NY Jets: 3 ways they can show progress against the Dolphins in Week 15 – NorthJersey.com

Video: NY Jets QB Zach Wilson looking to build on strong performance Week 13 vs. Saints

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson talking on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, as the team prepares to play the Saints at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Andy Vasquez, NFL writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. With four games remaining in the season, the playoffs are already out of reach for the New York Jets. The result of Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins (1 p.m., CBS) matters to the players and coaches in the locker room. But to everyone else, the only thing that matters is how what we see on the field translates to the future.

The Jets have a ton of young players getting valuable experience. They need to keep learning. They have a young coaching staff that needs to do the same. And general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh need to evaluate as they decide who and what is going to be a part of the what the Jets hope is a brighter future.

So with all of that in mind, here are three ways the Jets can show progress against the Dolphins.

I've written it before, and I will continue to write it because it's true: Zach Wilson showing progress this season is the Jets' top priority.

Through the first nine starts of his career, we simply haven't seen enough progress. There has been a whole lot of bad, and not enough good to offset it. Changing that reality will be a huge challenge against the Dolphins, but it also provides a huge opportunity for Wilson to show growth.

The situation is not ideal. The Jets are facing a blitz happy Miami defense remember, they started Joe Flacco instead of Mike White a month ago because of concerns over that defense likely without their starting left tackle George Fant, who was listed as doubtful with a knee injury.

Wilson looked tentative and unsure last week against a Saints defense that isn't known for generating this type of pressure, so there's a real risk that things will get even worse this week.

But Wilson seems to have realized that he's been too focused on playing flawless football rather than just playing.

"I just need to play loose and not try and be such a perfect pocket passing quarterback all the time," Wilson said this week. "Thats the biggest thing, Im just trying to do so right by the coaches and what theyre asking me to do and a part of it I need to just be loose and play free and obviously play within the offense but just react and throw the ball like Ive always known how to throw the ball."

No one will be expecting Wilson to play perfectly against the Dolphins. But he doesn't have to. He just needs to get back to showing what he did earlier in the season at times against the Panthers, Titans and Eagles when he was more decisive and confident.

If Wilson looks like a quarterback who is reacting, rather than someone who is trying to avoid a mistake, it will be a step in the right direction.

Heading into the last Dolphins game, rookie running back Michael Carter was quickly becoming the most fun player to watch on the offense and the most productive. And then he took it to another level by rushing for 63 yards on his first nine carries before getting injured.

Carter returns this week and if the Jets have any chance of pulling off the upset against the Dolphins, they'll have to get him involved early and often.

"Every time he touches the ball, he does something with it to the point where its like you cant deny him the ball," Jets coach Robert Saleh said. "Its exciting for him to get back, obviously four games for him to finish his season strong and really grasp as much as he can and learn as much as he can from this rookie year so he can propel himself next year to have an explosive season."

And if the Jets can help Carter pick up where he left off on Sunday, it will be a huge step in the right direction.

This has been a nightmare season for Denzel Mims. But with four games to go, there's still an opportunity for Mims to change the narrative and he knows it. He said earlier this week that he still thinks he's a "very good" player and views this four-game stretch as an opportunity to "show the world."

If the Jets were fully healthy, Mims probably wouldn't get that opportunity. He just hasn't played well enough, as last week's benching after two penalties in the final minute of the first half showed.

But Mims who also squandered an opportunity in the Colts game before a COVID diagnosis knocked him out of the lineup is going to get at least some sort of chance because Corey Davis is out for the season.

He came back to practice this week with the right attitude, according to Saleh.

"Hes reacted the same as he always has: He comes to work, he works hard, hes got a great big smile on his face and hes putting in the work," Saleh said. "He made so many strides before he got sick and then there was a little bit of a setback obviously. So, hopefully another stack, like Ive said, no ones quit on him, no ones giving up on him. Hes got an immense talent in his body. We just got to continue to take advantage of opportunities and see if we can get him the ball and see if he can make a play."

Time is running out, but if Mims can make some plays on Sunday, perhaps he can turn this nightmarish season into something positive.

Andy Vasquezis the Jetsbeat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Jets analysis, news, trades and more, pleasesubscribe todayanddownload our app.

Email:vasqueza@northjersey.com

Twitter:@andy_vasquez

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NY Jets: 3 ways they can show progress against the Dolphins in Week 15 - NorthJersey.com