New York Jets: Follow the Formula to Beat the Dolphins
Happy Thanksgiving to all of the great New York Jets’ fans near and far. Hopefully your holiday was spent with great friends and family.
Now, we get back to work.
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The New York Jets enter the final six weeks of the season at 5-5, and if the season ended today, they would be out of the playoffs for the fifth straight season. The great optimism that came with a 4-1 start has quickly fallen by the wayside after four losses in the last five games.
It’s do or die time for the Jets. The last six games all fall under the “must win” category, and it all starts on Sunday when the Jets play host to their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins.
A factor in the team’s favor is that this is the second meeting between the two teams for the year. These two teams faced off in week four, when the Jets were at the height of their success in 2015. In London, the Jets topped the Dolphins 27-14, and the score doesn’t reflect how the Dolphins were outplayed.
The New York Jets can get back on track on Sunday, by following a simple formula that brings success in the NFL. They followed it in London and they must follow it on Sunday at MetLife. Let’s break it down:
Oct 4, 2015; London, United
Kingdom; New York Jets running back
Chris Ivory(33) breaks past Miami Dolphins outside linebacker
Koa Misi(55) and strong safety
Reshad Jones(20) during the first half of a game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports
Win the Battle of the Line of Scrimmage
Winning the battle up front is a huge factor in winning in the NFL. The Jets did that in a big way in London. Chris Ivory went for the game of his life, running the ball 29 times for 166 yards and a touchdown. In contrast, Dolphins’ running back Lamar Miller was held to a mere 26 yards on seven carries. When the leading rusher is a wide receiver, in this case Jarvis Landry, you have done a good job.
The other way to win the battle up front is in the number of sacks. The Jets got to Ryan Tannehill three times, while Ryan Fitzpatrick was kept clean, not sacked once.
With that, the New York Jets clearly won the battle of the line of scrimmage.
Win the Turnover Battle
Another basic principle to winning in the NFL is winning the turnover battle. Nine times out of 10, the team that wins the turnover battle is going to win the ball game. Last time, the New York Jets won here too, by the score of 2-1. The Jets picked off Tannehill twice, and Fitzpatrick threw one interception.
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Granted, Darrelle Revis has been declared out for the game on Sunday, due to being in concussion protocol. But, Marcus Williams will likely start in his place, and he was responsible for one of the interceptions of Tannehill in London. The Jets have an opportunistic defense that can follow this formula, and other than Revis, they are healthy.
Nov 8, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback
Antonio Cromartie(31) runs back a kick against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, Antonio Cromartie is going to need to play a lot better than he has lately. Frankly, he has looked old and slow. The Jets need him to step up in Revis’ absence to help keep Ryan Tannehill in check.
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Granted, the teams are in two different places now. The Dolphins have looked better since Joe Philbin was fired, and have fought their way to an outside shot in the playoff hunt. The Jets have not looked good lately, and the rest of the teams have seemed to have caught up with the early success.
But if the New York Jets get back to basics, and follow the simple NFL formula, the one they followed in London, they have an excellent chance to get back into the win column on Sunday.