The New York Jets will be feeling much better about things as they head to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 action on Sunday evening.

The Jets snapped a five-game losing streak in emphatic fashion last weekend, recording a 30-6 victory over the playoff-chasing Houston Texans. As has often been the case this season, New York’s defense harassed an opposing quarterback into submission. This time it was NFL-leading rookie C.J. Stroud who was made to suffer. He threw for just 91 yards, while the Texans posted a net passing yards total of 54. New York racked up five sacks on the day.

After a slow start and a scoreless first half, the Jets offense clicked into gear with three touchdowns, as well as three Greg Zeurlein field goals after the break. Zach Wilson played his best game of the season, throwing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Jets will need both sides of the ball to replicate their Week 14 showing as they take on the AFC East-leading Dolphins, who will be licking their wounds after suffering their first home loss of the season against the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football.

The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to lead by at least 14 points with less than three minutes on the clock and lose in regulation. Teams were 17,561-0 in that situation prior to Monday night.

So, Miami will be hurting mentally and possibly physically because the Dolphins have some injury concerns that could affect the outcome of this divisional showdown. Center Connor Williams is gone for the year with a torn ACL and superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill injured his ankle against the Titans.

Miami are required to handle a great deal of pressure as a team chasing the top seed in the AFC. They have very little room for error and every one of their games is going to be a high-stakes affair. Like the Titans before them, the Jets have nothing to lose and that could make them a dangerous outfit. The Dolphins didn’t handle that situation well on Monday night. If they slip again, could the Jets make them pay and pick up a second morale-boosting victory in a row?

New York Jets Player to Watch

Zach Wilson - Quarterback

After an outstanding second half against the Houston Texans, Jets fans and the rest of the NFL will be keen to see if that form can be continued against a Miami defense that has steadily improved throughout the 2023 campaign. Last week’s 300-yard passing day came after Wilson was benched for Week 12 and 13 losses, one of which was to the Dolphins. Now, we get to see how the Jets will look against Miami with their second overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft.

Miami Dolphins Player to Watch

Tyreek Hill – Wide Receiver

Monday’s loss to the Titans reminded us that Tyreek Hill is the single most important player on Miami’s roster. The electrifying receiver changes everything when he is in the lineup and when he was banged up and out of that Week 14 game, the Dolphins suffered on the offensive side of the ball. Hill had some injury issues when facing the Jets in Week 12 but still racked up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown in Miami’s 34-13 win.

Stat Attack!

Sauce Gardner may not have an interception yet in 2023, but he remains one of the best cover corners in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, the Jets defensive back has a coverage grade of 89.9 – third among NFL cornerbacks behind only Jaylon Johnson (Chicago Bears) and DaRon Bland (Dallas Cowboys). Gardner also leads the Jets with nine pass defenses this season.

Keys to the game

Feed the playmakers… the Jets did that in last weekend’s victory over Houston, particularly through the air. Garrett Wilson was targeted 14 times and he reeled in nine catches for a season-high 108 yards. On pace for a second straight 1,000-yard season to start his NFL career, Wilson is the real deal and needs the football. The same can be said for Breece Hall, who rushed 10 times for 40 yards and caught eight passes for 86 yards and a score. Getting the football to this pair will help the Jets greatly.

Test Miami’s offensive line… the Dolphins are very banged up along the offensive line so now might be a good time to unleash some creative pressure packages. What have you got, Robert Saleh? If the Jets can bring the heat from multiple areas, Tua Tagovailoa is going to feel it. That pressure will not only challenge Miami’s linemen physically, but also mentally because with Williams out at center; a new player is going to need to make the line calls and adjustments. This could be a key area for New York’s dominant defense to exploit.