Weather could affect games in Cleveland and Miami

Thunderstorms Could Ground Sanchez Forcing Jets Into Turf War

Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins is set to host week 3’s matchup between the Jets and Dolphins, both 1-1 on the season. This divisional rivalry has turned into an important game for both teams who are looking to break .500 . NFLweather forecasts show scattered thunderstorms in Miami, mainly after 2pm. Highs expected to climb up near 90 degrees with a 40% chance of rain. We saw last week what Miami’s humidity did to the visiting Raiders. After a hot start, Oakland’s offense was nearly non-existent in the second half. With humidity rising throughout the day, weather will impact this game.

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09/23/2012 01:00 PM

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Expect New York to be physical. The Jets defense will crowd the line of scrimmage and force Tannehill to beat them through the air. Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline saw a lot of action last week catching nine passes for 111 yards however with the return of Darrelle Revis to the Jets secondary, don’t expect the same fantasy output on Sunday.

Dolphins running back Reggie Bush is a key part of their offense averaging 6.0 yards per rush this season. If rain, Bush will see a lot of touches. Being one of the leagues most dynamic backs, his ability to juke, cut and tear past defenders creates a mismatch in wet weather that will favor Miami. If the Jets defense does stall Bush on the ground, Miami will look to get him the ball on short passes and open up the field for more playmakers like Davone Bess.

As for the Jets offense, quarterback Mark Sanchez looks to rebound off a bad performance in week two against the Steelers. Former Dolphins head coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano will look to try to get ahead early in this humidity by testing the Dolphin’s secondary that is ranked next to last against the pass this season. But Thunderstorms may limit Sanchez to short drop passes to the Tight ends.
Jets tight end Dustin Keller is questionable for this game but could be a mismatch for defenders if he shows up healthy. If Keller can distract Dolphin defenders and open up the field for wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill to make plays down the field, the Jets could see a repeat of week one’s offensive explosion, weather permitting. As for the running game, Shonne Green faces a Miami defense that ranks 4th against the run, which poses a problem if the Jets can’t get anything going through the air. If Miami can put pressure on Sanchez and make the Jets offense one dimensional, the Dolphins defense can easily shut down this offense. 

This game is likely going to come down to time of possession and which team can wear out each other’s defense in this humid weather. Expect this to be a close and physical game that will likely be decided in the fourth quarter. Stay tuned to the forecast on this one. 

Will Strome & Chris Lovi Columnists, NFLWeather.com

NFP@NFLWeather.com

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