MONDAY-NIGHT MATCHUP:
NEW YORK JETS VISIT MIAMI TONIGHT IN AFC EAST BATTLE
There will be a lot of interesting scenarios when the New York Jets visit the Miami Dolphins tonight on NFL Monday Night Football.
First, the Dolphins are still in the race for one of the AFC Wild Card playoff spots, which would be their third consecutive postseason appearance. Second, the Dolphins, who lost 28-20 at New York on December 12, have not beaten the Jets since 1997. Finally, a Miami victory would be the 148th of quarterback DAN MARINO’s career – tying JOHN ELWAY for the most quarterback victories in NFL history.
"At this stage, the thought that you have a shot at the playoffs helps in preparation,'' says Dolphins head coach JIMMY JOHNSON, who has qualified for the postseason in five of his past six NFL seasons. "It's a motivating factor when it comes to preparation.
"Preparation is the main thing. If your guys cover all the bases and prepare themselves in the right way, they'll be fine."
In addition, Johnson noted, the national television exposure is an added influence. "Monday night football right there will motivate them," he says.
Marino has been outstanding on Monday nights in his career. In 36 Monday appearances (35 starts), he has completed 769 of 1,251 attempts for 9,332 yards, 71 touchdowns and 32 interceptions for a 92.7 passer rating. His 71 TD passes are the most in MNF history. A victory against the Jets, which would be Marino’s 20th on Monday nights, would tie him with Elway for most career wins. Following are the most career wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history:
| Quarterback | Career Wins |
| John Elway | 148 |
| Dan Marino | 147 |
| Fran Tarkenton | 125 |
| John Unitas | 119 |
| Joe Montana | 117 |
The Jets, meanwhile, are developing a young quarterback. Winners of five of its past seven games, New York has relied on the steady play of 27-year old RAY LUCAS. Lucas, who won his only career Monday-night start (24-17 at New England on November 15), is 4-3 as the Jets’ starter.
Lucas ranks third in the AFC with an 85.4 passer rating. He also has an NFL-best 1.8 interception percentage and has thrown only one interception in his past 164 attempts.
"Our team is back to believing they have a legitimate chance to compete," Jets head coach BILL PARCELLS says. "I think Ray has a lot to do with that. What they're seeing on film is an improving player. When you have pupils hungry for knowledge and ways to try to compete, it inspires you as a coach. He is lapping it up as fast as I can feed it to him. He wants it."
Following are some additional facts on tonight’s matchup: