After two weeks on the road, the Jets will return to MetLife Stadium and welcome their AFC East rival from South Florida. The Miami Dolphins travel north with a 1-0 record as their season opener was postponed to Week 11 because of Hurricane Irma.
New Sherriff in Town
Jets new CEO and Chairman Christopher Johnson addressed the media for the first time since his brother, Woody Johnson, was named Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Christopher said he's not patient, but he shares an ideology with his older brother in that the Green & White will build its roster through the draft and continue to develop players. He also expressed his confidence in head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan, stating they'll be evaluated by the team's progress, not the win-loss column. The Jets' new boss said his long-term goal is to bring the team back to the Super Bowl, where he'll leave two tickets at will call for his older brother.
Adding to the Arsenal
The Jets offense is expected to receive a boost with the return of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. ASJ finished serving his two-game suspension and returned to practice this week, but he remained close to the team the past two weeks as he was allowed to be in the building and participate in meetings. Bowles said the fourth-year vet needs to get back into football shape and will see what his recall of the playbook is before deciding to activate him on gameday. Needless to say, after reinventing himself both on and off the field, the 6'5", 262-pounder is very excited to return to the field.
Best Images from a Warm Thursday in Florham Park
Plug Up the Gaps
After the Jets defense surrendered over 400 yards in each of its first two outings, they face another tough test Week 3 against the Dolphins. Miami's running back Jay Ajayi ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards last year and is elusive after initial contact, which means gang tackling, along with gap discipline, will be key for the defense. Defensive end Kony Ealy said the unit has to become more consistent against the run as they only allowed 3.4 yards per rush on 24 carries in Oakland, but also two scoring plays on the ground combined for 95 yards.
In the passing game, the Dolphins feature a trio of receivers who could break loose at any time. DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills serve primarily as deep threats for the offense, but Jarvis Landry, who utilizes the underneath routes, is dangerous after the catch and can score any time.
