Big picture talk always is fun.

How else would we have gotten through this week without complaints about the lack of Dolphins wide-receiving talent and lamenting about the daggone Jets nabbing Braylon Edwards from the Browns?

And wasn't it a blast trying to assess the future of Chad Henne as a franchise quarterback with just one start under his belt?

And, of course, converting those thoughts into a conversation about what, exactly, has Bill Parcells done well so far other than hire Tony Sparano, can be exhilarating for an impatient fan base looking to step forward after an 11-victory season rather than regress.

NEEDING A VICTORY

But, as strange as it sounds, it seems like we're missing the smaller picture. The now.

What the Dolphins need now is not a game plan for next year's draft, next year's free agency or next year's anything.

What the Dolphins need is this game Monday night. Against the Jets. Against Rex Ryan. Against Mark Sanchez. Against time that's quickly running out.

It's the perfect time to not only ignite new life into a slightly dulled rivalry, but it is the perfect time -- and realistically last chance -- to salvage the season.

The Dolphins need excitement right now. They need to verify that their identity is stronger than that of another quality team. They need reason to believe that the rest of the season is not simply a Henne dress rehearsal.

Enter the Jets -- on Monday night, no less.

Consider the elements that are introducing themselves into this rivalry that are awakening it.

GETTING PERSONAL

There is, of course, the Ryan vs. Channing Crowder trash talk that has lingered for months. And with Akin Ayodele chiming in with how much he dislikes the opinionated, refreshingly brash Jets coach, it adds a layer of interest that hasn't been there for some time, really. Making games personal are the building blocks of rivalries.

There is the battle of the young quarterbacks trying to establish themselves as worthy candidates to carry their respective teams for years.

If Henne and Sanchez pan out, this could be one of the more entertaining quarterback duels for years to come. Who wouldn't want to start off with a victory? The football world had declared Sanchez the next Joe Namath even before he started his pro career 3-0, while Henne has yet to acquire any label. A victory against the stinking Jets, and he might earn one. There's the battle of Ryan's defense -- one that is considered almost as good as the Ravens' defense he guided to two victories against the Dolphins last season -- against the Wildcat. The Ravens stuffed the Dolphins' supposed gimmick offense last year, but it's clear the package isn't going anywhere.

If Ronnie Brown and the rest of the running backs can impose their will against Ryan's crew this time, it would be a league-wide statement that the Dolphins' running game is the best in the NFL. That usually translates into a winning team.

There's the Edwards factor, too. What better way for the players in the Dolphins' locker room to quiet the critics than to shut down Edwards and tell the world they don't need to trade for a big-name receiver at the moment (even though they really do)?

Top it all off with the fact that it's Monday Night Football, and it's a dish that has all the makings of an incredibly meaningful game. Probably one of the two most meaningful regular-season games in recent memory -- the other being last year's finale against the Jets that clinched the playoffs.

Problem is, the magnitude of the game has been somewhat lost behind a 1-3 record and a chorus of complaints about Parcells not making a move for a wide receiver to help his young quarterback.

And it is a problem because if the Dolphins beat the Jets -- and what better spot than this to predict a low-scoring, intense Dolphins victory -- it means so much more than a win against a rival.

It will mean the season still is salvageable. It will force the league to acknowledge that the Dolphins' run-heavy, physical, time-consuming approach to offense is something to be reckoned. It not only will bring the Dolphins to a game out of the division lead, but it will inspire confidence that this style of play can make for a winning season, even without the big-time receiving threat.

It's a huge game. And it has been largely overlooked because everyone has been so focused on the long-term.

Forget the future for the moment.

Bring on the Jets.

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