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the first.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 13 of 21 passes for 127 yards and tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle in the first quarter. Waddle led all Miami receivers with five catches for 50 yards.
A 31-yard field goal by Nick Folk cut Miami’s lead to 24-10 with 12:13 left in the fourth quarter. But on the Dolphins’ ensuing drive, Ollie Gordon’s 7-yard touchdown run with 6:18 left effectively sealed the outcome.
