"We had to get that stop," defensive end Randy Starks said.
"We talked all week about finishing the game," safety Yeremiah Bell added. "We had a great opportunity in front of us so we had to bear down."
Completions by Mark Sanchez of 12 yards to Jerricho Cotchery and 12 to Dustin Keller sandwiched around an 11-yard run by Thomas Jones gave New York a first down at the Miami 12 with 1:56 left. But that's where the defense made its stand as Miami held on for a 30-25 victory.
"We've been talking about it and we've got to grow up sometime," linebacker Akin Ayodele said. "It just got to a point where we had to buckle down."
Jones got 3 yards on first down, but Sanchez, forced to scramble when his receivers were covered, managed just 1 on second, leaving a third-and-6 from the 8. Then Starks made perhaps as big a play as he has made in his 1 1/2 seasons in Miami, busting up the middle to drop Sanchez for a 7-yard loss.
"Somebody had to make a play," Starks said. "They left me one-on-one and I was able to beat (guard Alan) Faneca."
That made it fourth-and-13, and Sanchez once again was unable to find an open receiver. He wound up heaving the ball out of the end zone and the Dolphins were left to run out the clock.
"We just bowed up," said cornerback Vontae Davis. "Coverage is making the stop on fourth down."
