The Dolphins hate the Jets. Maybe they don't have the warm-and-fuzzies for the Patriots either, but if you talk to the Miami players, it's pretty clear that their feelings toward the two teams aren't in the same ballpark.

When I asked Ronnie Brown about the Jets, he said that, "Yeah, I don't really like them too much." With the Patriots, Brown said, "the respect factor is there."

Miami's not alone in their feelings. In speaking to Jim Miller for this morning's story on trash talk, he said "How about Rex Ryan? Bill didn't say anything about it. But trust me, he's made a mental note. They want to stick it to the Jets."

Conversely, I'd bet all the positive things that Belichick says about Sparano this week are real, and vice versa.

Alright, finally, I've arrived at the point of all this -- Beating the Jets was nice for the Dolphins. But this, to the club, is the real measuring-stick showdown. South Florida columnists Greg Cote, of the Miami Herald, and Dave George, of the Palm Beach Post have clearly taken note of that.

Funny, too, that this springboard for Miami is here at the same time as last year. It was the eighth game in 2008 where they beat a still-then-highly-regarded Denver team on the road to reach .500 and announce themselves to the league. The idea for Miami, it seems, is to do that again.