Dolphins And Jets Collide In Must-Win Clash In Week 12
By Abraham Gutierrez
For the second and final time this season, the (5-5) New York Jets and the (4-6) Miami Dolphins will square off in what should be a highly entertaining game. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will be the site for this AFC East clash of teams heading in opposite directions. Opening kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports.
New York Jets 2015 NFL Season
Even though it sounds like a cliché, the best way to describe the Jets' 2015 NFL season has been rollercoaster. Gang Green started the year hot, winning four of their first five games of the year. Their defense was phenomenal at the start, dominating opposing teams on a weekly basis, while the offense was just good enough to finish the job. However, since haven't exactly gone as planned as of late, as Todd Bowles & Co. have struggled, and thus, come in losers of four of their last five games, including a two-game skid.
Jets On Offense
Chan Gailey is the Jets offensive coordinator and his style is pretty straightforward; ground-and-pound the rock to wear down defenses in order to set up play-action opportunities downfield. Under his tutelage, New York is just about average in every facet of the game. Heading into Week 12, the Jets offense ranks 14th in the league in points (23.4) and rushing yards per game (112.0), 17th in total yards (351.2), and their weakest area is the passing game, where they rank 19th in the National Football League averaging 239.2 yards per game.
Jets On Defense
The Jets' defensive coordinator is Kacy Rodgers and his runs one of the most blitz-happy defenses in all of football. Even though they've been in a bit of a low lately, this defense is still very much capable of taking over games by pressuring quarterbacks and creating havoc in the backfield.
Under Rodgers' guidance, the Jets defense ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (91.6), fifth in total yards allowed (323.0), and 11th in both, points per game (20.8) and passing yards per contest (231.4).
Jets Players To Watch
On the offensive side of the rock, there are two players to watch, running back Chris Ivory and former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall. As expected, each leads the way in their respective positions. Ivory comes in as the leading rusher on the team, having tallied 679 yards on 164 carries and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Marshall is the team-leader in catches and receiving yards with 62 grabs for an even 800 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, it's going to be interesting to see if perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis will be available for this grudge match. The four-time All Pro suffered a concussion in last week's loss to the Texans and was unable to return. His absence could open things up for Ryan Tannehill and the Miami receivers to have a huge game.
Dolphins vs. Jets NFL Week 12 Betting Odds
According to opening NFL Week 12 betting odds, the Miami Dolphins [+4] come into this game as four-point underdogs against the hosting New York Jets [-4]. If the point total for this game is any indication, NFL oddsmakers are expecting this to be a defensive struggle. This is evidence by the fact that the OVER/UNDER is set at a combined total of 42 points.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
