For a minute there, it felt like the old Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa was dealing, hitting 11 of his first 15 passes, and he even uncorked a slick behind-the-back flip to Malik Washington that had the home crowd buzzing.  Then he threw a touchdown to Darren Waller, out of the league for two years, mind you, who somehow got both feet down in the end zone over Sauce Gardner.

It was 10-3. It was smooth, like the kind of football that makes you believe in it again. But belief doesn’t last long in the NFL. Early in the second quarter, the energy at Hard Rock Stadium vanished. A gasp, then a hush. Tyreek Hill, who’d already racked up 6 catches for 67 yds, was on the turf. The replay was brutal. As Dov Kleiman tweeted, his leg was “bent the completely wrong way.” The trainers swarmed. Then came the cart. The digital autopsy began almost immediately.

First, Adam Schefter’s initial report: “Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is being carted off with a left leg injury.” Then, the gut punch from Underdog NFL, relaying Schefter’s update that Hill was “feared to have suffered a dislocated knee.” As Hill rode off, managing a surreal smile and a wave. Schefter’s final follow-up was heartbreaking: Hill was being taken to a local hospital for imaging. 

Seconds after the crowd gave Hill an ovation, Tua rolled out and lofted a ball to a wide-open Darren Waller for his 2nd TD of the night. It was 17-3. A strange, defiant answer in the face of disaster.

With Hill sidelined, the Dolphins lean on chaos

The game spiraled from there into a bizarre mix of explosive plays and heart-stopping moments. Justin Fields, after a night of fumbles and frustration for the Jets offense, suddenly found life, pulling off a 43-yard scrambling magic act for a TD that reminded everyone why he’s on a roster in the first place.

The chaos wasn’t just on the scoreboard. Late in the third, Tua took off for a scramble and took a launching hit from Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa that drew a flag. For a terrifying second, everyone in those “Dark Water” uniforms held their breath, another nightmare scenario flashing before their eyes.

Tua was okay (here’s what Cam had to say about Tua). The drive ended with De’Von Achane punching it in, pushing the lead to 24-10. But the Jets wouldn’t die. Fields aired it out to Garrett Wilson for what looked like an acrobatic, game-tightening TD, only to have it called back on a debatable OPI call. It was a huge break for Miami. The Jets settled for another Nick Folk FG.

As the 4th quarter ticks on with the Dolphins leading 24-13, the result of this strange, fumble-ridden, emotionally charged game (how’s the weather?) almost feels secondary. One team will stumble out of the AFC East cellar with its first win. But everyone’s now waiting on imaging results. The final score is just noise. The silence after that snap is what everyone will remember.