Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington denies his return to the Meadowlands is about retribution or redemption or reliving the past, even if he was cast aside by the New York Jets like a leaky football.
Instead he says the game's solely about the future: whether the Dolphins will be in the playoffs next week for the first time since 2001.
With a victory Sunday over the Jets, the Dolphins (10-5) win the AFC East. With a loss, Miami falls short of the playoffs and must settle for the considerable consolation of a remarkable turnaround from last year's 1-15 fiasco.