Monday Night Football in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season was a double-header, with one game being played in Denver and the other being held in South Beach.

For fans, the emotions were conflicted. On one hand, there was genuine excitement about the performance under center. It finally felt like Miami had a quarterback capable of carrying the franchise into the future. But on the other, there was heartbreak at seeing a beloved star sidelined in such a cruel way. “It’s like we took one step forward and two steps back,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another said: “We’ll remember this as the night our QB became the guy, but also the night we lost our best weapon. It’s just brutal.”

The NFL season is often described as a war of attrition, and nights like this underline that harsh truth. For the Dolphins, the victory will go into the standings, but the emotional toll will linger long after. Whether this game becomes remembered as the birth of a new quarterback era or the beginning of a difficult stretch without their star receiver depends entirely on what comes next.

The first saw the Miami Dolphins get their first win of the season with a 27-21 victory over the still-winless New York Jets, while in Colorado, the Broncos comfortably beat the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals 28-3.

Here’s everything you need to know from those two games.

Second-year QB has career night in Denver win

After a breakout rookie season, there were plenty of expectations resting on Bo Nix’s shoulders entering his sophomore year in the NFL.

But through three weeks, the quarterback has struggled, with his Broncos falling to two defeats via last-second field goals.

However, on Monday night against the Bengals, Nix showed why he was in the running for last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award and why he’s seen as the future in Colorado.

Nix threw for a career-best 326 yards on 29-of-42 passing attempts as well as two touchdowns – and an interception – and also ran for a six-yard touchdown to open the scoring for Denver.

The 25-year-old’s breakout game in 2025 helped the Broncos offense rack up 512 yards and sooth some of the worries surrounding the team through four weeks.

“There’s always going to be noise,” Nix said of the criticism the squad has received so far this season. “I’m sure after this win people are going to have a lot they want to see us fix or whatever, so there’s always noise.

“There’s always ways to improve, just it’s a little bit better of a feeling when you win the game watching it again and fixing those mistakes because you know you won. The last few weeks have stunk because you lose the game and you know there’s so much that you miss, so many opportunities that you had, so it’s a lot better on the winning side.”

Nix threw for a career-high in yards in the win over the Bengals.
Jack Dempsey/AP

The Broncos actually fell behind on Monday, trailing 3-0 early on following a Bengals field goal. But afterwards, Denver scored 28 unanswered points as they improved to 2-2.

Nix’s rushing score opened proceedings for the hosts, before receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ran for a 16-yard touchdown.

On the stroke of halftime, Nix connected with Courtland Sutton for his first touchdown pass of the evening before connecting with RJ Harvey for the final score of the evening – the touchdown was Harvey’s first in the NFL.

It was victory which gets the Broncos’ season back on track but now they travel to face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday.

“Obviously, early in the season, all 31 other teams are really working to figure out who they are,” Denver head coach Sean Payton told reporters afterwards. “We’re no different. But certainly it was a step in the right direction.

“I would say that there were a lot of things we were able to do tonight that can hopefully carry over. Now, we change quickly to a team that just finished winning the Super Bowl, so we’ll enjoy this one and then get back to work tomorrow.”

For the Bengals, it is their second straight defeat since losing quarterback Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury.

Burrow’s replacement, Jake Browning, struggled yet again as the starter, throwing for just 125 yards and being harassed by Denver defenders all night because of a porous offensive line.

Cincinnati’s star receiving duo – Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins – combined for just 55 yards, with Chase’s 23 receiving yards the fourth-fewest in a game in his career.

Gruesome injury mars Miami’s first win of the season

Monday’s victory was supposed to be a moment of celebration for the Miami Dolphins. However, a gruesome injury suffered by the team’s star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, put a dampener on those emotions.

Midway through the third quarter, Hill’s knee appeared to twist severely as he was being tackled. His leg was bent at an ugly angle when medical personnel – who were at his side in a matter of a few seconds – got to him.

An air cast was placed over his leg before Hill – cheering and clapping, while acknowledging the cheers of fans – was taken off the field on a cart. He was then taken to a nearby hospital, the Dolphins said, “for imaging, evaluation and observation” of the knee injury.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Hill was diagnosed with a dislocated knee. The wideout was to remain hospitalized overnight, McDaniel said.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Hill also tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his ACL, and will undergo surgery.

Hill (No. 10) suffered a dislocated knee during Miami’s win over the Jets.
Marta Lavandier/AP

The Dolphins were leading the Jets 10-3 at that point and were able to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback to get off the mark this season.

The victory was a big one, in particular, for tight end Darren Waller who was making his debut for Miami and first appearance since unretiring after briefly leaving the game in July 2024.

Waller last played in the NFL on January 7, 2024 with the New York Giants. He retired following the end of that season and missed all of last year.

In July of this year though, Waller was traded from the Giants to the Dolphins, ending his retirement in the process.

And on Monday, the 33-year-old made his return to NFL action with a bang, scoring two touchdowns and securing a late on-side kick to seal Miami’s victory.

“It’s a lot to process,” Waller, who was a Pro Bowler in 2020, said afterwards. “It’s exciting, very exciting, just to be out there, just the whole day. Little bit of fear, little bit of everything, you know?

“Because I haven’t really been practicing a ton, haven’t really done a lot with the team, so it’s like, alright, I’ve got to find a way to get back out there and get into a rhythm and just be somebody that this team can rely on and give this team a return on their investment.”

Waller (No. 83) scored two touchdowns on his return to NFL action since unretiring.
Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Waller’s 2025 debut came at the perfect time for Miami which was facing serious pressure after losing its opening three games.

The questions around head coach McDaniel’s future were swirling so a victory helps quell some of the doubts, while Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is still searching for his first win at the helm.

On Monday, the Jets suffered self-inflicted mistakes including three turnovers, all via fumbles at costly points of the game.

The Miami Dolphins walked away from Monday night with a win, but it was far from a celebration. What should have been a breakout moment for their second-year quarterback turned into a night of mixed emotions as fans, teammates, and coaches grappled with the devastating sight of one of the team’s star wide receivers going down with a gruesome injury. The final score may have favored Miami, but the victory was clouded in shock, heartbreak, and uncertainty about the road ahead.

From the opening drive, the young quarterback looked locked in, displaying the poise and confidence that Miami had hoped to see since drafting him. His arm strength, decision-making, and ability to extend plays electrified the home crowd. Every throw seemed to be in rhythm, and his connection with the offense showed flashes of a franchise cornerstone finally coming into his own. By the time the third quarter rolled around, he had already set career-high marks in both passing yards and touchdowns, carving up the opposing defense with pinpoint accuracy.

The stadium buzzed with energy as Dolphins fans watched what felt like the dawning of a new era under center. National broadcasters praised the performance as a statement game, and analysts immediately began talking about Miami as a legitimate AFC contender if this kind of quarterback play continued. But just as the Dolphins looked ready to seize momentum for their season, everything came crashing down in one horrifying moment.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the star wide receiver—who had already made several highlight-reel catches—went up for a contested ball. He landed awkwardly, and the sound of gasps filled the stadium as he immediately clutched his leg. Teammates quickly signaled for medical staff, while players on both sidelines turned away from the replay in anguish. Fans sat in stunned silence as trainers worked to stabilize the injury, with some visibly shaken by the severity of what they had just witnessed.

The broadcast cut away several times, but the image of the receiver being carted off, tears in his eyes and teammates gathering around to offer comfort, left a lasting impression. Social media lit up with messages of support, as fans across the NFL expressed their sorrow for one of the league’s most exciting offensive weapons. Even rival players chimed in, emphasizing how devastating it is to see a star go down in such a way.

On the field, the Dolphins still had to finish the game. To his credit, the young quarterback never wavered, leading a crucial scoring drive that sealed the victory. But there was no celebratory energy in the post-game huddle, no raucous smiles or playful banter. Instead, the team looked somber, fully aware that their win had come at an enormous cost.

In the locker room afterward, head coach Mike McDaniel admitted the mood was “bittersweet at best.” He praised his quarterback’s performance as “a sign of growth and leadership,” but his words quickly shifted to the injured star. “This is family,” McDaniel said. “And when something like that happens to one of your brothers, it hurts all of us.”

Teammates echoed the sentiment. The quarterback himself, despite his career night, focused almost entirely on his receiver. “He’s the guy I trust in the biggest moments,” he said quietly. “We’re going to play for him. Everything I did tonight, I did because of the guys around me—and he’s a huge part of that.”

The injury casts a long shadow over Miami’s season. With the AFC picture wide open, the Dolphins had been considered a dark-horse contender thanks to their offensive firepower. Losing a player of this magnitude, depending on the severity of the diagnosis, could dramatically alter their trajectory. Analysts noted that while the quarterback’s growth is encouraging, the loss of his top target could make it much harder to sustain offensive consistency against elite defenses.

One thing is certain: Monday night was unforgettable for Dolphins fans, but not for the reasons they hoped. A breakout career performance should have been the headline, but instead, it was overshadowed by the sight of a fallen star, the heartbreak of teammates, and the chilling reminder that in football, triumph and tragedy often collide on the very same night.