The Miami Dolphins have yet to win a game this year, while the New York Jets have managed to squeak out two wins. On Sunday, the Jets would love nothing more than to send the Dolphins back to South Florida with another check mark in the "L" column.
This isn't the same Jets team Miami fans have watched and admittedly laughed at for the last three decades. Better, yes, but still a long way away from being a division contender. Better than Miami? Yes, but we'll find out Sunday how much.
If the Dolphins are going to beat New York this week, they will need to take care of three players who will undoubtedly stand in their way. Needless to say, these are the players Dolphins fans should be paying the most attention to.
Miami Dolphins have to win these 3 matchups if they are going to win
Austin Jackson vs. David Bailey
Let's all hope that the Jets are dumb enough to put Bailey on the left side to face Patrick Paul and Kadyn Proctor. Against Jackson, Geno Smith is going to have a rather long day. Bailey is the near-consensus odd-on-odds favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, yes, above Jacob Rodriguez.
Bailey has 18 solo tackles, 5 sacks, and 31 combined tackles. He has forced three fumbles and is shaping up to be one of the league's best edge rushers after just six weeks. Jackson, on the other hand, is a turnstile.
If the Dolphins are going to have any success in the passing game, they will need to do so by keeping Bailey out of the backfield. That isn't going to be easy given Jackson's inconsistently bad season so far. New York is ranked 4th in passing defense; Bailey is part of the reason why. On Sunday, expect Jets' HC Aaron Glenn to call his number often.
Garrett Wilson vs. JuJu Brents (and hopefully a safety)
If the Dolphins put Jason Marshall Jr. on Wilson, they may as well walk into the locker room, pop open an Alka-Seltzer, and call it a day. Wilson has 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns despite having only two 100-yard receiving games this year.
The numbers might not be as flashy or be living up to the contract extension he signed, but if Geno Smith has all day to throw, Wilson will find a way to get open. The Dolphins are going to have to use a safety to help unless Brents can shut him down. So far this season, the Dolphins veteran CB has done well against some quality receivers.
What the Dolphins can't do is blow coverages, allowing a single play to dictate a drive. Miami has a good secondary that will continue to get better, but this week, they need help from the front seven.
Jacob Rodriguez vs. Mason Taylor
It feels a little ironic here this week. Taylor is the son of Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Rodriguez reminds a lot of fans of Zach Thomas; the two former brothers-in-law both have a dog in this fight this week, but the Jets TE will get the most cheers. After all, he is Thomas' nephew.
Miami's rookie LB continues to assault Thomas' Dolphins rookie record of 154 combined tackles. Through five games, Rodriguez has 57, but this week, the rookie needs to do a little bit more than knock people to the ground. He needs to knock the Jets' TEs off their routes instead of letting them get into their routes freely.
One of the biggest problems the Dolphins have is that they can't consistently stop opposing tight ends. Part of that problem is that the TEs are getting off the line without being "chucked" by the linebackers. Rodriguez has done this on a couple of occasions, and frankly, he can't do that anymore. Taylor is a good TE, but he isn't as elite as some of the players they have faced this year at that position.
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