The Miami Dolphins extended their winning streak to four games with a 34-10 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday, but Miami lost star running back De’von Achane in the process.

Achane exited in the first half with a rib injury. He did not return, finishing with 92 yards on seven carries and one touchdown. The speedster has rushed for 520 yards in the last four games. Backup running back Jaylen Wright stepped in for Achane and ran for 107 yards on 24 carries.

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 21-0 lead with three first-quarter touchdowns. Miami marched down the field on its opening drive in four plays, highlighted by a 21-yard run by wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who finished the game with five catches for 50 yards. They reached the end zone again on their second drive, with Achane scoring on a 13-yard run. After Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw an interception, the Dolphins cashed in with a Wright 2-yard touchdown.

Taylor left the game in the first quarter with a groin injury and did not return. Third-string rookie quarterback Brady Cook finished 14 for 30 with 163 yards and two interceptions. The Jets gained just 207 total yards for the game.

A rare bright spot for the Jets on Sunday came via special teams: Isaiah Williams ripped off a 78-yard punt return touchdown late in the first quarter. Jamien Sherwood led New York with 15 tackles.

Mike McDaniel has turned around Miami’s season

It might now be fair to say that the Dolphins coach has done enough to save his job. Sunday’s dominant win against the Jets was the Dolphins’ fourth in a row and fifth in their last six games. That’s even after the team traded away talent at the deadline and fired its general manager. It’s still possible that Miami’s next GM will want to hire his own coach, but McDaniel has proven that the Dolphins are still engaged — and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has matched that with quality coaching.

Odds are, this team won’t sniff the playoffs — even if they win out, which seems unlikely, Miami can’t be sure of clinching a spot. But the Dolphins can feel much better about their future based on how they’ve played — even if their recent streak includes wins against subpar teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and Jets. At the very least, they are better than those teams, and they have reason to feel better about themselves heading into the offseason. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets senior writer

Jets’ quarterback problems continue

It turns out Cook isn’t the Jets’ quarterback of the future. The undrafted rookie got his first extended NFL experience Sunday after Taylor left the game, and Cook didn’t show enough to make anyone believe the Jets have found a diamond in the rough. To be fair, some of Cook’s struggles weren’t entirely his fault — four of his passes were dropped by Jets receivers, including one by John Metchie that should’ve been an easy touchdown.

Cook entered the game late in the first quarter and promptly went three-and-out on his first drive. He didn’t get much offensive movement until just before halftime, when he threw a deep ball and drew a defensive pass interference penalty — but Cook followed that with an interception.

Taylor’s injury was serious enough that he never returned Sunday against the Dolphins, and it puts his status for next week in jeopardy — opening the door for Justin Fields to return to the lineup. Fields was declared out this week with “knee soreness,” though his demeanor of late would make it fair to wonder if Fields has much of a desire to return to the lineup. — Rosenblatt

Dolphins could struggle without Achane

The Dolphins will close out the regular season with a difficult four-game stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots. Any hope Miami has of beating those teams likely depends on the health of Achane. He was running all over a bad Jets defense for most of the first half before leaving with a rib injury. Wright filled in nicely, and rookie Ollie Gordon scored, too. But the Dolphins’ offense is almost entirely reliant on their running game — and it is far less scary to defend without Achane in the lineup. — Rosenblatt

New York might need defensive coaching change

A recurring theme of the Jets’ season has been defensive coordinator Steve Wilks getting outcoached. That felt especially true Sunday, as McDaniel and the Dolphins made things look easy against a Jets defense that has failed to find any sort of consistency. The Jets’ tackling issues remain, and the team’s defensive line hardly put any pressure on Tua Tagovailoa with just one sack and three QB hits by the midway point of the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins gained close to 200 total yards in the first quarter alone and finished the game with more than 200 rushing yards. As the Jets turn the page to 2026, it’s fair to wonder if Wilks is the right defensive play-caller going forward. — Rosenblatt