Jets Takeoff

Darren Sharper's 99-yard interception return for a touchdown was the play of the game.

Here are some honest and candid quotes from the Jets following yesterday’s 24-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome.

Mark Sanchez

“The truth is, the team played well enough to win and I let them down. My mistakes killed us, absolutely killed us. It’s 10-10 without three interceptions and a fumble.”

“The classic rookie quarterback (play), looking at his receiver the whole way. Sharper read it all the way, and I led him to it. There was absolutely no excuse for it.”

Darrelle Revis

“Mark Sanchez is still a rookie, and he’s proven he can play in this league, but you have to take the bumps and bruises with it.”

Kerry Rhodes

“This will make us refocus and bring us back down to Earth a little bit.”

Rex Ryan

“The young kid, Sanchez … shoot, I guess at times he looked like a rookie today.”

“A poor performance. We kind of got it handed to us.”

(All quotes appeared in Rich Cimini’s NY Daily News game story.)

This is the game of the week in the NFL. Both the Jets and the Saints are unbeaten at 3-0. The Jets’ defense (No. 2 in points allowed and No. 5 vs. the pass) against the league’s most prolific offense. The Saints, led by quarterback Drew Brees, are averaging 40 points per game, and their defense has been better than expected. Brees is joined offensively by Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and a host of other explosive players. Few things in football are more exciting than to watch a premier defense go up against a premier offense.

Keys for the Jets: The Jets are eventually going to have to find success running the football, and today would be a good time to start by establishing the run early. New York has three quality backs in Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and the rookie Shawn Greene. Jones, in particular, needs to pick up his game…. The Jets’ secondary will be tested all day with Brees’ ability to throw the football, and it’s a banged-up secondary to say the least. Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, and Jim Leonhard all missed some practice time this week due to injuries but are expected to play. Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland may not…. New York can’t fall behind early, and can’t get into a shootout with the high-powered Saints. This is a big test for the Jets. If they beat the Saints, New York becomes a Jets’ town.

Prediction: Saints 27, Jets 24

We’re always told that this is a Giants’ town, and to a certain degree I can understand why. The Giants have been around a lot longer than the Jets, and they’ve had a lot more success. Even more recently, the Giants have been to four Super Bowls since January 1987. The Jets haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1969. Why do you think people are still talking about Broadway Joe’s guarantee?

But truth be told, this is a Jets’ town too, and with a win this week over the undefeated Saints, Rex’s Jets can paint this town “Green.”

Jets Stadium?

Here’s why:

The Giants are supposed to win, make the playoffs, and possibly even win the Super Bowl. They’re stacked at quarterback, running back, and on defense (though they have been hit hard by injuries), and their head coach has won a Super Bowl. Did you really get excited when Big Blue beat a pathetic Tampa Bay team last week? How excited are you going to get when they beat the lowly Chiefs this week?

The Jets, meanwhile, were projected by many to be a .500 win team at best, and the playoffs seemed like a long shot. Now they’re 3-0 and one of the best teams in the league. They have a rookie head coach, rookie quarterback, no established receiver other than Jerricho Cotchery, and they switched punters so many times in the preseason that I thought I was going to get a shot. Still, they’re 3-0 when many, myself included, thought there was a possibility that they might start 0-3.

Point No. 2 is this: The Jets have always been a story, even during those long, losing seasons. The Bruce Coslet Jets of the early 90′s were a fun team to follow, even if it was because of how bad they were. They competed for attention with the Giants mainly because WFAN had the radio rights to the Jets and they were constantly being talked about, but also because people care about the Jets, win or lose. When Parcells was leading Gang Green, the media paid more attention to the Jets than they did the Giants. During the 1997 season, I was in the press room at Giants Stadium before a Giants game when the late George Young, then the team’s general manager, said the following to Steve Serby of the New York Post: “Serby’s here. It must be a big game.” That meant that Serby and his fellow scribes were writing, and talking, more about Parcells and the Jets. Not so hard to believe when you consider the Giants had Dave Brown (eventually Danny Kanell) at quarterback, though they did end up making the playoffs that year.

If the Jets win Sunday down in New Orleans they take over this town. Beat the Saints and New York goes “Green.”

Here’s what they’re saying down in New Orleans about this week’s matchup between the 3-0 Jets and 3-0  Saints:

Jets have a new attitude with Rex at the helm (The Times-Picayune).

Saints’ beat reporters preview the game (The Times-Picayune).

Drew Brees talks about the Jets, and more (The Times-Picayune).

Sean Payton discusses the Jets, and more (The Times-Picayune).

Beat writer offers scouting report on the Jets (The Times-Picayune).