Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets: Complete Week 13 Preview for New York
It's been an awful and embarrassing season for the New York Jets, but it's not over quite yet.
The Jets still have to play five more games, including two against the Miami Dolphins and one against the New England Patriots. Yikes.
The first bout with the Dolphins takes place on prime time this Monday night at MetLife Stadium.
After suffering a 38-3 beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills last week, it's become clear that the 2-9 Jets have quit.
Against a Miami team that is playing well and is in the thick of the AFC playoff race, things could get ugly unless Rex Ryan can pull something magical out of his beleaguered roster.
Click through for a full preview and analysis, as well as a final score prediction, for the Week 13 AFC East battle.
Jets' Week 12 Recap
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The Jets looked like a middle school team against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field.
Despite having an extra week to prepare for the contest and two more practices than Buffalo, New York was dominated in every facet of the game.
The offense was pitiful. Michael Vick was under constant pressure, as the offensive line couldn't block all night long. Vick was horrible himself, throwing four near-picks before finally throwing a backbreaking interception in the second half.
The defense also collapsed. The pass rush couldn't get any pressure on Kyle Orton, and the secondary made Robert Woods look like Antonio Brown.
Even the special teams got in on the action. Ryan Quigley's third-quarter punt was blocked and recovered in the end zone to give Buffalo a three-touchdown lead.
New York's had some bad games during the Rex Ryan era, but this one may trump them all. Everything seemed to point in Gang Green's favor prior to kickoff, but the team was soft and uninspired the entire night.
The Jets could be the biggest mess in the NFL right now.
News and Notes
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Geno Smith = Starter
After spending a month riding the pine, Geno Smith will return to the starting gig in Week 13.
Smith was solid in relief duty against Buffalo (10-of-12 for 89 yards), but it's clear the switch is not about giving the team the best chance to win today.
According to Seth Walder and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the front office, not Rex Ryan, made the decision with an eye toward the future.
If Smith can produce in the last five games, he could get one more shot to prove himself early next season.
However, if the second-year signal-caller continues to struggle, the Jets will probably give up on him altogether.
Sheldon Richardson Is Fed Up
Sheldon Richardson wants you to know that he wasn't drafted to lose.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, Richardson was fuming after the Jets' blowout loss to the Bills. He stated that he's "never lost nine games" and indirectly questioned the motivation of some of his teammates.
Richardson has a reason to be upset. The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year is one of the few players who brings maximum effort every play, and his positional unit is one of the team's few strengths.
If anything, the Missouri product's explosion is refreshing for Jets fans. It was time for one of the players to express frustration about the team's shortcomings.
Rex Was Doomed Before the Season Even Began?
In what shows the magnitude of dysfunction in the Jets organization, Rex Ryan was a dead man walking before the season even commenced.
In the offseason, general manager John Idzik was openly telling NFL people about his plans to fire Ryan after this season and replace him with a head coach of his choice, per Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post.
That means Ryan has known all year that he was not part of New York's future.
Idzik and Ryan's relationship has long been speculated upon, as the two have much different visions about the team's roster.
However, this latest report is a huge indictment on Idzik's professionalism. And ironically, he might join Ryan in the unemployment line following the season.
Injury Report
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| Player | Injury | Status |
Oday Aboushi | Shoulder | Probable |
| Jace Amaro | Concussion | Questionable |
| Antwan Barnes | Knee | Probable |
| Willie Colon | Knee | Probable |
| John Conner | Groin | Questionable |
| Eric Decker | Toe | Probable |
| Leger Douzable | Ankle | Questionable |
| David Harris | Shoulder | Probable |
| Chris Ivory | Shoulder | Probable |
| Jaiquawn Jarrett | Calf | Probable |
| Chris Johnson | Knee | Probable |
| Nick Mangold | Shoulder | Probable |
| Bilal Powell | Illness | Probable |
| Sheldon Richardson | Low Back | Questionable |
| Michael Vick | Right Wrist | Probable |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Toe | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets
Everything has gone wrong for the Jets this season, especially in recent weeks.
However, one area where they've actually gotten pretty lucky is injuries. Outside of Dee Milliner and Jalen Saunders tearing their ACLs early in the year, they have gone most of the season unscathed.
That is, until last week.
Muhammad Wilkerson and Jace Amaro both suffered injuries on Monday night, and both are question marks to suit up against the Dolphins, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
Sheldon Richardson and Leger Douzable were also only able to practice on a limited basis, so the defensive line could be very thin come Monday.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Darrin Walls vs. Mike Wallace
It's difficult to project which cornerback will be matched up with Mike Wallace, but my best guess is Darrin Walls, as he possesses the speed to keep up with the former Pro Bowl wideout.
Wallace had an up-and-down first year in Miami, as he failed to develop another dimension of his game outside his deep-threat ability.
However, the former third-round selection has opened up his game, becoming a nice chain-mover and a dangerous red-zone threat.
Wallace is averaging just 12.3 yards per catch, which is well short of his career average. However, he's on pace to come close to his career high in both receptions and touchdowns.
Walls, who really struggled last week against second-year man Robert Woods, has to improve his game, or Wallace could have a field day.
Eric Decker vs. Brent Grimes
Slowly but surely, Brent Grimes has become one of the NFL's premier cornerbacks.
Grimes, who went undrafted out of Shippensburg in 2007, has the ability to shut down even the best receivers despite his small stature (5'10", 190 pounds).
The 31-year-old is also a superb ball-hawk, as he has 19 interceptions in his last four full seasons.
Eric Decker will have a big size advantage, but he will struggle to gain separation from Grimes. Smith may have to target Decker on short routes to ensure that Grimes doesn't come up with the football.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Cameron Wake
Ferguson is still a capable player into his 30s, but he is becoming more and more mistake-prone.
Against Cameron Wake, those mistakes could duplicate quickly.
Wake is one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL, having recorded 54.5 sacks and making three Pro Bowl appearances in the last five seasons.
The former CFL star has insane quickness and colossal strength, and he could create havoc in the backfield all night long.
One thing does favor Ferguson, however. In his last six games against the Jets, Wake has recorded just one sack.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Leger Douzable
With Muhammad Wilkerson almost assuredly sidelined and Sheldon Richardson having some health problems of his own, Leger Douzable is in line for plenty of snaps in Monday's game.
Douzable obviously isn't the type of player Wilkerson is, but he has been more than effective in limited snaps this season. The UCF product has 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks to date.
Douzable is more than capable of busting out in a big way this week, especially considering the Miami offensive line has had some issues throughout the season.
Don't be surprised if the former undrafted free agent emerges as New York's best pass-rushing threat in Week 13.
Prediction
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Let me get this clear: The New York Jets will lose to the Dolphins on Monday.
Miami is a talented team with a lot to play for. On the other hand, the Jets are a deflated, soft squad on the verge of a complete transformation.
Ryan Tannehill is in the midst of a breakout season, and he should be able to have plenty of success against Gang Green's horrendous secondary.
Geno Smith will have more difficulties against Miami's elite secondary. He won't go up in flames like in Buffalo, but he won't do much to impress either.
Expect Rex Ryan and Co. to try to control the pace of the game with the rushing attack. It may be successful early, but it's difficult to envision New York's offensive line holding up the entire game.
The Jets won't be embarrassed, as they tend to play better at home.
However, Joe Philbin and Co. will cruise to a double-digit victory.
Dolphins 27, Jets 17
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