The 2025 NFL season was never supposed to be the year that the New York Jets returned to Super Bowl glory, but it’s still been off to a rough start even with relatively low expectations. After an epic season opener that ended with a close loss, the Jets got smoked by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, followed by a rollercoaster performance in a heartbreaking 27-29 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now in Week 4 the Jets travel to Miami to face their division rival, who are also seeking their first win. This should be a bare-knuckle fistfight of a game between two desperate teams and the winner will be decided by who wants it more. For that to be the Jets, they’re going to have to rely on three pivotal keys.
1. Justin Fields
Here’s a fun fact for Jets fans: the last time Fields faced the Dolphins, he set an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular season game with 178 on the ground, including this magnificent 61-yard touchdown run. To this production he added 123 passing yards and 3 touchdown throws with zero turnovers.
This is the version of Fields the Jets need on Monday night if they are to get their first win of the season. If he’s anything like what we saw in Week 2, it’s going to be another long and embarrassing prime time slot for Gang Green.
2. Win the takeaway battle
Here’s a not-so-fun fact for Jets fans: the Jets and the Dolphins are the only two teams left in the league to not generate a turnover in the 2025 NFL season. That has to change for the Jets on Monday night if they want to win this game. Despite their horrid start in the season opener as they fell 8-33 to the Colts, the Dolphins have appeared to improve each week since then.
The Jets have to be able to reverse their course, and the easiest way to do that is to take the ball away and give the offense shorter fields to work with.
3. Get the run game back on track
The return of Justin Fields should help with this one, but it’s more than a little concerning that Breece Hall’s yards per carry average has dropped with each successive week so far in 2025, starting with an impressive 5.6 average in Week 1 to a feeble 2.3 last week. A stout run game is a quarterback’s best friend. It helps control the clock, it opens the field up to play-action passes, and it demoralizes the defense.
Hall needs to have a banner game tonight to help this team finally score a win.
Final prediction: Jets win 24-20
I picked the Jets to win as the underdogs in last week's keys to victory and they very nearly pulled it off against a quality opponent, so I’m picking them again to keep their division rival winless and give head coach Aaron Glenn his first victory. Expect Fields to be out for blood on Monday night to make up for his dud in Week 2 and the defense should be motivated more than ever to finally take the ball away.
I don’t think this one will be easy, but the Jets should emerge victorious.