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Week 13: Dolphins vs Jets preview

Every Saturday here at The Phish Tank, I finish my game previews by sending you off to another blog. Is all that clicking making you tired? Is it running down, making you listless? Do you poop out at parties? Has it made you unpopular? The answer to all your problems is right here, in this post! This week, we bring that other blog to you. It’s my pleasure to introduce and welcome TJ Mims and Joe Caporoso from The Cockpit, MVN’s New York Jets coverage. I recently got in touch with Mr. Mims and Mr. Caporoso and got their thoughts heading in to Sunday. Here are their inklings along with my own in our week 13 game preview.

The Dolphins and the Jets. Some classic battles have gone down in the past between us. But looking at the Dolphins’ 0-11 record and the Jets’ 2-9 total, this one has the makings of being anything but. The 2007 Stuper Bowl, if you will.

TJ Mims (TJM): Yes, this will most likely be the battle of the bums. I do think it will be a good and entertaining game, only because the talent levels are very close. Nonetheless, it’s a very pointless game, so there will not be many viewers. Who really wants to see a bunch of losers duke it out?

Joe Caporoso (JC): It should be an ugly game between two of the worst teams in the NFL. The Jets are anemic on offense right now because of their banged up wide receivers. Their defense is very inconsistent and overall they are a terrible 4th quarter team. Miami simply lacks playmakers on both sides of the ball. Their defense is slow and old and their offense isn’t capable of creating big plays.

Alex Carver (AC): I’d call this the battle for the number one draft pick but right now, even the 2-9 Jets look like a much better team then the Dolphins. Knock down, drag out game full of big plays and a lot of excitement. Too bad it will be played in front of a crowd better suited for a Marlins game.

Do you expect the return of Lavernaeus Coles to make an instant impact on Kellen Clemens and the Jets’ passing game or do you think they’re in for another sub 200 yard day against Will Allen and a Dolphins secondary that is starting to gel?

TJM: It may be moot if Jericho Cotchery doesn’t play. As you may or may not have heard, he hurt himself in practice this week and could be sidelined. Kellen Clemens will most likley be close to 200 yards but I would have to say he’s below it if anything for the very fact that your defense will be getting a very heavy dose of Thomas Jones. With the Dolphins running defense, its easy to see why. Its hard to say how many TDs/INTs he will throw. I hope his TD totals are low because Thomas Jones seriously needs to be given the rock in the red zone.

JC: Coles will make a big difference. Cotchery was struggling heavily being a number 1 wide out while he was hurt. Unforunately, it looks like Cotchery won’t play, which puts even more pressure on Coles. But he can handle it. I expect Chris Baker to have a big day also. Clemens will be between 150-180 yards.

AC: Matched up against Will Allen, I don’t think Coles will see 100 yards. However, Jericho Cotchery will. While Coles serves as the ultimate distraction, a pump faking, play actioning Clemens will be on the mark. Cotchery goes off and has a 120 yard, 1 touchdown day. If Cotchery doesn’t play, give those stats to Justin McCareins, who believe it or not, can still go.

Earlier this year, Thomas Jones ran all over the Dolphins’ Zach Thomas-less defense. Zach is out again this week and Jones is two weeks removed from a 114 yard effort against the league’s toughest run stopping D, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Are you expecting Jones to blow up or do you think Channing Crowder and the rest of a Dolphins’ defensive front that with each passing week looks more and more like a patchwork quilt gets the job done?

TJM: I’d expect Jones to put up solid numbers, at least. I would pray for your sake that Travis Daniels doesn’t get stiff armed the way he did in week 3. That was embarrassing, to say the least.

JC: If the Jets are smart Thomas Jones will have no less than 25 carries. When he gets the ball, he has produced. For some reason the Jets have gone away from the running game in many of their close games. I think he will have a similar game to the one he had week 3. I expect between 120-140 yards on 25-30 carries.

AC: Crowder has really come in to his own as a middle linebacker. After he stopped Brian Westbrook 12 times in Philadelphia, Crowder got to Willie Parker 7 times last Monday. But as good as Crowder has been, it looks like the Dolphins will once again be without half of their defensive line. Vonnie Holliday’s and Matt Roth’s chances to play are looking grim. If Roth and Holliday are no shows, pick up Jones and start him in your fantasy league.

Mother Nature hates John Beck. In his first career start, he dealt with a stormy day in Philadelphia and completed just 9 of 22 passes for 109 yards. During last week’s pregame show, as standing water could be seen on Heinz Field, a 8/20 three pick game appeared to be in the bag. 2 hours and 19 minutes later, Beck ran off of Heinz Field, career night intact. 14/23, 139 yards and a bagel in the pick column. This week, the forecast calls for 82 degree temperatures, partly cloudy skies and just a 10% chance of rain. Against a Jets’ secondary that is giving up the league’s fifth most points per game through the air, what kind of results are you expecting Beck to produce?

TJM: The Jets’ secondary isn’t the problem. It’s the lack of a pass rush and the Jets seemed to have found that, sort of. If the Jets pressure Beck, he doesn’t stand a chance. Darelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes have been solid all season and. Last week, Revis manned up one on one with TO and kept him to a modest 6 receptions, 56 yards. However, if the Jets don’t pressure Beck, we are in for a long day. I would bet more on the Jets finding a way to pressure Beck.

JC: The Jets’ pass rush has improved in recent weeks but it still isn’t very good. Beck will have the best day of his career but only because his other two have been so poor. I think he will get around 200 yards, with his first career touchdown and interception.

AC: There’s a 10% chance of rain. I’m surprised we haven’t heard a report of John Beck sneaking into Dolphin Stadium late at night and checking out the drainage system, making sure everything is ready to go for Sunday. The good news for John: It’s the most rain ready facility in the league. If the protection is there, I think we will see a 20/32 230 yard, 2 touchdown day out of Beck.

Who will win and who/what will be the deciding factor?

TJM: If Coles and Cotchery both play, the Jets win hands down. If only one of them plays, it will be a toss up. If neither plays, Miami wins, because they obviously know we will mainly run the ball, thus making it ineffective.

JC: I think the Jets running game will carry them to a 20-10 victory.

AC: After this game, barns in Broward and Miami-Dade counties will be even fewer and farther between. 30-27 Dolphins. The X factor: Beck to Ginn.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both TJ and Joe for taking the time to join me. So thanks, guys. But we still hate you.

GO PHINS!

You can get the same great insight and analysis on the New York Jets every week at The Cockpit, right here on MVN.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 at 11:00 am and is filed under Game Recaps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.