DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins didn't wait long to turn their focus from a last-minute loss to a meeting with their biggest rival.
"As soon as last week's game ended, the first thing somebody said in the locker room as Coach (Joe) Philbin was about to speak was 'Jets week!' " defensive tackle Jared Odrick said Wednesday.
"It's right into it. You know what type of game it's going to be. You know how each team feels about each other."
Miami, coming off a 20-16 home loss to Carolina, will visit the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Dolphins and Jets also will finish the regular season at Sun Life Stadium on Dec. 29.
Defensive end Cameron Wake said it's easy to describe the atmosphere of a Dolphins-Jets game to young teammates.
"You try tell them to think back to their high school or college rivalry and teams they might have a little extra animosity toward," Wake said. "I think a lot of them understand it. This week's always a big one."
As if a Dolphins-Jets game needed more meaning, both teams are 5-6. That record ties four other teams (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Tennessee) for the AFC's final playoff spot.
"We can't lose another game," Dolphins center Mike Pouncey said. "If we lose another game, we're going to put ourselves in a bad, bad situation. We'll be fighting to the very end. We gotta make sure we win all these games."
In reality, it's not a stretch to think 8-8 could good enough to get into the playoffs, though many people seem to think a 9-7 mark will be needed.
"I'm not sure who they are, but I haven't spoken to those people," Odrick said. "They can keep saying it, but I'm just going to keep playing football and doing my job.
"It's not too early or too much to always think about playoffs. This is what you play the regular season for."
The Dolphins will be trying to snap a three-game road losing streak. With the exception of being blown out 38-17 at New Orleans on Sept. 30, all of Miami's games have been decided in the fourth quarter.
"Our execution in every phase, we have to do better," Philbin said. "I think our guys have been consistent as a football team giving good effort and competing hard, but we have to execute better in the fourth quarter."
Besides its two games against the Jets, Miami will play at Pittsburgh, host New England and visit Buffalo.
"We know we have to play our best football of the year in December. I think that's universal if you talk to 32 head coaches," Philbin said. "It's more about performing at a high level than, 'Oh my God, we have a big game here to play.' We have to get our guys to perform at a high level."
Charlie McCarthy can be reached at mac1763@bellsouth.net or on Twitter @mccarthy_chas.
