02/15 — Zach Thomas didn't die, of course. He didn't even retire. But with the release of the venerable middle linebacker by the now Bill Parcells-led Dolphins on Thursday, another chapter in recent Jets history has been completed.

The Green & White have enjoyed playing the Aqua & Coral during Thomas' 12 seasons in the NFL — they've won 12 of the last 16 meetings — but in almost each of those games they had to contend with No. 99, Jason Taylor, applying hellacious pressure on the outside and No. 54, the undersized, big-hearted Texan, inhaling running backs like some industrial-strength vacuum on the inside.

Since 1996, in his 21 games against the Jets, Thomas unofficially has 195 tackles and 22 tackles for loss/no gain. There's no other opponent close in tackles, and the closest in stops at or behind the line is Taylor with 19.

"He doesn't have, quote, all the attributes," said Herm Edwards before his first run-in with Thomas as the Jets' head coach in 2001. "He's not big, he's not the fastest guy or the strongest guy. But what he is is a football player. He can elude some blocks, feel for where the run's going to break. He makes all the tackles, basically."

Five years later, Eric Mangini said this about his first time having to defense the Z-man as an NFL head coach: "With Zach, he's impressive. I really like the way he makes plays sideline to sideline. His instincts, his toughness, his competitiveness — he's got it."

One thing Jets fans will remember about Thomas is his rivalry with center Kevin Mawae, which ended when Mawae was released early in 2006. The two always talked some trash before games — a miked Thomas was even heard beseeching an official before a game to keep his eyes on No. 68 — but respected each other like crazy afterwards.

"I go out and play hard every down," Mawae said before one of those matchups in 2004. "Some people call me dirty, some people call me whatever, but you know what you're going to get when you play against me. The same thing with Zach."

"Kevin will probably put a little stickum on that cast or something so he can get up on me a little quicker and hold like he always does," Thomas said then. "But no, he's the best in the league and I've got respect for him."

Thomas, who will turn 35 on Sept. 1, also was and is a great opponent because of his approach to the game, any game but especially a Jets game. He was asked before that September 2004 meeting about getting an MRI on his shoulder and whether he'd be able to play that Sunday.

"Like I said, it's Jets week," he said. "I'll be fine." And he was — he had 13 tackles that game, his most in the rivalry.

Jets-Dolphins Weeks in 2008 and beyond won't be the same.

Here are the leaders in two defensive categories against the Jets since 1996 (TFLNG–tackles for loss/no gain):