 | | Jaworski on the Dolphins |  |
It's no secret the Dolphins have one of the NFL's best defenses. They play a bruising, smash-mouth style. With Jim Bates coordinating the defense this season, they sprinkle in a little more zone coverage so opponents can't always count on seeing the bump-and-run on the corner and throwing the quick fade. The Dolphins' attention to mixing up coverages has made them a better defense.
On offense, Jay Fiedler is an inexperienced quarterback. The Dolphins don't ask him to throw 40 times to win games. Center Tim Ruddy is playing outstanding football. Outside of the Jets' Kevin Mawae, he is the best center I've seen all year. They will miss injured receivers Tony Martin and O.J. McDuffie, but they have scaled back the offense to control the football and not make mistakes.
When the Dolphins throw the ball, they are surprisingly aggressive. They ran six go routes against Buffalo last week. Although Fiedler has only thrown the ball 23.4 times per game, he looks downfield for explosive plays and points. In that regard, I like what the Dolphins offense is doing.
Five keys for the Dolphins:
1. Shut down Martin: That's the biggest key to the game. Curtis Martin is the catalyst for the Jets. Playing against Martin, the Dolphins' front seven must maintain gap discipline. They can not free-lance against Martin because he will make Miami pay.
2. Make Vinny move: Vinny Testaverde still hasn't found his rhythm. He is rusty and out of sync. Defensive ends Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong must force Testaverde from the pocket with quick pressure off the edges. If Testaverde gets in a zone and a comfort level in the pocket, he can tear the Dolphins apart. The Dolphins can't let him find a groove.
3. Mix up coverages: When the Dolphins are in bump-and-run coverage, Dedric Ward is a receiver who can run by the corners. And rookie Laveranues Coles is a fast receiver who is getting a lot of playing time. The Dolphins secondary can't give up big plays in bump-and-run coverage. They will have to mix in some zone so they don't get beat deep.
4. Stay with the run: The running game is the staple of the Miami offense. They must continue to pound with Lamar Smith and the running game.
5. Explosive plays: To win the game, the Dolphins will need explosive plays out of the passing game. The Dolphins don't have a speed player who can run great routes and beat one-on-one coverage. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has designed a lot of picks and screens to create some openings. That's an intelligent move without an elite receiver. He's done a good job of getting guys
open.
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 | | Salisbury on the Jets |  |
The Jets, for a team that lacks superstars, are one of the best teams in the AFC behind a cast of very solid players.
The Jets can contend with any team in the conference right now because they do everything well. They defend against the run very well. They have a high percentage passing game led by Vinny Testaverde. Curtis Martin is playing as well as he ever has. They have an emotional leader on defense in Bryan Cox. The Jets are doing a lot of things right without one superstar having to carry the entire load.
If Wayne Chrebet doesn't do it, Martin has a big day. If the offense isn't working one week, the defense picks up the slack. Having a team concept like than can bode very well for you through the latter part of the season and at playoff
time.
Five keys for the Jets:
1. Run north to south: No one is having success against the Miami Dolphins running sideline-to-sideline. The best way to beat the Dolphins is to hit them in the mouth. Miami is so fast that the Jets are going to have to work off play action and get Curtis Martin going north and south. Forget toss-sweeps and plays like that on a regular basis. This defense is too good at pursuit for any of that to work. A power running game may be the Jets' only chance.
2. Beat man coverage: The Jets have a lot of possession receivers. Laveranues Coles has some speed, but Wayne Chrebet and Dedric Ward are not going to kill you downfield. Sam Madison and company are going to line up and play man coverage. It's up to this corps of Jets' receivers to beat that coverage. If they can hurt Miami in one-on-one that will force them into playing more zone which loosens up things in the middle for Martin.
3. Make Miami's offense win: The Miami defense has done a pretty good job of putting points on the board and beating teams. They take advantage of mistakes and don't even wait for their offense to capitalize. They go ahead and capitalize themselves. If the Jets can avoid turnovers and their kicking game is solid, it becomes the burden of the Miami offense to win the game for them. This is not an explosive offense, it can be handled.
4. First down success: The Dolphins defense will feast on second- and third-and-long situations. This can be said of every team every week, but when you are playing a defense of this caliber it is even more vital. They have to win on first down to assure themselves more snaps of the football. The will of the Miami team is on defense. The way to break it is to put them in second and short situations all day where your offensive options multiply.
5. 21 is the magic number: The Jets are good enough on defense to stop Miami's offense from scoring 21 points. If New York can set and achieve a goal of ringing up three touchdowns on this incredibly stout defense, a win will follow.
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