MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A thirty day period back, this recreation in between AFC East rivals may possibly have experienced unique implications.
Both equally the New York Jets (7-9) and Miami Dolphins (8-8) were above .500 entering December and on observe for their 1st playoff appearances in some time. Miami was challenging Buffalo for the division’s major place. New York was off to its finest get started in several years.
Each groups have shed their very last 5 games, on the other hand, and now only the Dolphins’ postseason hopes remain alive. The Jets were being eliminated with final week’s decline to Seattle.
Miami can make the playoffs with a earn about the Jets in Sunday’s standard-season finale, coupled with a New England decline to Buffalo.
“You’ve obtained to earn, that is all it will come down to,” Dolphins basic safety Jevon Holland said. “Whatever you received to do, on the other hand you obtained to get ready. You’ve received to get.”
The Dolphins have seemed like two unique teams this period. The initially highlighted just one of the NFL’s most unstoppable offenses, with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle powering Miami to an 8-3 document.
That offense has not sustained its generation late in the time, and now Miami’s harm-plagued quarterback home provides yet another roadblock to its postseason prospects.
Tagovailoa’s return from a concussion doesn’t appear to be imminent, and Teddy Bridgewater dislocated the pinky finger on his throwing hand in last week’s decline to New England.
Rookie Skylar Thompson figures to be the person the Jets’ fourth-ranked defense will confront.
“A components for profitable offensive perform is a quarterback that’s prepared to do whatever it will take and a bunch of teammates that thoroughly believe in what he has to provide,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said. “And so I see both.”
The Jets can only engage in spoiler on Sunday, but mentor Robert Saleh is picking to view it as “another championship sport.”
“I know it is technically not,” Saleh claimed, “but you have to keep your mentality that any time you have a probability to action on the industry, you have bought to action on the gas and do the complete most effective you can.”
Just after early wins about Miami, Green Bay and Buffalo, the Jets have fallen to Minnesota, Jacksonville, Detroit, the Expenditures and Seattle in recent weeks.
Jets players mentioned that even if they’re not participating in for the playoffs, they’re participating in for a thing.
“You’ve obtained to go back to the motive you come to get the job done,” said linebacker C.J. Mosley, “and that’s to get, play for you brothers and signify your self.”
LEAN ON ME
Dolphins working back again Raheem Mostert is not a single to convey to McDaniel how to recreation prepare, but with Thompson at quarterback for a ought to-get activity, Mostert would be glad to get a great deal of carries to get some tension off the rookie.
“It’s constantly ideal when you can go in there and converse to Mikey (McDaniel) about the run activity and lean on me and Jefe (RB Jeff Wilson),” Mostert mentioned. “But I would say that’s type of selfish to begin so early and say all those things. We definitely have to rally at the rear of Skylar and whoever is at quarterback. … Come match time, and we want to run the ball extra, you know I’m likely to go out there and be a personalized advocate of functioning the ball extra.”
Mostert rushed for 113 yards on 18 carries against the Jets in Week 5.
Power OUTAGE
The Jets had been 7-4 before a five-match skid ended their postseason hopes.
“We just did not do what we essential to be done,” quarterback Mike White mentioned. “I indicate, we can go match by sport and all that fantastic stuff but at the conclude of the day, it is just we did not get the job performed.”
The largest perpetrator in the course of the skid has been the offense, which has scored just 4 touchdowns throughout that extend. New York hasn’t scored a TD in its final 8 quarters.
“It’s shocking,” White stated. “It’s not what you want to do as an offense.”
CATCHING ON
In spite of the Jets’ issues on offense and uncertainty at quarterback, vast receiver Garrett Wilson has experienced a single of the greatest rookie seasons in franchise historical past.
Wilson, the 10th in general choose final April, has set the workforce rookie marks with 74 receptions for 1,014 yards. These totals also direct NFL rookies this period.
“It’s about profitable,” reported Wilson, who has 4 TD catches. “I want to earn. Own accolades will be there no matter, but if we get, it’s likely to arrive with it.”
NO Split
Saleh doesn’t foresee generating alterations to the lineups on offense or defense Sunday, barring personal injury. That indicates the Jets won’t use the last recreation of the time to attempt to get prolonged seems at youthful gamers over veterans.
“Guys have been participating in and a ton of guys have gained the proper to finish the period sturdy and complete the season that they’ve began,” Saleh said. “In this developing, I experience like we’ve often stood business on providing the folks who ought to have the chance to participate in that chance to engage in, and if fellas like, for illustration C.J. Mosley, if he wishes to finish the year strong, he’s going to get that possibility. He’s earned it and he’s likely to get it.”
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