One Game
After playing one of the most complete openers in franchise history, what will the Jets have for an encore against the Dolphins? While pleased with their efforts in a 48-17 trouncing of the Lions in Detroit Monday, the Green & White quickly turned the page to the 1-0 Dolphins. The hallmark of good teams is consistency.
“That’s one thing we have to always remember is that it’s one game. It was a great one game, but we have to continue to pile those on,” said wide receiver Quincy Enunwa. “Continue to pile on great one games until it’s 16, 17, 18 and we’re in the Super Bowl. That’s the goal of any NFL team and we have to continue to be consistent. That’s going to be my thing is consistency. If we’re going to be good, we have to be good throughout the year.”
B-Pow & The Crow
The Jets displayed great offensive balance in the Motor City with rookie Sam Darnold passing for 198 yards and the run game churning out 169 yards on the ground. Bilal Powell averaged 5.0 yards a pop and Isaiah Crowell ripped off a 62-yard scoring run and had two touchdowns while amassing 102 yards. Both backs bring a lot to the table and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who employed a ton of different offensive sets against the Lions, has plenty of options with both.
“I try to be more than just one-dimensional. I try to be a receiver out of the backfield, pass protect and run the ball,” Crowell said. “At the same time, he does the same thing. Our talent is about the same and we both can get it done.”
Need for Speed
It looked like the Jets had 12 defenders on the field for much of Monday night’s contest. Darron Lee had the first two interceptions of his career — one of which he returned for a score and Jamal Adams got his first career theft as the Green & White had five in all. They also are the NFL’s top-ranked rush defense after surrendering just 39 yards to the Lions. The coverage was excellent in the back end, defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers got creative with his looks and the Jets swarmed to the football. If they can repeat that effort against the Dolphins, Miami is going to have a difficult time moving the football.
“I just think we played fast. Even if we are wrong, we are still getting there,” said cornerback Buster Skrine. “Bank on what we know and if something happens that we don’t expect, playing fast can make up for it.”
Gore to No. 4?
After rushing for 61 yards in the Dolphins’ 24-17 victory over the Titans, Frank Gore needs just 15 yards to surpass Jets Hall of Famer Curtis Martin for fourth place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
“That’s big, but I’m still playing so I really don’t think about it,” Gore said this week. “I want to still compete with the young guys playing now. Whenever I retire, that’s when I’ll think about it.”
Ryan Tannehill has some new weapons around him including Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson, but it was Kenny Stills who had a titanic effort against Tennessee with four catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. But make no mistake — the Dolphins will come out committed to move the ball on the ground.
“Gore is downhill, still got a little speed to him,” Skrine said. “Kenyan Drake is a stretch and cut guy, but if he has to put his shoulder down and get physical – he will. He can do everything. I feel like he is one of their key players.”
Throwback: Jets vs. Dolphins Through the Years
Top Photos of the AFC Division Rivals
New York Jets' Bernie Parmalee (34), scores the first of two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 19. 2000, at the Pro Player Stadium, in Miami. (AP Photo/ Bill Harrington)
RAW FILE - New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington drops back for a pass in the first quarter of the Jets' 17-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Pennington completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 190 yards with two touchdowns in the game. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
New York Jets running back Thomas Jones, center, runs between Miami Dolphins linebacker Donnie Spragan, left, and safety Renaldo Hill, right, as he picks up 11 yards during fourth quarter NFL football Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Jones rushed for 110 yards as the Jets beat the Dolphins, 31-28. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath (12) drops back to pass as fullback Mark Smolinski (30) sets up to block during an AFL game against the Miami Dolphins at Shea Stadium in New York, Dec. 15, 1975. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau finally gets a sack in the fourth quarter as he pulls down Miami Dolphins quarterback Kyle Mackey for a fourteen-yard loss in East Rutherford, N.J., Oct. 18, 1987. This sack at Giants Stadium was Gastineau's first since 1985. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
New York Jets defensive lineman Mark Gastineau (99) and Joe Klecko, rihgt, sack the Miami Dolphins quarterback David Woodley in the second half of their 16-15 win over Miami at New York's Shea Stadium, Nov. 23, 1981. Among the league leaders in sacks, Klecko has 16 and Gastineau 15 1/2. (AP Photo/Harry Harris)
Punter Louie Aguilar (4), of the New York Jets, holds for kicker Raul Allegre as he kicks the winning field goal in overtime to defeat the Miami Dolphins 23-20 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Fla., Dec. 22, 1991. The Jet's victory allowed them to capture the final NFL wildcard playoff slot. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
New York Jets running back Leon Washington (29) carries the ball through the line during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath of the New York Jets fires downfield during a 17-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on November 24, 1974 at Shea Stadium in New York, New York. Joe Namath - New York Jets - File Photos (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
New York Jets running back Curtis Martin (28) makes a move around Miami Dolphins safety Shawn Wooden (22) during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Martin rushed for 75 yards leading the Jets to a 28-20 win over the Dolphins. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets kicker Jim Turner (11) kicks a field goal from the hold of quarterback Babe Parilli (15) as Miami Dolphins cornerback Dick Westmoreland (25) closes in during an AFL game in New York, Nov. 2, 1969. The Jets defeated the Dolphins 34-31. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Kicker Raul Allegre of the New York Jets, center of group, is mobbed by his teammates after his winning field goal in overtime against the Miami Dolphins, in Miami, Fla., Dec. 22, 1991. The win gives the Jets a wildcard berth in the upcoming playoffs. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet outruns Miami Dolphins cornerback Calvin Jackson (38) and safety Shawn Wooden (22) on a 70-yard pass play during the first quarter Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets Ronnie Lott (42), right, and Jeff Lageman (56) bring down Miami Dolphins Mark Higgs (21), center, during first half action at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami , Sept. 12, 1993. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)
New York Jets running back Curtis Martin heads down the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown run against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter Monday, Nov. 1, 2004 in East Rutherford, N.J.. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
New York Jets tight end Chris Baker, left, scores a touchdown on a 1-yard catch against Miami Dolphins' Morlon Greenwood, center, and Derrick Pope during the third quarter Monday, Nov. 1, 2004 in East Rutherford, N.J.. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
New York Jets' Laveranues Coles celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown as Miami Dolphins' Travares Tilllman lies on the ground in the Jets 20-17 football victory at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Miami Dolphins Dan Marino, left, fumbles the ball as he is sacked by New York Jets Mark Gastineau during the second quarter of NFL game, Nov. 4, 1984 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown (23) runs towards a touchdown during the first quarter against the New York Jets during an NFL football game in Miami, Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre prepares to pass during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. At right is Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter. (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan)
New York Jets linebacker Victor Hobson, center, recovers a ball fumbled by Miami Dolphins running back Sammy Morris, lower right, in the third quarter of the Jets' 20-17 victory over the Dolphins at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.,, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
New York Jets Art Monk, left, tries to keep Troy Vincent (23) of the Miami Dolphins at arms length after taking a Boomer Esiason pass for a 19-yard gain in the first quarters on Nov. 27, 1994 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
New York Jets' Laveranues Coles, foreground, catches a pass in the end zone over Miami Dolphins' Travis Daniels, left, for the Jets first touchdown during the first quarter of the NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Jets fullback Jerald Sowell, right, crosses the goal line for a touchdown as Miami Dolphins safety Tebucky Jones (24) gives chase during the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Jets' Jason Fabini (69) and Kevin Mawae (68), left, signal the score as the Jets beat the Dolphins, 17-7. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason, left, if pressured by Miami Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox in the second quarter at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Sept. 18, 1994. Esiason threw an incomplete pass on the play. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Dolphins' Jeno James (78) and Leonard Henry, center, are taken down by New York Jets', clockwise from bottom left, Shaun Ellis, Dewayne Robertson and Bryan Thomas In the second quarter of their game Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, in Miami. (AP Photo/Hillery Smith Shay)
New York Jets' Curtis Martin kneels in the endzone after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004 in Miami. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
New York Jets linebacker Marvin Jones (55) intercepts the ball in the end zone during the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Oct. 14, 2001, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Jets cornerback Marcus Coleman (42) and James Farrior (58) look on. The Jets beat the Dolphins 21-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, right, drops back to pass as offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (60) blocks against Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor during the first quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 25, 2006, in Miami. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
New York Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles, right, catches a pass for a 42-yard gain as Miami Dolphins safety Brock Marion (31) looks on during the fourth quarter Sunday night, Nov. 10, 2002, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Coles caught five passes for 80 yards as the Jets beat the Dolphins 13-10. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets' Aaron Glenn (31) returns an interception as Miami Dolphins James Mcknight (80) and Jets teammate Shaun Ellis (92) give chase in the first half Sunday Nov. 18, 2001 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Glenn returned the Jay Fiedler interception for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
New York Jets' Aaron Glenn (31) keeps his eyes on the ball and is able to make the interception as Miami Dolphins James McKnight (80) is defended by Victor Green (21) and is unable to bring in the pass from quarterback Jay Fiedler in the first half Sunday Nov. 18, 2001 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Glenn returned the interception 60 yards for a Jets touchdown. (AP Photo/Rick Silva)
New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet catches a pass and runs for a touchdown during the first quarter as Miami Dolphins Antuan Edwards chases after him Monday night, Nov. 1, 2004 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien throws a second quarter pass under pressure from the Miami Dolphins T.J. Turner Sept. 21, 1986 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. O'Brien threw for over 400 yards, and was 29 for 43, after the Jets 51-45 win. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, right, scores a touchdown as Miami Dolphins safety Brock Marion (31) defends during the second quarter Monday, Oct. 23, 2000, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John T. Greilick)
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Darnold’s Home Debut
Following a pick-six on his first play in the NFL, Darnold extinguished his nerves in Detroit and put together a steady performance out of the gate. The red-headed rookie returns home to the friendly confines of MetLife Stadium this weekend against a Dolphins defense that features edge rusher Cameron Wake and one of the game’s top safeties in Reshad Jones. Darnold is good inside the pocket, but he adds another dimension when he uses his feet to extend the action.
“I think the most common thing everyone says is his poise in the pocket. It’s huge,” Enunwa said. “After watching the game, another thing is his ability to move on from that play, whether it’s a good one or a bad one. He’s able to go ahead and move on from it and get to the next one. That’s huge for a quarterback, having a short-term memory. You don’t want him to get too high or too low and he stays right there. He’s even-keeled and able to lead us to victory.”
