Three keys to a Miami Dolphins victory over New York Jets
Miami Dolphins look to get back to .500 against the winless New York Jets.
After trouncing the San Francisco 49ers 43-17, the Miami Dolphins return home to play the lowly New York Jets. This week for the Jets has been marred in controversy with the release of star running back Le’Veon Bell. The Jets are beyond injured and will be without star young left tackle Mekhi Becton and quarterback Sam Darnold. The Miami Dolphins are riding high following an absolute shellacking of the defending NFC champions. With the Jets looking like a team that has quit, the Miami Dolphins have a great chance to grab their first home victory of the season. What must the Dolphins do to keep the Jets winless?
Put them in long third downs
The Jets offensive line is bad with or without Mekhi Becton. With Becton likely being out, they have absolutely nothing upfront. If the Dolphins can stop them on early downs, third-down can be very fun for Miami. Joe Flacco will be starting for New York, who is essentially immobile back in the pocket. The Dolphins can bring a whole bunch of different guys from a variety of spots. There is not much that should threaten the Dolphins from a receiver standpoint on the Jets roster. Miami should be able to just play man to man and bring more rushers. A side note, the Jets may just put themselves in third and longs via penalties. The Jets are third in the NFL in terms of penalty yardage, and first in the AFC.
Throw the football
Statistically, the Jets’ defense is bad against the run and the pass. However, they have better players on their defensive line than they do in the secondary. Pierre Desir has a lot of interceptions, but that is because he gets thrown at a lot. The strength of the Dolphins’ offense is their offensive weaponry. DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, and Mike Gesicki, while they are not great separators, have played some really good football. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is on a little bit of a hot streak now, and the offense is playing with supreme confidence. Preston Williams has looked like he has returned to form after his ACL tear, making another game against a lesser opponent a great opportunity for him. The Dolphins were able to unlock the passing game last week and should be looking to air it out again this week.
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Do not beat themselves!
The Jets have little talent, bad coaching, injuries, penalty problems, and are on the road. As long as the Dolphins do not play down to their competition, they should win the game. It will be a great test for head coach Brian Flores. So far through five games, Miami has outplayed two teams they were supposed to outplay in San Francisco and the Jaguars. They also played tight contests against playoff contenders like the Patriots, Bills, and Seahawks. The Jets are by far the worst team that the Dolphins will see all season, and they are at home. If the Dolphins can avoid unnecessary turnovers and penalties, talent and coaching will prevail.