Here goes everything.
In case you haven't already heard, the Jets need to beat the Dolphins, which is hardly a given at this rate. In addition to our must-win the Ravens must beat Bengals, the Texans must beat the Titans, and either the Broncos or the Raiders have to lose to the Chiefs or Chargers, respectively. While all of these things happening is highly unlikely, hope springs eternal. I'd just like the team to do what is in its power and get a victory over a longstanding rival and end the season on a high note with a winning record.
Rex asserted that Schotty is coming back unless he's hired away. I'm hoping this is just diplomacy. Still, it's motivation enough for me to root for a playoff run. I'm sure Sanchez will be the QB next year either way. I think coaching changes are just as likely if we have a postseason run, and I simply cannot root for the team to miss.
A final regular season break down of the match up with the Phish after the Rundown and the jump.
The Rundown:
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins -- Sunday Jan. 1st, 1:00 p.m. EST
Location: SunLife Stadium, Miami, FL.
Coverage: CBS. DirecTV 704. Sirius XM 86,136.
Record: The Jets lead the all-time series 48-42-1.
What happened last time? Jets won 24-6 earlier this season.
Injury report:
Jets Questionable: Garrett McIntyre (LB) Knee.
Dolphins Out: Reggie Bush (RB) Knee. Doubtful: Jimmy Wilson (CB) Hamstring. Questionable: Edmond Gates (WR) Groin.
Rankings
Offense: The Jets are 27th in overall offense, 9th in points, 21st in passing and 22nd in rushing. The Dolphins are 19th in yards, 21st in points, 22nd in passing and 10th in rushing.
Defense: The Jets are 22nd in points allowed, 7th in overall yards allowed, 5th against the pass, and 15th against the rush. Dolphins are 8th in points allowed, 26th in passing yards allowed, 16th in total defense and 3rd against the run.
Miami Dolphin to Watch: Jason Taylor
There are plenty of more viable threats to the Jets that probably deserve this distinction: Cameron Wake, Brandon Marshall, Matt Moore, pretty much everybody. But Taylor has played both for and against us for some time, and I'm giving him a nod in his final game. I feel like he'll play his heart out. I'd give the same nod to LaDainian Tomlinson, but I'm not yet certain he's calling it quits.
Jets X-factor: Mark Sanchez
Like many, I have a hard time mustering faith in our QB, even though I'd like him to get a shot under a different offensive coaching regime. The Miami Dolphins biggest weakness is their passing defense. If Sanchez can end the year on the upswing and move the chains against a bad passing defense, the Dolphins would not be able to keep pace. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but much like our slim playoff chances, I remain hopeful. The passing game is the key to winning, unfortunately.
Potential Jets MVP: Darelle Revis
Brandon Marshall pulled down 109 yards on 6 receptions last meeting, and his is a major cog in the Dolphins offense, even more so with leading Phins running back Reggie Bush out. I imagine given the threat level that Revis will be paired with Marshall. Revis can all but guarantee a Jets victory by doing what he does best and shutting his man down.
Prediction: Jets 20 Dolphins 10
I haven't predicted a single Jets loss this year, and I'm not about to start in week 17. I explicitly avoided predictions the last two weeks because I knew better. If the Jets cause me to fall to 8-6 on predictions this year you can rest assured I will abandon the "no loss" prediction policy.