National Football League

Jets vs. Dolphins: Can Miami avoid implosion and make the playoffs?

Updated Feb. 17, 2023 10:05 a.m. ET

The New York Jets can ruin the Miami Dolphins' season. That's all New York has to play for — rivalry and pride. The Jets are out of the playoff hunt. But the Dolphins remain in contention. To keep themselves playoff-eligible, they will have to beat the Jets.

"Would it be nice to have Mike McDaniel hanging out with me poolside in a couple weeks? Damn right it would," Jets coach Robert Saleh said with a smile on Wednesday.

Given starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) and backup Teddy Bridgewater (dislocated finger) might miss the game, Miami can't be too confident about beating New York. The Dolphins are, after all, in a free fall. They have lost five straight games. The downturn started with a pair of losses to good teams: the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers. But those two teams provided a blueprint to stopping this Dolphins offense. Add in injuries to the quarterbacks and the Dolphins have serious issues.

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Miami's defense has underwhelmed for the entire season, but when Tagovailoa was on a hot streak, he helped the team win high-scoring games. Without an offense that can compete that way, the Dolphins look stuck. And things have gone from bad to worse when quarterback Skylar Thompson has to play. The rookie seventh-round draft pick doesn't look ready for the NFL game. He has just one touchdown and three interceptions in his six games and 74 pass attempts.

With all the QB issues, the Dolphins signed journeyman QB Mike Glennon on Wednesday. He had been coaching his 6-year-old son's basketball team.

It's shocking to consider that the Dolphins, who started the season 8-4, might lose to the Jets — and find themselves eliminated. But there's a real possibility. To make the playoffs, the Dolphins need to beat the Jets and they need the Buffalo Bills to beat the New England Patriots.

New York's strength is on defense, particularly in the secondary. Cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed might be the top tandem in the NFL, which is extremely useful in stopping one of the best receiver tandems in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Saleh has also put together an elite defensive line, led by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. There's little question of whether the Jets can flummox whoever plays quarterback for Miami.

The point of uncertainty is on offense for New York. Quarterback Mike White will get another chance to start. White is competing for the starting role in 2023, but he was a mess last week in the team's playoff-elimination loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It might be White's last audition for serious starting consideration in 2023. Because even if he has an outstanding game, the Jets are going to be in the quarterback market this offseason.

Matchup to watch: Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill vs. Jets CB Sauce Gardner

Have you been watching football this season? Yes? Yes. Then you get it. This is a matchup between maybe the league's best receiver and cornerback.

Key stats: Since Week 13, the Jets are tied for the second-most turnovers in the NFL (10). Only the Bucs have more (12).

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle needs 68 yards to pass Mark Clayton for the second-most receiving yards in a single season in team history. The top spot belongs to Tyreek Hill this season (1,687).

Prediction: Neither the Jets nor the Dolphins showed much competence last week. If Bridgewater or Tua were playing, I would pick Miami. But Tua isn't going to play. And Bridgewater's status is in question — dependent upon if he can grip the ball after his finger dislocation, per NFL Network. If Bridgewater plays, the game will be close.

But with third-stringer Thompson at quarterback? I can't see the Dolphins scoring many points.

White should play to the level we saw from him earlier in the year, so the Jets could put up around 20 points against an unimpressive Dolphins defense. So from my standpoint, the Dolphins lose with Thompson and win with Bridgewater. It all depends on if Bridgewater can recover in time.

Jets 20, Dolphins 13

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Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.