Last Updated on December 9, 2010 4:07 am by Anthony Rome
Dolphins vs. Jets Preview
EAST RUTHERFORD, NY (AP) – The New York Jets have buried a dismal performance on national television that may have cost them an AFC East title. Rebounding against another division rival could be just what they need to get their confidence back.
Seeking to re-establish themselves in nearly every facet, the Jets look to sweep the season series from the Miami Dolphins and severely dent their playoff hopes Sunday.
According to latest NFL odds, oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Jets 5.5-point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against Jets. Current NFL Public Betting Information shows that 68% of more than 6,289 bets for this game have been placed on the Jets –5.5.
Brash and confident New York (9-3) was trying to take the inside track to a division title Monday night only to be embarrassed in a 45-3 loss at New England, relinquishing first place to the Patriots.
Now a game behind the division leaders, Jets coach Rex Ryan wants his team to forget the performance and move forward. He buried a game ball at the team’s training facility to prove his point.
“We got pummeled, we played terrible, but it’s one game,” Ryan said. “Everything we talked about is still attainable.”
An East crown may not be, though. Of New York’s remaining four games, two are visits to current division-leaders Pittsburgh and Chicago before wrapping up the regular season at home against Buffalo.
“You’re going to have to win all four of your games to have a chance at that. I think it’s reachable still,” Ryan said of the division race. “Swagger or not, that’s who we are. It’s full steam ahead against Miami.”
Beating the Dolphins (6-6) would give the Jets their first 10-win season since 2006. It would also put Miami on the brink of missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.
New York didn’t have much trouble offensively in a 31-23 win at Miami in Week 3, gaining 402 total yards. Mark Sanchez connected on 15 of 28 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s tossed six scoring passes with no interceptions in three games versus the Dolphins.
The second-year quarterback wasn’t even close to being that efficient last week, compiling a season-low 27.8 passer rating by throwing three interceptions while completing 17 of 33 attempts for 164 yards. He may find another tough challenge against Miami, which is allowing an average of 186.0 passing yards while getting five interceptions over the last six games.
Another area of concern for the Jets is the secondary, which had virtually no success against Tom Brady as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns Monday after the unit lost Jim Leonhard for the season with a broken shin.
It was the team’s worst performance against the pass since giving up a season-high 352 yards to the Dolphins on Sept. 26.
With Leonhard out and fellow safety James Ihedigbo nursing a sprained ankle, New York signed undrafted rookie Emanuel Cook.
The Dolphins’ Chad Henne had a career-high 363 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the Jets in Week 3, but he threw three picks in last week’s 13-10 loss to Cleveland. One of those interceptions came with 1:34 remaining and led to the Browns’ game-winning field goal as time expired.
Henne has thrown 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with a 77.5 passer rating, calling into question whether he’s capable of leading Miami in the future. The Dolphins’ 215 points scored are last in the AFC.
“The guy’s a young player,” coach Tony Sparano said. “At the end of the year we’ll have to sit down, and from our standpoint we have to evaluate the whole big picture. But there are obviously some areas there where Chad needs to continue to improve.”
Miami has alternated wins and losses over the last eight games, but another defeat could end its postseason hopes. However, the Dolphins have won their last two road meetings against the Jets and host Buffalo and Detroit over the following two weeks before visiting New England in Week 17.
“I understand where we are right now,” Sparano said. “We know that we got to win four even to just kind of have a chance.”
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