New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins: Full Week 17 Preview for New York
The New York Jets' disastrous 2014 season finally comes to an end on Sunday.
The Jets, sitting at an abysmal 3-12 on the year, will head to Miami to wrap up the campaign with a divisional affair with the Miami Dolphins.
Gang Green has little else to play for but pride, as well as draft position. A loss to the Dolphins would almost guarantee the franchise its first top five selection since 2009.
Miami, meanwhile, was eliminated from postseason contention last week despite coming from behind to beat the Minnesota Vikings. It can, however, clinch its first winning season in half a decade.
Click through for a full preview and analysis, as well as a score prediction, for the Week 17 AFC East battle.
Jets' Week 16 Recap
1 of 5
For the second time this season, the Jets outplayed the Patriots, and for the second time, they lost a heartbreaker, 17-16.
The Jets recorded more yards and controlled the time of possession but were unable to take advantage of their opportunities.
New York didn't score a touchdown on three red-zone trips, failed to capitalize on its lone forced turnover and missed a critical field goal in the final minutes.
The game was indicative of the Jets' season in a lot of ways. The team played well enough to win but was doomed by untimely mistakes and missed opportunities.
Nonetheless, the defense deserves a lot of credit for its performance. The pass rush was a consistent force, keeping Tom Brady off balance throughout the game.
The secondary also put together one of its finest outings of the year.
Rex Ryan would have loved to beat Bill Belichick and Co. in his final Jets' home game. However, like he's done plenty of times in the last few seasons, he came up just short.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Rex Ryan's Last Hoorah
This is it.
Sunday will mark the last game in the Rex Ryan era.
Ryan, who took the team to the AFC Championship Game his first two years as coach, has hit rock bottom this year, as his team has been doomed by poor quarterback and secondary play.
Nonetheless, Ryan still remains one of the best defensive minds in football. There isn't a head coach in football who could have won more than six games with the Jets roster this season.
Many people around the league know what Ryan can do. NFL.com ranked him the second-best head coaching candidate available this offseason.
A win over the Dolphins would only increase the demand for Ryan.
Jets and Dolphins is a Week 17 Constant
The NFL just loves to schedule the Jets and Dolphins for the final week of the regular season.
This encounter marks the third time in the last four seasons that the two rivals have met in Week 17.
The past two meetings have had serious playoff implications, and each team is responsible for knocking the other out of postseason contention.
While this game won't have the same kind of ramifications, it will still be a hard-fought, nasty battle between two hated rivals.
No Pro Bowl for Sheldon Richardson
What does this man have to do to get some attention?
Sheldon Richardson was snubbed from the Pro Bowl this week, despite playing like an absolute beast all season long.
He has seven sacks and 48 quarterback hits on the year, and he's been the anchor of one of the best run defenses in the league.
Rex Ryan didn't hold back about his feelings on the snub, and rightly so. The Missouri product may not be J.J. Watt, but he is one of the most complete and disruptive defensive linemen in the entire NFL.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Injury | Status |
| Antonio Allen | Hand | Probable |
| Willie Colon | Knee | Questionable |
| Percy Harvin | Ankle/Ribs | Questionable |
| Nick Folk | Right Hip | Probable |
| Chris Ivory | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Jaiquawn Jarrett | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Nick Mangold | Finger/Ankle | Questionable |
| Rontez Miles | Shin | Questionable |
| Darrin Walls | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Toe/Illness | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets.
The Jets have an entire offseason to recover following this weekend's game, but they may still be missing some key players.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, neither center Nick Mangold nor wide receiver Percy Harvin has practiced at all this week.
Mangold suffered what looked to be a serious ankle injury in the Patriots' game, while Harvin has been dealing with a couple of nagging injuries.
Additionally, workhorse running back Chris Ivory apparently suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday.
Of course, New York didn't have practice on Thursday due to the holiday.
Nonetheless, the Jets could be without some offensive cornerstones in their final game of 2014.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Cameron Wake
D'Brickashaw Ferguson isn't the same player who made three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances at the beginning of the Rex Ryan era.
He has clearly lost a step, and he's having a tough time holding up against ultra-athletic edge-rushers.
Cameron Wake, meanwhile, seems to be only getting better with age. The 32-year-old has 11.5 sacks on the year and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl in five years.
Wake has the kind of strength, quickness and ferocity to give Ferguson fits, and he recorded a sack in the last meeting between these two teams.
Ferguson needs to step up and contain Wake, or it could be a long day for Geno Smith and the Jets offense.
Percy Harvin vs. Brent Grimes
Percy Harvin has dealt with nagging injuries and inconsistent production in his two months in the Big Apple, but he still remains the most electrifying player in New York's offense.
Nonetheless, Harvin may have a tough time making an impact this Sunday, as he will most likely be shadowed by Pro Bowler Brent Grimes.
At 5'10", Grimes doesn't possess ideal size, but his speed, cover skills and playmaking ability (five interceptions this season) have helped him become one of the league's best cornerbacks.
Harvin and Grimes are two players who can swing games around on one play, so it'll be fun watching them go head-to-head.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Jeff Cumberland
It's been a bad year for Jeff Cumberland.
He was re-signed this offseason with the expectation that he would be a major target for Geno Smith. At 6'4'' with great downfield speed, he has the physical tools to be just that.
However, the 27-year-old has been almost invisible on the stat sheet all season. He has just 224 yards and has had six different games where he didn't record a single catch.
Cumberland has been mainly used as a blocker, but he is coming off his best game of the year.
On Sunday, the Jets may need a repeat performance.
The Dolphins have been tough on tight ends this season, but they have allowed 211 yards and a touchdown to the position in the last three weeks.
Cumberland could be the key to New York's passing game on Sunday.
Prediction
5 of 5
The Jets pushed the Dolphins to the edge in their first meeting, and they are likely to do it again on Sunday.
Rex Ryan's troops have played superior opponents tough all year, as evidenced by having seven one-score losses.
However, not only are the Dolphins a much more complete team, but they are playing at home.
The Jets have struggled playing on the road with Geno Smith, compiling just a 2-11 record in those games.
Additionally, New York doesn't match up with Miami particularly well.
Gang Green may be able to run the ball against the Dolphins' 24th-ranked unit, but it did that at will last time these two teams met and still lost.
The potential absence of Nick Mangold could also hurt the running game tremendously.
Miami possesses a solid pass rush, a terrific secondary and an offense that can pass and run the ball.
The Jets will keep it close in Ryan's last game, but the Dolphins will squeak out a victory behind a solid performance from Ryan Tannehill.
Prediction: Dolphins 20, Jets 16
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
