It's gameday! The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are set to kickoff in just a couple hours from Sun Life Stadium. Until then, check out what I think are the five keys to a Fins win. Enjoy.
1. Protect Ryan Tannehill. This is absolutely vital today for the Miami Dolphins, especially with Rex Ryan calling the plays. There will be blitzes thrown at the rookie QB from every angle, on every play, all day long. Giving Tannehill time to throw the ball, and more importantly, time to make a good decision, will be the difference maker in this game. This has to be a collective effort from the Dolphins offense as well. From the offensive line, to the tight ends, to the running backs, protecting the rookie QB will be a must.
2. Win the turnover battle. You may be sick of hearing me say this week in and week out, but folks, nine times out of ten the team who does this wins the football game. The Fins offense did a good job last week of not turning the ball over, but the defense, excluding the interception late in the game, failed to create turnovers when it mattered. If this is the case once again today, it could be a huge problem. Mark Sanchez is known for his questionable decision making, as we the saw last time these two met in this very stadium, and the Fins defense must expose of this.
3. Pressure Mark Sanchez. How do you accomplish number two? You accomplish number three. Cameron Wake missed three potential sacks last week, and while the Fins got away with it, this must not continue today. Wake, along with Randy Starks and Jared Odrick, must make life miserable today for QB Mark Sanchez. This will lead to incompletions, interceptions, and an all around bad day for the Jets offense.
4. Do not get Tebowed. If you think Tony Sparano hasn't put together a Tim Tebow gameplan for today, then you are absolutely out of your mind. In-fact, I'll go ahead and say that we'll see more of Tim Tebow today then we've seen since he's been a Jet. I expect anything from the wildcat, to gimmicks, to third down runs with the polarizing back up QB today, and the Fins defense must be ready for it. They cannot allow Tebow to come in and spark momentum for that Jets offense, or it could be a long day. Don't think so? Just look at what happened last year when Tebow came to town as a Bronco. The defense must be Tebow ready today.
5. Continue the excellent special teams play. With the exception of one long kick return last week by the Oakland Raiders, the Fins special teams play has been superb. Punter Brandon Fields was a HUGE part of last weeks victory, as he constantly pinned the Raiders deep in their own territory, and with the two defenses today I expect field position to play a huge part in this one. Kick returner Marcus Thigpen had a big return in week one vs Houston and continued that last week with a couple nice returns. This must continue today to not only set the Fins offense up in good field position, but also to put a spark into this football team. People tend to forget just how important special teams can be, but I'm not one of them, and I'll be willing to bet this could be the difference maker today.
PREDICTION: This is by far the biggest game of the season today. Hands down. The division lead is on the line, bragging rights are on the line, and, as I hit on earlier in the week, the trust of a fanbase is on the line. I expect the Fins to come out of the gates strong, riding the momentum from last week's victory, but it must not stop there. They can't come out and score a touchdown and then disappear for the next two quarters. They must constantly put pressure on a vulnerable Jets team, both offensively and defensively, and QB Ryan Tannehill must respond to adversity, because I can promise you there will be a lot of that today. The Fins may be underdogs, but I don't see it. They're at home, riding momentum from last week, and looking to prove it was no fluke.
Final: Jets 20 Dolphins 24
Remember there will be no live blog today, but check back before game time for the inactive list and any last minute updates.
Until then, Go Fins!
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