When the Jets take on the Dolphins within the confines of MetLife Stadium on Sunday, they'll do so as something they've rarely done over the last few seasons.
Enter the Week 7 showdown as the favorite.
The Dolphins winless coming into Week 7, and while the Jets are only 2-4, they have more talent on their roster. That said, there are still many people within the organization playing for their job. That's what makes Sunday's contest even more interesting .
In fact, Week 7 could be the last chance for three Jets in particular to prove they are worthy of their jobs.
New York has begun to make the change to second-round rookie D'Angelo Ponds in the slot. It would be a mistake for them to simply move away from Jarvis Brownlee as an entire plan, though. Brownlee did not play at the end of the game against New England last week. It's unclear exactly why, but the Jets clearly want to see Ponds on the field more.
A poor performance against the Dolphins will push the Jets into their eventual goal for Ponds. The only thing Brownlee can do to keep that from happening is to play well. The former Louisville Cardinal owns a 63.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus this season after allowing 18-of-27 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and a 104.4 passer rating.
New York's interior defensive line has been a major disappointment so far this season. The Jets have struggled to stop the run and have failed to generate much of anything in terms of a pass rush. T'Vondre Sweat has graded out well in limited snaps. Harrison Phillips has struggled, but remains a captain on the team.
That leaves us with Jowon Briggs. The former Brown was seen as an up-and-coming player, having finished second on the team in sacks last year. This season, however, he is ranked by PFF as the 108th-best defensive tackle in the game... out of 129 graded players.
Jowon Briggs hasn't lived up to the Jets' expectaions this season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Briggs isn't going to get cut at this point. But if the team beats Miami, it could give general manager Darren Mougey the incentive to buy at the trade deadline. And the position they will target is tackle.
Unless Briggs can prove he is capable of doing more.
Make no mistake about it, Sunday's contest against the Dolphins is a must-win for head coach Aaron Glenn and his entire staff . New York currently sits at 2-4 and is taking on a Miami team that is obviously tanking, without a win after six weeks. The Dolphins are devoid of true star talent and are in the early stages of a rebuild.
This is a game that Glenn cannot lose as a coach. I would argue this is a game the team needs to win by at least two scores as well. The Jets need to show they are not just the more talented team. They need to show they can beat up on inferior talent.
This cannot be a close game. It must be a domination in order for the team to keep their coaches employed beyond the end of the 2026 season. Anything less, and some very uncomfortable conversations are going to be had.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as 3 Jets Whose Jobs Are on the Line Against the Dolphins in Week 7 .
