Jets keep focus on beating Fish

MIAMI -- When the Jets take the field at Sun Life Stadium Sunday afternoon, they'll do so with a feeling of uncertainty.

Control of their playoff fate slipped out of their grasp with last week's loss to the Giants. So here they are, in a precarious spot, needing several things to go right to reach the postseason.

"We've had plenty of opportunities not to be in this position," guard Brandon Moore said.

To keep their season alive, the Jets (8-7) must beat the Dolphins (5-10) Sunday and have three of four AFC teams they're battling lose. Otherwise, they have no shot at making the postseason for the third straight year under Rex Ryan -- a feat that would be a franchise best.

They're one game behind the Bengals (9-6) and sit in a three-way tie with the Titans and Broncos/Raiders. A Jets win coupled with a Bengals loss to the Ravens, a Titans loss (or tie) to the Texans, and either a Raiders loss (or tie) to the Chargers or a Broncos loss (or tie) to the Chiefs would give the Jets the AFC's sixth seed.

"We are the wild factor," linebacker Bart Scott said. "The other stuff will probably happen. It's up to us to make sure we handle what we are supposed to handle. They are playing well. They will stack the box, dare us to beat them in the air, and [on offense] run the ball, shorten the game. They have nothing to lose."

Ryan has preached all week about the dangers the scrappy Dolphins will pose, even if leading rusher Reggie Bush is out with a knee injury. Quarterback Matt Moore's production has improved vastly since his first start of the season, which came in the Jets' 24-6 win in Week 6. He tossed three touchdown passes against the Patriots last week, though he also had an interception and lost one of three fumbles in a three-point loss.

"I just feel that this team is playing really well right now," Ryan said of the Dolphins. "The fact that they were up 17-0 over New England, they just didn't quite get that one done. But New England is a pretty good football team, the number one seed in the AFC [currently]. I think it just shows you how they're playing.

"Their defense is playing about as good as anybody's in the league right now. Then, offensively, the quarterback is 11-rated, I think fourth in the AFC , and that's kind of under the radar. This is, obviously, going to be a big challenge for us."

Three contests that affect the Jets' playoff chances -- the Titans' game in Houston being the exception -- don't kick off until right around the time the Jets-Dolphins game should be wrapping up. So if the Jets win and the Titans lose, the Jets could be in the air when they learn their fate.

"We will have a way [to know]," Ryan said. "Come on, please. Mike Tannenbaum is going to be on the same plane. We will have a way of finding out. There is no doubt about that. We just got to get on there knowing that 'hey, we did our part. We won, and we'll let the chips fall.' "

They have no choice now that they're forced to rely on hope.

"You feel like it's a missed opportunity that you had, the games that you could have won and should have won, that you wouldn't be in this position,'' Moore said. "There's nothing else you can do about it. You are just sitting there waiting and hope that falls in your favor.''

Said Dustin Keller, "When we first came in here Monday and when Rex talked about the scenarios, that was the hardest thing, was just not to worry about other people and what they are doing and just win your own game. But now I think we are at the point where everybody, their only concern is the Dolphins.

"So we are not going to worry about all that other stuff. We are just going to let it fall into place, and if it works, great. If it doesn't, at least we put our best effort forward."