This week’s Thanksgiving game with the Cowboys meant quite a schedule adjustment for the Jets.

The players received their game plans Monday, participated in a full-pads practice today and will depart for Dallas Wednesday after a morning walkthrough.

“Practice is not the same. Tuesday practice is going to play out like a Friday practice,” said LB David Bowens. “The rest is going to be there because we aren’t going to be doing anything physical. The big thing is to learn. Maybe you have to study harder or spend some more time on film. The film is the big thing — it familiarizes you with what they do.”

Bowens, a veteran of three Thanksgiving Day games, is one of a handful of Jets who have played on the November holiday. Fellow linebacker Matt Chatham lined up against the Detroit Lions twice when he was a member of the New England Patriots.

“I think you really mind your p’s and q’s as far as your body,” Chatham said. “If you don’t normally do a massage, do them. If you do massages, then do two. You kind of really accelerate the whole taking-care-of-the-body process because the turnover is so fast [between games].”

Some members of the coaching staff didn’t get much sleep last weekend. After many members of the organization departed Friday, the assistants went right to work on Dallas. And even before the Jets met last Saturday night to discuss the Steelers a final time, the coaches were already at the team hotel preparing for the Cowboys.

“We did some work during the bye and late last week, so that helps. I've been involved with two of these games in the past and have a little feel for that,” said head coach Eric Mangini. “[Secondary coach] Mike MacIntyre coached with the Cowboys and he's been involved with that and different coaches on the staff went through it. They looked at their approaches, the things that I'm familiar with, and tried to put together the best preparation plan based on viewing all those things.”

Even though Halloween is past, Chatham said the Cowboys might have a few tricks in their Thanksgiving bag.

“If you watch Thanksgiving Day games, typically there are always some gimmicks — everyone has kind of that Thanksgiving play,” he said. “You're always alert for something out of the usual and everyone puts it in and wants to make a big play on Thanksgiving.”

Sione Pouha, a DT in his third season, received a lot of reps in Sunday’s win over the Steelers. The 6’3”, 325-pounder was asked if he had any experience playing two games in five days.

“A basketball pickup game, probably, but that’s it,” he said with a laugh.

The Jets will be the only NFL game on television when millions across America are just sitting down for dinner.

“I actually love it. It’s as close to a playoff atmosphere as you’re going to get,” Chatham said. “Opening day kind of has that buzz, too, but it’s a circus-type atmosphere. It’s fun to play in. That alone helps you kind of wash away the physical problems and the fact that there’s a short turnaround.”

When the NFL schedule was announced in the spring, Leon Washington looked favorably upon the trip to Dallas.

“I was excited because a lot of my family members are Cowboys fans,” said Washington, a Jacksonville, Fla., native. “They were 'America’s Team' back in the early and mid-Nineties. My goddad, who actually taught me football, is a big Cowboys fan. I enjoyed watching Emmitt Smith growing up and I kind of emulated my game after him, and my dad and a bunch of my friends were Cowboys fans.”

On paper, it appears the Cowboys have a number of advantages heading into Thursday. They play annually on Thanksgiving and they are coming off a home game. The Jets haven’t played on Thanksgiving in 22 years and the Dallas trip will be their longest road trip in 2007.

But DE Shaun Ellis, coming off a two-sack performance against the Steelers, focused on the teams’ parallels instead.

“They are going through the same thing, too, so it will be who prepares the best on short notice,” Ellis said.

The Jets appreciate tradition and have been lively throughout the week. Before the 25-year-old Washington was a gamebreaker in the pros, he was making it happen on Thanksgiving Day in Jacksonville.

“Going out on the street and playing a little touch ball on the concrete right outside my grandma’s house with all your friends in the neighborhood,” Washington said. “I forgot about that.”

Now they’ll all get to play on the world’s biggest stage.

“It’s going to be a fun to be part of it," said TE Chris Baker. "Everybody is going to be watching and we want to go out and put on a good show.”