Dolphins Week 15 Opponent Breakdown: New York Jets
The Miami Dolphins will look to move to 10-4 on the season when they face the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The Jets will go into the game with a 5-8 record but are coming off an impressive 30-6 victory against the Houston Texans in 2021 second overall pick Zach Wilson's return to the starting lineup.
To get some answers on five major questions related to the Jets and this AFC East rematch, we turned to Ralph Ventre, publisher of SI Fan Nation sister site Jets Country.
1. What happened to make Zach Wilson suddenly proficient in the game against Houston on Sunday?
RV: He looked like a completely different player with a renewed approach. After promising to adopt an "Eff it" mentality when he was reinstated as the starter, Wilson delivered. He didn't play like someone who was afraid of making mistakes. Instead, he let it rip and the result was his first 300-yard passing day of the season. As Robert Saleh said, "He played free on Sunday." It also helped that the patchwork offensive line was able to provide adequate protection and Garrett Wilson was consistently winning on his routes. Zach Wilson wasn't hesitant to hit the safety valve when a downfield throw wasn't available, but, with that said, he still took four sacks.
2. How different is the offensive line than the one the Dolphins abused on Black Friday, and can it hold up in this game?
RV: It'll be different, for sure, but that's not necessarily a good thing for the Jets. The Dolphins saw the least-experienced offensive line the Jets have deployed in any game this season. Other than veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson, all of the starters were either rookies or second-year players, including a practice squad call-up (Xavier Newman) at right guard.Mekhi Becton should be available to start at left tackle next to Tomlinson, but rookie center Joe Tippmann has been limited in practice with a shoulder injury. The right side remains in a state of flux. Rookie tackle Carter Warren has been out with a hip injury and Week 14 starter Max Mitchell is dealing with a stinger. Miami defenders should be able to win consistently against the Jets' right side.
3. How well do you think the Jets defense can handle the Dolphins running game after what we saw last time out, or was it just a matter of the defense wearing out because the offense couldn't stay on the field very long?
RV: The Jets' defense has struggled in spurts against the run this year, but I think the Dolphins' success on Black Friday was more of a product of the game flow as opposed to incompetence on the Jets' behalf. New York has held its last two opponents under 100 net yards rushing. Raheem Mostert is having a phenomenal season and he presents more of a challenge than Bijan Robinson or Devin Singletary. I think the Williams brothers (DT Quinnen and LB Quincy) will play an important role in run defense against Miami.
4. What is your gut telling you in terms of whether the big victory against the Houston Texans on Sunday was an aberration or a sign of a team coming to life and possibility being dangerous down the stretch (even if making the playoffs isn't realistic)?
RV: Their defensive ability makes them a threat against any team in the NFL, but it's not feasible to ask the unit to stand on its head every time out. The couple of times they've received a competent effort from the offense, they've fared well against teams with winning records (Texans, Chiefs). If the offense can score 20+ points per game, the Jets can win three of their last four. That's a big "if," though.
5. What do you think is the biggest key to the Jets being able to pull off an upset in this game?
RV: Tyreek Hill's availability is certainly something to consider as I think the Dolphins' offense looks very different without him. Even if Hill is unavailable, the Jets' cornerbacks must take away Tua Tagovailoa's initial options and the pass rush must get home against a banged-up Miami front five. Also, avoiding a Hail Mary pick-six always helps.
