The New York Jets take on the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 4. Both teams are looking for their first victories of the season in primetime after dreadful 0-3 starts. Aaron Glenn's club has been painfully close to winning twice, but cannot get the defensive stop late in the fourth quarter. Our Jets' bold predictions cover whether they will win their first game and have you covered for fantasy purposes.
In Week 3, the Jets took the lead with less than two minutes to go on Will McDonald's blocked kick returned for a touchdown. But Baker Mayfield got the ball back and took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers down the field for another field goal attempt. This one went in, giving Tampa its third walk-off win of the year.
Can the Jets bounce back from that disappointment to win over their division rivals?
No matter the quarterback, the Jets offense will struggle
The Jets started Tyrod Taylor at quarterback in Week 3, with Justin Fields recovering from a concussion. Glenn said Monday that Fields is still the starter, but his injury status for Monday is unclear. His performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 was putrid before he left with a concussion. Taylor had a terrible first half on Sunday, but bounced back in the second half. Regardless, the Jets offense won't crack 17 points on Monday.
The Dolphins have allowed 97 total points in the first three games of the season, making them the worst defense New York has faced so far. But outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets do not have the weapons to properly attack the defense. Fields did not show anything in the passing game against Buffalo that should leave fans optimistic. And Taylor is his backup for a reason.
Breece Hall finds the end zone
With that said, the Jets will score a touchdown on Monday night, and that score will come from Breece Hall. After an electric first week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hall has struggled to get going in the run game, with 50 yards on 18 carries. With the ACL injury now two years behind him, Hall needs to burst to secure a second contract in the NFL.
The Dolphins have allowed four rushing touchdowns in their first three games this season. Even with Braelon Allen grabbing some carries late in the Tampa game, Hall will the the primary back in this game. The offense needs to run through him and needs to get going, as the offensive line is as healthy as it is going to get.
Hall was decent in the passing game with Taylor as the quarterback in Week 2. He snagged four balls for 31 yards, but failed to find the end zone. This could be a way to get him the ball without going through a squirrely interior offensive line, which is what New York is dealing with right now.
The Jets fall to 0-4 on the season
While the Dolphins have looked putrid through three weeks this season, they will beat the Jets on Monday. There are reasons to be optimistic that Glenn has New York pointed in the right direction, but they do not have the skill players Miami has. The Dolphins should be playing for their coach's job, as Mike McDaniel may not survive a dreadful season. Those factors combined should lead to Miami's first win of the season.
The Dolphins are 2.5-point favorites and -154 on the moneyline, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Jets have not been favored in a game yet this year, but have covered the spread in two of their losses. They covered in both Week 1 against the Steelers and Week 3 against the Buccaneers.
The Jets and Dolphins kick off at 7:15 on Monday night.
