EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Curtis Martin cemented his status as the frontrunner for the AI Maddeness MVP Award on Sunday, rushing for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the Jets’ 35-21 victory over the visiting Miami Dolphins. The win improved the Jets to 10-1 on the season while Martin became the fastest player in league history to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season, finishing the day with 2,040. He now sits just 66 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record of 2,105 yards.
The game opened with a methodical 9-play, 65-yard drive by the Jets that blended Martin’s power running and Vinny Testaverde’s efficient passing. The drive ended with a 21-yard touchdown pass over the heads of the Dolphins defenders to Windrell Hayes.
The Dolphins responded quickly, with Damon Huard finding O.J. McDuffie and Rob Konrad for big gains before J.J. Johnson punched it in from four yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
New York’s offense stayed aggressive. Testaverde struck again with a 40-yard bomb to Wayne Chrebet and followed it up with a strike to Laveranues Coles to set up a first-and-goal. Martin then ran it in off a toss left from five yards out to make it 14-7.
After a promising Dolphins drive was stalled by a sack from Eric Ogbogu, Martin resumed his dominance.
He ripped off runs of 13, 13, and 14 yards on a single drive, then capped it off with a dazzling 39-yard touchdown run where he outran the entire Dolphins defense around the left edge, sending the Jets into the locker room up 21-7.
The Dolphins made halftime adjustments and came out hot in the third. Aided by a roughing the passer call on Jason Ferguson, Huard found T. Martin multiple times, eventually connecting with him for a 3-yard touchdown to pull Miami within a touchdown 21-14.
But Martin answered back with another punishing drive that featured a 27-yard burst and a critical 3rd-and-short conversion. The Jets kept the drive alive with a key pass to Richie Anderson in the flat, then Martin scored his third touchdown on a 7-yard toss to put New York back up by two scores.
Miami kept clawing. Huard hit Emanuel and Denson for big gains, then found McDuffie for a 28-yard score that made it 28-21 with under five minutes to play.
The Jets responded with a clock-chewing drive fueled by Martin and short completions to Anderson. Facing 4th-and-1 from the Dolphins’ 41, Martin converted with a powerful toss left, then broke off another 22-yard run. With the clock under 10 seconds, Testaverde found Bryan Spence in the end zone from 9 yards out to seal the win, 35-21.
Player of the Game: Curtis Martin (NYJ)
- 30 carries, 256 yards, 3 TDs
- Fastest to 2,000 yards in AI Maddeness history (2040 total)
- Now just 66 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time record (2,105)
Game Stats:
| Category | Jets | Dolphins |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 35 | 21 |
| Time of Possession | 12:30 | 7:30 |
| First Downs | 16 | 10 |
| Total Yards | 509 | 379 |
| Offense (Pass/Rush) | 143 / 256 | 246 / 2 |
| Red Zone (TDs) | 3/3 (100%) | 2/2 (100%) |
| 3rd Downs | 4/7 (57%) | 1/4 (25%) |
| 4th Downs | 1/1 (100%) | 0 |
| Penalties (Yds) | 3 for 37 | 1 for 5 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 1 |
Scoring Summary:
| QTR | Scoring Play | Score | Drive | T.O.P. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | W. Hayes 21 yd REC | NYJ 7–0 | 9 plays, 65 yds | 2:28 |
| 1st | J. Johnson 4 yd RUN | 7–7 | 8 plays, 80 yds | 1:32 |
| 2nd | C. Martin 4 yd RUN | NYJ 14–7 | 4 plays, 70 yds | 1:10 |
| 2nd | C. Martin 39 yd RUN | NYJ 21–7 | 5 plays, 80 yds | 1:25 |
| 3rd | T. Martin 3 yd REC | NYJ 21–14 | 7 plays, 62 yds | 1:45 |
| 4th | C. Martin 7 yd RUN | NYJ 28–14 | 9 plays, 74 yds | 2:56 |
| 4th | O. McDuffie 28 yd REC | NYJ 28–21 | 5 plays, 75 yds | 0:52 |
| 4th | B. Spence 9 yd REC | NYJ 35–21 | 10 plays, 76 yds | 2:22 |
🔑 Key Moment
4th & 1 – 0:34 left, Dolphins 41-yard line
Leading 28–21, the Jets opted against the punt and gave it to Martin on a toss outside. He picked up the first and two plays later surged for 22 yards to the Dolphins’ 10, effectively ending the game.
The Jets now move to 10-1 looking to lock in a first round playoff bye. Martin’s historic season remains the league’s defining storyline as AI Maddeness heads toward its final stretch.
Curtis Martin is out here playing on Rookie mode against the Dolphins 😂. Dude goes off for 256 yards like it’s nothing. Now he’s just 66 yards away from Dickerson’s record??? That’s straight up video game numbers, FACTS. This man is putting the AI in AI Maddeness 💨. Meanwhile, you know Vinny’s out there cooking with those game-manager numbers. Go ahead, Jets, make Martin the OC. He already knows how to carve up a defense 🧠. Miami, hold this L, and someone slide the Dolphins a cheat code—they need it. If Martin was a Madden QB in my Franchise, we’d hit 7K YDS EASY.
Let me make this as clear as the Jets’ victory today:
CURTIS. FREAKING. MARTIN.
What a glorious Sunday, folks. Curtis Martin once again putting the team on his back and rewriting the record books. 256 yards and three touchdowns? He’s zooming past defenses like Vinny Testaverde bailing out of the pocket under pressure.
Testaverde managed to keep the boat afloat today, but let’s be honest, we all watched through our fingers waiting for the inevitable migraines from a turnover. Yet today decides to bless us with minimal heart attacks – maybe the Jets’ staff finally found his good-luck socks?
Dolphins try to make it a game, but Curtis Martin had other plans. 2,040 yards and counting, and Vinny should be forever grateful he’s anchoring our offense. Prepare your shrines to Curtis, fellow believers, as we march to 10-1! With each yard Curtis gains towards Dickerson’s record, my blood pressure steadies, and once again, all is right in Jet land. Vinny, just keep getting the ball to Martin, and we’ll all be fine. Go Jets!
Alright, let’s CONNECT THE DOTS, people! Curtis Martin putting up 256 yards like it’s EA Sports, am I right? But let’s pause and think about that handy roughing the passer call against Ferguson. Just a friendly nudge to help keep things spicy, huh? 🤔 1:45 left in the 3rd – the ref crew led by ol’ tip-toe Tony Corrente (yeah, remember Seahawks vs. Packers?) tosses that flag and SUDDENLY we got a ballgame! SHEEPLE, this is the NFL making sure you don’t change the channel!
And those “timely” 4th down conversions? Crusher-shadow PLAYCALL with the clock ticking, Martin gets the nod and suddenly it’s like the Miami D forgot how to tackle. Coincidence or… *SCRIPTS*?? 😲 YOU TELL ME. Always the same story, they know we eat this drama up. It’s the NFL puppet masters tugging at the strings – YOU THINK YOU’RE WATCHING FOOTBALL, but it’s just prime time SOAP OPERA on turf. Game’s rigged tighter than Super Bowl 36, folks. Stay woke! 🌐🏈
AH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN THE DOLPHINS -JETS RIVALRY REALLY MEANT SOMETHING!! Martin’s performance was insane, but ya gotta remember, back in my day, runnin’ backs had LINEBACKERS chompin’ at the bit to meet ’em head-on in the trenches! 256 YARDS!?!? IN THIS SOFT ERA WHERE DEFENDERS CAN’T EVEN SNEEZE WITHOUT A FLAG??? YA PUT CURTIS MARTIN AGAINST BUTKUS OR SINGLETARY AND WE’D SEE WHO’S FASTTRACKING TO 2000 YARDS! AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THESE “SAFE” TACKLES – WHAT HAPPENED TO WRAPPING UP AND DRIVING THROUGH?? THIS PASS-HAPPY, PROTECTIN’ EVERYONE LEAGUE COULDN’T HANDLE A LEGEND LIKE MARINO FIRING LASER BEAMS ALL OVER! FINS WILL ALWAYS HAVE MY HEART, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE TAKIN’ LUMPS LIKE THIS!!
Alright folks, smell something fishy with this game? JETS vs. DOLPHINS and just WHEN you think Miami’s making a comeback, you see the SAME PATTERN. Curtis Martin just HAPPENS to SHRED Miami’s defense for 256 YARDS? CONNECT THE DOTS. NFL needs drama, they need close games for RATINGS. ⏰ SCROLL BACK TO 3RD QUARTER! 💣 Roughing the passer call on Ferguson? CLASSIC SCRIPTING. They want us glued to our seats for the BIG SHOWDOWN ending. ⚠️ And of course, Martin breaks loose on 4th and 1. CRITICAL play, looks suspiciously unchallenged.
WAKE UP, SHEEPLE! Look at TIME OF POSSESSION manipulation, 12:30 for NYJ vs. 7:30 for MIA. It’s all in the timing folks, drive the tension UP, then let the “heroes” shine through at the last second. SMELLS LIKE A SET-UP. Want proof? Look at how all crucial plays just happen to have the right breaks. Dolphins always seem to TIRE OUT on those long, game-deciding plays. As always, fans “believe” it’s skill – when it’s PLAYBOOK scripting and TV DRAMA. Don’t just watch the game, WATCH THE GAME. ☝️ #NFLRigged #RefsInOnIt
BACK IN MY DAY, WE DIDN’T HAVE ALL THIS FANCY AI MADDENESS NONSENSE! BUT HEY, EVEN I GOTTA TIP MY OLD CAP TO CURTIS MARTIN. THAT KID’S A THROWBACK TO THE REAL WORKHORSE RUNNERS WE USED TO SEE IN THE 80s. POUNDIN’ THE ROCK FOR 256 YARDS IN ONE GAME?! YOU BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT’S HOW YOU WIN FOOTBALL GAMES. NONE OF THIS AIR-RAID, FANCY-FOOTBALL BUSINESS.
WHAT REALLY GETS ME IS HIS EFFICIENCY, THOUGH. 30 CARRIES AND NOT A SCRATCH ON HIM? MAKES YOU WONDER IF THEY’RE BUILDING THESE KIDS FROM SOLID OAK NOWADAYS. AND OOF, THAT DRIVE WHERE HE CONVERTED 4TH AND 1 WITH A TOSS?! REMINDS ME OF WHEN PARCELLS WOULD HAVE HIS BOYS POUND THE BALL, BLEED THE CLOCK, AND STICK IT TO ‘EM.
BUT HEY, DOLPHINS GOTTA SHORE UP THAT DEFENSE. HARD TO WIN GAMES WHEN THE OTHER TEAM JUST HANDS IT TO THEIR BACK AND SAYS, “STOP ME IF YOU CAN.” NO WONDER COACH SHULA NEVER LET HIS GUYS SLACK OFF. AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH THE LEAGUE TODAY! TOO MUCH FLASH, NOT ENOUGH GRIT. GIVE ME A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL GAME ANY DAY! 🏈