Jets Have Tools to Take Down Pats

BY JESSE LIEBMAN

EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

The legendary Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are.”

And while on the surface that saying might be brain-numbingly obvious, and as empty as Al Davis' heart, Tuna just may have been on to something. As of their Thanksgiving Day performance, the New York Jets boast a record of 9-2, good for first place in the AFC East.

Following last season’s run to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets have been the media darlings of the National Football League. Rex Ryan is always good for a quote (or two), and the team’s antics constantly have even members of the media in stitches. And then there was their appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks series -- talk about exposure.

Living in Boston, it’s not rocket science to see that the New England Patriots have entrenched themselves as the toast of the town.

The numbers speak for themselves. Three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Four appearances in the big dance in the past decade. If we flash forward to the present, New England has put up more than respectable numbers this year, carrying an identical win-loss record as New York.

Patriots fans -- and while we’re at it, a lot of the media -- will be inclined to remind outsiders that New England’s record is identical to the Jets; even going so far as to imply that Rex Ryan’s team has gotten by on dumb luck.

Let’s face it: the Jets are not a perfect team; then again, no one else is either.

No team has been perfect since the ’72 Miami Dolphins, and no team will finish this season will finish with a perfect record. But the essence of perfection is what teams seek; it’s the yardstick by which superior teams measure themselves against inferior teams. And right now, within the current NFL environment, there is no clear-cut favorite.

Perhaps it’s a changing dynamic in today’s game. The days of a team being anchored by one guy who would do it all -- think the Joe Montana-led 49ers or John Elway’s Broncos -- are gone. Sure, we see smaller examples of a quarterback carrying the weight of the entire team on his shoulders -- Tom Brady might in fact be the best example -- but for the most part, a team that goes the distance is a team that wins by committee.

What a team needs to do -- what the Jets are doing -- is capturing that essence, and showing it can win in different ways. And more often than not, this season the Jets have showcased the ability to do this in many ways, shapes and forms.

In particular they’ve also demonstrated an aptitude to create a late-game resurgence that makes all the highlight reels.

Once again, however, many are more likely to claim that Mark Sanchez and Co. got lucky. But the ability to scrape together a late-game triumph is an intangible that the Jets have showcased in spades this season, and what makes this team special is the fact that they are not relying on one individual to get lucky.

One week it may be Sanchez who gets the job done. Another week it may be Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards. Or maybe LaDanian Tomlinson will bust out with an impressive running game.

When push comes to shove, the Jets still are able to walk onto the field with that warranted swagger and back up the trash talking. Which brings us back to this upcoming contest with the Patriots.

Both teams are more than capable of winning this game; and in most cases I would be inclined to say that the Pats will take the skirmish -- home turf advantage notwithstanding. Tom Brady is always in the mix when you discuss the Pats’ fortunes. The team currently is riding a 25-game home unbeaten streak in the regular season when Brady gets the start.

If the Jets are going to win, they are going to need to turn in their best effort of the season, because Rex Ryan knows that Bill Belichick is not going to give him an inch.

A weakness that Ryan needs Sanchez to address comes right after the snap.

At times this year Sanchez has displayed a near-sublime ability to roll out of the pocket once it starts to collapse. He’s used his impressive footwork and smarts to wheel away and get the ball up the field. But the rub here is that as Sanchez begins to run up the right side, he frequently neglects to protect the ball, often lifting his left hand off the ball.

This opens the door for defensive ends like Tully Banta-Cain to rush in, strip the ball from Sanchez, and cause a turnover that in a game like Monday night’s, could mean a world of difference.

That being said, Sanchez has vastly improved his protection skills from his rookie season: his four fumbles this year compared to 10 in 2009 are a testament to that. Again, it’s a combination of luck and the fact that he is more likely attuned to his deficiencies.

But the sophomore cannot afford to make rookie mistakes under center against a team that has been around the block and knows what it takes to win.

Fortunately for Sanchez, he has plenty of tools to work with. Edwards and Holmes have been tremendous assets for the young quarterback, and Dustin Keller -- though he hasn't been getting as many looks as of late -- has shown that he too can contribute.

And lets not forget Tomlinson. The running back has seemingly turned back the clock since coming over from San Diego this past off-season, managing 741 yards on 166 attempts and five touchdowns on the ground.

Then of course there’s the defense.

The Jets are heads above the rest of their division and only second to Pittsburgh in the AFC in points against with 187, but that total may spike against the Patriots with the loss of Jim Leonhard. The safety suffered a broken leg in Friday’s practice that may put his season in jeopardy, never mind Monday’s game.

Considering Leonhard is the one who is primarily responsible for calling the signals, in addition to serving as the team’s main punt returner, Ryan is going to have to dig deep into his bag of tricks to fill the void. On the other side of the ball, New England lead the NFL in scoring (30.4 points per game), and New York’s offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will have his hands full if he wants to keep pace with the Patriots’ attack.

Another factor is going to be Darrelle Revis. The cornerback missed much of training camp, and it showed in the team’s first collision at New Meadowlands Stadium. The last time the Jets squared off against the Patriots, Tom Brady still had Randy Moss as an offensive weapon, and they connected for a brilliant one-handed touchdown catch by Moss that made Revis look silly. Critics will tell you that maybe he shouldn't have spent all that time filming those TV spots, because Moss, despite yielding one interception to Revis, certainly had the edge over No. 24 that September afternoon.

And while Moss may no longer be with the club -- and many will tell you they’re glad he’s no longer with New England -- there's no denying the fact that his mere presence was an effective strategy for Belichick to combat Revis.

Revis, however, has since rebounded, and has been impressive the past few weeks shutting down players such as Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson and Terrell Owens.

Meanwhile, since dealing Moss, Belichick has been making more use of tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. And let’s not forget that Tom Brady still has Wes Welker, who has a team-leading 65 catches for 592 yards and six touchdowns. Ryan is going to have the option of using Revis and fellow cornerback Antonio Cromartie to wreak havoc for Belechick’s slot receivers.

That of course opens the wings to receivers like Deion Branch and Brandon Tate – thus continuing the Wheel of Fortune-esque “pick-your-poison” spin you take against these Patriots. But I digress.

No matter what happens, Monday’s game is more than likely going to have it’s fair share of thrills and excitement.

Looking forward at the rest of the Jets’ schedule, they still could theoretically afford to lose this game. The only other real threat as the season winds down is going to be next week’s game at Heinz Field against the Steelers.

So if this week spells the end of New York’s undefeated road record, it’s not going to be a terrible loss. The season series will only be evened up, and should the teams meet again in the playoffs, it’s going to set the stage for a dramatic game whose intensity could only be superseded by the Super Bowl.

Perhaps this Jets team has squeaked by on dumb luck. Maybe Ryan, Sanchez, Revis, et al will be exposed as the paper tiger much of the media claims they are.

Or maybe under the glare of Monday Night Football, in front of a nationally televised audience, the Jets will hit Mach 3 and show everyone what they can truly do.

Remember that home unbeaten streak of the Patriots I mentioned before? The last time Brady lost at home in the regular season? November 12, 2006.

The opponent? You guessed it: the Jets.

My prediction: New York in a squeaker. 24-21.