The Miami Dolphins needed a great game from Austin Jackson on the right side of the line. He wasn't great by any means, but overall, he did what the Dolphins needed him to do.
Jackson spent the day working to keep rookie edge rusher David Bailey out of the backfield. For the most part, he succeeded.
Bailey is considered a frontrunner for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but in Week 7, he managed just a half-sack and four tackles.
Miami Dolphins got just enough from Austin Jackson when they needed him the most
Maybe the much-maligned offensive tackle listened to the outside noise before Week 7. Jackson has been horrible all year. His inconsistency is hard to look past. On Sunday, he made some mistakes, gave up pressure, and wasn't perfect in run blocking, but he managed to do his job.
The entire Dolphins offensive line played well against a stingy Jets Defense. What made it more impressive is that the Jets knew the Dolphins were going to be running the ball, and when it mattered, they couldn't stop it.
Ollie Gordon II ran for more than 100 yards, the first of his NFL career. Willis added 37 yards on eight carries. Both scored a touchdown.
Willis had time to work the field in Week 7, and he took advantage of it. Again, we have to credit Jackson, who had to be as close to perfect as possible. It's a low bar, but he reached it.
The Dolphins' first victory is the exclamation mark that Jeff Hafley needed for this team. Everything they have been coaching, preaching, and teaching has proved that staying the course will eventually pay off. It did on Sunday.
Jackson wasn't the only one. Jonah Savaiinaea had a good game as well. He continues to get better. Unlike Jackson, who will be gone after the season, the second-year guard is taking his new coaching to heart.
The duo has a long way to go before they are locked down like their teammates Kadyn Proctor and Patrick Paul, but Miami only needs Savaiinaea to get better, and a new RT next year will help as well.
Prior to the game, we named Jackson as one of the four players who needed to play better than they had all year. Jackson did just that. So did Malik Willis, Chris Johnson, and Chop Robinson.
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