EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) \u2014 Tua Tagovailoa is heading to New York looking to keep the Miami Dolphins’ late-season surge going \u2014 with a bit of perfection on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sixth-year quarterback is 6-0 against the Jets as a starter, including the\u00a0Dolphins’ 27-21 victory in Miami\u00a0in Week 4. He’s 7-0 overall in games in which he has played against New York \u2014 including his NFL debut in 2020, when he replaced starter Ryan Fitzpatrick late in a win over the Jets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But another opponent has proven even tougher for Tagovailoa: cold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the\u00a0Dolphins (5-7) take on the Jets (3-9) on Sunday\u00a0at MetLife Stadium, he’ll try to improve on his 0-7 career mark when the temperature at kickoff is 46 degrees or colder, according to the Palm Beach Post. The forecast calls for a high of 41, so Tagovailoa and the offense will need to warm up early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFirst things first, it\u2019s going to be cold,” Tagovailoa said. “You kind of have that on the top of your mind. Outside of that, it\u2019s a mentality, it\u2019s a mindset. This is what we get paid to do \u2014 to play football, regardless of if it\u2019s raining, it\u2019s snowing, it\u2019s sleeting, it\u2019s hot, it\u2019s cold. Regardless, we\u2019ve got to go out there and play and do our jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tagovailoa has two late-November victories on the road against the Jets in his career, but the temperatures were 54 degrees (in 2021) and 48 (in 2023) at kickoff in those games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, when you win, those are always great memories,” the quarterback said. “But this is a new year, new team, both sides of the ball. This is just all new. You\u2019re not guaranteed a win because you won \u2018X\u2019 amount of times or whatnot. Got to go out there and we\u2019ve got to prove it every time we go there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things have changed even since the first time the then-struggling teams squared off in Week 4. The Dolphins, who\u00a0fired general manager Chris Grier\u00a0on Oct. 31, have won three straight and four of their past five after opening the season 1-6 \u2014 Miami\u2019s worst start under coach Mike McDaniel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the Jets opened 0-7 under first-year coach Aaron Glenn, but have\u00a0won three of their past five\u00a0to add a sense of optimism to what will be the 15th straight year without the playoffs if New York loses Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not happy about the record at all,” Glenn said, \u201dbut I am happy about the way that we\u2019re trending in certain areas.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decline in Miami\u2019s efficiency in the passing game is in part tied to Tagovailoa\u2019s struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards against New Orleans last week and currently has the worst passer rating (85.9) of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He missed several targets and threw an interception on a ball he floated into double coverage, which he noted was a poor decision. Tagovailoa has pointed to his footwork and lack of conviction in his throws as issues that need to be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust bringing my feet with my eyes,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I could be faced this way and I\u2019m just bringing my eyes. I can\u2019t really throw it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Jets still have no interceptions this season, an NFL record for a team through its first 12 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a statistical oddity that has become a frequent topic of conversation among the players and coaches in defensive meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really puzzling, it really is,\u201d Glenn said. \u201cBut, listen, we\u2019re not going to hang our heads. We\u2019re going to continue to fight to try to see if we can get them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fewest for an entire season is two by San Francisco in 16 games in 2018. The team\u2019s most recent interception was by Ashtyn Davis, who had two in last season\u2019s finale against Miami. Davis can\u2019t help this year: He\u2019s now on the Dolphins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks is quietly having one of the best defensive seasons in Dolphins history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He leads the NFL with 137 total tackles \u2014 22 more than Washington’s Bobby Wagner \u2014 and is one of two players in the league with at least 100 tackles, multiple sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbsolute stud,\u201d Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. \u201cI hope he starts to get some of the credit he deserves. He\u2019s one of the top two, three linebackers in the league, and I wish we had more wins so that the rest of the world would see that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooks has 280 tackles since joining the Dolphins last season, the second most by a player in his first two seasons with the team since 1994 when solo tackles began to be recorded. Only Hall of Famer Zach Thomas has more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Tyrod Taylor replaced Justin Fields as the Jets\u2019 starting quarterback, many assumed New York\u2019s offense would miss Fields\u2019 ability to make plays with his legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, the 36-year-old Taylor is keeping the ground game rolling. He ran for 44 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against Atlanta. One of his runs was a 14-yard scramble to jumpstart the winning drive \u2014 showing he still has good mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, I heard that on the sideline when I came to the sideline,\u201d Taylor said with a laugh. \u201cI told them, \u2018Not too much now, not too much.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"