NFL Week 3: Raising 10 Questions For Jets vs. Dolphins Game
It's time to starting getting ready for Week 3 of the NFL season. This Sunday night, the Jets and Dolphins will face off in Miami.
This will be a very interesting game, as both teams are similar in some ways. Both teams have a good defense and both teams run the ball effectively.
It's also a huge game because it's a divisional battle, with the Jets trying to even the Dolphins at 2-1 on the season. The Dolphins are trying to start 3-0 for the first time since 2002, a year they went 9-7.
Here are 10 things to watch for.
If Darrelle Revis Can't Play, Do Dolphins Have an Edge?
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If the Jets are smart, they won't allow Darrelle Revis to play in this game after straining his hamstring in Sunday's win over the Patriots. The Jets are all about talk, but this time they have to make the right decision and let Revis heal.
If he doesn't play, what will that mean? Will Chad Henne and the Dolphins pass all night and expose the rest of the Jets secondary?
Antonio Cromartie will be the primary corner back in the game, and he'll probably cover Brandon Marshall, who ate him up in their AFC West battles. As a member of the Broncos, Marshall faced Cromartie twice a year against the Chargers and always had the upper hand.
Marshall, though, hasn't been nearly the guy he was for Denver so far. He hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game, and hasn't even caught a touchdown pass yet.
The Jets were without Revis for the entire second half against the Patriots and made Tom Brady look bad. Brodney Pool intercepted a pass and so did Cromartie, while rookie Kyle Wilson made some plays.
Although Revis is a key player, the Dolphins don't necessarily have an edge because of his absence. They're more of a running team anyway, and will probably rely on that more.
Will Mark Sanchez Be Equally As Effective As In Week 2?
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Mark Sanchez had a career day on Sunday, passing for 220 yards and three touchdowns against a bad Patriots secondary. Will he be able to do the same against the Dolphins?
Maybe not.
Miami has a much better defensive backfield with Vontae Davis and Jason Allen covering. Dustin Keller finally had a big day for the Jets, going for over 100 yards receiving, but can he possibly do that again?
It would be a good idea for the Jets to let Sanchez throw the ball, as he showed he can do it effectively. But the Dolphins weren't good at stopping the run against the Vikings. Adrian Peterson rushed for 145 yards against Karlos Dansby and the Dolphins frontline.
The Jets should really mix their play-calling up and therefore, Sanchez will probably not have the same numbers as he did in Week 2.
It doesn't mean he won't be as effective; it just means he should rely on the running game a little more. Sanchez doesn't want to look terrible like the Dolphins made Brett Favre look.
How Much Will LaDainian Tomlinson Factor In?
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As I just mentioned in the previous slide, the Vikings ran well against the Dolphins on Sunday. With that being the case, and with LaDainian Tomlinson looking good so far, how much will he factor in?
If he continues to play with this kind of intensity and doesn't lose strength in his legs as the season wears on, Tomlinson could have a monster year. He should still be fine for this game, and that will be a huge plus for the Jets.
Not wanting to test the Dolphins secondary too much, running the ball with Tomlinson, especially on third down, would be beneficial to Mark Sanchez. Tomlinson can gain a lot of much-needed yardage against a team that is fifth so far in total defense.
After carrying the ball 11 times against the Patriots, expect him to at least do the same, if not 15 times in this game.
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Will Chad Henne Finally Have a Monster Game?
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So far, Chad Henne has been good. I'm not taking anything away from his performance, but he could be a little better. He hasn't reached 200 yards passing in either of his two games yet, and has only thrown one touchdown pass. Mark Sanchez threw three last week alone.
Is this the game Chad Henne goes wild and throws for 300-plus yards? Without Darrelle Revis covering half the field, it's entirely possible. Antonio Cromartie has made two interceptions so far, and although he hasn't looked bad, he hasn't looked wonderful either.
This should--and really has to be--the game that Brandon Marshall makes his mark as a Dolphin. He has no excuse to go for less than 100 yards. Unless Revis is good to go, Marshall will have the chance to go up against a guy that could never keep pace with him.
Davone Bess and tight end Anthony Fasano should also be targeted in this game against Kyle Wilson and Brodney Pool. Wilson may not be able to stop either one of those guys with his inexperience.
It's time for Henne to prove he's up with the best and make something happen on national television.
How Will The Jets Go About Stopping Ricky and Ronnie?
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When teams face the Miami Dolphins, there should be one thing they focus on defensively: stopping the dynamic duo of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown.
The Jets might be one of the only teams out there that can stop the two. Their run-defense has been terrific so far. It ranks third in the NFL, as the Jets have allowed an average of 50.5 rushing yards per game.
If anything, it's the pass defense that hasn't been great in the first two games, especially on third down.
The Dolphins are going to be really tested in this game to run the ball, and it'll be more ideal for them to pass.
Ricky and Ronnie combined for 110 yards on Sunday against a good Vikings defense. The Jets defense will have to be ready for every handoff that Chad Henne makes as David Harris, Jason Taylor, and Bart Scott will need to limit the them to about three yards per carry if that's even possible.
Make the Dolphins and Dan Henning decide to throw a little more and test the secondary, that is also capable of making plays without Revis.
Will Not Having Revis Stop The Jets From Blitzing?
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By not having Darrelle Revis, it'll be hard for the Jets to blitz a lot against Chad Henne. It's been tough enough for the Jets to do so with him, but now they have to keep some guys in the back for help.
Given Cromartie past struggles stopping Marshall, the Jets will have to maybe double up on him, which will obviously allow Henne to run more.
It's a dilemma for the Jets that may favor the Dolphins in a big way. Somehow, though, they found a way to stop Brady in the same way, but the Patriots don't have a good running game, and that's what helped the Jets.
So, the blitz packages for the Jets will have to be very limited in this game, and that's to the Dolphins advantage.
Which Wide Receivers Will Shine The Most?
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The Jets will probably succeed more by using their running game, and the Dolphins will probably succeed more by passing against an injured Jets secondary. With that being said, which wide receivers will stand out the most in this game?
The Jets' Braylon Edwards was arrested Tuesday morning in New York City for DWI, although he'll probably play. If so, the Jets have a slight advantage in receivers in my opinion.
Brandon Marshall has been decent, but not good enough so far, as he's getting used to a new system and quarterback.
Edwards has had a lot of problems catching the ball cleanly over his career, but made nice plays on Sunday. He caught a touchdown pass that he'd normally drop, as he held on with his fingertips.
Jerricho Cotchery has been a good possession receiver and Dustin Keller had a career game on Sunday, accumulating 115 yards on seven catches.
Brian Hartline was the Dolphins second-leading receiver on Sunday in only his second season in the league.
To me, the best receiver on Sunday will be someone you're not thinking of--LaDainian Tomlinson. He was sneaky on Sunday, going for four receptions, and the Jets may be able to use him in a more significant passing role in this game to mix things up against a good Dolphins defense.
Will Jets Stick to Running The Ball With Shonn Greene?
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The Jets tried to feed Shonn Greene screen passes on Sunday, and unfortunately for him, it didn't work out. Greene's hands weren't sure enough, and he dropped one easily catchable pass from Mark Sanchez. He also fumbled two balls, losing one, with the other rolling out of bounds.
Expect the Jets to stick to only rushing the ball with Greene, as he may get more yards than Tomlinson in this game.
He got more carries than Tomlinson on Sunday, but less yards, and could be used primarily on first and second down to set up either the next set of plays or third down for Tomlinson.
Don't expect him to be thrown at at all in this game.
Will This Game Be All Offense Or All Defense?
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How will this game play out? Will it be an all-offensive shootout or a hard-fought defensive battle? I'd go with a hard-fought defensive battle.
Both teams have good defenses and this isn't the type of game that should be dominated by the quarterbacks.
Both teams should be focused on making enough plays to score points and then to shut their opponent out on key drives. Now, that's what football is always about, but especially in this game, where an elite quarterback like Peyton Manning is not present.
Both Mark Sanchez and Chad Henne should focus on controlling the game and the clock, and let their defenses do the talking.
Which Team Comes Out On Top?
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Ultimately, who will come out the winner of this AFC East battle?
I'm going with the Dolphins.
I don't think it's going to be a blowout either way, but I do think the Jets are going to miss Revis and they're not going to stop Ricky and Ronnie.
Mark Sanchez should do pretty well, but by having to perhaps run the ball more, I don't think he'll score enough points to win.
Chad Henne and the Dolphins should be able to beat the Jets secondary, and I like their Marshall vs. Cromartie matchup a lot.
It'll be a close, defensive battle throughout, but in the end I see the Dolphins beating the Jets by a score of 17-14.
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