Dolphins Will Try to Atone for Earlier Defeat by Jets

The Miami Dolphins get a chance tonight to redeem themselves against the New York Jets, the team that robbed them of their self-respect nine weeks ago.

With a national television audience and a sellout crowd expected in the Orange Bowl, the Dolphin defense will try and atone for the sins it committed in Miami’s 51-45 overtime loss to the Jets in the third week of the NFL season.

Those sins included Ken O’Brien touchdown passes of 65, 50, 21 and 43 yards to Wesley Walker. The 65-yarder was against a three-deep zone designed to stop the long pass at all costs.

The 21-yarder came on the final play of regulation to tie the score, with three Dolphins near Walker but none close enough to make the play. The 43-yarder on the Jets’ first possession of overtime ended the game and threw the Dolphins into a confused spiral which they hope to end Monday night.

“It was a game we should have won, and it haunts us,” said Miami defensive back Don McNeal, who was beaten by Walker on the last touchdown.

While Miami has stumbled to a 5-6 record and all but mathematical elimination for the playoffs, the Jets have used that victory as a springboard to eight more victories and a 10-1 record, the best in the league.