"This is one of the great rivalries in football," says one of the combatants, AFC sack leader and Miami defensive end TRACE ARMSTRONG, of the Dolphins-New York Jets’ meeting on Monday Night Football this week.

That it is. Consider the following:

• Both teams have AFC East-best 5-1 records and aim for sole possession of first place.

• Both teams have perfect records in division games. (The Jets are 3-0 against AFC East opponents, Miami is 2-0.)

• The clubs meet in prime time for the third consecutive season.

• Both teams have had Monday-night success. The Jets’ success has been recent, as they have won their past three MNF games. The Dolphins, on the other hand, have won more Monday-night games (35) than any team in NFL history.

Thus, the contest is a classic showcase game.

"Monday night is an opportunity for us to show the Jets and the rest of the league what kind of team we are," says Armstrong. "I think it is a great rivalry to begin with, and then when you add the extra drama of Monday night, it makes this game even more special."

Armstrong’s head coach, DAVE WANNSTEDT, is stressing the importance of the game as well.

"It’s obviously a big game for us," says Wannstedt. "We know that. Everything that’s involved with the tradition of this game adds more to it. The most important thing to our football team right now is that we’re playing a team that’s tied for first place in the division. An excellent football team. A team that beat us twice last year. On Monday night, this will be by far to this point our biggest challenge of the year."

The Jets’ AL GROH, in his first year as the club’s head coach, gained insight into the impact of Monday-Night Football this summer.

"I asked our video people for many of the Monday-night highlight tapes," says Groh. "On some of the rainy days during the summer when we couldn't get outside, I would watch the tapes. I would say that from the 12 or 15 tapes I watched, the game was relevant to the standings at the time and quite a bit was at stake."

A lot is at stake this week…and Groh is wary of the defense his club must face.

"They're the best in the NFL because they're the best in the most important category," says Groh. "They have given up the least amount of points in the league and that's what you go out there for. It's not about where you rank against first down runs, it's about keeping points off the board. They have given up only three touchdowns this year, and obviously that's very formidable."

Following are additional notes on this week’s Jets-Dolphins Monday-night matchup:

• Four of the past five meetings between the teams have been decided by eight points or less

• The game, hosted by the Jets, features a pair of Long Islanders starting at quarterback – the Dolphins’ JAY FIEDLER (Oceanside HS) and Jets’ VINNY TESTAVERDE (Sewanhaka HS).

• Miami’s red-zone defense is tied with Pittsburgh for the NFL’s best touchdown percentage – 18.8 (three touchdowns in 16 trips).

• The Jets have won 18 of their past 25 home games.

• The Jets seek their fifth consecutive win against Miami for the first time since winning six in a row from 1978-80.

• Jets running back CURTIS MARTIN has a touchdown run in three of his past four games against Miami.