New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins: Complete Week 17 Preview for Miami
The 8-7 Miami Dolphins play their final game of the season on Sunday afternoon, when they take on the 3-12 New York Jets in a rematch of their Week 13 Monday night game (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
The Dolphins are looking for their first season above .500 since 2008; a year where they finished 11-5. With a win over the Jets, they will finish the season at 9-7, their best record since their 11-5 2008 season.
The Jets are looking to win for pride and pride alone, as changes are almost sure to be made to the team's front office and coaching staff come Monday morning.
No such changes are expected for the Dolphins, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security, as this team will be playing hard come Sunday.
Here's a preview of Sunday's game between the two AFC East rivals looking to end 2014 on a strong note.
Miami Dolphins' Week 16 Recap
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When the Dolphins took the field against the Minnesota Vikings, the game had playoff significance.
To stay alive, the Dolphins had to win; however, they needed losses from Baltimore (who obliged by losing to Houston) and Pittsburgh (who defeated Kansas City).
The Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Kansas City Chiefs knocked the Dolphins out of the playoffs, but that doesn't take away from the tremendous effort Miami gave the fans during its game on Sunday.
The Dolphins defeated the Vikings 37-35 in an offensive shootout that saw the two teams combine for 41 points in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Tannehill was arguably Miami's player of the game, going 35 of 47 for 396 yards and four touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 117.8. It was his best game of the season statistically, even if his throws weren't exactly on the money.
Miami's defense and special teams were the weak link, especially when the two units gave up 15 points in eight seconds with Miami up by seven, which almost swung the game toward the Vikings. Had it not been for the heroics of the offense, we'd be telling a different story about this game.
Ironically, it was special teams which clinched the game, with the final outcome being decided by Terrence Fede's blocked punt into the end zone. The blocked punt was ruled a safety, which was the deficit of the game.
News and Notes
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Dion Jordan to Play Linebacker in 2015
This is music to the ears of many Dolphins fans, and it's a prediction that I can back up not just with analysis, but with a statement from Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
Coyle was asked on Monday about moving Dion Jordan to linebacker, and as Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post reports, the Dolphins are open to the idea:
“We’re going to evaluate everything here as we go into the offseason. That’s certainly going to be one of the main topics. We have got to find ways to utilize him more.”
Jordan won't just play outside linebacker—he should flourish in the position.
If you look at his game film from college, you'll notice that Jordan was at his best when he was standing upright, not when he was in a three-point stance. His build is more suited for linebacker as well, which could be a major reason why he had to gain the weight he did prior to the 2014 season.
I've always seen Jordan as a freakish athlete and project who could be best utilized either in the pass rush or in coverage, and you saw this on Sunday, a day where Jordan recorded his first sack of the season and added three quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Putting him at outside linebacker gives Miami options: The Dolphins could switch to a base 3-4 defense, moving Jared Odrick to defensive end with Cameron Wake and having Earl Mitchell play nose tackle (not ideal, but Mitchell played well as a nose tackle with the Houston Texans), while putting together a linebacking unit of Jordan and Olivier Vernon on the outside, and Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins inside.
Or, the Dolphins can keep their base 4-3 defense but mix and match packages, which they were successful with in 2014 when they actually did it.
Jordan as a linebacker opens up these options. My only question is why it took so long to reach this conclusion in Miami, when many people saw this being the answer on draft day in 2013.
Brent Grimes and Cameron Wake Named to Pro Bowl
One might wonder who from the Miami Dolphins is worthy of a Pro Bowl selection in 2014.
I'd argue for Reshad Jones, but due to his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to start the season, he's ineligible.
The voters, players and coaches did get it right by naming the other two players I'd name to the Pro Bowl in Brent Grimes and Cameron Wake.
Grimes and Wake have been Miami's best two players in 2014, so it would only make sense that they will appear in Hawaii this January. If I were to name any additional Dolphins to the Pro Bowl, it would be Ryan Tannehill (who could hit the 4,000-yard passing mark on Sunday) and Branden Albert (the Dolphins' 2014 MVP).
Of course it's worth noting that in the final month of the season, the production from Grimes and Wake has gone down, with Grimes recording less interceptions (and playing terribly against the Vikings), while Wake has recorded three sacks in the last five games.
Dallas Thomas Returns to Practice
This isn't news Dolphins fans want to hear.
Dallas Thomas, embattled right tackle, has returned to practice for the Miami Dolphins, per the Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly.
Thomas is having a nightmare of a season at right tackle, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has him graded out at minus-32.7 for the season.
Jason Fox started in place of Thomas on Sunday and should start in place of him again against the Jets. Fox performed better than Thomas and helped Miami in only allowing two sacks in the game.
Injury Report
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| Player | Postion | Injury | Status |
| Derrick Shelby | Defensive End | Ankle | Questionable |
| Daniel Thomas | Running Back | Knee | Probable |
| Dallas Thomas | Tackle | Foot | Questionable |
| Charles Clay | Tight End | Hamstring/Knee | Probable |
| Jelani Jenkins | Linebacker | Foot | Questionable |
| Don Jones | Safety | Shoulder | Probable |
| Earl Mitchell | Defensive Tackle | Back | Probable |
| Jared Odrick | Defensive Tackle | Ankle | Probable |
| Mike Wallace | Wide Receiver | Back | Probable |
| Cortland Finnegan | Cornerback | Ankle | Probable |
| Koa Misi | Linebacker | Hamstring/Knee | Probable |
| Jonathan Freeny | Linebacker | Hamstring | Probable |
Injury status provided by MiamiDolphins.com as of 12/26/2014 and will continue to be updated as more reports are released.
Full assortment of players likely for the Dolphins on Sunday, a rarity all season long.
The real answer will come Sunday morning when we find out who will be active and who won't be, but from the looks of it, all 53 players on the roster are available to play.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Cameron Wake vs. Breno Giacomini
How does Cameron Wake follow up his two-sack performance against the Vikings?
By matching up with Breno Giacomini, who in Week 13 cut-blocked him before allowing a sack that wound up swinging the game Miami's way.
How will Wake fare against Giacomini? Well, that depends on the Jets' game plan on Sunday.
Odds are, the Jets will run the ball plenty like the two teams did the first time around. That neutralized Wake for most of the game.
However, if Miami's offense is sharper than they were in New York, that might not be an option; the Jets will have to throw the ball.
If that's the case, Wake should be able to pin his ears back and let it rip.
Cortland Finnegan vs. Eric Decker
We always put a cornerback-wide receiver matchup here, and this week, I'm not going to stop that weekly tradition on account of an incompetent offense.
With that being said, Decker can still be a threat—although not the threat he was in Denver the last two seasons. In fact, in Miami's first game against the Jets, Decker recorded two catches for 18 yards while being defended by R.J. Stanford.
This time around, he'll have Cortland Finnegan, a veteran who knows how to get into a players head. Will it matter? That remains to be seen.
One thing we do know is Miami shouldn't pull that "play five yards off the receiver" stuff it did against Minnesota, which allowed Teddy Bridgewater to pick and choose his targets at will.
Brent Grimes vs. Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin is a threat anytime he's on the field.
Whether it's through catching the ball or running the ball, you have to account for the former Gator.
Brent Grimes will have to contain Harvin, who will get plenty of shorter-yardage targets in the hopes that he can turn nothing into something.
This is more of a tackling assignment for Grimes, so don't be too surprised if he struggles here.
X-Factor: Mike Wallace
I'd break out a lot of Mike Wallace in this game, especially after his great performance against Minnesota last week.
I'd let him go deep in order to take advantage of New York's weak secondary, while also using him in short-yardage plays. Make Wallace a Swiss Army knife, and the offense should prosper come Sunday.
Prediction
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I expect nothing but a close game here.
Rex Ryan's players will play hard for him in what will likely be his final game as Jets head coach. On top of playing hard for him, they will be playing for roster spots, ensuring a hard-fought game.
On the Dolphins side, the pride of finishing 9-7 will loom heavily over their performance. It's not the playoffs, but it will show improvement. One would hope that this brings the most out of this team on Sunday, especially Ryan Tannehill, who in the course of the game could become the first Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino to pass 4,000 yards in a season.
Tannehill will get to 4,000, and while the Jets will fight with plenty of pride and self-respect, they will fall short to Miami, in a fitting conclusion to the Rex Ryan-era in New York.
Prediction: Dolphins 17, Jets 10
Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus, which requires a subscription to view.
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