South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Who has the edge?
Dolphins must be more efficient on third down against pesky Jets defense
DAVIE – The Miami Dolphins will play their first road game of the season when they face the New York Jets in the first AFC East matchup for both teams on Sunday at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Dolphins have won three of the last four meetings in the divisional rivalry.
When the Dolphins pass
Adam Gase’s offense plans to boast a steady passing attack with four dynamic receivers and a rookie tight end lining up in a variety of areas at the line of scrimmage. But quarterback Ryan Tannehill, in his second start since 2016, must play better overall if he hopes to lead Miami to a victory. Tannehill has a 4-5 career record against the Jets, completing just 55.8 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 72.0 passer rating. He was 20 of 28 for 230 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in last week’s opener, with adequate support from his offensive line. But he had trouble converting on key downs (2 of 10 on third, 0 of 1 on fourth) and in the red zone (1 of 5). New York’s pesky defense, which had five interceptions against the Lions last week, could take advantage of Miami’s miscues.
Edge: Jets.
When the Jets pass
Sam Darnold’s first career pass resulted in a pick-6 touchdown last week, but he rebounded to show why he was selected with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He was efficient, completing 16 of 21 passes (76.2 percent) for 198 yards with two touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked twice. But the Jets did not need to heavily rely on Darnold, with the last three touchdowns in their 48-17 win over the Lions coming off a pick-six, punt return and 62-yard run from Isaiah Crowell. If New York’s defense or special teams fail to contribute, Darnold could face pressure to deliver in his home debut. The Dolphins forced three interceptions in the opener. Edge: Dolphins.
When the Dolphins run
Frank Gore (61 yards) and Kenyan Drake (48 yards) had the bulk of Miami’s 120 yards rushing during the seasonopening win, trying to establish a balanced offense. Gore’s 21-yard run set up the first touchdown, while Drake was used as a rusher and pass catcher (3 receptions, 18 yards) out of Miami’s backfield. The Dolphins relied on big plays in the second half last week, abandoning the run, but will have to sustain a rushing attack against the
Jets. New York may have held the Lions, a pass-heavy team with Matt Stafford, to just 39 yards rushing, but the Jets will see plenty of Gore and Drake in this contest. Edge: Dolphins.
When the Jets run
Bilal Powell and Isaiah Crowell were formidable against the Lions in the season opener, totaling 162 of the Jets’ 169 yards. Crowell, the former Browns standout, had 10 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns — a goal-line burst and a 62-yard gallop. That does not bode well for the Dolphins defense, which nearly surrendered a long touchdown run to Tennessee’s Derrick Henry (it was called back due to a holding penalty) and allowed Dion Lewis to gain 110 total yards with a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Edge: Jets.
Special teams
The Jets will surely be aware of AFC special teams player of the week Jakeem Grant, who scored the first kickoff touchdown of his career with a 102-yard return against the Titans. For the Jets, Andre Roberts scored on a 78-yard punt return touchdown last week. … Dolphins rookie kicker Jason Sanders nailed two field goals inside the 30-yard line during his debut, but had two kickoffs that were short of the goal line … Jets kicker Jason Myers, in his team debut last week, made two field goals and had nine touchbacks on kickoffs. … Dolphins punter Matt Haack averaged 53.8 yards on four punts, but two were touchbacks and none were inside the 20-yard line … Jets punter Lachlan Edwards had 2 of his 3 punts, at an average of 37.3 yards, reach inside the 20-yard line. Edge: Even.
Intangibles
Under Adam Gase, the Dolphins are 14-5 in one-score games in the last three seasons … Dolphins running back Frank Gore is 15 yards shy of passing Jets standout Curtis Martin for 4th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list … Since Week 13 last season, Kenyan Drake is second in the NFL with 125 offensive touches and 660 total yards … Miami’s 75-yard touchdown from Ryan Tannehill to receiver Kenny Stills was the second-longest pass and reception of their respective careers … Dolphins safety Reshad Jones had two interceptions in the season opener, his first multi-interception game of his career… Sam Darnold became the youngest opening weekend starter at QB in NFL history. … Robby Anderson, who caught a 41-yard touchdown in the opener, had 1,528 receiving yards in his first two seasons, the most by a Jets receiver since Keyshawn Johnson. … Linebacker Darron Lee had the first two interceptions of his career against the Lions last week, including a 36-yard pick-six. … Jets defensive backs Trumaine Johnson, Morris Claiborne and Jamal Adams each had interceptions in the opener. Edge: Jets
Prediction: Dolphins 34, Jets 27.