Jets Strike Quickly Against the Dolphins : AFC: New York scores two touchdowns in 26-second span and beats Miami, 41-23.

The New York Jets lost their last two games when they blew fourth-quarter leads against Buffalo and Chicago.

So the Jets made sure they had a comfortable margin Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 41-23 victory.

Chris Burkett blocked a punt by Reggie Roby--the first punt block in the NFL this season--and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. It was the Jets’ second touchdown in a 26-second span just before halftime, and the first time in 12 years New York had blocked a kick and turned it into a score.

The last time it happened, Sept 30, 1979, was also against Miami.

“We had a return on,” said Burkett, who is a wide receiver. “We didn’t plan on blocking the punt . . . I saw a lane and shot through like a bullet.”

The Jets had just taken a 14-10 lead with a 10-play, 62-yard drive that was capped by Brad Baxter’s two-yard dive into the end zone with 38 seconds left in the first half.

Not content to run out the clock with the ball at the Miami 22, Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino came back throwing. Three incomplete passes stopped the clock each time and forced Roby to punt.

He lined up at the 11 and Burkett burst through for the block. The ball bounced loose and into Burkett’s arms and he ran into the end zone.

Miami’s Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 53-yard field goal before the half ended.

It was a club record sixth career field goal from 50 yards or more for Stoyanovich and left Miami trailing at halftime, 21-13. The Dolphins never got closer than that.

Baxter scored a touchdown on a three-yard run, Frank Leahy kicked a 27-yard field goal and Erik McMillan scored the Jets’ final points in the fourth quarter when he intercepted a pass and returned it 83 yards for a touchdown.

Marino completed 17 of 34 passes for 245 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass play to Mark Duper in the second quarter.

Jet quarterback Ken O’Brien completed 18 of 24 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown.