Coaches and players talk about the challenges the Jets present

On Monday night, the Miami Dolphins will walk into MetLife Stadium and take on the New York Jets, a team that is reeling after a disappointing season. With only two wins under their belt, the team is a mess but nonetheless, they still present several challenges for the Dolphins and the team has been preparing for them throughout the week thus far.

“They are a top 10 defense on paper. They have a lot of good defensive players," Joe Philbin said. "They are a team that is playing with exceptional effort. As you watch them on film, you watch them play the Patriots and they lose by two points. You watch them play the Denver Broncos, it’s 24-17 with 2:08 left in the game and Denver has a third down play they have to make to keep the ball away from the Jets. You see them beat a very good Pittsburgh team. There are plenty of pictures of them doing things well. The other night we watched film and it’s 7-3 with 2:20 left in the half. They sack Kyle Orton, it’s second-and-17, and then (the Bills) throw a vertical route to (Scott) Chandler for a touchdown, then they blocked a punt. There’s a lot of good stuff (the Jets) are doing on film. That’s why you just have to watch the tape.”

Jarvis Landry said that watching tape of them, he has seen a lot of weird blitzes and a lot of different things they do with their defense. Jared Odrick said that the Jets will come in looking to run the ball, noting that they don't try to hide what they do. He said that the Jets will try to run the ball down the opposing defense's throat and won't let down so they will need to focus on it and work to shut down the run.

Ryan Tannehill talked about their defensive line, the different blitzes they bring and the versatility and athleticism those on the line have, which allows them to disrupt the game at a moment's notice.

“I think, first of all, they’re a good front. You see (DL Sheldon) Richardson and (DL Muhammad) Wilkerson up front. Two very good players, very active, they move around a lot. They can make the linemen miss in the run game or pass game. And they use a lot of different coverages, different fronts, different blitzes, especially on third downs. They have a bunch of athletic guys that can really move, creates tough blocks for the offensive linemen. They are multiple. They are going to mix it up a lot and show you all kinds of different things. So we have to be clear with our communication and all be on the same page with where we’re going and who we’re hot off of and all that stuff.”    
 
While the defensive line might be the strong point for the Jets, their secondary is weak and has been exposed throughout the entire year. Does that mean Tannehill can't wait to rip them apart on Monday night? 

“No, I don’t lick my chops. They’re still an NFL defense with guys that can make plays at any point in time. You make a bad throw or miscommunication with the receiver or whatever it is, a guy makes a good play, they can make a play at any point. I always respect the opponent.”

The Dolphins may catch a break as Wilkerson hasn't practice all week. If that's the case, that's one less weapon the Jets defense has and should make the Dolphins job on offense even easier in a must-win game.

This story was written by Matthew Cannata. You can follow him on Twitter: @PhinManiacs

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