The Miami Dolphins will face off against the New York Jets on Sunday in a Week 2 meeting between AFC East rivals. Both teams are coming off of wins Womens Josh Sitton Jersey , with Miami beating the Tennessee Titans 27-20 this past Sunday and the Jets dispatching the Detroit Lions 48-17 on Monday night, and will be looking to continue a fast start to the 2018 regular season. A lot will have to go right for both clubs, as they look to prove they are better than the preseason pundits predicted.For the Dolphins, several players need to step up and have big games. Miami has to get out to an early lead, then let their defense get after rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, who, after a 16-for-21 for 198 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, is riding high and has the New York fan base feeling good about themselves. Pressuring the rookie should allow Miami’s secondary to continue to pull in interceptions, building off safety Reshad Jones’ two picks last week, with a third interception coming from linebacker Kiko Alonso.These five players need to have big games on Sunday:1. Kenyan DrakeDrake was good last week and needs to continue that this week. He and Frank Gore were able to gash the Titans’ defense early, at one point averaging over nine yards a carry and making it look easy. The Dolphins used Drake in a multitude of ways, including lining him up at receiver. Getting production out of Drake early will allow the offense to open up more, especially with the play action pass, and Miami can get to that lead they need.2. Xavien HowardThe Jets believe they have their franchise quarterback in Darnold Womens Jesse Davis Jersey , and he has all the confidence in the world right now after bouncing back from a pick-six on his first NFL pass attempt. It is time for Howard to show Darnold that one good game as a rookie does not define a career. Howard has continually shown that he has the potential to be a true star in the league, a shutdown cornerback that can take away a side of the field. This week, with Darnold likely looking to prove he is what Jets fans saw last week, Howard should get a chance to prove he is the cornerback Dolphins fans and South Florida media believes him to be.3. Josh Sitton, et al.Sitton gets singled out here because he was “banged up” against the Titans and is now on the injury report, but really this is the offensive line as a whole. The Dolphins really need Sitton to be healthy so they can continue to keep the same starting five offensive linemen they have had since April’s offseason training program began. This is the first year in the last several in which it feels like the Dolphins finally have an NFL-caliber offensive line, and they showed it last week. They were able to create some beautiful pockets for Tannehill and they were able to open holes for Drake and Gore. That must continue this week, hopefully with Sitton; if Sitton cannot play, Ted Larsen or Isaac Asiata (pulled up from the practice squad) make the most sense to be his replacement. Miami’s offense will only be as successful as their offensive line, so those five men need to be big on Sunday.4. Raekwon McMillanMcMillan now has a true taste off the NFL after missing all of his rookie season with an ACL tear. The Dolphins need their middle linebacker to start playing up to his potential. He struggled at times this past Sunday, which is understandable for a young player, but the Jets will take the ball right up the middle and challenge McMillan, so he needs to be ready and show he is the right choice to man the middle of Miami’s defense.5. Mike GesickiAt this point, it feels like a given that Miami’s first-round draft pick http://www.thedolphinsfootballauthentic.com/t.j.-mcdonald-jersey-authentic , safety/cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, will have a big game and be a playmaker. Now, it is time for the team’s second-round pick, tight end Gesicki, to do the same. He caught one pass for 11 yards last week, and should have had a touchdown pass if the ball did not slip out of/be under thrown from Tannehill’s hand. Gesicki gives Miami something they have not had in a long time, a true seam-threat, red-zone target tight end. This week, they need to get him involved in the passing game early so he can find his rhythm. It is not all on play calling, however, as Gesicki was slowed at the line of scrimmage several times by the Titans’ defense, either with a defensive lineman or a linebacker lining up on top of him and making sure to get a solid jam on the rookie. He has to be able to shed that quickly and move into his route. MIAMI (AP) — The season is heading in opposite directions for the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, which has brought them closer together in the AFC East standings.The Bills (4-7) have won two games in a row to stoke enthusiasm about their long-term outlook with rookie quarterback Josh Allen, while the Dolphins (5-6) have lost two straight and six of eight to sour their season.Both teams will likely be playoff spectators Youth Ryan Tannehill Jersey , as usual, but there will be a stark contrast in moods when the longtime rivals square off Sunday. Here are things to know about the 109th game between the Bills and Dolphins, and the first of two meetings in December:TRENDINGThe Bills have a shot at only their second three-game winning streak since September 2011. They've gained more than 300 yards in each of the past two games after failing to do so in the first six. And they finished strong last week, scoring twice in the fourth quarter to beat Jacksonville 24-21.That made the Bills 2-1 in one-score games. They beat Tennessee 13-12 in Week 5."One of the things that you always want to check off year to year, especially when you first get into the transition of taking over, is that you develop the mindset to win close games," second-year Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "You saw the Tennessee game, you saw this past week's game, and we're there as far as that goes. That's a mindset that's easier said than done."Just ask the Dolphins, who blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to lose for the second time this season last week at Indianapolis."We gave it away," running back Frank Gore said. "We should have won that game."To keep their faint playoff hopes alive, the Dolphins need to beat the Bills twice, and then some."For us to control our destiny, we have to win out Womens Daniel Kilgore Jersey ," running back Kenyan Drake said.MOTIVATEDThe matchup of sub-.500 teams may lack luster, but Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips said he's fired up about it. Released by the Dolphins during Week 5, he said the move to Buffalo turned around his career, and he's eager to settle old scores against Miami."If you watch me play, I don't hold anything back," Phillips said. "I'm an emotional guy, and whatever happens happens. I'm not going to get any flags or anything like that, but I'm going to show my emotions."Phillips will need to get on the field first. In seven games with Buffalo he has played 163 snaps.VERSATILEThe Dolphins are braced for the 6-foot-5 Allen as a multi-purpose threat after he set a Bills record by rushing for 99 yards against Jacksonville."He had a run on a draw where he stiff-arms a defensive end, makes one of the DBs miss and then runs through one of the linebackers, all in 14 yards," Miami coach Adam Gase said. "That athletic ability just surprises people because of his size."Allen's counterpart, 30-year-old Ryan Tannehill, said he couldn't offer any recollections regarding the challenges he faced as a rookie quarterback."That was so long ago, I feel like I'm 90 compared to my rookie year Womens Robert Quinn Jersey ," Tannehill said with a laugh.PICKSA knack for takeaways has been the Dolphins' strength. They rank second in the NFL with 17 interceptions, and cornerback Xavien Howard is tied for second in the league with five. Howard has nine interceptions in his past 16 games, the most of any player over that stretch."If he can get his hands on it, he's catching it," Gase said. "That's really the part you don't see a ton with corners."NEW STARMiami's Leonte Carroo will likely see significant playing time because of injuries to the receiving corps. Carroo, who began the season on the practice squad, said he received almost 300 congratulatory text messages after making a 74-yard touchdown catch against Indianapolis."It was a long wait for family and friends and college buddies to see me go out there and make a play," Carroo said. "A lot of people back home and just everywhere showed me a lot of love."
