Battered Jets QB & O-line Gives Phins Edge

Phins need every edge to win & salvage the season

While the Miami Dolphins have their share of injuries, the New York Jets are as badly banged up and might even end up on the shorter end of the stick come game day. I normally don’t hope a team comes in weakened by injuries, but this time I am because the Phins really, really need this win. I dread the thought of the fallout should they lose and crash to 8-9 on the season. And selfishly, I dread even more is the thought of having to write about another Dolphins collapse for the foreseeable future…

…Thankfully, I received a jolt of hope for a turnaround–or at least a short reprieve–after seeing Jets offensive tackles Duane Brown and George Fant out for two practices and Mike White being downgraded to limited.

Miami will be fully stocked on pass rushers

Bradley Chubb is trending to make his return to rush the passer with a healthy Jaelan Phillips, Melvin Ingram, Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, and Christian Wilkens. To add to the good news, it appears that ultra-immobile Joe Flacco will be that the quarterback.

You can bet with the best pay per head that it’s really now or never for this highly talented group. There’s no reason for the Dolphins pass rushers not to feast on the Jets O-line, even if Brown and Fant play, but even more so if they don’t. Yes, Chubb has a splint on his hand. But he should see plenty of one-on-one and if not, Phillips, Wilkens and the rest will. Someone needs to get to the quarterback and disrupt drives with sacks or cause fumbles.

Dolphins get after the quarterback ranking 17th in pressure, 12th in sacks, 5th in hurries. But the problem is we are 6th in blitzing and all the blitzing exposes a weak secondary allowing 5th worst 67.1 completion percentage. We need organic pressure without blitzing by sending just four rushers. It was expected that Chubb and Phillips could make organic pressure happen. The problem is the expectations hasn’t come to fruition with enough regularity.

This Sunday would be the perfect time for it to arrive! Man, it would be the perfect time… Go Phins!!!