EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Matt Moore’s first game as Ryan Tannehill’s replacement was the best of his career.

The nine-year veteran stepped in Saturday night by throwing for four touchdowns in keeping the Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes very much alive with a 34-13 rout of the New York Jets.

In his first start since Jan. 1, 2012 – a Dolphins victory over the Jets, with current Jets Coach Todd Bowles serving as interim Miami coach – Moore picked apart the mistake-prone hosts.

He hit Dion Sims for a pair of 1-yard TDs and Kenny Stills for 52 yards and Jarvis Landry for 61 yards in Miami’s eighth win in its last night games. The Dolphins (9-5) clinched their first winning season since 2008, the last time they won the AFC East.

Should Moore (12 of 18 for 236 yards) continue such strong play, they certainly can be optimistic about playing in the postseason.

The Jets (4-10) have lost as many games as they won in 2015, Bowles’ first season in charge. They also lost second-year quarterback Bryce Petty on the first play of the fourth quarter after he was squashed by Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake and had the wind knocked out of him.

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For good measure, the Dolphins threw in an 11-yard blocked punt return touchdown by Walt Aiken.

The game was competitive for a half. For once, the Jets started quickly. They were awful in the first half of their last two outings, but Petty immediately guided them 75 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead. Robby Anderson, coming on at receiver late in the year, badly beat Bacarri Rambo on a crossing pattern and sped into the end zone.

It took a replay challenge by Dolphins Coach Adam Gase to get an incompletion overturned into Sims’ first 1-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter – Moore’s first TD throw since Week 8 of 2012, also against the Jets. Andrew Franks’ extra point kick hit the left upright, his first miss this season.

Eighth-year defensive end Wake’s first career interception on an awful throw by Petty thwarted another New York threat in the opening half. And the Dolphins stopped Bilal Powell on a fourth-and-1 run near midfield.

That set up Moore’s perfect pass to Stills behind rookie cornerback Justin Burris for a 13-7 lead.

Powell had a big first half with 113 total yards. But it only helped get 10 points; Nick Folk made a 48-yard field goal with 18 seconds left. Powell gained only 36 yards in the second half.

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The Dolphins were outgained 225-129, yet went to the locker room ahead 13-10.

From there, it was all Miami, getting scores from Aiken and Landry and Sims’ second TD.

BLOCK THAT PUNT

Aiken’s short return of the blocked punt was the Dolphins’ first touchdown on such a play since Jimmy Wilson did it at MetLife Stadium against the Jets in October 2012.

ROCKIN’ ROBBY

Anderson became the first Jets receiver with two 40-yard touchdowns in a season since Braylon Edwards in 2010. His other came in a 41-10 loss to Indianapolis.

INJURIES

Miami starting cornerback Byron Maxwell left in the first quarter because of an ankle injury.

Linebacker Darron Lee, the Jets’ first-round draft pick this year, injured an eye.


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