Phins need to hold down the ship until the captain returns
The Miami Dolphins are coming off of an emotional roller coaster after the brutal injury to Tua. Add in all the bad mouthing around the country of how the Dolphins handled the entire Tua injury against the Bills the week before, and you can understand why the positive vibe around the franchise has turned so sour. It feels like the Dolphins can never catch a break. We started 3-0, get the #1 ranking in the ESPN power rankings, and then not only do the Phins lose against the Bengals, but also lose their starting QB indefinitely. And now, the media ground and pound on the Phins has started again!
Phins are at a crucial point for the season
Despite all the negatives, Miami must put all that behind them and focus on the Jets. The Jets are a surprising 2-2 and do have some talented players on their roster, so fans shouldn’t discount them. Phins have to beat the Jets on the road because if they don’t they’ll be tied with the Jets with 3-2 record, and New York will have the tie-breaker.
This is the last thing any of us Miami Dolphin News fans want to see!
Like the very last thing.
On defense, we’re hurting in the secondary with a banged up Howard, who is suffering from a groin injury and there is no guarantee he’ll even play this week. Byron Jones was scheduled to come off the PUP list this week, but all the talk is he is way off schedule. McDaniel added credence to this ‘talk’ by being non-committal on his return. The Jets have 4 decent receivers and will look to attack a Dolphins secondary that has allowed 299.3 yards per game through the air, which is second worst in the entire league. The Jets are right behind Miami as the 4th most prolific pass attack. This combo isn’t good. Miami must do a better job against the pass and also getting their hands on some footballs because they only have 1 interception in 4 games this year.
The Jets Zach Wilson will be back for his second straight game as their QB, who has a big arm, but if rattled can throw the ball up haphazardly. The Dolphins need to get after him early and often, and get him running for his life. If the Dolphins can pressure Wilson, they have a good chance to create some turnovers. The Jets offensive line is a mess and maybe in a worst state than ours.
Offense must lead the way!!!
On offense, the Dolphins have to finally get the running game going, the Jets defense though is 12th best allowing 108.8 yards per game on the ground. A solid rushing attack will help Bridgewater at ton by slowing the rush and shortening the game. Teddy actually looked pretty good when he filled in for Tua against the Bengals. He looked in command of the offense and was very active moving around the pocket. While he probably has a bigger arm then Tua, he’s just not as accurate. Maybe a full week of practice as the starter with help him be more comfortable against the Jets compared to the Bengals?
The various pay perhead services initially opened the line at -6 before the Jets game, but after Tua was ruled out of the game, the line has come down to -3 for the Dolphins. This is a big time trap game on the road against a division rival! If the Dolphins don’t play their best, this has all the makings of an upset… and the last thing this team and its fans need is any more negativity!
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins news thoughts on this upcoming game?