Will the Dolphins coach pull his head out of the noose again?
The two final matches of the fourth NFL game day are somewhat marked by unsuccessful starts to the season. While the 1-2 Broncos host the injury-plagued 2-1 Bengals at 2:15 a.m., two still winless franchises will face off in Florida. An hour earlier, the Miami Dolphins will host the New York Jets, and the odds at the bookmakers reveal a favorite in this AFC East division duel.
The franchise from the Sunshine State is arguably the biggest disappointment of the still young season. In particular, the defeats in the first two weeks against the Colts (8-33) and Patriots (27-33) were sobering performances for Mike McDaniel’s team. The defeat against the Bills (21:31) on the last matchday was – in terms of performance – at least a small ray of hope.
Because they are facing a franchise that knew before the start of the season that it was in a transition year. That is probably the price to pay for the team’s attempts to reach for the stars at times over the past two seasons. In addition, head coach Aaron Glenn announced last Wednesday that the quarterback could once again be Tyrod Taylor. He already had to fill in last week for starting quarterback Justin Fields, who was sidelined with a concussion.
Dolphins – Jets Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
There is undoubtedly a certain parallel between the two franchises, as they have both invested heavily in recent years to open up a window of opportunity for a title. Miami has been more successful than the Jets, with McDaniel’s team reaching the postseason at least twice. While the Dolphins are somewhere between rebuilding and winning now this season, their upcoming opponent’s strategy is clearly focused on a fresh start.
As Miami’s first games have shown, it is almost impossible to cope with the departures of defensive players such as Jaylen Ramsey and Jevon Holland. This is mainly because there has been no investment in these positions, unlike in recent years. It will not be possible to compete at the top of the AFC this season, and that could even cost the head coach his job during the course of the season.
But Miami’s offense isn’t clicking either, and criticism of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is growing louder rather than quieter. In addition, rumors persist that there are difficulties between him and star receiver Tyreek Hill. Before the season, Hill was a potential candidate for a trade to another NFL team, and if Miami doesn’t win on Sunday, this topic will gain momentum in the media again. But the running game has also failed to get going so far, which makes the offense seem inconsistent overall.
The offense from the Big Apple, on the other hand, has been quite a surprise so far. The running game via Breece Hall has been particularly good, and with Garrett Wilson, this offense naturally has an absolute fixture in the passing game. We dare to predict that he will also pose a challenge to the Miami defense, which has been porous so far, between the Dolphins and Jets.
Dolphins – Jets Tip
However, we don’t believe that Miami will lose to the Jets at home for the first time since October 4, 2015. Nevertheless, we’re staying away from betting on a winner, as this game could go either way. However, there is so much internal turmoil among the hosts that a negative result could spell the end for head coach McDaniel.
Despite these omens, our main recommendation is to back the visitors. They have averaged 23 points on the scoreboard over their first three games. They scored 32 points against the Steelers and 27 points against the Buccaneers. Even if they don’t reach these point totals in Florida, 21 points from Glenn’s team will be enough to attack solid betting odds in the Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets match.
A bet on New York with the help of a point handicap also seems possible. Based on their performances so far, we are not convinced that Miami can make the game one-sided.
