Jets wary of banged-up Tyreek Hill, but there are plenty of other Dolphins to worry about in Week 15 matchup

The Jets got into the holiday spirit and were in a very giving mood in their Black Friday game against the Dolphins. They can’t be that generous again in Sunday’s rematch in Miami.

 To sneak into the playoffs, the Jets need to win their remaining four games and pray for a lot of help. A win Sunday in Miami would keep those hopes alive. It also would rev up the hype machines for an Aaron Rodgers return.

The Christmas Eve game against Washington has been Rodgers’ target. It would be some story if Santa Rodgers showed up on Dec. 24 to save the Jets’ season. It’s unlikely, but let’s not spoil a nice holiday tale.

First, the Jets (5-8) have to win consecutive games for the first time in nearly two months. Zach Wilson has to prove that he can string together back-to-back good games for the first time in his career. The Jets’ defense also has to slow down Miami’s top-ranked offense, which they were unable to do when they met a little more than three weeks ago.

It’s going to be a tall task across the board for the Jets, but as Rodgers said about returning this year, “Anything is possible.”

The AFC East-leading Dolphins (9-4) average 31.6 points per game. Tua Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passing yards (3,697), Tyreek Hill is first in receiving yards (1,542) and Raheem Mostert has the most touchdowns (18).

Miami beat the Jets, 34-13, on Nov. 24 in a game that featured Tim Boyle’s first-half Hail Mary that went 99 yards the other way for a pick-6. The Jets allowed nearly 400 yards of offense and three touchdowns. Hill and Jaylen Waddle each had more than 100 receiving yards.

“They have Olympic speed,” cornerback D.J. Reed said. “They’re the fastest receivers we’re going to play against. I think that’s the challenge. They have elite speed.”

Everything starts on defense for the Jets, and that’s how they want it. They’re No. 5 in overall defense. It’s the reason they’ve been in many games this season.

Wilson led the Jets to 30 points in the second half in a one-sided win over the Texans. The biggest question: Can he and they do it again?

The Dolphins are coming off a crushing one-point home loss to Tennessee on Monday night. They allowed two touchdowns in the last 2:40.

Hill suffered an ankle injury in the game. He sat out stretches on Monday and all of practice this week. The Jets, who have the No. 2 passing defense, would catch a huge break if Hill can’t go.  Miami listed him as questionable, but the Jets believe he will play.

“They’re still dynamic. They still do a lot of things,” Robert Saleh said. “Fully expect him to play, but if he doesn’t play, they’ve got a whole host of track stars that cannot do what he does but still execute the offense the way it needs to be executed.”

Hill, who is having one of the best seasons for a receiver in NFL history, needs 423 yards to pass Detroit’s Calvin Johnson (1,964) for the most receiving yards in a season. He is 458 yards away from becoming the first player to have 2,000 yards in a season.

“I think he’ll end up playing, being he’s close to the milestone, 2,000 yards,” cornerback Sauce Gardner said. “I feel like he’ll want every opportunity to be able to make that happen.”

Hill had 102 receiving yards and a touchdown in the earlier meeting against the Jets.

The Jets are facing the NFL leader in passing yards for the second straight week. They limited Texans rookie C.J. Stroud to 91 yards last week before he left with a concussion. That allowed Tagovailoa to leapfrog Stroud.

Tagovailoa is 303 yards shy of his first 4,000-yard season. If he gets there Sunday, he’ll snap the Jets’ 31-game streak of not allowing a 300-yard passer.

Hill makes the offense go, though. They line him up everywhere and motion him all around before the snap, which gets the defense off balance. Then it becomes pick your poison.

The Dolphins have playmakers all over on offense. When Hill was on the sideline Monday, they still ran the ball well with Mostert, who had two touchdowns the last time he faced the Jets.

If Hill is limited or used as a decoy, the Dolphins’ running game has been potent, too. They have the No. 2 rushing offense (144.5). The Dolphins ran for 167 yards against the Jets last month.

“It’s not like you can just focus on Tyreek,” Saleh said. “If you do, they’ll run the ball and they’ll pound you into the dirt. If you try to double him, they got weapons everywhere and Tua does a great job distributing it.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.