The Dolphins travel to the Meadowlands Sunday to close the season series with division rival New York Jets. A win would give Miami a fourth sweep of the Jets in six seasons and bring the 2025 record to within a game of .500 at 6-7.
The Dolphins will need to continue to lean on the run game and November AFC Offensive Player of the Month De'Von Achane to secure a win. Miami's star running back is third in the NFL with 1,034 rushing yards and seventh in total touchdowns with 10. In his last two games vs. the Jets, Achane has totaled 220 rushing yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Miami's rushing attack has been one of the best in football since Week 6. In that span, the Dolphins rank sixth in rushing EPA (12.2), fifth in yards per carry (5.1) and second in yards after initial contact (4.27). Achane is the focal point of those rankings, but it's been a total team effort to achieve these numbers.
"What's been a gamechanger is (De'von) is not an independent contractor," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. "He's so tight with the offensive line. He's a dynamic person that is just scratching the surface. He has players playing for him, trying to get that extra strain. You can see every rep that Julian Hill has, he's flying around somewhere trying got get that last influential block, but all the guys really take pride. They know he has an ability that if we just leave one guy for him, he can make him miss."
McDaniel's shoutout of tight end Julian Hill provides a segue into one of the key position groups of this Dolphins offense. Hill and fellow tight ends Greg Dulcich and Darren Waller just played their first game together in Miami's Week 13 win over New Orleans. The Dolphins called upon the trio for a combined 83 snaps, the most for a Dolphins tight end room in four years.
Waller's first game as a Dolphin was against these same Jets – a two-touchdown performance on Monday Night Football in Week 4. The Dolphins ability to run the ball is creating more opportunities for this position in the passing game.
"I'm sure they are going to be making a lot of adjustments to take Waller away, to take (Jaylen) Waddle away," quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. "That's why you have progressions, that's why you have other guys that get paid, that run routes, that can catch the ball as well. I've just got to be able to go through the progression, bring my feet along with me, find those eligibles and distribute it to them."
Supported by a surging defense, the Dolphins offense can play complementary football by protecting the ball and limiting penalties. If they accomplish that, the Dolphins have an opportunity to exit the Meadowlands with a fourth-straight victory. The Jets have just two takeaways this season, a pair of fumble recoveries.
On offense, they rank 28th or worse in total yards, yards-per-play, and scoring. Facing a surging Dolphins defense, points could be difficult to come by, especially without star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who is on injured reserve.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, December 7 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network. You can also visit the Game Center for the latest coverage.
