MIAMI -- At last week's Thursday morning team meeting, Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt, reacting to a suggestion by tight end Hunter Goodwin that the latest matchup against the visiting New York Jets held the same significance as a blind date with Pamela Anderson, held up a glossy 8x10 photo of the voluptuous television starlet.

Three days later, that brief moment of levity became darkly appropriate, as the Dolphins again went bust in their most recent slapstick effort against an AFC East opponent which now possesses an undeniable psychological edge over Miami.

	Victor Green, right, puts a hit on Miami's Lamar Smith in the Jets' 24-0 shutout win.

By whipping the Dolphins for an eighth consecutive time -- and assuming first place in the division by virtue of their 24-0 whitewashing on Sunday afternoon -- the Jets' defense conjured up plenty of good references to Anderson's popular jiggle-and-action series. Facing the opportunistic Jets defense, a ravenous unit that scores nearly as much as the New York offense, Miami was certainly forced into a VIP outing.

As in Very Inept Performance.

Of course, credit the Jets for having something to do with the pitiful offensive showing by the Dolphins, since New York forced five turnovers.

But not only did the Jets, who extended their winning streak this year to four games, take over the game on the field. They also captured the all-important mind game against the Dolphins again and, in so doing, reinforced in their own noggins that they just might be working on some sort of magical season themselves.

Much was made last week of the so-called "hex" the Jets hold against the Dolphins, and the Miami players were all reminded of the 30-7 halftime lead that they squandered in an infamous Monday night game last year and the 17-0 intermission edge they blew in a loss at the Meadowlands last month.

While the Dolphins veterans pooh-poohed rhetoric about the Jets having their number, the New York players continued to plan the public seed of doubt. And on Sunday, there it was, sprouting up again full-flower. Miami's roster includes but nine veterans who have played in a winning game against the Jets and, based on Sunday's result, it could be a while before that modest total is increased.

"I don't know if it's a hex (over the Dolphins) or what but, after eight in a row, they've got to be thinking to themselves, 'Can we beat the Jets?' now," acknowledged Jets strong safety Victor Green. "There has to be some doubt. They're only human, right? It has to be a little bit of a mental thing at this point. I know for us it is because we're very confident when we play them, and that showed today. What's beginning to show, too, is that we're getting pretty confident in general."

Typical of the surging Jets, the victory was anything but aesthetic, but this has become a team under rookie coach Herm Edwards that is accustomed to winning ugly. The victory over Miami, in fact, might have been downright grotesque, considering that a sputtering New York offense trailed the Dolphins in every key statistical category.

Then again, the Jets have adopted the movie character "Shrek" as their unofficial mascot because they are green and uncomely and keep carving out happy endings. So they will take monstrosity-type victories if that's what it requires to win the AFC East crown.

"It doesn't say 'pretty win' or 'ugly win,' it just says 'win,' period," said tailback Curtis Martin, who was limited to 66 yards on 18 carries. "And right now, we've got seven of them, and not many teams in the league can say that."

Miami held huge advantages in first downs (15-11), total yards (254-162), total offensive snaps (69-49) and time of possession (34:30-25:30). The statistical chasm, though, was of little import, as the Dolphins were shut out at home for the first time since Oct. 25, 1970, a stretch of 236 contests.

As has been its wont, the Jets' defense kept taking the ball away and, in a season when it appears a new league record will be established for touchdown runbacks on turnovers, New York returned two interceptions for touchdowns. The first, a 60-yard runback by cornerback Aaron Glenn in the first quarter, introduced some doubt into the collectively fragile psyche of the shellshocked Miami players.

The second, Green's brilliant 63-yard return on a fourth-and-1 play in the third quarter, left little doubt about the eventual outcome. Or about the ability of the improving Jets to eke out enough big plays to find unique ways of winning.

	“	There has to be some doubt. They're only human, right? It has to be a little bit of a mental thing at this point. I know for us it is because we're very confident when we play them, and that showed today. ”
		— Victor Green, Jets strong safety

In fact, embattled Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler accomplished a dubious cycle of sorts with the five Dolphins turnovers. He threw interceptions to three of the Jets' starters in the secondary. The fourth starter, cornerback Marcus Coleman, forced a fumble. Even the "nickel" corner, Ray Mickens, forced one fumble and recovered another.

The Jets, who entered the contest with a turnover/takeaway differential of plus-17, increased their NFL lead to plus-22. Edwards hammered home the point that his team will not continue to win unless the offense begins to register a pulse, and quarterback Vinny Testaverde agreed his side of the ball must starting contributing. However, defensive players are ready to take the reins in leading the Jets during the second half of the season.

This marked the second week in a row the Jets had four or more takeaways.

You can call them resourceful or opportunistic, or even lucky, if you like. The fact is, the New York defense is always on call, it seems, when the ball is hanging in the air and just waiting for a pair of hands to embrace it.

"It really does become like a feeding frenzy, an epidemic, because when one guy comes up with a turnover, everybody wants in on the act," said Glenn, who is quietly enjoying a Pro Bowl-caliber season with five interceptions. "And it usually stings the other team, especially when it happens quickly, and when it's for a score."

The third touchdown return of an interception in Glenn's career (and his second versus the Dolphins) came as Miami was moving the ball and represented a brilliant break on the ball. Miami had a second-and-four at the Jets' 39-yard line when Fiedler threw a hitch pass in the right flat to wide receiver James McKnight, who bobbled the ball. As Glenn hit McKnight, the ball bounced off the wide receiver's hands. Glenn also bobbled the ball before securing it and speeding 60 yards for the game's first score.

The backbreaker, however, was Green's tremendous individual effort on a fourth-and-one play at the Jets' 32-yard line. With the Jets in a "cover three" defensive package, he dropped into the right flat as Fiedler rolled out and looked for fullback Rob Konrad. But Green had Konrad blanketed and, as Fiedler turned to throw, the safety broke out of his coverage and toward the quarterback.

In one motion, Green leaped and deflected the pass, secured the ball and then raced for the touchdown.

That score emptied Pro Player Stadium of most of the locals and left the place for the thousands of Jets fans who live in South Florida or who traveled to the game. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the stadium was a sea of green shirts and screaming fans with thick New York accents. It's as if this place became the sixth borough, and all that was lacking to make it official was a guy with a sidewalk hot dog stand -- or subways bringing fans to the stadium.

This has become an underdog team fans have good reason to cheer, though improvement has not been easily earned, and has meant that Edwards and defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell have had to make some alterations. It was apropos that Green was lurking back in a "cover three" look on his interception because that is the scheme to which the unit has turned, since players had some problems assimilating the "cover two" alignment Edwards brought with him from Tampa Bay.

"We've done some things differently the last few games, but the name of the game is win, and we keep doing it," Edwards said. "I'm a tough critic, a demanding guy, and we have a long way to go on offense still. The players know they have to keep getting better. But I think they've made up their minds to do it."

And when it comes to mind games, as the Jets demonstrated again on Sunday, there are few teams better.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.