Dolphins (7-3) at Jets (4-6), Friday, 3 p.m., CBS4, Amazon Prime
Latest line: Dolphins are favored by 9 1/2 points
Dave Hyde, Sports Columnist (Season record 7-3): Dolphins 24, Jets 3
The Jets put up a fight for a while without Aaron Rodgers, but it’s the Dolphins fortune to play them twice in the final weeks when all Jets hope is gone. This is a game where the Dolphins defense should lead the way just as most defenses do against the Jets, who scored just nine touchdowns on offense in Zach Wilson’s 10 starts. Tim Boyle won’t fare much better in his first start with the Jets.
Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist (Season record 6-4): Dolphins 24, Jets 21
This is a bad combination for the Dolphins, meaning being on road in a short week. But the Jets are in disarray, and it seems likely the short week combined with a quarterback change will be too much to overcome. The Jets’ postseason drought will likely continue. They haven’t made the playoffs in 12 straight seasons, the longest active drought in the NFL.
David Furones, Dolphins Writer (Season record 8-2): Dolphins 17, Jets 6
Zach Wilson has been benched. Tim Boyle shouldn’t offer much of anything better. The Jets offense looks hopeless, and the team chemistry appears to be in disarray. Expect a dominant effort from the Miami defense on the road, but the New York defense is still a pretty strong unit. And the Dolphins offense has cost itself with missed opportunities and turnovers. Some of that may continue Friday in East Rutherford, New Jersey on a short week, but while the Dolphins don’t blow out the Jets, it never really feels like they’re in danger of losing.
Kathy Laughlin, Sports Editor (Season record 8-2): Dolphins 24, Jets 17
The Dolphins’ offense showed some serious cracks against the Raiders, and Miami won’t have home-field advantage this time. That said, the Jets are a mess, reeling from three consecutive losses. Tim Boyle will be making his fourth NFL start at quarterback — and he will be facing a Dolphins defense that’s been firing on all cylinders. The defense will be the driving force in getting Miami another win.
Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 9-1): Dolphins 23, Jets 20
The AFC East-leading Dolphins are 9 1/2-point favorites over the reeling Jets for god reason. The Jets, who will be starting journeyman quarterback Tim Boyle over Zach Wilson, have lost three straight games. Boyle, 29, will be making his fourth NFL start and first since 2021 with the Detroit Lions. He will be hard-pressed to revive one of the league’s worst offenses. The Dolphins are 5-0 at home but only 2-3 on the road. They have lost three straight road games.
Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 6-4): Dolphins 16, Jets 5
The Jets defense is the best the Dolphins will have faced this season, but the Dolphins crew A.J.R.R. (After Jalen Ramsey’s return) is on fire, and it would not be shocking in the least if they accounted for more than a majority of the points scored as Miami gets to 8-3 for the second straight year with December beckoning. The Dolphins haven’t been 8-3 in consecutive years since 2000-01. In an incredible reality, in the 43 seasons where the NFL has had a regular season of at least 16 games, the Dolphins have started 8-3 or better through 11 games 10 times. In the nine previous occasions (1978, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2022), Miami’s record from Game 12 onward has been 20-26, with the Dolphins never having lost fewer than two games in those stretch runs.
