Week 11 – New York Jets
Welcome to the latest installment of Behind Enemy Lines: NY Jets Edition. The first edition of my series to be hosted on the DolphinsTalk platform after starting on Aqua Thirteen. A quick shout-out to the guys over there, Ray Burton especially, you guys gave me a great start and I am grateful. You helped me craft Behind Enemy Lines and encouraged me to bring it somewhere like DolphinsTalk. True gents. I appreciate you.
And so to this next edition, I am THRILLED to share it on DolphinsTalk, and for those of you who have yet to come across what this series is about, I’ve been talking to fans from all the teams we’ve faced over this season, to get a view from inside their fanbase, from Behind Enemy Lines, on the week’s fixture, match up and opposition.
And what a lovely position to be in for a change! After the doom and gloom of this season, I am now sitting here writing after back-to-back wins, after an incredible defensive display, and after beating a Ravens team that has beaten on us in recent times. There is almost hope again for this team and this franchise. On top of that, we now go into the so-called ‘easier’ part of our schedule, with this new hope and about to go up against divisional rivals the New York Jets, who are without their young QB1. Optimism is worryingly high in my world.
And so I spoke with Olivia Peebles (@UKNYJETS) to get the Jets fanbase’s perspective on our match-up to see if there is anything we are missing that could give us even greater cause for optimism…
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Hello Olivia! Thank you so much for joining me, I appreciate your time. What a week to match up! A divisional match-up, identical records, both underwhelming with young QBs who have yet to meet expectations. There are a lot of similarities between the two franchises this year, which we will get to, but first introduce yourself, tell us a bit about you and how you became a fan of the Jets.
Hello all, my names Olivia, a student from Teesside, in the North East of the UK and I run the UK Jets account with fellow fan Seb. I became a Jets fan because my brother-in-law, who lives in New Jersey, is a Jets fan so naturally I followed in around 2015 and have been a huge fan since.
OK, so a family connection then? It was a family member who introduced me to the Dolphins too, albeit accidentally in my case! Haha. But to the Jets, as I mentioned before, both franchises have had underwhelming seasons yet there was a lot of offseason change for you guys. Is this season panning out as you planned, or had you expected to be moving forward by this stage?
Yeah, no doubt, the season has undoubtedly been disappointing for the most part. There’s plenty of reasons why it’s been bad, from crucial injuries to inexperienced coaching staff and players to poor play calling one way or another. It was always going to be a roller-coaster and the team/staff are still incredibly young but it would be fair to say we expected a little bit more at this stage.
Yeah, we’ve been similar. Our coaching staff has been on the hook for a lot of this season, but injuries have played a huge part. Thinking about Will Fuller, our main Free Agency acquisition who has made next to no impact and been out for weeks with a finger injury, a lot of our moves to straight up haven’t worked out. Throw in the mix that Tua has been in and out of the side with his own injuries and we completely understand your situation.
What about your Quarterback? Zach Wilson the shiny new addition in New York Jets, how has he fared? Is he showing levels that have you excited for the future, or are there more questions than answers?
Zach Wilson has had an up and down ride so far. It’s obvious he’s having rookie teething issues, but he’s also shown flashes of greatness and playmaking ability that saw him drafted so highly. Having suffered an injury past few weeks, it is still disappointing we won’t see Wilson against Miami. He’s still very much the future and it would be absurd to write him off, so hopefully, he starts to show more of his potential and less basic mistakes.
Yeah I mean, there have been plenty of well-documented issues, but really they’re just news outlet talking points. Tua has been in similar positions his entire time in Miami, but essentially it is just noise, it will eventually come down to plays on the field for both players. Much too early to write either of them off in my opinion.
In a wider case, both our franchises have been recovering from an Adam Gase regime. How has the Robert Saleh era begun? From the outside, he seems a serious character who will need a season or so to get a roster he can work with. Is that the view from within the Jets fanbase too?
The off-season was full of optimism, as it usually is with most teams. He and Joe Douglas opted for youth in for the most part in terms of staff and the roster, and as of now, it’s clear the inexperience is costing us. It is way too early to write him off, but he and his coordinators have had a rough start in New York as critics are rightly calling out some aspects of his coaching. Whilst he certainly won’t be fired any time soon, he must learn how to be a head coach at one of the most difficult franchises in the NFL. You however cannot fault his optimism and character, but he must learn to adjust and learn from his mistakes, quickly.
Boy, do I understand that. We thought we had our messiah in Brian Flores yet this year he has looked a shadow of himself at points. However, this last weekend we saw glimpses of him back at the fiery best that we love so it’s clear it is still there within him. However, he must find ways to win against the bigger teams and to do it consistently. So yeah, I completely understand the idea of a head coach with unrealized potential.
How have Jets fans viewed our season, are you surprised we have struggled so badly, or was this something you expected of us?
I am surprised at the Dolphins’ struggles this season, as Brian Flores was highly rated by the Jets fans. I personally thought they would be in the hunt for the playoffs! I’m not sure where their struggles lies, but from observation it seems like uncertainly at QB through injuries, missing on draft picks, and questionable coaching. Nevertheless, the Ravens game could potentially be a turning point for your season. I really rated your FA but they haven’t made a mark for one reason or another, I don’t envision struggles for much longer.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head Olivia! Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Draft picks who haven’t lived up to the hype, QB questions, and speculation, and coaching faults are kind of the three main trends of our season, so while you may not have the finer details, you absolutely seem to be on-trend. Let’s hope that you’re right about the Ravens game being the catalyst for a turnaround too!
Thinking about this match-up, both teams seem to have holes and deficiencies in all stages of the game. If we are going to beat you, where do you think we should be looking to exploit?
Our defense the past few games has been horrid if I’m not mincing my words. It is especially frustrating as at the start of the reason, the defense was resolute and it was our offense that was especially bad. Going off the state of play the past couple of players, the Dolphins offense only needs to be average in order to get the better of the matchup.
Offensively it is a bit of a wildcard, as Flacco is expected to start, and Wilson is unlikely to appear. Whilst offensively we have improved past few weeks under Mike White, Joe Flacco should provide a steady if unremarkable head at QB. Ultimately I think the game will be won on the ground rather than the air.
Defensively we stepped up a gear in the last two weeks, so we are hoping that we can take advantage of the Quarterback roulette going on in New York. Flacco is someone we are familiar with, who has been in the league a long time, and someone who we feel we could get pressure on if we can get through your protection. There may be a lot of optimism in there for a team with only 3 wins, but we’re rolling with it.
Who else is showing up on your roster right now that we should be worried about? Is there anyone quietly having a good season but getting no press for it? Is there anyone bubbling under the surface waiting to break out? Who could cause us issues?
Michael Carter (the running back) has had some very nice plays last few games and looks a threat when schemed correctly. He seems to be the most likely scorer for the Jets so if I was the Dolphins I would be cautious of him. In terms of an underrated player, Alijah Vera Tucker, our first-round pick, has been having a great season and will be a staple for our o line for years to come. Unfortunately, we’ve had no real breakout playmaker yet on either side of the ball which is deeply frustrating but Elijah Moore is starting to get targets and look a threat on the field. Defensively, with the talent on the defensive line with players such as Williams, Franklin-Meyers, and Rankins. If they turn up like in the Titans game, Miami’s o line may have some problems.
Michael Carter, OK! I just picked him up in a fantasy trade as collateral within a bigger deal, it would really work out for me if he continues the way you feel he might haha! I remember looking at Vera-Tucker in the draft lead-up last year, what an impressive human he is. There is no doubt to me that he has a big future, but I’d love him to have an off day against Christian Wilkins this weekend!
After mentioning Wilkins, what about our roster? Do we have anyone on our roster right now who you would be worried about? Anyone who could take the game away from you? Who do you think poses the greatest threat on either the offensive or defensive side of the ball?
The defense against Baltimore was extremely impressive, so I am concerned at the pressure they will bring to Flacco and our o line. Holland particularly impressed me and will be a star in the future. Obviously, Howard will always be a threat and a leader in the secondary, and was impressed the Dolphins were able to deal with the contract situation effectively in the offseason.
Offensively, the Dolphins probably haven’t been as effective as they would have liked for multiple reasons. However, Gesicki has proved he can play the tight-end role extremely well, and I worry about our defense’s ability to shut him down in this game. Waddle, who has been a bit of a slow burner in Miami but his ability is evident. I fear he could have a breakout game against us, similar to Kyle Pitts did in London, and be a major threat in the passing game.
Gesicki, Gesicki, Gesicki! Maaaan, I wish we would just resign that guy already! Tight end come wide receiver who is a reliable target, gets the crowd amped up, and makes spectacular plays week after week. It would be a nightmare to see him move on elsewhere next season, I hope that is one that the front office doesn’t get wrong for us.
But there’s one name we haven’t talked about. One of the most discussed names in our Franchise. What is the New York Jets fanbase’s view on Tua Tagovailoa? The narrative seems to change weekly for that man, but he should be back this week to lead our offense. I still hold out hope for the man, I am invested in him and nothing would please me more than to see him silence the doubters. But what is the Jets’ view?
I can’t speak for all Jets fans, but the situation is pretty interesting and honestly, quite strange. Despite it being his second year, his future with the Dolphins is seemingly up in the air with Miami’s reported interest in Deshaun Watson. It’s clear Tua hasn’t yet hit the heights he was touted for, partly due to injuries, mistakes, and strange QB management from the Dolphins. It feels as if Tua was not Flores’ wanted QB. I still believe he can be a decent player, but the injuries and lack of playing time have really affected his development. The QB drama in Miami will be fascinating in the off-season, and at this point in time, I am torn on whether he will be the starting QB next year for the Dolphins.
I do hope he will be our guy. I hope these next 7 games give him a chance to push the narrative in his favor. It’s so easy to like the guy. You see him doing touchdown dances in his press conference, you see him smiling and engaging with the press, fans, and his teammates hyping him up. I am rooting for him you know. Yet you’re right, there’s an element of strangeness that doesn’t seem to make total sense no matter how people spin it. There’s always something to point at, but there’s also always a point of defense. In the end, it will be down to him to prove the doubters wrong, I do hope it happens.
But back to the game. How do you see it going, what is your prediction?
I expect Miami to grind this one out, I can’t imagine it’ll be a pretty watch for the neutral. I predict 21-10 Dolphins. Joe Flacco’s experience may help the Jets stay in the game for longer than anticipated but ultimately we will fall short. Also, we haven’t won a divisional game in what feels like forever and it is getting embarrassing. A loss will be majorly disappointing but a likelihood, unfortunately.
Haha! For the first time this season, we have a score match. That’s where I feel it will score-wise too. I see a rushing touchdown for you guys, hopefully, Carter for my fantasy purposes! Haha! But yeah, I think if our defense can hold out the way they did against Lemar Jackson and his Ravens, then we could hold you pretty solid. If Tua can get the offense moving, I see a 21-10 score in our favor too, and like you say maybe not in the prettiest game for the neutral.
Thank you so much for being part of this, and for being the first fan to join me here on the DolphinsTalk platform. All the best up in Teeside and all the best for the season when you are not playing against us! Haha. Maybe we will get the chance to talk again for the return game.
So with us set up on the back of two wins, going into a divisional rival, with our QB1 coming back in to start after securing the win with his TD in the last game it seems that both fan bases have a similar impression of how this game is going to go.
However, through the optimism, I exercise caution. Just a week ago, two franchises looked at the Dolphins – Ravens game with a joint acceptance of how it was most likely to go, yet we turned the tables on them.
This is a game we should win, but we have to turn up. We have to guard against complacency and we have to execute our plays. Despite the caution, I am excited and I have full faith that we do exactly this!
Fins Up!
