Jets Looking to Bounce Back in Miami

By Dan Shouse
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

For the first time this season, the New York Jets are facing some questions about their team as they head into Monday night's game in Miami.

Can Mark Sanchez bounce back from last weeks loss in New Orleans? Make no mistake about it, last weeks 24-10 loss at the hands of the Saints fell clearly on the rookie QB's shoulders. Sanchez turned the ball over 4 times (3 picks, 1 fumble), putting the Jets in a hole that they could not climb out of. How Sanchez responds will say a lot about the the QB's makeup.

Sanchez will not be the only member of the Jets looking to bounce back. Newly acquired Braylon Edwards is hoping to put his troubles in Cleveland behind him, and reestablish himself as one of the better wide receivers in the game. Can he do it under the bright lights of New York? Are all the dropped passes a thing of the past? Edwards better hope so, or the New York fan base will turn on him quickly.

Rex Ryan's defense will also be under the gun. Last week the Dolphins running game racked up 250 yards in an easy win against the Bills. A few weeks ago, the Dolphins nearly upset the Colts, going over 200 yards on the ground. Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano game plans have been simple this year -run the ball, control the clock, and keep the ball away from the other team's offense. With backs like Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, it does not matter that Chad Henne is at QB. All the QB has to do is hand the ball off. Chad Pennington was never asked to win many games with his arm, and neither will Chad Henne be asked to win any games with his. The quarterback only needs to manage the game in Miami, and when the QB does throw, just make sure the pass goes to the right team. The Dolphins may only be 1-3, and their season maybe on the line, but don't expect Henne to air it out anytime soon. I would not be surprised to see Ronnie Brown at QB in the wildcat more than seeing Henne under center. If Ronnie Brown is your best player, might as well put the ball in his hands as much as possible.

In the end this game comes down to one thing - the Jets ability to stop the run. Even though the Jets gave up over 150 yards on the ground to the Saints, the Jets still held New Orleans to only one offensive touchdown, giving up a late TD run by Pierre Thomas. If the New York defense can hold the Saints offense in check, they certainly should be able to do the same against the Dolphins.

If not for the turnovers by Sanchez at the Superdome last Sunday, the Jets would still be undefeated. It is for this reason that the Rex Ryan will have a conservative game plan for Sanchez, limiting his mistakes and putting the game in the hands of the New York defense. The Jets will return to form, and get out of Miami with an impressive win.

Prediction Jets 23 Dolphins 17