NFL Game of the Week: Jets vs Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins will travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets for a must-see AFC East matchup.
The Tua-Less Fins
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game after suffering a concussion on a scary hit that resulted in him being taken to the hospital. There is no timetable for his return.
He has been a pivotal piece in the offensive scheme of the Miami Dolphins, but now Teddy Bridgewater must step up in his absence.
Bridgewater entered the game during the second quarter; he went 14-23 for 193 yards with one touchdown and one interception. A sizeable effort, but the team was unable to defeat Joe Burrow and the Bengals—they lost 27-15.
Now with a record of 3-1, they’ll look to bounce back against the Jets. Bridgewater will utilize wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but the New York defense ranks in the top ten for average yards allowed per game (326.5). The big play might be hard to come by with Jet cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed disrupting the deep pall. Their offensive play selection must be smart.
Hill leads the league in receiving yards at 477 through four weeks, yet he has only reached the endzone twice. Waddle leads all other Dolphin receivers on average yards per reception at 18.1.
Defensively, Miami ranks low. On average, it allows 403 yards per game. Its best ranking comes at 11th against the rush, where they’ve limited opponents to just over 100 per game.
Are The Jets FINALLY Ready For Take Off?
The New York Jets are 2-2 after a come-from-behind victory on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They played the entire AFC North and now have a divisional match-up at home. The Jets have yet to win on their home turf, and they are currently three-point home underdogs.
Zach Wilson made his season debut last week and locked in when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. He missed the first three weeks because of a knee injury suffered in the preseason.
Wilson threw for 252 yards but only completed 50 percent of his passes.
Stats aside, he seems to have progressed since last season—looking more comfortable in the pocket, making smarter decisions on a scramble, better accuracy, and the list goes on.
The wide receivers on the Jets have talent; they’re playmakers. Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, rookie Garrett Wilson and Braxton Berrios have all grown into their roles. Offensively, the Jets rank fourth in average passing yards per game (277).
Tight ends CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin were both acquired through free agency during the off-season but have yet to make a large impact.
One thing to look out for is the Jets’ offensive line. They are dealing with injuries across several positions, and they have been looking for players to step up. Just last week, Alijah Vera-Tucker filled in on left tackle and did a good job, but they also lost rookie Max Mitchell to a knee injury. He had started every game at right tackle.
Defensively, they have been conceding a lot of points—around 25.3 per game. What hurts the defense the most are the costly penalties that have resulted in points. Just last week defensive end Carl Lawson had a personal foul after a late hit on the Steelers’ quarterback; that cost the Jets three points before halftime.
What to Expect
Even though the Jets have not won a home game yet, this should be their week to notch one. With Zach Wilson back the offense has more potential, and the team, overall, looks livelier.
The Dolphins had a long week after playing last Thursday night, but Bridgewater as the starter is not the same threat if it were Tagovailoa.
Divisional games always have a lot on the line, and it has the potential to be very close in scoring.
Ultimately, this game will come down to which offense makes the better playmaking decisions and which team suffers fewer preventable penalties.
Prediction: Dolphins 17, Jets 21
Amanda Vogt is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email her at aev5215@psu.edu.
