AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Since returning from injuries and putting the trade deadline speculation in the rearview mirror, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has started to build some momentum. He’s gone over 80 percent in completion percentage three times in his past six games and he’s played a key role in Miami’s winning streak to reassert themselves into playoff contention. 

“He’s a mentally tough kid,” Dolphins HC Brian Flores said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I think he’s a physically tough kid. He’s always done everything he could to try to help this team. He’s a young quarterback. He’s still developing. I think he’s getting better every time he steps out there.” 

• Flores said Monday he will have a better idea of where WR Will Fuller and WR DeVante Parker are health-wise later this week. (Barry Jackson) 

Jets

Jets first-round QB Zach Wilson admitted that he’s still not 100 percent in regards to his sprained knee, but he still feels good enough to play.

“It’s not fully healed and we understand that, but I feel good to play — and that’s why I’m playing,” Wilson said, via ESPN. “I understand that. Sometimes it’s going to shift and stretch a little bit, but there’s no damage that can come from that. You just have to walk it off and move on.”

Wilson aggravated his knee while attempting to scramble, and admitted that he let it affect him.

“I had tweaked it [while scrambling] and my body just kind of shut down and I just kind of forgot about everything that was going out there because of it,” he said. “I knew that happens sometimes, so I just have to throw the ball away.”

• Jets HC Robert Saleh felt Wilson managed the game well in the team’s win over the Texans: “He was fine. Obviously, there was a little rust there after a month. I thought he managed the game well. Offense was running the heck out of the football and he was doing a good job on third downs, so it was just a good day of managing the game.” (PFF)
• Jets TE Trevon Wesco will miss 2-4 weeks, but QB Joe Flacco is back with the team. (Brian Costello)
• Saleh added LT Mekhi Becton will start working on the field returning from his injury. (Costello)
• Saleh mentioned WR Denzel Mims is scheduled to be back from the COVID list this week. (Costello)

Patriots

Despite throwing for 300 yards in a dominant win over the Titans, Patriots first-round QB Mac Jones wasn’t happy with his performance and recognized there are areas of his game that need to be cleaned up.

“I think just execution in the red zone,” he said, via WEEI. “The goal is to score points and the best teams in the league are like 70 percent on touchdowns and we can be better there getting up to that number. But at the end of the day when you have control of the game, the goal is to get points and obviously we want to score touchdowns. That happened later, I guess and it just needs to continue to improve and we’ve put a lot of stress on it so there’s nothing that the coaches aren’t doing or anything. It comes down to us and executing.“