"The Dolphins' pass-happy descent to the verge of missing the playoffs is so puzzling that even one of their most famous former players -- now wearing the uniform of a hated rival -- is offering advice.

Jets pass rusher Jason Taylor, who faces his old team tomorrow at New Meadowlands Stadium, joined the list of Tony Sparano critics wondering why the Miami coach has made the running game an afterthought.

While the 6-6 Dolphins have let shaky quarterback Chad Henne pile up the passing attempts despite 15 interceptions, the potent backfield combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams barely is averaging 25 rushes combined.

"If I was the coach, would I give Ricky Williams the ball more? Yeah, I would," Taylor said this week when asked about the Dolphins' woes on offense. "But I'm an old-school guy."

But Taylor, who signed with the Jets this offseason after Miami dragged its feet, insisted that facing the Dolphins is not a big deal.

"It's a rivalry game, a division game, a home game, and we're trying to get into the playoffs," Taylor said. "So we have a lot at stake. I'm not even looking at the personal side of things.""