Same Ole....?

In arguably the biggest game of the Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez era, the New York Jets delivered their worst performance since 1986. It may be too early to call them the "Same Ole Jets" but there is nothing premature about saying it's the "Same Ole AFC East."

The New York Jets-New England Patriots rivalry is one of the biggest, most one-sided, rivalries in sports. 2010 has marked the start of a new decade and Jets fans were hoping a new decade meant new fortunes in the AFC East. New coach, new quarterback, new attitude for the Jets---same division champion. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will go on to win their eighth AFC East crown while the Jets will be stuck in their similar position of fighting for a wild card spot.

The Jets only hopes of winning a division crown may come to fruition when Tom Brady and/or Bill Belichick finally retire. Until then, they will remain second class citizens.

The Jets were outplayed and outcoached from the kickoff to the final whistle. Mark Sanchez went back to being a rookie, Braylon Edwards went back to dropping balls, Antonio Cromartie went back to being the worst tackler in the league, and Rex Ryan went back to being the pompous "Boy who cried wolf" coach who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.

Tom Brady had the answer for everything Rex Ryan threw at him. Whether it be the Jets pathetic blitz packages or sit back zone coverage, Brady was ready to dominate. Rex Ryan watched the league MVP go 21/29 for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns. Brady made sure to send a message to the Jets and he did it by putting a dagger through the heart of Rex Ryan's defense. The Jets had no answers to anything the Patriots were doing. To add insult to injury, former Jet Danny Woodhead had over 100 yards receiving.

This wasn't just one loss in December. This kind of loss puts the entire 2010 New York Jets season into question. Squeaking by the Broncos, Lions, Brown, and Texans now looks like it was more luck then resiliency. The Jets are now 1-3 against teams with a winning record. In those three losses they have scored a combined 12 points and have scored zero touchdowns. Even if the Jets do go on to make the playoffs, how will they compete in the tough AFC conference? They will have two chances in December to win tough games on the road (at Pittsburgh in week 15 and at Chicago in week 16) but after last nights performance how can anyone expect them to win those games? If the offense can't score and the defense can't come close to matching its 2009 form, then the 2010 Jets don't stand a chance.

In 1986, the New York Jets started the season 10-1 before losing 45-3 to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. They proceeded to lose their final five games, finishing 10-6. That team remains the only 10-1 team in NFL history to not win it's division. The 2010 Jets started 9-2 and lost 45-3 last night. Will they follow suit and mail in the rest of the season?

It was only two years ago that the Jets began the season 8-3 before collapsing down the stretch. More food for thought? The 2008 New York Jets remain the only team in NFL history to start the season 8-3 and miss the playoffs. The point is, this team has a history of collapsing (see the 1984, 1993, 1997, and 2000 Jets for more proof.)

This coach needs to take control of his team before they completely unravel. He needs to stop telling everyone how talented they are and how great they can be because they have not proved it. For as great as their 2009 postseason was, the team barely squeaked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Talent and brashness will only carry the Jets so far. They were just beat by 42 points by their biggest rival in the "biggest game of the year." The Jets have a much more talented roster than the Patriots but it didn't matter last night. New England was more prepared for the game and for the magnitude of the moment. Once again, the Jets started out slow, but because they were playing a formidable opponent, they couldn't come back. The avalanche never stopped and the embarrassment only got worse and worse.

People can say "it's only one loss" all they want. Last night was the chance for the Jets to sweep the Patriots for the first time since 2000. Not only could they not get the job done, they couldn't prove they belonged on the same field as New England. There is still a quarter of the season left but if the Jets don't make some major changes the preseason hype will be all for not. People will look at the 2010 team and say its the "Same Ole...." you get the point.