The Jets owe the Dolphins one.
The Jets owe them for a month ago, when the Dolphins handed them one of their two home losses this season — a 23-3 humiliation that wrecked their playoff chances.
They owe them for 2008, when the Dolphins came to Giants Stadium and knocked the Jets out of the playoffs, embarrassing them with their former quarterback, Chad Pennington, badly outplaying Brett Favre, the quarterback the Jets traded for at the start of that season to replace Pennington.
Coach Rex Ryan owes the Dolphins, against whom he is only 3-6 as a head coach with the Jets.
Geno Smith owes the Dolphins, whose defense dominated the rookie quarterback so badly he was benched in the first half of that game last month.
The Jets defense owes the Dolphins, who achieved season highs in that game in rushing attempts (36), total offensive plays (80), total yards (453), passing yards (328) and time of possession (38:52).
“This team whipped us probably more than anyone in the league,’’ Ryan said Friday. “Our worst performance was against Miami. We’re looking forward to this game. With all they have to play for, we’ll know if we’ve improved, because we know we’ll get their best.’’
The best the Jets can be after Sunday is 8-8, but returning the favor and ruining Miami’s playoff chances are a built-in consolation prize.
“We’re always going to try to win the game, but there’s nothing wrong with being the spoiler and crushing their dreams,’’ defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson said.
“They beat us — pillar to post — in our own house,’’ rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. “It’s always cool playing the spoiler. If you’re not going to the playoffs, most definitely it’s fun to make the game out of something, make like you’re playing for something.’’
Smith, who was 4-of-10 for 29 yards and an interception against the Dolphins, certainly has a score to settle.
“Hopefully we can return the favor,’’ Smith said. “Now we have a second chance, kind of a measuring stick for us dating back to that game, so it will be fun and interesting to see how we play on Sunday.’’
Ryan, perhaps in a passive-aggressive effort to stump for a contract extension, recently has been harping on how much better his team is getting — “ascending’’ being his buzzword.
Sunday in South Florida is the perfect time and place for Ryan’s players to prove him right.
Ryan’s murky job status — entering the final year of his contract and with a new general manager, John Idzik, who might want to handpick his own head coach — has been a larger story in the last month since that loss to Miami than his team’s play on the field.
Management has been mysteriously mum on the topic, but Ryan’s players have been vociferous with their support, many insisting replacing Ryan would “set the team back.’’
Sunday in South Florida is the perfect time and place for the players to put their money where their mouths are, play a clean game, finish 8-8 and put an end the Dolphins’ playoff hopes.
“We got our butts handed to us,’’ guard Willie Colon said. “It was a pivotal game in the season and we let it slip through our hands. It’s always fun to be a spoiler, but it’s bigger than that right now.’’
Receiver David Nelson called the loss to the Dolphins “definitely one of the low points’’ of the season.
It may have been their worst performance, with season lows that included just 10 first downs, 177 yards of total offense, including only 78 net passing yards, and 21:08 in time of possession.
“Miami has had a great season. They put it to us last game,’’ Nelson said. “We feel like we didn’t put a good product on the field time and we feel like we’ve got something to prove, something to show. Last time we played them wasn’t good, so we have an opportunity to remedy that situation on Sunday.’’
No one in the Jets locker room captured the essence of the goal more bluntly and succinctly than cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
“This is our last game of the year,’’ Cromartie said, “so we want to make sure it’s their last, too.’’