AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Dolphins OC Chan Gailey said as far as he can tell, first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa looks like he did before his dislocated hip injury last fall: “Looks like it to me. I can’t see a real difference. Physically is the one thing you had the concern about, and he relieved all of our thoughts about that the other night.”
• Dolphins’ WR Preston Williams is day-to-day with a foot injury and his status for Miami’s game against the Chargers is now in doubt. (Cameron Wolfe)

Jets

• According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Jets first-round LT Mekhi Becton is undergoing an MRI on his chest after leaving Monday night’s game with the injury. The hope is it’s not a torn pectoral muscle that would likely end Becton’s season. 
• On Tuesday, Jets HC Adam Gase said Becton had difficulty breathing which is why he was taken out of the game. The MRI showed the injury wasn’t muscle-related, however, and Gase thinks Becton could return this week. (Cimini)
• Jets CB Brian Poole left Monday with a knee injury but the issue isn’t structural, per Gase. 
• Jets QB Sam Darnold said his shoulder is a “day-to-day process” but he’s doing everything he can to return to play “as soon as possible.” (Connor Hughes)

Patriots

• NBC Sports’ Tom Curran mentions it’s unlikely that the Patriots will bench QB Cam Newton due to the fact that the team doesn’t feel confident with having QB Jarrett Stidham under center and haven’t since July.
• Following Monday night’s win against the Jets, Newton has now gone two straight games without an interception after throwing five in his first two games back from the virus: “I’m getting tired of sucking. Simple. As a competitor, you know what your standard is. Taking pride in your way, that’s what it comes down to.” (Pro Football Talk)
• Newton acknowledged his neck was pretty sore after a hard hit that resulted in a roughness penalty: “My neck is only working on a degree angle that shuts off the degrees to one side. So my eye muscles are getting a lot of work in today.” (Mike Reiss)
• Patriots CB J.C. Jackson was whipped by the Jets for much of the night, including two long touchdowns by WR Breshad Perriman, but his fourth-quarter interception was pivotal in securing the win: “I had some ups and downs, man, but it’s always about how you finish the game. I mean, they’re going to make some plays. It’s just all about how you finish. It’s all about finishing, and we finished the right way tonight.” (Zack Cox)