MIAMI -- The New York Jets are hard to explain. At times, they look and behave like a dysfunctional mess. Other times, they show a winning heart.

Both versions of the team showed up Sunday and, for a few minutes, it looked as if heart was going to prevail -- well, until two special-teams blunders cost them with 5 minutes, 10 seconds left in the game. Antonio Allen's offside penalty and a "How Not to Cover a Kickoff" demonstration on the re-kick resulted in a 96-yard touchdown by Kenyan Drake, handing the Jets a 27-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

It was Hard Luck Stadium for the Jets (3-6), whose two-game winning streak was snapped.

This was a strange game. There were some encouraging signs, as Ryan Fitzpatrick rallied from a knee injury and two interceptions to put the Jets ahead 23-20 with an 18-yard touchdown pass with 5:42 play. But the major takeaway was the lack of discipline on and off the field, and the lack of accountability after the game.

Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, both of whom were benched for the first quarter, bolted the locker room instead of answering questions from reporters. A tight-lipped Todd Bowles refused to say why he benched his so-called defensive stars, repeatedly calling it a "coach's decision." Presumably, he sat them for disciplinary reasons, perhaps showing up late for a meeting, as Wilkerson did last season to earn a one-quarter benching.

Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Brandon Marshallare supposed to be the leaders of the team, but they were caught on camera screaming at each other on the sideline during the second quarter. What happened to the BFFs? It brought back memories of the Santonio Holmes-Wayne Hunter huddle scuffle in the 2011 finale at Miami.

During the game itself, the Jets lost their poise in the first half, as Richardson, Calvin Pryor, Buster Skrine and Julian Stanford were called for personal fouls -- dumb penalties. Pryor didn't stick around to discuss his taunting penalty. All told, the Jets had 10 penalties for 77 yards.

"We didn't play as a team," said Quincy Enunwa, including himself in that assessment. "There was a lot of selfish ball. That's not really going to help you win." Asked what he meant by "selfish," Enunwa said, "I'd like to keep that in-house."

The Jets should have stolen this game -- it would have changed the complexion of their season -- but they didn't have the mental toughness in pressure situations. It raises questions about team chemistry. In a virtual must-win game, how do Richardson and Wilkerson allow themselves to get benched? Neither one of them is having a good season, and this behavior creates a poor optic. They're supposed to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Fitzpatrick and Marshall? They're fiery competitors -- a good thing -- but it doesn't set a positive example for the rest if they're yelling at each other on the sideline.

"Things got a little heated," said Marshall, claiming he still has "love" for his quarterback.

Fitzpatrick, too, downplayed it, saying, "That's just part of football and part of our relationship."

Let's not forget Marshall and Richardson had a heated altercation after the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a team filled with strong, volatile personalities, but there's a leadership void, especially on defense.

"We've got to play better, and we've got to have a lot better composure," said Bowles, saying the personal-four penalties were "infuriating."

Despite the self-inflicted adversity, the Jets displayed resilience, rallying from a 20-13 deficit in the fourth quarter. This could have been a season-defining win. The Dolphins practically handed it to them, muffing a punt snap deep in their own territory -- a blunder that set up the Fitzpatrick-to-Marshall touchdown. They took the gift and stamped it "Return to sender."