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What a heart-wrenching loss the game against the Denver Broncos was last Sunday. Heading into the 4th quarter, the Dolphins were in the lead by 11 points. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out as the Broncos put 22 points on the board to beat the Dolphins at the death.
But this is no time for the team to feel sorry for themselves. The players have to pick themselves up, and go again this Monday. The Dolphins need a big performance to reignite that momentum in the hunt for the playoffs, and what better way to do it against a divisional rival.
Lets check out what Miami will be up against in Monday’s matchup against the New York Jets.
Offense
By the time the Jets face off against the Dolphins, it will be over 3 weeks since the home team last played a game in the NFL following their bye week and then the snowstorm in Buffalo this last Sunday. Will the offense be rusty, or will they come out all cylinders firing having been rested and getting players back to full speed, including wide receivers Eric Decker and Greg Salas, and running back Chris Ivory.
In fact, the arrival of Eric Decker has come at an opportune time for the Jets as Michael Vick will look to spread the ball around and open up plays for Percy Harvin, Jeremy Kerley and Jace Amaro. On their day, this group of receivers can be very dangerous.
As for the offensive line, this is an area that can be really exploited by the Dolphins. Past Eric Mangold, the right side of the offensive line can be shaky, while left guard Oday Aboushi needs to perform better after getting manhandled against the run all season.
Position | First String | Second String | Third String | Other |
WR | Percy Harvin | Jeremy Kerley | T.J. Graham | Walter Powell |
LT | D'Brickashaw Ferguson | Ben Ijalana | ||
LG | Oday Aboushi | Wesley Johnson | ||
C | Nick Mangold | Dalton Freeman | ||
RG | Willie Colon | Dakota Dozier | ||
RT | Breno Giacomini | Ben Ijalana | ||
TE | Jeff Cumberland | Jace Amaro | Zach Sudfeld | |
WR | Eric Decker | Greg Salas | Saalim Hakim | |
QB | Michael Vick | Geno Smith | Matt Simms | |
FB | John Conner | |||
RB | Chris Ivory | Bilal Powell | ||
Chris Johnson |
Defense
On defense, the Jets have been virtually decimated at cornerback. Dee Milliner played only three games, before being sidelined for the season with an Achilles injury, while third round pick Dexter McDougle tore his ACL in training camp.
In fact, this is no longer a defense that is feared by the opposition. Gone are the days of Darrelle Revis. While they are still competent against the run, this team are poor in the air. Ryan Tannehil has to capitalize on this. Quarterbacks all season have been made to look like MVPs against the Jets.
Position | First String | Second String | Third String |
DE | Muhammad Wilkerson | Leger Douzable | |
NT | Damon Harrison | Kenrick Ellis | |
DE | Sheldon Richardson | T.J. Barnes | |
OLB | Quinton Coples | Jason Babin | Ikemefuna Enemkpali |
WLB | Demario Davis | ||
MLB | David Harris | Nick Bellore | |
OLB | Calvin Pace | Antwan Barnes | Trevor Reilly |
CB | Marcus Williams | Kyle Wilson | Josh Thomas |
CB | Darrin Walls | Phillip Adams | |
S | Jaiquawn Jarrett | Calvin Pryor | |
S | Dawan Landry | Antonio Allen |
Special Teams
Despite the struggles of the team, kicker Nick Folk is having a strong year. So far this season he’s converted 17 field goals from 19 attempts, with three successful attempts for 50 yards or more. Punter Ryan Quigley is also having a good year, averaging 47.4 yards per punt, and pinning the opposition in their own 20 yard line 12 times in his 50 punts for the season.
Position | First String | Second String | Third String |
K | Nick Folk | ||
P | Ryan Quigley | ||
H | Ryan Quigley | ||
PR | Jeremy Kerley | Walter Powell | |
KR | Percy Harvin | Walter Powell | Saalim Hakim |
LS | Tanner Purdum |
Alex Parish is an Associate Editor at The Phinsider. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @AlexParish89.