A Week 17 game against a team with something tangible to play for while only intangibles remain for the Dolphins … the setup for Sunday’s game with the Jets resembles too many other late-season Dolphins games of recent years that saw the local NFL entry come up short.

Depending on who’s speaking, this is either just another game to be played for team pride and individual professional future … or, it’s that and a chance to put the kibosh on a despised rival’s playoff hopes. Few clear rewards beyond that remain for the Dolphins. Whether they finish 5-11 or 6-10, it still wouldn’t even be as good as the past two losing seasons.

“As a Dolphin, that’s all you want to do is shatter their dreams,” Dolphins defensive lineman Kendall Langford said. “I’m sure the fans would love it, too. I’m sure the New York fans would hate it.”

Either way, the Dolphins swear Sunday won’t be, mentally, a “U-Haul Game,” a term from the days when some players on losing teams would show up to the season finale with the moving van packed for a postgame departure to their offseason homes.

These days, Monday postseason wrap-up meetings generally put an end to that approach.

“To be in a position, No. 1, where you can play in a football game and No. 2, win a football game and affect the outcome of a season of a rival, obviously, yeah, that’s motivation,” said Dolphins defensive end Jared Odrick, who appreciates No. 1 all the more after missing almost his whole rookie season with injuries. “But we’re playing for us. We’re going out to accomplish what we want to do.”

The Dolphins didn’t have a chance to shatter New England’s dreams last season as the Patriots already had the AFC East and a first-round bye clinched. But, they could avoid a second consecutive losing record and again split with the Patriots as they have done five of the previous six seasons.

Instead, New England snatched a 7-0 lead 4:24 into the game and led 24-0 at halftime. Only a touchdown with 2:11 kept the Dolphins off that Sunday’s Sick and Shutout list in a 38-7 loss.

“I think last year they just beat the pants off of us,” Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles said. “This week, like it’s been every week, we’re a tough team these guys have stuck together all year. There’s no reason why we’re not going to stick together for one more game.”

Said Langford: “It just went badly for us. We went up there with the intention to win, but it went badly for us. But coming in this week, we’ve got the Jets and we know they’re fighting for something. And we’re fighting for something. We’re fighting for pride, they’re fighting for a playoff spot. We’re going to see who wants it more comes Sunday.”

The sayings that “everybody’s playing for next year” or “this is your game tape” might be shopworn clichés. They’re also true. Some of the more thorough scouts in all sports watch who’s still laying it out when the game or season long ago lost meaning.

“Who knows what a new head coach will bring in or if we keep coach Bowles?” Langford said. “I would say everybody’s auditioning definitely. If it’s not just for this team, for 31 other teams. And I’m one of those players in there.”

Practice update

Linebacker Karlos Dansby missed his second consecutive day of practice, as did running back Reggie Bush. The latter has a sore knee. The former is dealing with what Bowles called “a family matter” and hoped he would hear from Dansby that he would be back Friday or at least before the game.

“The most difficult thing is he’s going to have to get his mind right for the opponent,” defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said, “because every opponent poses a different problem. He’s going to have see the players and watch the film. Maybe he’s been doing that. Hopefully, he’ll be back in time to get a day’s practice in and at least get his mind right for it. But I would anticipate [Marvin] Mitchell would play snaps this week because of [Dansby’s absence this week].”