Jets Overcome Irate Dolphins

The New York Jets further scrambled the AFC East race Sunday night, handing the Miami Dolphins their third consecutive loss, 13-10, on John Hall’s 28-yard field goal with 2:17 remaining.

With their third victory in the last four games, the Jets moved within a game of the other three division teams: Miami, New England and Buffalo each are 5-4.

The Dolphins were livid about the officiating. Several controversial calls went the Jets’ way, including an apparent touchdown catch by Chris Chambers that was reversed by video replay, and a fumble by Ricky Williams that Miami claimed never happened.

“These refs just flat-out hooked them up,” defensive end Jason Taylor said. “We had to play a good Jets team and these guys too. It was ridiculous.

“Stevie Wonder could see it was a catch.”

Early in the second quarter, Ray Lucas connected with Chambers in the back right corner of the end zone on a nine-yard pass play. Initially, it was called a touchdown, but Jet Coach Herman Edwards challenged. “The guys in the booth said he caught it,” Edwards said of his assistant coaches, “but I thought he didn’t. On my instincts, I said I don’t think he caught it. We were lucky on that.”

The Dolphins certainly agree. Referee Larry Nemmers determined that Chambers got both feet inbounds, but that he bobbled the ball as he fell.

As NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira explained: “When you are going to the ground, even though two feet hit and an elbow hits, when you hit the ground you have to maintain control of the ball. It’s the same at the 50-yard line as it is in the end zone. It’s the same inbounds as it is out of bounds. Even though the feet come down first, if the ball comes loose, which it did here, if you don’t maintain control of the ball, then it’s an incomplete pass.”

Still, it was tight until the end, when the Jets drove 84 yards to set up Hall’s winning field goal. The key play was Laveranues Coles’ 42-yard reception on a fly pattern from the Jet 10.