Rhodes is having a Pro-Bowl caliber year, disrupting schemes with his cover skills and in pressure packages
By the time this game is played on Christmas night, the Jets will be hoping that one last present will be sitting under the tree in the form of a playoff berth. New York was not in the holiday spirit last week, robbing the Vikings of their own playoff chances and denying a gift of the AFC East title to the Patriots.
Miami saw their postseason hopes vanish last week despite losing for only the second time in its last seven games. After scoring more than two TD just once in their last three games and being held scoreless last week, the Dolphins may resort to playing QB Cleo Lemon, who was able to move the ball in the fourth quarter of the game against Buffalo. Miami will be looking to play the Grinch this week while the Jets realize there is no room for error in the AFC Wild Card race.
Match up 1
DE Jason Taylor (6'6", 255 lbs) vs. LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson (6'6", 313 lbs).
Taylor won their Week Six matchup, picking up a sack and two tackles behind the line of scrimmage while playing with a rib injury. Ferguson appears to be hitting the "rookie wall", allowing three sacks and a forced fumble two weeks ago to Bills DE Aaron Schobel, a player with similar tools to Taylor. The Dolphins win this duel if the Jets are forced to keep a tight end or back in pass protection to support Ferguson.
Match up 2
RT Vernon Carey (6'5", 335 lbs) vs. DE Shaun Ellis (6'5", 285 lbs).
Carey was able to hold Ellis without a sack in their meeting earlier this season, but the offensive tackle relies on his long arms and upper body strength to compensate for his lack of footwork. Ellis has the quickness to redirect his charge across Carey's face towards the quarterback, pressuring the three-step drop series which the Dolphins rely on when not in shotgun formation.
Match up 3
TE Randy McMichael (6'3", 235 lbs) vs. SS Kerry Rhodes (6'3", 210 lbs).
Rhodes is having a Pro-Bowl caliber year, disrupting schemes with his cover skills and in pressure packages. McMichael, who dropped three passes last week at Buffalo, has been reduced to catching quick screen and over routes as the quarterbacks rush to release the ball. McMichael can be a threat if the quarterback has time, but Rhodes has the size and quickness to effectively neutralize the tight end.
Things to Look For:
Teams: The Jets lead the all-time series 42-38-1 and have won four of the last five meetings between these teams, including a 20-17 win at the Meadowlands in October…The Dolphins won last year's meeting between the teams in Miami, 24-20 last December 18th…The Jets have won six of their past nine games and doubled their 2005 win total…Miami has won three of their last four at home…Dolphins have four players with at least 50 receptions for the third time in team history…The Dolphins defense is ranked 3rd in the NFL in yards allowed and sacks, allowing less than 280 total yards per game and recording 46 sacks…
Chad Pennington: Pennington has thrown 7 TD and 0 INT in his last three games against Miami, and has a passer rating of 111.8 in those games…he needs 145 passing yards to surpass his career high of 3,120 set in 2002.
Leon Washington: Washington needs 53 rushing yards to pass Freeman McNeil for 4th on the Jets single-season rookie list.
Cedric Houston: Houston has rushed for 208 yards and 3 TD in three games since returning from injury.
Laveranues Coles: Coles is 2nd in the NFL with 87 catches…has seven TD in last eight games against division opponents.
Jerricho Cotchery: Cotchery (858) needs 142 receiving yards for he and Coles (1,065) to become the first Jets duo to reach 1,000 yards receiving since Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet did it in 1998.
Bryan Thomas: Thomas leads the Jets with 7 ½ sacks on the season and has recorded a sack in five of the last seven games.
Ben Graham: Graham's 44.6-yard punting average ranks 2nd in the AFC.
Joey Harrington: In his last two home games against division opponents, Harrington has passed for 357 yards and 3 TD with 0 INT for a passer rating of 92.4
Jason Taylor: Taylor's 12 ½ sacks are tied for 2nd in the NFL…he has a sack in 9 of the last 11 games.
Injury Report Jets Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (back), RB Cedric Houston (calf) & DB Eric Smith (foot)
Probable: *RB Kevan Barlow (calf), *LB Matt Chatham (foot), *C Nick Mangold (hip), *WR Justin McCareins (foot), *OL Brandon Moore (back), *DL Rashad Moore (hand), *QB Chad Pennington (calf), *LB Anthony Schlegel (illness), *DE Bryan Thomas (shoulder), *S Jamie Thompson (ankle) & *WR Wallace Wright (thigh)
Dolphins
Doubtful: WR Marty Booker (ankle)
Questionable: CB Will Allen (groin/quad) & *RB Ronnie Brown (hand)
Probable: *QB Joey Harrington (ankle) & *DT Keith Traylor (knee)
Denotes players who participated in practice
Rhodes is having a Pro-Bowl caliber year, disrupting schemes with his cover skills and in pressure packages
By the time this game is played on Christmas night, the Jets will be hoping that one last present will be sitting under the tree in the form of a playoff berth. New York was not in the holiday spirit last week, robbing the Vikings of their own playoff chances and denying a gift of the AFC East title to the Patriots.
Miami saw their postseason hopes vanish last week despite losing for only the second time in its last seven games. After scoring more than two TD just once in their last three games and being held scoreless last week, the Dolphins may resort to playing QB Cleo Lemon, who was able to move the ball in the fourth quarter of the game against Buffalo. Miami will be looking to play the Grinch this week while the Jets realize there is no room for error in the AFC Wild Card race.
Match up 1
DE Jason Taylor (6'6", 255 lbs) vs. LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson (6'6", 313 lbs).
Taylor won their Week Six matchup, picking up a sack and two tackles behind the line of scrimmage while playing with a rib injury. Ferguson appears to be hitting the "rookie wall", allowing three sacks and a forced fumble two weeks ago to Bills DE Aaron Schobel, a player with similar tools to Taylor. The Dolphins win this duel if the Jets are forced to keep a tight end or back in pass protection to support Ferguson.
Match up 2
RT Vernon Carey (6'5", 335 lbs) vs. DE Shaun Ellis (6'5", 285 lbs).
Carey was able to hold Ellis without a sack in their meeting earlier this season, but the offensive tackle relies on his long arms and upper body strength to compensate for his lack of footwork. Ellis has the quickness to redirect his charge across Carey's face towards the quarterback, pressuring the three-step drop series which the Dolphins rely on when not in shotgun formation.
Match up 3
TE Randy McMichael (6'3", 235 lbs) vs. SS Kerry Rhodes (6'3", 210 lbs).
Rhodes is having a Pro-Bowl caliber year, disrupting schemes with his cover skills and in pressure packages. McMichael, who dropped three passes last week at Buffalo, has been reduced to catching quick screen and over routes as the quarterbacks rush to release the ball. McMichael can be a threat if the quarterback has time, but Rhodes has the size and quickness to effectively neutralize the tight end.
Things to Look For:
Teams: The Jets lead the all-time series 42-38-1 and have won four of the last five meetings between these teams, including a 20-17 win at the Meadowlands in October…The Dolphins won last year's meeting between the teams in Miami, 24-20 last December 18th…The Jets have won six of their past nine games and doubled their 2005 win total…Miami has won three of their last four at home…Dolphins have four players with at least 50 receptions for the third time in team history…The Dolphins defense is ranked 3rd in the NFL in yards allowed and sacks, allowing less than 280 total yards per game and recording 46 sacks…
Chad Pennington: Pennington has thrown 7 TD and 0 INT in his last three games against Miami, and has a passer rating of 111.8 in those games…he needs 145 passing yards to surpass his career high of 3,120 set in 2002.
Leon Washington: Washington needs 53 rushing yards to pass Freeman McNeil for 4th on the Jets single-season rookie list.
Cedric Houston: Houston has rushed for 208 yards and 3 TD in three games since returning from injury.
Laveranues Coles: Coles is 2nd in the NFL with 87 catches…has seven TD in last eight games against division opponents.
Jerricho Cotchery: Cotchery (858) needs 142 receiving yards for he and Coles (1,065) to become the first Jets duo to reach 1,000 yards receiving since Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet did it in 1998.
Bryan Thomas: Thomas leads the Jets with 7 ½ sacks on the season and has recorded a sack in five of the last seven games.
Ben Graham: Graham's 44.6-yard punting average ranks 2nd in the AFC.
Joey Harrington: In his last two home games against division opponents, Harrington has passed for 357 yards and 3 TD with 0 INT for a passer rating of 92.4
Jason Taylor: Taylor's 12 ½ sacks are tied for 2nd in the NFL…he has a sack in 9 of the last 11 games.
Injury Report Jets Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (back), RB Cedric Houston (calf) & DB Eric Smith (foot)
Probable: *RB Kevan Barlow (calf), *LB Matt Chatham (foot), *C Nick Mangold (hip), *WR Justin McCareins (foot), *OL Brandon Moore (back), *DL Rashad Moore (hand), *QB Chad Pennington (calf), *LB Anthony Schlegel (illness), *DE Bryan Thomas (shoulder), *S Jamie Thompson (ankle) & *WR Wallace Wright (thigh)
Dolphins
Doubtful: WR Marty Booker (ankle)
Questionable: CB Will Allen (groin/quad) & *RB Ronnie Brown (hand)
Probable: *QB Joey Harrington (ankle) & *DT Keith Traylor (knee)
Denotes players who participated in practice
