Jets vs. Dolphins: Preview, predictions, what to watch for

An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Dolphins Week 18 matchup in Miami.

Marquee matchup

Dolphins WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle vs. Jets CBs Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed

This game is not a very appealing matchup overall, but the battle between the Dolphins’ receivers and Jets’ corners could be fun to watch. Hill (117 catches, 1,687 yards, seven TDs) and Waddle (70 catches, 1,312 yards, eight TDs) have put up huge numbers this season, but their production should drop off without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Gardner and Reed had a great game last week in Seattle, holding down DK Metcalf (one catch, 3 yards) and Tyler Lockett (two catches, 15 yards).

Gardner, who has already made a Pro Bowl as a rookie, is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Gardner has put up an impressive rookie season. The Jets hope that he can now start getting more interceptions. He has two this year.

“He already has such great skill set, obviously, such great measurables, his awareness as that keeps growing and keeps refining his technique, I think he’s going to have the ability to really take the ball when he gets tried,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “Richard Sherman, that was like his evolution, it started out as a guy that was just denying and then all of a sudden, here was a guy that could just take any ball away from you. To the point where he stopped getting thrown at, I think that’s that rare space that he can go.”

Costello’s call

This one should be tough to watch. Joe Flacco vs. Skylar Thompson is not the quarterback matchup anyone expected in this one. The Jets have not scored a touchdown in their past two games. Make it three. The kickers dominate this one.

Dolphins 9, Jets 6

Four downs

LaFleur’s last stand? The Jets’ offense has been dismal. They are 27th in scoring offense and have not scored a touchdown in their past two games and four of their past five. All of that has led to calls for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to be fired. Will the Jets can him after two years? He can help his case by actually getting the offense into the end zone this week.

LaFleur would not campaign for himself this week when asked why he is the right man for the job.

“I’m going to respectfully not answer that question because my words don’t matter there, and I really mean that,” LaFleur said. “I’m going to give everything I got for these players and this organization. That’s all you can do. That’s all you ask your other assistants to do, and that’s all you ask from the players. If that’s not good enough, so be it.”

Up in the sky: The Jets are not the only ones dealing with a quarterback situation. The Dolphins are down to their third stringer in Skylar Thompson. Tua Tagovailoa has a concussion and backup Teddy Bridgewater dislocated his pinkie last week in a loss to the Patriots. That leaves Thompson, a rookie seventh-round pick, to try to get Miami into the playoffs. The Jets faced him in October after Sauce Gardner knocked Bridgewater from the game on Miami’s first play from scrimmage. Thompson has thrown for 382 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions this season.

Q RATING: Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has had a dominant season and can put a exclamation point on it Sunday. Williams has a team-leading 12 sacks and 28 quarterback hits. He has already been named a Pro Bowler and could be in line to be All-Pro.

“He’s just [had] one of the best defensive performances, as far as the full body of work of the season, that I’ve ever been around, and I’ve been around some really, really good players,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “I would liken it to some of the years I played with Bryant Young, who’s obviously just inducted into the Hall of Fame and a guy who can absolutely take a game over, you got to account for it on every single snap, running, pass”

O-no line: The Jets will be missing both starting tackles — LT Duane Brown (shoulder), RT George Fant (knee) — and their starting right guard, Nate Herbig (calf), who was only playing because of an injury to the original starter. It could be a long day for Joe Flacco behind that line. Cedric Ogbuehi and Mike Remmers are expected to start at the tackle spots, and Dan Feeney is going to be at guard.

“We got a bunch of fighters is what we got. It’s going to be good,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “It’s going to be an opportunity for Ogbuehi. We’ve got Remmers, Feeney has been looking for an opportunity. So, there’s guys who are looking for that opportunity, and I’m sure they’re very excited about it.”