Game story
In Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season on 2008-09-07, the New York Jets took care of business against the Miami Dolphins, pulling away with a 20–14 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
C. Pennington (Miami Dolphins) paced the passing game, with -3.46 total EPA, and +4.1% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, J. Cotchery (New York Jets) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +8.81 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-22.6% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Miami Dolphins changed the game: (:10) 10-C.Pennington pass intended for 19-T.Ginn INTERCEPTED by 24-D.Revis at NYJ -8. Touchback. Penalty on MIA-19-T.Ginn, Offensive Pass Interference, declined.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. Cotchery · New York Jets · Receiving · +8.81 total EPA · 3 snaps · +2.94 EPA/play
- 2 B. Favre · New York Jets · Passing · +7.64 total EPA · 29 snaps · +0.26 EPA/play
- 3 A. Fasano · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +7.52 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.94 EPA/play
- 4 D. Martin · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +6.45 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.61 EPA/play
- 5 C. Stuckey · New York Jets · Receiving · +6.33 total EPA · 2 snaps · +3.16 EPA/play
- 6 T. Jones · New York Jets · Rushing · +4.34 total EPA · 22 snaps · +0.20 EPA/play
- 7 C. Baker · New York Jets · Receiving · +2.62 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.31 EPA/play
- 8 T. Ginn · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +2.56 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.28 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. Cotchery — NYJ · Receiving
J. Cotchery posted the highest total EPA (+8.81) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New York Jets's efficiency. Across 3 counted snaps, they averaged +2.94 EPA per play.
The signature play (+5.25 EPA) came from New York Jets: (8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New York Jets — J. Cotchery (B. Favre pass)
- Miami Dolphins — A. Fasano (C. Pennington pass)
- New York Jets — C. Stuckey (B. Favre pass)
- New York Jets — T. Jones
- Miami Dolphins — D. Martin (C. Pennington pass)
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: New York Jets won the period 7–0. New York Jets found the end zone from the MIA 56 (Q1 53:52) — (8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Jets added 1 points from the MIA 2 (Q1 53:42) — 1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-85-J.Dearth, Holder-7-B.Graham..
The second quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 7–6. Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the NYJ 5 (Q2 42:46) — (12:46) 10-C.Pennington pass short right to 80-A.Fasano for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the NYJ 2 (Q2 42:41) — 5-D.Carpenter extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-2-B.Fields.; New York Jets found the end zone from the MIA 22 (Q2 37:02) — (7:02) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 83-C.Stuckey for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN..
The third quarter: New York Jets won the period 7–0. New York Jets found the end zone from the MIA 6 (Q3 16:13) — (1:13) 20-T.Jones right end for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Jets added 1 points from the MIA 2 (Q3 16:08) — 1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-85-J.Dearth, Holder-7-B.Graham..
The fourth quarter: Miami Dolphins won the period 7–0. Miami Dolphins found the end zone from the NYJ 11 (Q4 3:33) — (3:33) 10-C.Pennington pass short right to 88-D.Martin for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Miami Dolphins added 1 points from the NYJ 2 (Q4 3:27) — 5-D.Carpenter extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-2-B.Fields..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Miami Dolphins (Q4 0:10) — (:10) 10-C.Pennington pass intended for 19-T.Ginn INTERCEPTED by 24-D.Revis at NYJ -8. Touchback. Penalty on MIA-19-T.Ginn, Offensive Pass Interference, declined.
- New York Jets (Q2 37:02) — (7:02) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 83-C.Stuckey for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Jets (Q1 53:52) — (8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Jets (Q4 1:53) — (1:53) 7-B.Graham punts 51 yards to MIA 25, Center-85-J.Dearth. 19-T.Ginn to MIA 34 for 9 yards (31-A.Carroll). PENALTY on NYJ-15-W.Wright, Illegal Procedure, 5 yards, enforced at MIA 34.
- New York Jets (Q3 26:20) — (11:20) 4-B.Favre sacked at MIA 26 for -2 yards (98-M.Roth). FUMBLES (98-M.Roth), RECOVERED by MIA-51-A.Ayodele at MIA 11. New York Jets challenged the first down ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Tim
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New York Jets (Q1 53:52) — (8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Jets (Q2 37:02) — (7:02) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 83-C.Stuckey for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Jets (Q3 26:20) — (11:20) 4-B.Favre sacked at MIA 26 for -2 yards (98-M.Roth). FUMBLES (98-M.Roth), RECOVERED by MIA-51-A.Ayodele at MIA 11. New York Jets challenged the first down ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Tim
- New York Jets (Q1 48:35) — (3:35) 1-M.Nugent 32 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-85-J.Dearth, Holder-7-B.Graham. NYJ-1-M.Nugent was injured during the play. Penalty on NYJ, Offensive Holding, declined.
Quarterback report card
C.Pennington led all passers in efficiency for Miami Dolphins, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- C.Pennington (Miami Dolphins) · 49 dropbacks · 53.1% completion · +4.1% CPOE · -0.07 EPA/play · -3.46 total EPA
- B.Favre (New York Jets) · 29 dropbacks · 51.7% completion · +5.9% CPOE · +0.26 EPA/play · +7.64 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New York Jets | Miami Dolphins |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.046 | -0.060 |
| Offensive success rate | 37.3% | 37.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.263 | -0.071 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.084 | -0.185 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.060 | -0.046 |
| Defensive success rate | 63.0% | 62.7% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, New York Jets generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.05 vs -0.06), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Miami Dolphins: 12 drives, -4.83 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
- New York Jets: 12 drives, +3.45 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- New York Jets leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- J. Cotchery (New York Jets) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- C. Pennington (MIA) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- B. Favre (NYJ) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- New York Jets TD (+6) — Q1 53:52 · MIA 56 · Score 6-0
(8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Jets XP (+1) — Q1 53:42 · MIA 2 · Score 7-0
1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-85-J.Dearth, Holder-7-B.Graham. - Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q2 42:46 · NYJ 5 · Score 7-6
(12:46) 10-C.Pennington pass short right to 80-A.Fasano for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q2 42:41 · NYJ 2 · Score 7-7
5-D.Carpenter extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-2-B.Fields. - New York Jets TD (+6) — Q2 37:02 · MIA 22 · Score 13-7
(7:02) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle to 83-C.Stuckey for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Jets TD (+6) — Q3 16:13 · MIA 6 · Score 19-7
(1:13) 20-T.Jones right end for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Jets XP (+1) — Q3 16:08 · MIA 2 · Score 20-7
1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-85-J.Dearth, Holder-7-B.Graham. - Miami Dolphins TD (+6) — Q4 3:33 · NYJ 11 · Score 20-13
(3:33) 10-C.Pennington pass short right to 88-D.Martin for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Miami Dolphins XP (+1) — Q4 3:27 · NYJ 2 · Score 20-14
5-D.Carpenter extra point is GOOD, Center-92-J.Denney, Holder-2-B.Fields.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
The New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 20-14 in Week 1, 2008 on 2008-09-07.
What was the final score of New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
The final score was New York Jets 20, Miami Dolphins 14 (NYJ 20-14 MIA) in Week 1, 2008 on 2008-09-07.
What was the score by quarter in New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
Q1: New York Jets 7, Miami Dolphins 0; Q2: New York Jets 6, Miami Dolphins 7; Q3: New York Jets 7, Miami Dolphins 0; Q4: New York Jets 0, Miami Dolphins 7; Final: New York Jets 20, Miami Dolphins 14.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
New York Jets touchdown — J. Cotchery (B. Favre pass) (Q1 53:52) Miami Dolphins touchdown — A. Fasano (C. Pennington pass) (Q2 42:46) New York Jets touchdown — C. Stuckey (B. Favre pass) (Q2 37:02) New York Jets touchdown — T. Jones (Q3 16:13) Miami Dolphins touchdown — D. Martin (C. Pennington pass) (Q4 3:33) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
C. Pennington (Miami Dolphins), 53.1% completion, +4.1% CPOE, -0.07 EPA per dropback, -3.46 total passing EPA. B. Favre (New York Jets), 51.7% completion, +5.9% CPOE, +0.26 EPA per dropback, +7.64 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins?
J. Cotchery (New York Jets) led the game in total EPA with +8.81 on receiving plays. across 3 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+5.25 EPA): (8:52) 4-B.Favre pass deep left to 89-J.Cotchery for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -22.6%.
Was New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins a close game?
Yes — the margin was 6 points. New York Jets won 20-14 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
New York Jets
Now 1-0 W
Miami Dolphins
Now 0-1 L
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