Miami Dolphins Poised to Shoot Down N.Y. Jets on Sunday

The New York Jets have run out of fuel. They're in a downward spiral and the Miami Dolphins are set to come into the Meadowlands and capture the AFC East Title on Sunday.

These long-time rivals are heading in opposite directions. After winning five in a row, the Jets have lost three of four. The Dolphins have won eight of their last nine games.

The fortunes of their head coaches have taken different courses. Jets coach Eric Mangini, once the Man Genius, is trying to hold on to his job which might be dependent on the outcome of Sunday's game. The Dolphins Tony Sparano is being considered for NFL Coach of the Year.

The quarterbacks are having seasons that contrast each other as well. Chad Pennington, who the Dolphins picked up when the Jets let him go at the beginning of the season, is the league's second-rated passer with a rating of 96.4. The Jets Brett Favre ranks 18th.

Pennington is leading Favre in almost every major category except touchdown passes. The Dolphin signal caller has 17 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. Favre has thrown 21 touchdowns but has thrown 19 interceptions. Six of Favre's touchdown passes came in an early season game against Arizona and he's thrown six interceptions in the last four games.

It's not just the passing game that's slowing down. The Jets Thomas Jones, the league's fifth-leading rusher, has averaged just 67 yds/game in his last three games.

Sunday's game has a chance to produce a script that not even Hollywood could write.  Pennington, the Jet castoff comes into town to play against Favre, the quarterback the Jets acquired to take his place. The stage is set for Pennington's sweet revenge but don't get fooled, Sunday's game is not only about the quarterbacks.

The Dolphins have been working on a script of their own, entitled, "The Miracle Season". Their historic turnaround from last year's record of 1-15 in unthinkable. They've been winning games every possible way and are riding a crest of positive emotion.

Miami has been making big plays when they have to but it's the way they protect the ball that is so amazing. It looks like they're going to break the NFL single season record for fewest turnovers of 16, held by another Bill Parcell's team, the 1990 Super Bowl winning Giants.

Home field advantage will probably not be a factor in Sunday's game. The Jets are 5-2 at home and the Dolphins are 5-2 on the road. The only factor that looks like a potential problem for the Dolphins could be the loss to injury of starting linebacker Channing Crowder.

Crowder missed last week's game against Kansas City where the Dolphins defense gave up 31 points but the team rallied in the second half to win the game.

Most analysts seem to believe there are two reasons for Favre's late season woes: 39-year-old knees that didn't get proper conditioning when Favre held out and forcing  passes under the pressure to win that comes with the large contract the Jets gave him... but you just can't count him out!

We all remember the night after his father died when he led the Packers to a rout of the Raiders on a Monday night. Favre threw four touchdown passes in that game.

They say a man is most dangerous when his back is against the wall—and Favre's back is against the wall.

Happy Holidays!