For a hot minute, it seemed like the New York Jets were going to be a team to contend with this year. They had just beaten the Bills 20-17 on the first Sunday in November, moving their record to 6-3. They looked good.
Then they lost to the Patriots by a score of 10-3. They looked terrible.
That’s when head coach Robert Saleh benched Zach Wilson in favor of Mike White, who then proceeded to do his best impersonation of Joe Namath against the Chicago Bears. And then … well, that’s the last time the team won. From 7-4 to their current 7-9, eliminated from playoff contention and looking like the same old Jets.
On Sunday, the team hopes to end on a high note, mostly by knocking their division rival Miami Dolphins out of the playoff picture.
I rather the Jets WIN on Sunday to finish off the season on a high note
Not for the narrative of the media or the fan base. But for the morale in the Jets locker room heading into the off-season
Losing SIX straight to finish the year would be TOUGH.
Let’s get this W
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼🛫 (@NYJets_Media) January 5, 2023
For the Dolphins to get in, they’d have to beat the Jets and hope the Bills knock off the Patriots.
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
The Jets, obviously, can play spoiler here, and the sportsbooks think they have a pretty good shot at doing just that, as the Jets are half-point favorites (at -110 at PointsBet) and -114 moneyline favorites at BetRivers.
The over/under is pegged at a measly 38.5 at FanDuel and virtually everywhere else, which clearly indicates a defensive battle in Miami. But the first time these two teams played, the Jets hung a 40-spot on the Dolphins. They knocked Teddy Bridgewater out of the game on the first play, Breece Hall (‘memba him?) had 197 yards from scrimmage and a score, and the Jets looked like world-beaters.
This week, Bridgewater is battling a broken finger, so the Jets might face Skylar Thompson again.
All in all, it’s a messy situation for the Fins, as they’re (obviously) without their number one quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who has suffered (at least) two concussions this season. Add Bridgewater’s broken finger, and we’re looking at Thompson vs. Mike White for all the Dolphins’ marbles.
Player props for this game haven’t been released yet, but one that’s probably worth tracking down will be Carl Lawson’s sack over/under. Lawson needs one sack to trigger a $600,000 bonus. You know he’ll be going for it.
Carl Lawson needs 1 sack to earn a $600k bonus.
Lawson faces the Dolphins #31 O-Line:
He had a season-high 6 pressures Week 5 vs. Miami…
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) January 4, 2023
Outside of that, who knows? While the following is absolutely meaningless information, the Jets and Dolphins have a long and rich history of playing wackadoo games against each other.
On This Date in NFL History 23yrs ago:The NY Jets beat the Dolphins 38-31 on "MNF" In Miami!#NFLMemories
— TReese82 (@TReese82) December 27, 2022
So would it be so shocking to see this game go off the rails? The Dolphins, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, can score in a hurry, and White has proven his ability to (sometimes) lead the Jets to scores, so … maybe the over isn’t so terrible.
Either way, one team will almost certainly break its losing streak, as they’ve both dropped five in a row.
Photo: Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY
