MIAMI GARDENS — Another game, another tight end to defend. Or, in this case for the Dolphins, another set of tight ends to defend when it comes to the New York Jets duo of Kenyon Sadiq, the rookie first-round pick from Oregon, and Mason Taylor, the second-year player who is the son of Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and a St. Thomas alum.
Keeping Sadiq (15 receptions, 158 yards, one touchdown) and Taylor (nine receptions, 55 yards) under control on Sunday isn’t a daunting task because they’re top-notch tight ends.
Keeping Sadiq and Taylor under control is a daunting task for the Dolphins because tight ends have had great success against them in many forms against the linebackers (Jordyn Brooks and Jacob Rodriguez) and safeties (Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe) who are primarily responsible for defending them.
Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson had 13 receptions for 119 yards and could have had a touchdown late in the game but he opted to allow the offense to run out the clock. San Francisco’s George Kittle (four receptions, 80 yards, one touchdown) had a 40-yard reception. Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (two receptions, 59 yards, one touchdown) had a 48-yard reception. Las Vegas’ Michael Mayer (six receptions, 32 yards) was a frequent target. Cincinnati’s Mike Gesicki (one reception, four yards) had a touchdown reception.
Jets quarterback Geno Smith, the Miramar product, has a number of targets to choose from among Sadiq, Taylor, and wide receivers Garrett Wilson (35 receptions, 418 yards, three touchdowns) and Isaiah Williams (11 receptions, 151 yards, one touchdown).
But one of the Dolphins’ main priorities will be limiting the effectiveness of the Jets’ tight ends.
Home, sweet (almost) home
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley, a New Jersey native, will have a big crowd at Sunday’s game, which will be played at MetLife Stadium, located in East Rutherford, N.J.
It’ll be Hafley’s second time in New Jersey recently as a NFL coach. He was there last year as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.
“My mom will be there,” Hafley said. “I’ll have a lot of people there. My brother, my sister, I’ll probably have 30-plus people at the game. For all of us, I think it’s always nice to go back close to home and have a chance to coach against the Jets. But it’ll be good to have family around, it always is.”
Gay not seen at practice
Cornerback Reese Taylor (quad) and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. were not spotted at practice Thursday, and Gay’s absence could be troubling because he’s the starter on the strongside. Gay, who is ninth on the team with 16 tackles, was at practice Wednesday.
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Locker room fun
About 15 players were doing the dance, the Electric Slide, to the song by the same title on Wednesday when the media entered the locker room. And they didn’t stop dancing for another two minutes or so.
The Dolphins have had a fairly loose locker room all season among colorful personalities such as running back Ollie Gordon II, serious characters such as linebacker Jordyn Brooks, and team leaders such as quarterback Malik Willis.
Among the leaders of the Electric Slide were Brooks and Gay, who always has a big speaker at his locker and plays music weekly.
This story will be updated.