Sunday Debate: Miami Dolphins More Likely Than Jets to Make Playoffs
Miami Dolphins enthusiast Mark Morales-Smith educates New York Jets apologist Brendan Pignataro in another Sunday Debate.
The Sundays are seem to be coming quicker and quicker each week as we inch nearer to the start of the 2016 NFL season. This week I have a layup to continue my undefeated streak as I have the simple task of explaining why the New York Jets are losers. The argument will be why the Miami Dolphins are more likely to make a run at a playoff spot than the Geno Smith led Jets.
Related Story: Sunday Debate: Jets More Likely to Make Playoffs Than Dolphins
Let’s start with the Jets nightmarish quarterback situation. It’s not like QB is an important position or anything, so having the worst starter in the league shouldn’t be a big deal, right? False, it’s a very big deal. Behind Smith they have a miserable slew of obvious NFL busts in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. All there hopes rely on maybe signing a soon-to-be 34-year-old journeyman quarterback coming off a rare strong season. Ask the Buffalo Bills how consistent Fitzpatrick is year to year.
On the other hand, Ryan Tannehill is a young quarterback with a ton of upside. He’s been poorly coached throughout his career, but now has Adam Gase who is known for getting the best out of quarterbacks and masking any deficiencies they have. It’s no coincidence Jay Cutler turned things around last year when Gase went to the Chicago Bears from the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning was statistically the worst quarterbacks in the league.
The offensive line is really depending offseason acquisition Ryan Clady to be a major contributor. The same Clady that has missed 30 games over the past three seasons. Nick Mangold is past his prime and the line isn’t what it used to be. Miami emphatically addressed their offensive guard issues.
They stole tackle Laremy Tunsil in the first round and also added former Pro-Bowler Jermon Bushrod to compete for the other starting guard spot. They already had an All-Pro center and left tackle in Mike Pouncey and Branden Albert as well as a strong right tackle in Ju’Wuan James.
The Jets have big names at the skill positions, however, those names are aging. Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall are both on the wrong side of 30 and will likely decline this season. Marshall had a bounce back year in 2015 in a major way, nonetheless, Geno Smith. Eric Decker is a solid WR2, but there is no depth after him. Matt Forte is 30 and has seen a significant drop in his yards per carry the past two season. Over the past two seasons he’s managed just undera 4.0 YPC.
Give me the youth in Miami. Jarvis Landry is an emerging star and it’s hard to ignore the talent with DeVante Parker and Leonte Caroo. Kenny Stills in that WRs corps as well. Jay Ajayi was a stud at Boise State and Miami thought highly enough of him that he made Lamar Miller expendable. The Dolphins starting TE Jordan Cameron is terrible. Still better than anyone the Jets have.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Dolphins defensive line got better while the Jets lost one of the best run-stoppers in the league in Damon Harrison. Both lines are comparable. The Jets feature Muhammad Wilkerson, second-year lineman Leonard Williams and the suspended and questionable character of Sheldon Richardson. The Dolphins boast an arsenal of proven veterans in the best DT in the game Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake and the steal of free agency in defensive end Mario Williams.
Neither team has very good linebackers. Jelani Jenkins has shown promise for the Dolphins and the Jets spent a first round pick on Darron Lee. The Jets have the advantage at corner, while Miami has elite safety and All-Pro snub Reshad Jones. Calvin Pryor is good, just not as good.
Special teams is no comparison. The Dolphins have a stable of dangerous return man, a strong kicker and one of the two best punters in the league in Matt Darr. The Jets special teams on the other hand is awful every year.
must read: 10 Worst Starting QBs in the NFL
Moral of the story: The Jets will be dominated just like Brendan is week in and week out in these debates.Oh yea, and read Brendan’s article for a good laugh.