Ten things to know about the Miami Dolphins (4-6)
Ten things to know about the Miami Dolphins (4-6)
1. We last saw the Dolphins in London, where they fell to 1-3 and fired their coach. Surely, you remember that Week 4 contest: They forgot to show up for the first half, couldn't tackle Chris Ivory and clinched Joe Philbin's fate with a 27-14 loss.
2. Interim coach Dan Campbell is 3-3. The coaching change provided an immediate spark, as the Dolphins won their first two games under Campbell. They returned to earth quickly, in large part because their offense stinks. You have to like his enthusiasm and fiery attitude -- he's the anti-Todd Bowles -- but there's virtually no chance he gets the full-time gig. Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins' football czar, will look to hire his own man after the season.
3. Are you pumped up for the Quinton Coples homecoming? After getting fired by the Jets, Coples, claimed on waivers Tuesday by the Dolphins, will return to MetLife Stadium with a chance for payback -- if he's active. No, this won't generate as much notoriety as the IK Enemkpali return ... unless we discover he punched out a former teammate.
4. Basically, this game is an elimination bout between two dazed and battered fighters. The loser can forget about the playoffs, especially if it's the Dolphins, who have an 0-4 record in the AFC East. They were outscored in those games, 137-52. Yowza. If they can't beat the Jets, they'll probably take an oh-fer because they close division play with the New England Patriots. Good luck with that.
5. The Dolphins' main problem is an inability to score. That's important. They're 26th in scoring offense, having averaged only 14.5 points per game over the past four. In fact, they've topped the 20-point mark only twice in 10 games. The Jets are no juggernaut, but they've done it five times.
6. A lot of the blame has fallen on Ryan Tannehill, the same quarterback who received a six-year, $96 million contract extension last offseason. He peaked last month with a four-touchdown game against the Houston Texans, but his Total QBR has plummeted to 23.3 over the past four games. Want to rattle Tannehill? Blitz him. His QBR against the blitz is a league-low 19.2. Make no mistake, he will see a lot of blitzes on Sunday.
7. The coaching change provided a wake-up call for Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins' $114 million free-agent defensive tackle. In four games under Philbin, he had no sacks and 10 tackles, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In six games under Campbell, he has four and 29, respectively. Bad news for the Jets, recovering from a J.J. Watt hangover.
8. The Dolphins' best player in the previous meeting was Jarvis Landry, who had 258 total yards (including 189 on kickoff and punt returns). The Jets held him to four catches for 40 yards as a receiver (12 targets), but they had Darrelle Revis on him. Revis (concussion) may not play this game, which could pose a problem
9. Campbell, a former New York Giants tight end, has placed an added emphasis on the running game. The beneficiary is Lamar Miller, who is getting more touches. He has slumped the past couple of weeks, but he had a previous streak of five straight games with a touchdown. He ran for 175 against the Texans, a lot more than the Jets did.
10. There was at least one positive last week for the Dolphins: They didn't allow a safety for the first time in four games, avoiding a dubious record.
