AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Brian Flores said RB Duke Johnson was huge for them on Sunday. He went over 100 yards on the ground and scored twice in a 31-24 win. 

“He played well,” Flores said, via Tony D’Angelo. “He definitely gave us a spark, ran it well, ran hard, picked up first downs, picked up tough yardage when they knew we were going to run it.”

• ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques reports Dolphins second-round S Jevon Holland is still in the COVID-19 protocol despite being activated from the reserve.

Jets

Jets first-round QB Zach Wilson said he thinks he’s getting more comfortable playing in the NFL.

“I feel like this was my biggest game as far as playing free,” Wilson said, via Brian Costello. “Having that mentality of scramble around, make some guys miss, just play free, just react to what the defense is giving us. They did some things we weren’t expecting, and you got to just try and make some plays out of it.”

• Wilson added he doesn’t think about the Jets not crossing 300 yards in the past four games: “Yeah, I don’t worry about any of that stuff.” (Costello)
• Jets HC Robert Saleh said S Elijah Riley was released from the hospital and is in concussion protocol. They expect him back this year. (DJ Bien-Aime)
• Saleh added Riley’s career isn’t at risk. (Bien-Aime)
• Saleh mentioned he is “optimistic” that both DT Quinnen Williams and OT George Fant will play this week. (Connor Hughes)

Patriots

Patriots HC Bill Belichick is set to coach in his 800th career game next week, which is believed to be the most in NFL history. Belichick’s ability to pull from any of those games from memory is a big factor in how successful he’s been. 

“Obviously, he’s been here and a good amount of the coaches have been here, so it’s nice to be able to relate things back. They’ve been very successful for a long time, and done things well, and we need to do those same things well. So you can look back and see how other guys did it in this system,” Patriots TE Hunter Henry said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I just feel ready to go every time I’m out there, because of him. He also just holds us all to a high standard and has built a great culture around here that we all need to live up to.”