Heavyweight Matchup on the Outside
The Jets corners will have one of, if not, their tallest task of the season slowing down Dolphins WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Entering Week 11, the Jets had allowed the fewest receiving yards to opposing wideouts.
They've only allowed 2 touchdowns to WRs – Bills WR Stefon Diggs in Week 1 and Bills WR Khalil Shakir in Week 11.
Jets CBs Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed did a good job containing Hill last season. In two games against the Green & White last season, Hill had 23 receiving yards – his fewest of the season – and 47 – fourth fewest. Gardner (No. 9) and Reed (T-4) are the only corners on the same team to crack PFF's top-10 in defense grade.
Hill leads the league with 1,222 yards and 9 touchdowns and is the first player in the Super Bowl era to eclipse 1,200 receiving yards through his team's first 10 games in a season. His 79 catches rank second, 41 of which have gone for at least 20 yards.
Hill has eclipsed 100 yards in four of his last six games and had 10 catches for 146 yards and 1 touchdown in Week 11.
Dolphins Run Game vs. Jets Rush Defense
While the Jets defense is one of the best in the NFL, the group has had difficulties stopping the run each of the last two games – 278 total yards – and ranks No. 30 in rush yards per game allowed (137.6) this season. While most of the attention surrounding the Dolphins offense goes to its passing game that leads the NFL, Miami ranks second with 143.0 rushing yards per game.
RB Raheem Mostert leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns and his 5.3 yards per carry are the most among all running backs with at least five starts this season.
"I think they have a level of physicality to them," head coach Robert Saleh said. "Last year, they ran the ball very well against us (Mostert had 113 yards and a touchdown at MetLife Stadium last season). What they're able to do with their speed, other teams can't because of the way they're so fast and credit to their coaching staff, just getting the creativity with that speed that other teams would never be able to accomplish. Tyreek [Hill] looks like he's playing a little video game out there the way he runs. It's pretty freaking cool. I wouldn't say they're not physical. They're a physical team, they can run the ball."
First Crack at Tua Since 2021
Friday will be the first time the Jets will line up against Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa since 2021. Teddy Bridgewater started for Miami at MetLife Stadium last season and Skylar Thompson in the season finale at Miami.
Tagovailoa has a 3-0 record against the Green & White, most recently a 31-24 win in Week 15 at Miami in 2021 when he threw for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
This season, the No. 5 overall pick in 2020 is No. 3 in the NFL with 2,934 passing yards. His 21 touchdown passes and 106.0 passer rating each rank second in the league. He leads the NFL's No. 1 offense, but all three of the team's losses have come on the road. Tagovailoa has thrown 7 touchdowns on the road (14 at home) and 4 interceptions (4 at home) and has a 95.0 rating compared to 117.3.
