From the Other Side: Five Questions About the New York Jets
The Miami Dolphins will look to get back on track when the face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The Dolphins are coming off a 20-13 loss against the Denver Broncos that ended their winning streak at five games, while the Jets will come in at 0-10 after a 34-28 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.
To get a better feel for the Jets, we checked in with JetsCountry Publisher Max Goodman for his answers on these five key questions:
1) The Jets are 0-10, but they lost their last two games by three and six points. How much confidence do you sense in the belief that elusive first win is coming?
Goodman: Confidence is definitely building for this Jets team despite the 0-10 record. Just from listening to different players over the last few weeks — ranging from the rookies up to the veterans — it's not hard to tell that this team believes they can get the job done. The consensus is that once New York can put together a complete performance, they can get their first win. Plus, I think these last two close games are proof that these guys aren't taking the field every weekend trying to tank. They're going out there and playing their hardest. Besides, they've had chances to march down the field late in the fourth quarter and take the lead on a game-winning drive against two talented teams. Hasn't worked out yet, but if they can avoid empty quarters, as we've seen quite a bit these last few weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if the Jets win a game over the next six weeks.
2) What would be one reason the Dolphins would need to be concerned about the Jets on Sunday?
Goodman: Denzel Mims. Miami didn't get a chance to face him last time these two teams played, as he hadn't debuted yet, but he's found a groove and has continued to impress this month. We'll see how he handles the Dolphins' secondary in their first showdown, but after back-to-back games with eight targets, it's safe to assume the ball will be headed his way on Sunday as well. Also, with Breshad Perriman playing well (three TD in the last two games) and Jamison Crowder always a threat (even TE Chris Herndon was solid last week) Miami can't focus solely on Mims. It'll just be up to Joe Flacco or Sam Darnold to get the job done.
3) How much of a difference will there be for the Jets if, as expected, Sam Darnold returns at quarterback Sunday after the Dolphins faced Joe Flacco in the first meeting?
Goodman: Hard to say. Darnold hasn't been out there since Week 8 and has struggled mightily against the Dolphins in his career so shaking off the rust won't be easy. And with a shoulder injury, he might be apprehensive to make tough throws in tight windows (whereas Flacco has been slinging it down the field since taking over in Week 9). Besides a few costly interceptions, Flacco has played well these last two games, so no guarantees Darnold can be better in his first game back. Then again, Flacco's worst game of the year was against the Dolphins, so Darnold might be an upgrade regardless.
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4) What do you expect DC Gregg Williams to try to do to affect Tua Tagovailoa in light of his getting benched against Denver or against Ryan Fitzpatrick?
Goodman: If Tua is out there, I'd expect the same game plan the Jets had against Justin Herbert, but with some adjustments. New York's secondary is still very inexperienced (with several rookies), so putting pressure up front on a rookie quarterback could result in Tua making the mistakes that Herbert didn't make last week. Especially since he was benched, Tua might come out trying to do too much. Send a few extra defenders at him and, who knows, maybe he'll make some throws he shouldn't. In his weekly presser, Jets DC Gregg Williams praised Tua and his ability to throw the football with tremendous accuracy and utilize RPO. He didn't specifically address what New York would do differently in preparing for Ryan Fitzpatrick, but said as always that coaches and players are prepping to face all possible options just in case. Fitz is a veteran, but with his eight interceptions through seven games, pressure up front to rush him in his progressions certainly wouldn't hurt.
5) How long is the road back to respectability for the Jets?
Goodman: Call me crazy, but I don't think the Jets are too far away from respectability. This team's current record makes it seem like they're very far from contention, but if New York hits the next two drafts out of the park with all their picks and can find a few solid contributors in free agency with their surplus of cap space, I think this organization can turn this around relatively quickly. Trevor Lawrence would certainly help, surround him with weapons and playmakers, develop reliability on both the offensive and defensive lines and you've got yourself a talented core to work with. Easier said than done but hey, why not be optimistic! Only other question is how many wins would it take to win in the AFC East going forward now that the Dolphins and Bills are proving they're ready to contend for years to come?
