EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are obtaining a whirlwind of a week.
Following a close victory more than the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, the Dolphins’ itinerary integrated some relaxation, meetings, observing recreation video clip, getting in a very little practice time, hopping on a 1,000-mile flight and paying out Thanksgiving making ready to face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday.
“It is far more challenging, only due to the fact when you play a sport, there’s a science guiding the 48-hour time window of practicing or not practicing,” the Dolphins quarterback mentioned of the rapid turnaround among games. “It’s a large amount of mental reps for all of us.
“We’ll possibly have 1 day of industry observe to run all over and make sure all the things is on stage and on time. But outdoors of that, what would make these shorter weeks tricky is that a whole lot of these factors are extra psychological than bodily.”
Jets mentor Robert Saleh experimented with to take an optimistic method to the limited week.
“It’s greater than a Thursday game,” he said, “from a timing standpoint and with regards to planning for your group, at least from my viewpoint with all the study we have done.”
Sure, the Jets and Dolphins are receiving one particular a lot more working day to get prepared than the 6 groups with Thanksgiving game titles. But the spotlight will be on the AFC East rivals throughout the to start with sport in NFL historical past to be performed on Black Friday.
Miami (7-3) sits atop the division following bouncing back from a 21-14 loss to Kansas City two weeks back and beating Las Vegas 20-13 previous Sunday. With Buffalo in next location at 6-5, the Dolphins have a probability to create some extra separation concerning them and the rest of the AFC East.
“They’re nonetheless a division opponent and each individual time we engage in them it’s normally a hard recreation, regardless of the final result,” Miami defensive tackle Christian Wilkins claimed of experiencing New York. “That’s the hard point about this league and the difficult matter about taking part in division opponents (is) they know you, you know them. There ordinarily isn’t much surprise.”
1 unfamiliar element for the Jets (4-6): They are starting Tim Boyle at quarterback in put of the benched Zach Wilson while looking to snap a 3-match skid and spark an offense that has developed nine touchdowns in 10 online games.
“I’m excited to go out there and place my taste on matters and just be myself,” mentioned Boyle, creating his fourth NFL start out. “Not overdo it, run the offense and place the ball in our playmakers’ arms.”
Football FRIDAY
While it is the first NFL sport played the working day just after Thanksgiving, it is not the initially time the Dolphins or Jets have performed a normal-year game on a Friday.
Miami is 1-3 and New York is 2-5 in online games performed on that day. And this will be the third time the Dolphins and Jets square off on a Friday with the teams splitting the earlier two matchups.
The to start with two video games in Dolphins franchise historical past have been Friday losses at dwelling in 1966 against the Raiders and Jets. The Dolphins beat the Jets in 1983, the very last time New York performed on a Friday. In 2005, Kansas Metropolis won following the Dolphins and Chiefs moved up a frequent-season matchup in Miami from Sunday to Friday due to the fact of Hurricane Wilma.
New York’s to start with five Friday game titles came when the Jets have been recognized as the Titans from 1960-62.
“It’s sort of great to think about it for the reason that of Friday night time football in higher school,” Dolphins ideal deal with Austin Jackson claimed. “That’s promptly what I assume about. It’ll be my initially substantial faculty soccer form of Friday night activity in a minute. Below the large lights, I believe it’ll be pleasurable, actually.”
Provide IT TO A BOYLE
The 29-yr-old Boyle created 3 starts in 2021 for Detroit, his only other NFL starting off expertise.
The Lions shed all three games. Boyle went 61 of 94 for 526 yards and 3 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Boyle said his assurance is a great deal increased now and he feels much more mentally geared up to start off.
“I surely know what to anticipate on match working day,” he reported. “I’m not somebody who’s likely to be shell-shocked by the moment.”
Small-YARDAGE STRUGGLES
The Dolphins have acquired far more yards for each perform (7.) and per video game (434) than any staff in the league, but have struggled in limited-yardage circumstances.
Miami is ranked 17th in third-down offense and is close to the base of the NFL on third-and-brief.
Versus the Raiders, the Dolphins had been 3 for 11 on 3rd down. Miami transformed just a person of 4 third-down conversion tries in which fewer than 5 yards have been needed. The Dolphins also failed to transform a fourth-and-1.
“That is ever-existing proper now on our minds,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “because it is difficult to get the nine yards. I desire it was as straightforward as just get the a person. But we’ll carry on to work the same way and maintain ourselves accountable, and that is the region of soccer that we’re still the worst at, somewhat, to all the things we do.”
DOWN AND OUT
The Jets know the experience of failing on third down better than everyone.
They have a league-worst 23% conversion fee in those predicaments after going for 11 at Buffalo. The Jets are on rate to have the worst third-down efficiency in NFL history.
And that is not all: Their 26.1% conversion rate in the red zone is also final in the league and could established a league mark for futility.
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