National Football League

Dolphins take on rival Jets hoping to close season with winning record

Published Dec. 27, 2014 4:00 p.m. ET

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The Miami Dolphins (8-7) host the New York Jets (3-12) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. with the hopes of closing the NFL regular season with a winning record.

This year, there was clear progress for this team led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill but ultimately it was not enough to make the playoffs in a crowded AFC wild-card race. Team owner Stephen Ross is opting for patience and continuity by retaining head coach Joe Philbin to see if next year will be the one in which Miami has a true breakthrough season. 

On the flip side, the Jets have had a disastrous 2014 and will likely replace coach Rex Ryan among several other personnel changes over the offseason. They also face a quarterback situation in which Geno Smith and Michael Vick are not the answer in the short or long term. Nevertheless, the team is still a dangerous matchup for the Dolphins and they present a viable threat to end their season on a sour note.

"Yeah, they've been playing well," said Tannehill about New York's defense. "I thought they played well against us last time. I thought they had a good plan against us last time. I'm sure they will again this time. It's a good defense. It's a good test for us and we're going to have to play good.  They did some good things against us last time. We have to find a way to overcome those things and get the ball in the end zone."

Here's what to watch for in the final regular season game for both teams:

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Jets running backs vs Dolphins linebackers

In their last head-to-head matchup in Week 13, Miami's run defense was shredded apart by the Jets to the tune of 277 yards on 49 carries for an average of 5.7 yards per carry. The Dolphins managed to win the game narrowly, but their lackluster play has dropped them out of the NFL's top 10 in run defense down to near the bottom of the league at 24th currently with 122.2 average yards allowed per game.

TRENDING UP

Dolphins: Tannehill will look to continue his strong play from last week's victory against the Minnesota Vikings, where he threw for a season-high 396 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes.

Jets: Running backs Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson will look to carry the league's third best rushing game in the league (145.1 ypg) against a defense that has been running out of gas in the last month of the season.

TRENDING DOWN

Dolphins: A victory for Miami would give them their first winning season since 2008 -- the last time they appeared in the playoffs. A winning record would represent a small improvement over last season but they will still fall short of their ultimate goal yet again.

Jets: Smith ranks 30th in the NFL with a passer rating of 70.9 so he's clearly not a threat with his passing game. Miami in turn is ranked fourth in pass defense with 211 yards allowed per contest.

INJURY REPORT

Dolphins: QUESTIONABLE -- LB Jelani Jenkins (foot), DE Derrick Shelby (ankle), T Dallas Thomas (foot)

Jets: OUT -- DB Rontez Miles (shin); QUESTIONABLE -- DL Damon Harrison (illness), WR Percy Harvin (ankle/ribs), DB Jaiquawn Jarrett (shoulder), DB Dawan Landry (illness), OL Nick Mangold (finger/ankle), DB Darrin Walls (shoulder), DL Muhammad Wilkerson (toe/illness)

DID YOU KNOW?

A Dolphins win would complete a season sweep against the Jets for the first time since 2009. 

QUOTEBOARD

"That's the reality. I think the guys that have been in the National Football League, be it players or coaches, understands that transition happens every single year, some more than others. I told you guys the other day, it's difficult. It's hard because you spend an awful lot of time. You build strong relationships. At times, for a variety of reasons, those relationships, at least the closeness of them and the proximity from a physical standpoint, ends." -- Philbin on this being the last Dolphins game of the season and the fact that many players will move on.

"I just get excited playing against them. I know coach (Rex) Ryan is going to fire those guys up. I just have fun playing against a team like that. Most of the time, they're aggressive and there is a one-on-one challenge. It's fun to play a one-on-one game for the most part, but like I said, they're playing a little bit more zone nowadays, so we'll see. It's just fun playing against those guys, I get excited." -- WR Mike Wallace on playing against the Jets.

"It's huge. It's huge for me and the guys around me I think because in order for a quarterback to play well the guys around him have to be playing well also. I think it's a huge honor. I love that I got it, but at the same time, you have to give a lot of credit to the guys around him." -- Tannehill on what it means to win the Dan Marino MVP award.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.

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