Who: Dolphins (6-4) at Jets (0-10)
When: Sunday, November 29, 1:00 EDT
Where: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
Weather: 50 degrees, mostly sunny, 20 percent chance of rain, 7 MPH winds
Dolphins-Jets
The old adage in the NFL says there are two outcomes in any given game: winning and learning. Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores is adamant that there is no such thing as a perfect game, and that corrections are required, even in victory.
This week, the Dolphins fall into the latter category of a learning experience coming off the team's first loss in nearly two months. Results are all that matter in a bottom-line business like the NFL and the bottom line for Miami is they have to play better this week.
"Hopefully we learn from it," Flores said. "I think there are other plays throughout the game that we didn't make from dropped balls, from a protection standpoint, defensively in the run game. It looked like we came clean on a punt block and we didn't make that one either. We've got to take advantage of our opportunities."
The Dolphins have an opportunity on Sunday to sweep a division rival. Things have not gone the way the Jets hoped this season as they are still in search of their first victory. But that doesn't mean they are a team bereft of talent, or even a team that hasn't been competitive.
Last week against the Chargers, the Jets were throwing into the end zone with a chance to tie the game after the two-minute warning. The game before against the Patriots, New York held a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
Injury Report
Dolphins:
Running back Salvon Ahmed and offensive guard Solomon Kindley are OUT.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is DOUBTFUL.
Wide receiver Jakeem Grant is QUESTIONABLE.
Jets:
Quarterback Sam Darnold will start for the Jets on Sunday.
Linebacker Patrick Onwuasor is OUT.
Offensive tackles George Fant and Chuma Edoga are DOUBTFUL.
Linebacker Blake Cashman and offensive guard Alex Lewis are QUESTIONABLE.
For the rest of the Dolphins-Jets Week 12 injury report, click here.
Matchup Highlights
Beat the Blitz
New York Jets Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams is no stranger to turning up the heat. This year, the Jets send an extra rusher at the 10th-most frequent clip in the NFL (30.9 percent). Last season, Williams' defense blitzed at a 39.2 clip, fourth-most in the NFL.
Miami's counter – a quarterback excelling against the blitz. Tua Tagovailoa has thrown four of his six touchdown passes this season against the blitz for a 100.6 passer rating and an adjusted accuracy rating of 64.1 percent, per Pro Football Focus.
Blocking up the interior rush is always a key step in thwarting the blitz, especially against a rush that commits the extra man inside the tackles on more than half of the blitzes (52.4 percent, PFF). This season, the Dolphins interior offensive line play (Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras and Solomon Kindley/Jesse Davis) have allowed only 34 quarterback pressures and 11 quarterback hits this season on a combined 1,134 pass-blocking snaps.
Make the Jets Quarterback Feel the Heat
The Miami defense has implemented the same recipe in the six victories this season. In six wins, Miami have 133 quarterback pressures (22.2 per game) compared to 46 pressures (11.5 per game) in the four losses. That includes a season-high 29 pressures in the Week 6 win over the Jets, a 24-0 shutout that featured seven three-and-out possessions, a turnover and three sacks.
Quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Sam Darnold both endure statistical drops offs when under duress this season. Flacco's passer rating under pressure is 63.5 while Darnold's is 60.1, according to PFF.
In the Week 6 shutout of the Jets, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah collected a career-high 10 quarterback pressures and brought Flacco down for sacks twice. Fellow defensive end Shaq Lawson picked up four quarterback pressures in that game.
Jets Scheme
The Jets offense ranks 32nd in scoring (14.9 points per game), total yards per game (268.6) and passing offense (170.0). Their 98.6 rushing yards per game is 26th in the NFL. Under Head Coach Adam Gase, New York operates out of 11 personnel 75.3 percent of the time. Only one other personnel grouping (12-personnel with 1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WR) has been called more than 10 times (90). Traditionally, 11-personnel is matched by nickel defense (five defensive backs), but the Dolphins multiplicity tends to throw a curveball into that equation.
"We do numerous different things. We're very multiple with our fronts," Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer said on Tuesday.
The aforementioned Tagovailoa's stats against the blitz are applicable against Gregg Williams' defense – he sends extra rushers at the 10th-highest rate in the NFL (30.9 percent). New York's pressure rate is 32nd in the NFL at 15.1 percent. Few teams batten down the hatches in the red zone like the Jets – their 52.2 percent red zone touchdowns allowed rate is fourth-best in the NFL.
The Jets defense is allowing 30.2 points per game this season, 31st in the NFL. They rank 28th in total defense (400.0 yards per game), 30th in passing (288.3) and 11th in run defense (111.7). New York lines up in nickel (five defensive backs) 80.0 percent of the time, the second-highest rate in the NFL.
Game Notes
The Jets lead the all-time series 55-54-1, but the Dolphins claimed victory in the lone postseason meeting between the two AFC East foes.
Tagovailoa is one of three rookie quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to not throw in interception in his first four career starts, joining Gardner Minshew (2019) and Dak Prescott (2016).
In his last 19 games (since Week 9, 2019), DeVante Parker is sixth in the NFL with 1,382 receiving yards in that span. His 10 receiving touchdowns since then are tied for 10th in the NFL.
Gesicki ranks eighth among NFL tight ends with 414 receiving yards. His 14.8 yards per reception is the highest in the NFL among tight ends (min. 15 receptions).
The Dolphins defense has a habit of limiting opposing offenses to some of their worst statistical days of the season. Miami held the Chargers to just 273 net yards in Week 10, forced four turnovers against the Rams in Week 8, and held the 49ers to 128 net passing yards in Week 5.
Postgame Coverage
We're back in the 1 p.m. time slot, so we'll have postgame coverage available Sunday evening. As always, we'll have the recap story and Sunday spotlight on MiamiDolphins.com and Drive Time with Travis Wingfield to cover all of the day's action.
