LONDON — The New York Jets piled up the yards, both good and bad, and got the win it came for.
The Jets (3-1) gained 425 yards of total offense, including a career-high 166 for running back Chris Ivory, in a 27-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
But as much as the offensive yardage helped, it was the 163 yards given up on 14 penalties that kept the Dolphins (1-3) in the game.
“We play aggressive, so some of that’s going to happen,” Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said. “But we know we’ve got to clean up our play.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick started things for the Jets by completing a 58-yard pass to Brandon Marshall on the team’s first play from scrimmage. Ivory then ran for 12 yards and scored from the 3 on the next two plays as the offensive line neutralized Dolphins tackle Ndamukong Suh all day.
Ivory kept getting the ball, and kept running effectively, carrying 29 times for an average of 5.7 yards per run.
“When the back is going good, you keep feeding him,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said.
Fitzpatrick ended up with 218 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception in the first division game played in London, and the first of three regular-season games to be played this year at Wembley.
Suh, the highest-paid defensive player in league history, had only three tackles. His first didn’t come until the third quarter.
“It wasn’t easy, man, that’s a good defense,” Jets right tackle Breno Giacomini said. “Suh, (Cameron) Wake, their whole defense, they gave us a good fight, and (it) felt good to get a win from them.”
Both teams have byes next week, as usual for teams playing in London. But Miami, which has now lost three straight, will face lots of questions about its poor performances thus far.
When they return to the field on Oct. 18, the Dolphins will play at Tennessee; the Jets will host the Washington Redskins.
Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said he wasn’t worried about his job.
“Not at all,” Philbin said. “I’m worried about getting our team fixed and straightened out and ready to play the Tennessee Titans. We have 14 days.”
The hard-running Ivory scored the first touchdown from 3 yards to start off his ninth career 100-yard game. Fitzpatrick later completed a 10-yard TD pass to Eric Decker in the second quarter and Zac Stacy rushed in from the 2 in the third.
Nick Folk converted all three extra points and added field goals from 22 and 48 yards. But he missed a 40-yard attempt.
The Jets ended up with 207 yards rushing, including 34 from Fitzpatrick. Ivory’s 166 yards were the most by a Jet since Thomas Jones ran for 210 in 2009.
Besides controlling Suh, the Jets got some help when Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes went out with a right knee injury in the first quarter.
The Jets gave the Dolphins some hope, though, with all those penalties. And Miami’s first score, in the second quarter, came with plenty of aid from New York’s secondary.
Ryan Tannehill threw deep to Jarvis Landry, and Darrelle Revis was called for a 36-yard pass interference. On the next play, Tannehill threw to Jordan Cameron, but Marcus Gilchrist was whistled for another pass interference, good for 22 yards.
Tannehill found Jake Stoneburner on the next play for 8 yards make the score 13-7.
Tannehill ended up with 198 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 44 passing. His second score was a 10-yard pass to Kenny Stills in the fourth quarter.
But the Dolphins failed to come up with the big play, going 0 for 12 on third downs and 0 for 4 on fourth downs.
“We’ve got to find a way to make plays. As ugly as it may have seemed, at the end of the day we had opportunities to win that game,” Philbin said. “We can’t panic. It can seem like the walls are closing in on you.”
It was the 12th regular-season NFL game at Wembley Stadium, the home of England’s national soccer team. Later this season, Buffalo will take on Jacksonville on Oct. 25, and Detroit will face Kansas City on Nov. 1.
It was the first time the Jets played in the NFL’s International Series, the third time for the Dolphins. They lost the first game in 2007, 13-10 to the New York Giants. Last year, the Dolphins beat the Oakland Raiders 38-14.
NOTES: Miami greats Bob Griese and Dan Marino were the honorary captains for the Dolphins, Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet represented the Jets. … Brian McKnight sang the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and British singer Laura Wright performed “God Save the Queen.” … Attendance was 83,986.
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