EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Must-win games in October might seem like an overstatement with so much of the NFL’s regular season remaining.
uncertain
much → seem → season
Garrett Wilson and the New York Jets aren’t downplaying any of it, though.
Not sitting at 2-4 and trying to keep things from spiraling with the 0-5 Miami Dolphins coming to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
asserted
Dolphins → downplay → Sunday
“Yeah, I mean, it’s huge,” the star wide receiver said.
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receiver → mean → ?
“If we want to be where we want to be at the end of the season, these are the type of games you’ve got to have.
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you → want → games
We also take a lot of pride in protecting the home turf.
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We → take → turf
So just knowing that and coming back home, you’re going to put a premium on this game.
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you → know → game
“And at the end of day, we’re coming off a loss.
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we → come → loss
You want to get that taste out of your mouth.
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You → want → mouth
The Jets dropped to 0-7 against AFC East rivals under Aaron Glenn with their 26-19 loss at New England last Sunday.
asserted
Jets → drop → England
“We always say every game is important, but especially those division games,” quarterback Geno Smith said.
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Smith → say → ?
“It’s early in the season for us, but now is around the time where things start to shape themselves up.”
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things → ’ → themselves
The struggling and similarly rebuilding Dolphins know the feeling.
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Dolphins → struggle → feeling
They’re looking to avoid the fifth 0-6 start in franchise history, and first since 2019.
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They → look → 2019
Miami is coming off a bye-week break, which might have come at a good time for coach Jeff Hafley’s bunch.
uncertain
which → come → bunch
“It was fun to get back at it.
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It → get → it
I mean, I missed it,” said Hafley, in his first season leading the Dolphins.
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Hafley → mean → Dolphins
“I missed them. ...
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I → miss → them
Guys are locked in.
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Guys → lock → ?
And some of the players who were in Miami in recent seasons know there’s time to turn things around.
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who → know → things
Last year’s Dolphins opened 1-6 before playing themselves into postseason contention and finishing 7-10.
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Dolphins → open → contention
They were 2-6 in 2024 before ending that season 8-9.
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They → end → season
“You never know how this season is going to end up,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said, adding that teammate Aaron Brewer talked about going on a 12-0 run.
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Brewer → know → run
“I’m right there with him.
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I → ’m → him
Why not, you know what I mean?
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I → know → what
It’s one week at a time, one play at a time.
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It → ’ → time
So my mentality is going to be the same.
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mentality → go → ?
So I know it’s real, I know it’s possible.”
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it → know → ?
Last week: Dolphins were on bye, lost to Bengals 31-24 on Oct. 11; Jets lost to Patriots 26-19.
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Jets → lose → Patriots
Last meeting: Dolphins won 34-10 on Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
asserted
Dolphins → win → Rutherford
Series record: Dolphins lead 63-57-1.
asserted
Dolphins → lead → ?
Miami ranks 31st in passing offense, averaging 153.6 yards per game.
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Miami → rank → game
Willis hasn’t thrown for more than 220 yards in any game and faces a Jets defense that ranks fourth in the league by allowing just 185 yards passing per game.
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that → throw → game
Willis has only two TD passes and four interceptions in five games, but has rushed for a career-high 186 yards — including 74 against Cincinnati, setting the franchise’s single-game record for a quarterback.
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Willis → have → quarterback
Stats and stuff
— The Dolphins have won 10 of 12 against the Jets, including four of the past six at MetLife Stadium.
—
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Dolphins → win → Stadium
Sunday’s game will be Miami’s first divisional matchup of the season after beginning the season against two AFC West teams, one in the AFC North and one in the NFC West.
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game → begin → West
— The Dolphins have had 100-plus yards rushing in each of their past four games, tied for the team’s third-longest streak in the past 10 years.
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Dolphins → have → years
— Hafley and Glenn coached together in Cleveland during the 2014-15 seasons.
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Hafley → coach → seasons
— Miami released kicker Riley Patterson this week and brought back kicker Zane Gonzalez, who spent part of training camp with the Dolphins before being released in August with an injury settlement.
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who → release → settlement
— New York has been outscored 119-49 in the closing minutes of the second and fourth quarters under Glenn, according to ESPN Research.
uncertain
York → outscore → Research
That’s the worst point differential in the NFL during that span.
asserted
That → ’ → span
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
