The Miami Dolphins appear to be limping into the season finale against the New York Jets.

Anthony Fasano returns to practice, and the Dolphins will need him against the Jets.

Not only is Todd Bowles’ team going to be playing without Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long on Sunday – which makes John Jerry the man responsible for stopping Calvin Pace – but the Dolphins have a number of starters nursing significant injuries.

Starting tailback Reggie Bush was held out of Wednesday’s practice because of a right knee injury he suffered late last week’s loss to the Patriots. Bush is walking fine, and says he’s fine.

So the hope is that the team’s featured tailback, who has rushed for 1,086 this season, will practice later this week and be cleared to play.

Starting right tackle Marc Colombo missed Wednesday’s practice because of an ankle injury, but this 10-year veteran has sat out a number of Wednesday practices this season, and played on Sunday.

Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby missed Wednesday’s practice, but his absence wasn’t injury related.

Receivers Brandon Marshall (left knee) and Clyde Gates (groin) were limited. Marshall has been battling knee soreness for a couple of weeks but played through the pain.

Gates apparently re-aggravated a groin strain that sidelined him a few weeks in November. His status will be monitored.

Tailback Daniel Thomas, who suffered a knee injury against the patriots, wasn’t even on the injury report.

Starting cornerback Vontae Davis participated fully despite the elbow injury he suffered in last Saturday’s game.

Davis’ status will be critical considering he’ll probably be responsible for covering Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. The Dolphins also don’t have much depth at cornerback these days, especially since rookie Jimmy Wilson missed practice with a hamstring injury.

On the positive side…. tight end Anthony Fasano passed his NFL mandatory baseline concussion test and has been cleared to return to practice. He’ll likely play on Sunday unless he suffers a setback.

Fasano, a four-year starter, sat out last weekend’s 27-24 loss to the New England Patriots because of the concussion he suffered the previous week.

Fasano’s presence is critical against the Jets because New York’s aggressive 3-4 scheme struggles defending tight ends, especially in the red zone.

Fasano has contributed 22 catches for 237 yards, scoring four touchdowns in the eight games he’s played against the Jets.

Fasano needs 89 receiving yards to establish a career high. He has 440 receiving yards. Last year, he logged 528.

G.G.A.T.G.

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The Philadelphia Eagles face the New York Jets in a Week 15 game on December 18. The Eagles still have an outside chance at reaching the playoffs so the game has meaning. But too much needs to happen for fans to worry about that. Instead, the goal should be to simply get a win at home. The Eagles only have one so far in 2011. As an Eagles fan, the team can win this game. Here are five keys to the game for the Eagles.

1. Establish the run

The Jets are pretty solid against the run. However, the Eagles have to utilize the running game if they want to win. LeSean McCoy didn’t play well against the Miami Dolphins but he is still the best player on this team. McCoy should get at least 20 carries in this game. If he does, the Eagles will move the football and control the clock.

2. Open up the passing game

It is no secret that the Jets have dominant cornerbacks. But that doesn’t mean the Eagles shouldn’t try to throw the ball deep. DeSean Jackson looks like he might have regained his desire and he looked good against Miami. As strong as New York is in the secondary, Jackson should be able to break away a couple of times. It will be important for Michael Vick to find him.

3. Protect the quarterback

The Eagles know that Vick is going to try and do too much and absorb too many hits. It is up to the offensive line to take some of that heat away but protecting better. The Jets don’t have an elite pass rush so that should help the line protect Vick. If the quarterback can stay in the pocket and deliver the ball in a timely fashion, the offensive line will have done its job.

4. Stay aggressive on defense

The Eagles got nine sacks and three turnovers against Miami. That is a pretty remarkable game and it is asking a lot to duplicate that effort two weeks in a row. But the Eagles can put together a strong performance if they stay aggressive. Mark Sanchez is vulnerable to mistakes and he will turn the ball over if the Eagles keep the heat on him. That could mean the difference between winning and losing.

5. Stay composed

The last time the Eagles played at home, fans started chanting for Andy Reid to be fired. If the Eagles play like they have in most of the home games this season, those chants will start again. This team has a tendency to stop playing when things don’t go well. That can’t happen in this game. If they fall behind early, they have to remain focused and composed.

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By Chris Celletti

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Dec 14, 2011 – Three straight wins, with some help from others around the National Football League, have launched the New York Jets into the final playoff spot with just three games left in the 2011 season. The goal is now crystal clear for Gang Green, win and in, and they really couldn’t have asked for much more when they were .500 having come off a brutal loss to the Denver Broncos. But the final three games for the Jets won’t be as easy as the past three, starting this week when they try to do something they haven’t done in the history of the franchise — beat the Philadelphia Eagles. The once-lauded “Dream Team” Eagles have stumbled to a 5-8 record, but looked quite good last week in dismantling the Miami Dolphins 26-10. They are still alive in the mediocre NFC East race, so they will be playing with desperation.

We’re also getting down to the nitty gritty of the fantasy football season, with playoffs in many leagues in full swing. If you have any Jets on your roster, here’s your primer on how to play them this week.

Start

RB – Shonn Greene – numberFire projection: 14.86 carries, 64.73 yards, 0.41 rushing TDs, 3.65 receptions, 25.66 rec. yards, 11.69 fantasy points

Greene has earned must-start status, finally, after his solid performances the past few weeks. Last week against the lifeless Kansas City Chiefs, Greene had his best overall day of the season, with 129 yards rushing (and a score) and 53 receiving yards. He’s improved leaps and bounds as a receiver out of the backfield, and I would expect the Jets to try more screens this week against an aggressive Eagles defense. It will also likely be a close game, meaning Greene will get a lot of touches.

QB – Mark Sanchez – numberFire projection: 17.35 completions, 202.12 yards, 1.00 TDs, 0.86 INTs, 12.61 fantasy points

Sanchez has been a solid fantasy quarterback this season. He’s thrown for 21 TDs against just 11 interceptions. He doesn’t put up huge yardage numbers, but the Jets are the NFL’s number one red zone team, so Sanchez is getting them in the end zone. He’s also been a threat rushing, as he has five run scores this season.

TE – Dustin Keller – numberFire projection: 3.71 receptions, 39.80 yards, 0.36 TDs, 6.14 fantasy points

The Jets have finally started to include Keller consistently in their game plan, and he’s received a lot of targets from Sanchez in the past few weeks. I would expect the Jets to be able to get Keller in mismatch situations against the Eagles and exploit them.

WR – Santonio Holmes – numberFire projection: 3.21 receptions, 55.13 yards, 0.30 TDs, 7.30 fantasy points

It’s been a statistically disappointing season for Holmes, who hasn’t had any real breakout games. I’m not sure if one will come this week going up against a talented Eagles’ secondary, but he has touchdown catches in three consecutive games. Hopefully that streak continues this week.

Sit

WR – Plaxico Burress – numberFire projection: 3.98 receptions, 47.76 yards, 0.26 TDs, 6.43 fantasy points

Burress had no catches last week against Kansas City, so its hard to say he should be an automatic start against the Eagles, who have a talented secondary. Maybe Burress is wearing down a bit late in the year after not playing football for two years prior to this season.

Jets Defense/Special Teams – numberFire projection: 20.22 points allowed, 2.74 sacks, 2.16 turnovers, 8.99 fantasy points

NumberFire seems to really like the Jets this week, ranking them as the number four projected defense. I have my reservations, as the Jets’ aren’t equipped to matchup with fast teams. I don’t think the Jets defense gets shredded, but I don’t think it’s a banner day, either.

Read More: Santonio Holmes (WR – NYJ), Plaxico Burress (WR – NYJ), Dustin Keller (TE – NYJ), Shonn Greene (RB – NYJ), Mark Sanchez (QB – NYJ), Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos

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That’s all the news for today.

New York Jets All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis made an appearance today on WFAN with radio personality Mike Francessa. During the interview, the topic of a specific play from last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins came up and the interview quickly turned awkward.

After some jawing back and forth over whether or not the play was actually a penalty, a member of the Jets public relations staff interrupted the call and then told Revis to hang up.

Here is the video (fireworks really start flying at 4:00)…

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—

Miami Dolphins players and coaches said they spent their bye week addressing the many issues that helped cause their 0-4 start. They said they worked on the problems in the red zone, the third-down inefficiency, the defensive breakdowns against the pass.

“We’ve identified some of the things that we hadn’t done well and spent a lot of time [on them],” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said last week. “There will be no excuses that way … We need to go out there and do it now.”

Sparano was anxious on Monday night to see how much progress his team had made. A primetime, nationally-televised game against the Jets here at MetLife Stadium provided the Dolphins the perfect stage to prove they were better than their record indicated.

But by the end of the Dolphins’ 24-6 defeat, it was clear they hadn’t progressed during their time off. And it’s becoming more and more clear that this team isn’t better than its record. In fact, 0-5, the Dolphins’ worst start since losing 13 consecutive on the way to a 1-15 finish in 2007, sounds about right.

The reasons for this defeat were the same as the reasons for the others. There was ineptitude in the red zone, where the Dolphins twice drove inside the Jets’ 5-yard line only to settle for field goals.

Another trip inside the Jets’ 20 ended with quarterback Matt Moore, making his first start in place of the injured Chad Henne, throwing an interception to Darrelle Revis, who made the play near the goal line. He returned it 100 yards for a touchdown that put the Jets ahead 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first quarter.

There was third-down inefficiency. The Dolphins, who entered ranked last in the NFL on third down, failed in the first to convert any of their six third downs. They didn’t convert a third down until the third quarter.

There were defensive lapses, too. The Jets gained just 100 yards during the first half, but 81 of those came on their final drive before halftime. That drive spanned 11 plays and ended with Mark Sanchez’s 5-yard touchdown run up the middle, where he ran in unscathed.

Earlier on the drive, Sanchez passed for a 27-yard gain to Dustin Keller and a 20-yard gain to Santonio Holmes. Both players had little difficulty finding open space in the Dolphins’ defense.

And, again, there was also a dropped touchdown pass from Brandon Marshall. He gained 46 yards on one reception late in the first quarter and then appeared to lose his balance before running out of bounds.

Then, later in the drive, Marshall let a 3-yard touchdown pass sail through his hands. That represented the fourth time in five games that Marshall has allowed a touchdown pass to bounce off his hands in the end zone.

Even the good news for the Dolphins came with some bad. Like this: The Dolphins outgained the Jets 215 yards to 100 yards in the first half, yet still trailed 14-6.

And this: Reggie Bush, who entered the game averaging 3 yards per carry, finally got going and gained 71 yards on 10 carries. But he fumbled twice – the Dolphins recovered both – and left the game in the third quarter with a neck injury.

After the Jets’ final touchdown, a 38-yard pass from Sanchez to Holmes that came on a 3rd-and-10, a good number of a crowd of about 78,000 began to leave. There were still nearly 12 minutes to play but the ending wasn’t in doubt – and maybe never was given the Dolphins’ failure to fix their wrongs.

abcarter@tribune.com.

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What are your opinions.

Read More: Nick Folk (K – NYJ), Mark Sanchez (QB – NYJ), Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, Oct 17, 2011 8:30 PM EDT

Tick-tick-tick…

The play clock is slowly ticking away on Miami, who is staring down the barrel of an almost insurmountable 0-5 start to the 2011 season.

In fact, with all the dropped passes and up-for-grabs bombs from Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore, it’s almost surprising to learn the fish have been able to keep it a two-score game.

At the end of the third quarter, New York leads 17-6.

The Jets, who seemed to be picking up steam at the end of the first half, went 79 yards across 13 plays to get within field goal range, where Nick Folk would launch one from 28 yards out for the only score of the quarter.

In reality, with the amount of time Mark Sanchez has been afforded to throw the ball, this should be a blowout.

Unless New York runs away with it in the fourth quarter, some of the lingering questions that fans had heading into this game may still remain.

What are your opinions.

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Read More: Reggie Bush (RB – MIA), Dan Carpenter (K – MIA), Mark Sanchez (QB – NYJ), Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, Oct 17, 2011 8:30 PM EDT

It took 24 minutes, but New York was finally able to secure a first down, giving Mark Sanchez a chance to take matters into his own hands.

Did he ever.

The Jets quarterback drove his offense-deprived team 76 yards into the red zone across 10 plays. From there, the USC standout ran it five yards for a touchdown with an emphatic dive into the end zone.

Miami, who saw Dan Carpenter boot one between the uprights from 21 yards out, trail the Jets14-6 at halftime.

While Sanchez and Co. may have finally found their groove, Matt Moore and the winless fish continue to have problems finding the end zone, settling for field goals despite several opportunities to penetrate the New York defense.

The bottom line? Reggie Bush, who continues to rack up significant yardage, can’t be the only Dolphin contributing with just 30 minutes left to play.

Miami needs a big second half — or a Jets meltdown.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

What do you guys think about this.

Thanks for reading! .

Jason Taylor is back with teh Miami Dolphins and will face his old team – the New York Jets – tonight. / Lynne Sladky/AP

Written by

DENNIS WASZAK Jr. | Associated Press

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Welcome to Week 6: Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets.

You know what’s at stake. The Dolphins are seeking their first victory. The Jets are seeking the end of a three-game losing streak. And, oh yes: These two teams don’t like one another too much. Well, at least the two fan bases don’t.

If the Dolphins win this one on Monday night, hope stays alive that maybe – just maybe – they can rebound from their 0-4 start. A loss and they sink further into the abyss. If the Jets win, they’re back in the hunt – at least somewhat – in the AFC East.

Before we get to the things to watch, some quick historical tidbits:

-This will be the Dolphins’ 78th game on Monday Night Football. No team has appeared on Monday Night Football more often. The Dallas Cowboys are second with 73 Monday night appearances. The Dolphins record in Monday night games: 40-37.

-This will be 91st regular season meeting between these teams. The Jets lead the all-time series, 47-42-1. The teams have met once in the playoffs – a 14-0 Dolphins victory in the 1983 AFC Championship game. As for recent history, the Dolphins have won four of the past five – including three consecutive on the road in this series. Since 2000, the Jets lead the series 14-8.

All right … now what to watch, Dolphins-Jets edition:

1. Will the Dolphins be plagued by the same mistakes and problem points?
The same issues have cost the Dolphins in each of their four defeats. You know what they are by now: failure to score touchdowns in the red zone and third-down inefficiency on offense, and allowing too many big plays and forcing few too turnovers on defense. The Dolphins spent the bye week working on these issues and there’ll be no excuses if they don’t show improvement in at least a couple of these areas.

2. How does Matt Moore lead the offense?
Ever since Moore took over for the injured Chad Henne early in the Dolphins’ eventual loss against the San Diego Chargers, we’ve heard a lot about Moore’s moxie and make-up. About his confidence and about his leadership qualities. If the Dolphins are to have any shot of turning around their season, Moore has to play well – and that has to start on Monday night. He and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll have spent a lot of time together during the past two weeks. Daboll said last week that the Dolphins did adjust their offense – if only slightly – to fit Moore’s skill set and preferences. The Jets are allowing an average of 203 passing yards per game and Moore will up against the formidable cornerback duo of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

3. The return of Daniel Thomas.
Thomas, the rookie running back, is listed as “questionable” on the Dolphins’ injury report but he expects to play. He has been somewhat limited in practice this week but still received a lot of work – which is more than could be said before the San Diego game, when he didn’t travel because of a hamstring injury. The Jets are tough against the pass – see Revis and Co. – but they were susceptible against the run. They’re allowing 134.8 yards per game, which ranks 26th in the NFL. Establishing the ground game will key for the Dolphins and to do that they need Thomas, who has run for 202 yards in the two games that he has played.

4. Brandon Marshall as “The Monster.”
On the surface, it might appear that Marshall is having a decent enough season. After all, he’s on pace for about 1,200 yards receiving. Even so, Marshall hasn’t been his best through four games – or anywhere close to it, really. Dropped passes have been a problem – especially dropped touchdown passes. Marshall said recently he needs to play with more emotion and he coined a new nickname, too: “The Monster.” (Why “monster?” Because, Marshall said, monsters can be friendly and do good things, too.) Marshall joked that he’d play with so much emotion he’d get ejected from the game in the second quarter – a comment that created a lot of buzz among the South Florida media corps. It’s clear Marshall was having some fun with the press – just as clear that Marshall indeed has been missing something in the early season. If playing with more emotion gets him going, the Dolphins won’t argue.

5. The special teams battle – particularly the Jets’ kickoff returns.
The Jets lead the NFL in kickoff returns and they do so because of Joe McKnight, who’s averaging 45.6 yards on nine kickoff returns. McKnight is, as they like to say, a game-changer. He can change field position. He can change momentum. He can change the score. He did that, in fact, on a 107-yard return for a touchdown against the Ravens on Oct. 2. The Dolphins must limit the effectiveness of McKnight, who can change the game in a hurry.

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.