I NEED THE BYE WEEK

I was talking to a friend Monday...someone who didn't see the Jets game Sunday.

I was explaining to him how the Jets should have won the game, like the previous Dolphins game, which the Jets also should have won. And I started thinking and said, "So the Jets are 4-4, which they really deserve to be...but man, they could have been 5-3. And if they had beaten the Dolphins that first time, they could be 6-2." And the more I thought about it, they should have beaten the Bills in that disaster of the game...dare I say they could have been 7-1 at this point?

I know, you can 'would have, should have' any team to death - but really, the Jets are that close to having turned 3 games right around - the two Dolphins games came down to the last play and the Bills game was an overtime loss. And the Jets gave the best team in football a run for their money in the Saints.

So I guess the second half of the season holds quite a bit of promise...filled with games the Jets could and probably should win...but I'm sure it, too, will hold its share of disappointments:

vs. Jacksonville
at New England
vs. Carolina
at Buffalo
at Tampa Bay
vs. Atlanta
at Indianapolis
vs. Cincinnati

On paper that looks like 4-4 again, leaving the Jets at 8-8 on the season, right where they belong. But if those would-have, should-haves had come through, the Jets would be sitting much prettier for that valued post-season experience for Mark Sanchez...and who knows what kind of team they are coming out of the bye week? (Actually, I think I know - a weaker team, less the likes of Kris Jenkins and Leon Washington.)

All told, the 3-0, back to 3-3, ending up at 4-4 has me pretty wiped out. (I can only imagine how the players feel.) Unless something dramatic takes place, I'm taking full advantage of the bye week and not writing about the Jets for a week. I need to regroup.

There will be plenty else to write about I'm sure, and we'll make this the last word on the Jets for now.

DOLPHINS 30, JETS 25

Can't blame the defense this time. And the offense did its job (in the second half, at least).

If you're pointing fingers, this one falls squarely on the shoulders of the special teams.

Kick returns for touchdowns are terrible. They come after a score (barring the opening of a half), taking away any excitement you just built. But every once in a while they happen. And you move on. Until they happen again.

That's what happened to the Jets on Sunday...and there's really no excuse for it. Yes, Ted Ginn can be explosive in those situations, but on the second kick return, the Jets should have had him at about the 20 - first Larry Izzo whiffed, then someone else flat-out missed him, before he made his moves and bolted 100+ yards for his second return touchdown of the third quarter.

That's why the special teams played the biggest role in dropping the Jets to 4-4.

The defense was very good. They only gave up 9 points (there was a defensive touchdown by Miami in that third quarter as well), and looked like they had the Miami offense figured out...but the Miami offense was not very good either, so take that for what it's worth.

The Jets offense was nothing to shout about either for the first part of the game. Mark Sanchez saw a lot of pressure, and made some pretty bad passes - short-hopping a number of his throws. When they needed to, though, after falling behind in the second half, they again scored seemingly at will on the Dolphins' defense, like they did Monday night in Miami a few weeks ago.

Until the final drive.

Let's stop here to examine two things - 1) the Jets mismanaged their points, and 2) they kind of got jobbed by the refs.

They mismanaged their points because in the third quarter they started chasing 2-point conversions when they didn't need to yet. Kicking an extra point would have left them in the same position at the end of the game that their failed 2-point conversion left them...although I guess it didn't hurt them tremendously either. (I'll add that after the Jets scored following the second kickoff return TD I would have gone with an onsides kick - it would not have been returned for a touchdown like their previous two kickoffs, and the Jets could have recovered. At the very least the Dolphins would have had the ball at midfield instead of in the Jets' end zone...)

The Jets got jobbed because after they scored to make it 24-19 Dolphins, they converted a 2-point play that was negated by an illegal shift penalty. There was no clear violation...though if you held a gun to my head I'll admit that Mark Sanchez took a step backwards while the receiver was in motion, which could have been the shift. (But Phil Simms didn't see it, so if he doesn't call it, who am I to say I saw something.) Anyway, that's a terrible call in front of the home crowd, and it cost the Jets the game, because at the end (after the Dolphins went for a questionable 2-point conversion), the Jets needed a touchdown and couldn't get it on 4th down, when they could have kicked a game-tying (or winning) field goal.

So now the Jets are .500, and really, they're no better than that. But they could have stolen another game and gotten to 5-3, which would have been a whole lot closer to the beneficial playoff experience that I want for Mark Sanchez.

SUNDAY PAPER

Someday soon it will be time to measure up Mark Sanchez again. Maybe the next time he plays in cold weather, which wasn't so successful two weeks ago against Buffalo. Maybe it's when he plays Buffalo next, since that's the team that picked him off five times in that game. Maybe it's the next matchup against the Patriots - in New England, instead of in front of the home crowd.

But this week the object of scrutiny is not the rookie quarterback - it's the rookie coach. The last time the Jets played the Dolphins, Sanchez was fine. It was Rex Ryan's vaunted defense that looked exposed just three short weeks ago against Miami and its wildcat formation.

That shortcoming seems a bit more magnified following the Saints' ability to neutralize the wildcat last week as they staged a monster comeback on Miami.

At the same time, the Jets' defense was showing signs of life again after a couple of 'just OK' weeks - nothing close to the way they started the season. But that performance comes with a huge asterisk, because it was against the subpar Oakland offense.

And now it's Jets-Dolphins again, and it's a chance for Ryan to show how he can game plan.

*Tough to see Pedro Martinez pitching for the Phillies in the World Series. That was the dream in 2006, and after helping the Mets to first place that season, Pedro wasn't around for the post-season. The Mets wouldn't be back to the post-season in the rest of Pedro's tenure. I had no doubt Pedro would be able to help someone this year after seeing how he pitched in the World Baseball Classic way back in March and April...but to have it be the Phillies and to have it go this deep into the post-season is a little hard to take.

*I know it's a little late by now, but I haven't addressed it yet: I don't see how Mark McGwire coming back to be the St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach does anyone any favors. For baseball in general it's a scar that becomes visible again. Unless he plans on having a tell-all press conference and owning up to the black eye he contributed to (and which he has hid from these past few years), it's going to be a burden for him. And it's certainly not doing the Cardinals hitters any favors - since when is Mark McGwire qualified to coach hitting?

*I'm already bored with the NBA.

*Nothing freaks me out more on Halloween than a kid standing at my door wearing one of those masks from 'Scream'. It happened again Saturday night. This year, my 3-year-old daughter happened to be with me, and it got her a little frightened. So I asked the kid to take off the mask to show her it was no one to be afraid of. The kid was nice enough to do it. I think it worked. You know. For my daughter.

*I'll go with the Jets to get that revenge win over Miami today, but it won't be by much. I'll say a touchdown. Jets 27, Dolphins 20

*How much disrespect are the undefeated Broncos getting? They're underdogs (again) in Baltimore today. I haven't picked the Broncos right all season, and I haven't picked the Ravens right all year. I'm taking Denver getting points, because I think they win this game outright...but that probably means it'll turn out to be their first 'L' of the year. How bad are the Jaguars to go into winless Tennessee as underdogs? I'm picking the Jaguars getting those points, which means welcome to the win column, Titans. And I don't think the Falcons hand the Saints their first loss Monday night, but I also don't think the Saints win by 10 (despite their unimaginably doing so last week). I'm taking Atlanta getting 9-and-a-half.

INJURIES AND SURPRISES

There was some bad news to come out of the Jets' 38-0 blasting of the Oakland Raiders - Leon Washington was lost for the season with a broken leg.

Apparently this was one of those gruesome football injuries. You can go elsewhere to read the bloody descriptions - I'm a bit squeamish. But it's not your run-of-the-mill broken leg. There are whispers that this could be a career-threatening injury.

The injury comes a week after a season-ending knee injury to Kris Jenkins, who has been a monster up front on defense for the Jets. That's two pretty significant injuries in two weeks suffered by the Jets...one on offense, one on defense.

Leon Washington wasn't lighting the league on fire this year - he has been passed, performance-wise, by Thomas Jones the past few weeks - but he is always exciting, and on many possessions, his kick returns are the entire offense. And if the injury is very serious, this will hurt the Jets beyond this year.

But this does give them an opportunity to give Shonn Green some playing time. And at the very least, that could give them a trading chip in the off-season, if they're looking for extra draft picks or help at some other position (assuming Washington comes back healthy). Because if the Jets have three effective backs (Jones, Washington, and Green), one of those guys becomes expendable at some point. Maybe the Jets can get something out of them before they lose them to free agency.

What can't the Saints do? They had no business hanging around in that game against the Dolphins on Sunday, let alone coming back and winning by two touchdowns (and covering the spread....). They proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt in that game that they are the best team in the league.

But they had better not lose Drew Brees to injury - were you as surprised as I was to learn after the missed extra point that their backup quarterback (and place kick holder) is Mark Brunell? Has he been effective at all since 1999?

A pleasant surprise came Sunday night watching the Giants-Cardinals game and learning that the 'starting' tight end for the Cardinals is former Jet Anthony Becht. Becht was one of my favorite Jets in the early 2000s. I never felt he reached his full potential. I don't think he ever will...especially not in the Cardinals offense - I don't think I see him and Kurt Warner connecting much in the near future.

But I'm glad he's hanging on somewhere after a stint with Tampa Bay - I thought he was out of the league.

**23 years ago today the Mets won the World Series. *wipe tear*

GOOD BOUNCEBACK

The Jets put a pretty emphatic end to their 3-game losing streak, shutting out the Raiders in Oakland 38-0.

I don't know about you, but I was pretty surprised.

Not so much that the Jets won....just the way they won. No matter how bad the Raiders have been throughout the years (especially recent years), the Jets have always had trouble out there. So I never expected them to hand the Raiders their most lopsided home loss ever.

The Jets' running game and defense helped out Mark Sanchez, coming off a 5-interception game last week, which was the direction Rex Ryan said he'd go. Shonn Green, he of the monster pre-season but only about one or two games so far in the regular season, had a big performance, going for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns.

For the first time this season, and probably the first time in years, I didn't seek out the Jets. They weren't on local TV, and I didn't go out to find them...I guess because I'm still recovering from the 400-mile round trip last week just to watch them crap out on TV.

The most disappointing part of not watching the blowout was that I didn't know until I saw some highlights afterwards that the Jets' road Titans uniforms are awesome. I love blue and yellow in a uniform, but for some reason, I don't love the Titans uniforms - the home ones, anyway...the blue, I think, way outdoes the yellow. The road ones are awesome, with the yellow pants, white shirt, blue helmet. I really like those.
So now the Jets get the Dolphins again. The Dolphins are coming off a loss to the Saints - a game which they should have won. The Jets showed that they are going to win their share of games still this season - they can beat the bad teams, and their schedule is full of bad teams the rest of the season....so if they can get a win at home against Miami, that will go a long way to deciding whether or not they'll be a playoff team. And hopefully there's still a bad taste in the Jets' mouths from their trip to Miami not three weeks ago.

I know the Jets aren't a legit playoff threat, but they really could win enough games against bad teams to get in...and that would be one more huge learning experience for Mark Sanchez (and Rex Ryan) in a season full of learning.

SUNDAY PAPER

I was really looking forward to a Game 6 of the ALCS Saturday night - the night I could actually stay up to watch a game. Now I need to either set myself back entirely for the week by staying up late for a Sunday night game, or miss the late innings.

I really have a lot riding on the outcome, too. There are a few reasons I want the Angels to pull this series out, none of which have anything to do with rooting against the Yankees just because.

One thing is, I'd like to see the Angels win Game 6 so that there's a Game 7. That would be exciting. Secondly, it has been a long haul for the Angels this season. As I've mentioned before, they have the best story this post-season - no one would have blamed them if they had mailed their season in after the early-season Nick Adenhart tragedy. But they've come this far, it would be a shame if they fell short of the World Series.

Finally, though, I don't want it to be a Phillies-Yankees World Series. There are two reasons for this. One is that this is a repeat World Series, and I would feel like we wasted the year if there wasn't a new matchup in the World Series. Secondly, this is the baseball equivalent of the Super Bowl a couple of years ago when the Giants beat the Patriots.

The Yankees are the Giants - the team that but for the grace of God I could have chosen as my own, resulting in me celebrating multiple championships in my lifetime in either sport rather than the one (1986 Mets) I've lived through.

The Phillies are the Patriots - the rival team that is enjoying all of its success at the expense of my team. I have to watch them celebrate championships while my team watches from home...and it becomes more and more clear that this situation bothers me more than it ever will them.

So there's a no-win situation for me with Phillies-Yankees. Let's Go Angels.

*A few articles this week called the Mets "winners" in the Bernie Madoff situation, because they ended up 'making' money on the Ponzi scheme. I think that's just tasteless - no one is a winner in that situation, and it shouldn't be said no matter how clever it makes a headline. Second to that, the Mets will literally not end up winners - won't they have to pay back those millions of dollars? What I took from those stories is that the Madoff scandal may affect the Mets for years down the road.

*I feel like I need to weigh in on this ESPN controversy this week. I don't know why I'm always surprised when these things, like the Steve Phillips situation, come out - I worked in the TV news business for a number of years and there must be something about the egos involved, but there's a lot of low-lifes in the industry. And the people at ESPN have turned me off for a number of years - I never watch SportsCenter anymore - I get my sports news in quick chunks on ESPNEWS and then move on. So I shouldn't be surprised when these types of revelations come out - yet I always am. I guess I expect the best of people. Now, though, I may have to take the opposite approach - and it's going to be hard for any of the ESPN-affiliated folks to earn my respect.

*Today is the 23rd anniversary of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. It's funny - I think this merits another blog another day, maybe during the World Series, but I have some very distinct memories from the 1986 post-season (and season)...Game 6 is not one of them. (I was 8 years old.) I'm not sure why - maybe because I've seen it so many times on tape since....but I feel like of all the games this is one I would have seen much if not all of - it was a Saturday night, I remember being up for other games....I don't know. Just no memory of it as a live event. I will re-visit this conversation.

*Thanks to the reality check offered by the Jets these past few weeks, I no longer feel like I have to make an argument for the Jets to win every week. I still think they beat Oakland in Oakland, but we all know what a tough place that has been for the Jets historically. I'll say Jets 13, Raiders 10, but I would not be the least bit surprised if Oakland wins. (The Eagles probably helped the Jets out last week by laying an egg in Oakland - I just figure it's less likely for the Raiders to win two weeks in a row.)

*In other pick news, I'm big on the road teams this week. (And not to brag or anything, but I'm currently second place overall in my pool...I win a lot of the games that I don't write about here, believe it or not.) I like Chicago, Atlanta, Arizona, San Francisco, and Minnesota - all getting points on the road, and I like Green Bay, San Diego, Indy, and the Patriots (the 'road' team in England) all giving points on the road. One road team I do not like, you may remember from my rambling earlier in the week, is the Saints. Watch out for the Dolphins upset.

*For those of you reading 200 Miles From the Citi who may not know this, my new blog location (not so new anymore, I guess) is through a sort of parent group - http://www.worldsportsblogs.com/ - you may want to start coming to my site through there. There's some other stuff worth reading there on a variety of topics.

I SUPPOSE IT COULD BE WORSE....

Every time I want to wallow in my own misery with the Jets I have to remind myself that they're doing the right things...and once Mark Sanchez works through his "firsts", things will be OK. Really, things are on the upswing for the Jets. There are other teams that are not so lucky:

*Take the Tennessee Titans. Was I missing something huge here picking them to do well again this year? They're essentially the same team as last year's that piled up the best record in the league. Now they're 0-6...and coming off a 59-0 thrashing to the Patriots. And it's only going to get worse for them before it gets better.

(A positive note for Tennessee, though, is that they were part of the "best-looking game" of the season, as far as I'm concerned. I love the red/white Patriots uniforms, and those uniforms looked especially good on the field with the old Oilers' blue and white uniforms...and then with the snow background, they just looked even sharper. So congratulations on that, Titans.)

*Then there's the Washington Redskins. Seems like no matter how much money they spend, things aren't going to go their way under their current ownership. And I thought they were going to be good this year...they've now lost back-to-back games to the struggling Chiefs and Panthers...after barely getting by the Bucs and losing to the Lions. That's a rougher stretch than what the Jets have been going through...oh yeah...and the Redskins' quarterback of the future is not really panning out (hopefully the Jets aren't going to follow that script).

*The Rams and Buccaneers are in a downward spiral, sitting at 0-6 and not going anywhere anytime soon...and the aforementioned Chiefs, as well as the Browns, are lucky to have a win. Those teams are all far worse off than the Jets.

*Then there is a team like the Cowboys, who play well year after year, and are likely to make the playoffs again this year....but if you've watched them play, they won't win anything this year.

So I guess all I'm asking is for the Jets to take advantage of this time where I'm not going to be terribly upset by the growing pains...so that when they reach full maturity, I won't be disappointed year after year and I can finally enjoy some consistent winning football.

Speaking of winning football - the Saints looked good again beating the Giants on Sunday. About the only thing that keeps me from wanting to see them do well is the presence of Jeremy Shockey on that team. Otherwise, they seem a very likeable bunch....and they're really, really good.

Yes, Drew Brees continues to put the ball where his receivers can make plays. But I've NEVER seen a group of receivers that more consistently makes plays without dropping balls. They just haven't made mistakes yet this season - especially the two games I've watched them play extensively - against the Jets and Giants.

Now both teams may not be as good as advertised (the Jets are no better than their 3-3 record indicates, and the Giants are still good but did beat up on some bad teams...), but that doesn't matter when evaluating New Orleans.

They are the real deal - and if they keep this up, they'll be the Super Bowl champions.

BILLS 16, JETS 13 OT

It took almost an entire overtime period for the Jets to drop to 3-3 and officially be considered a .500 team.

But if you watched the game (which in one of my most desperate acts as a football fan I drove to New York to do), you saw early on that the Jets really are no better than a .500 team.

You may remember in the preseason that I said Mark Sanchez's fast start (48-yard touchdown on his first throw) was probably the worst thing that could happen to him. I also said the humbling game he had against the Ravens might turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. I forgot about that lesson as the Jets jumped out to a 3-0 start this year. And I take back what I said about his first preseason game - the 3-0 start to his career is THE worst thing that could have happened to Mark Sanchez.

What today's game showed me is that the Jets are far closer to the team that went 0-3 the past few weeks instead of the team that started the season 3-0. And Mark Sanchez, at this stage in his career, is more likely to throw 5 interceptions than throw, oh, I don't know....6 touchdowns.

The Bills are terrible. That assessment did not change after watching them play today. But the Jets are not too much better.

Because of their upcoming schedule, the Jets may continue to fool people into thinking they are better than they really are. They'll beat up on some teams that are worse than they are...and, as they showed today, they'll probably lose to a couple of those teams as well.

It's all part of the learning experience with a rookie quarterback...and a rookie coach. It's just unfortunate for them that they made people forget what comes along with rookies in those spots with such a fast start.

And unfortunate for me that I was one of the people who got caught up in the ride.

A CAUTIONARY TALE

There are all sorts of Jets seasons I could throw at you as evidence that I've been through this type of thing before.

A hot start followed by a disappointing collapse.

The Jets have written that book through the years...and I've devoured it cover-to-cover.

But 2009 seems different.

I've mentioned this before - I go into every new season optimistic. So those other years were extra disappointing to me when I went in thinking good things, had my expectations met, then exceeded, then shot down.

This season, I went in with my enthusiasm tempered. I accepted that it was a year of adjustment, with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach and coming off a lackluster year a year ago.

Then they earned my enthusiasm...they earned my optimism...starting out the year 3-0, then losing a tough game at New Orleans.

Like so many of these similar seasons of the past, this year might have taken a sharp turn towards disaster against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football (my brain has just recovered enough from the late night to reason this all out, incidentally).

But still, I get the feeling that 2009 is different.

Sunday brings the Buffalo Bills to town...and they are a disaster. They couldn't score against Cleveland, which by all rights should not have won a game this season. They got blown out by the same Miami Dolphins the Jets came within seven seconds of beating...or at least going to OT with. They are in a bad spot right now.

The old Jets...they lose this game in disappointing fashion.

The 2009 Jets - they should win this game, if they show the same kind of aggressive play they opened the season with.

And then the Jets are sitting at 4-2 with some winnable games to be played. Things could be looking up...

But, again, I'm cautious.

DOLPHINS 31, JETS 27

Well, that was unexpected.

I didn't think the Jets would lose to the Dolphins...but the Dolphins played a really great game.

They ran the Jets' defense ragged all game - a very tough defense looked tired all game.

Chad Henne looked good, but mostly because he had the time to make things happen. It's the same thing that allowed Miami to win last year - they have a very good offensive line.

It was nice to see Braylon Edwards make such a significant contribution right away. Hopefully it's because of a chip on his shoulder, and hopefully that chip stays all year.

The bottom line is the Jets' strategy, which we've seen all year, in which they don't turn Mark Sanchez loose at key moments when they're leading, came back to bite them tonight. We saw it when they started trailing - he can be trusted to throw the ball. He can help protect a lead...it doesn't have to be only the defense.

I think I'm getting old - Monday Night Football is too late for me these days.

At first I was surprised when I saw the schedule and saw that the Jets play the Dolphins again so quickly - just a few weeks from now. Now I'm really glad they get them back so soon...there's some hatred back in this Jets-Dolphins rivalry.

I know I'm glad Chad Pennington isn't playing - it makes it easier to hate the Dolphins. I want the Jets to get back on the field against them tomorrow.

I hope the Jets players feel the same way.

MIND WANDERINGS

A Sunday on which the Jets don't play allows my mind to wander. This is either a good thing for you because my mind touches on lots of topics and maybe one or two will catch your interest, or a bad thing for you because you have to read them all. Here we go:

*I didn't really think the Angels would sweep and when they trailed late I actually thought, "Here we go again with the Angels unable to close out the Sox." I hope they win it all.

*The bad thing about an Angels sweep is Don Orsillo is probably done calling games. I hope the nation got a taste of what New England has been able to hear for almost a decade now - just how good of a play-by-play man he is. He has also improved as the years have gone on to get to where he is now - he had a rough first year (replacing a local favorite in Sean McDonough), and I remember his second game in the bigs was a no-hitter (I can't remember if it was Nomo or Lowe...I think Nomo in Baltimore) and he was so nervous it affected his call of the game. I also need to make clear that my liking of Orsillo is heavily influenced by how nice he was to me when we met a couple of times in 2003, when I was working in TV news, and he was showing up for our morning show to be an analyst. He could have been a jerk like 90% of the TV people I know...and I wouldn't really have blamed him because things did not go his way that post-season...but he was awesome. I have a soft spot for him ever since.

*I also think Ron Darling has grown by leaps and bounds as an analyst. I thought he was very dry in his year with Washington (I think his first year in the booth), but he's come a long way since joining the Mets. The nation is getting a taste of him in the Yankees-Twins series (and in the one-game playoff, too - he must have wanted to slap Chip Caray in the head after his blown call of the lineout to left-double play which Caray called a base hit). Anyway, I can't say the same for Darling about him as a person as I did about Orsillo. I don't get the feeling he's as great a person. I read Darling's book, and he really comes off as not very nice, and unapologetic about it. If you're not coming across nicely in your own book, you're probably not very nice. Second time in recent years I've been entirely turned off of someone by their own book - Mike Greenberg was the other.

*I guess we have to start believing the Broncos are for real now, huh?

*I want Rex Ryan to celebrate on the field after wins like Josh McDaniels did on Sunday.

*Boy, did the Dodgers look like a different team this post-season. Well, not really a different team, but they looked like the team that started the season, not the one that ended it.

*I think the New York Giants are going to get a heavy dose of reality next week against the Saints - the first legit team they've played all season (and I'm including the Cowboys in that...what a joke they are). Should be a good game though.

*I know I've been talking a lot lately about Hall of Famer Gary Carter and his managing prospects, but I haven't mentioned a huge player in the upcoming managerial openings - Bobby Valentine. First of all, I don't really know who's looking for a manager at this point...but Bobby V.'ll bring some excitement to wherever that is.

*Just like I feel tonight's game with Miami is a game the Jets can't lose...there are others coming up on the 2009 schedule. Among them is the Raiders. The Giants made the Raiders look silly, but the Jets have had their struggles against Oakland...and they have to play out west. The old Jets would lose that game, or win by a field goal. I'm curious how these Jets will play.

*I'm ready for some football.

SUNDAY PAPER

This happens to me every October.

I start to get real day-dreamy as I watch the playoffs, wondering what it would be like if my team was in the playoffs every year, battling it out for a chance at a world championship.

There's just so much mediocrity in my teams it's hard to wrap your head around it. The Phillies, thanks to the Mets' collapses, have won three straight division titles. In my lifetime (I'm 31) the Mets have won three division titles.

There's no such thing as "get 'em next year" in my sports life. Only once (once!) have the Mets made the post-season in back-to-back years. (1999-2000) There were plenty of 'should haves' (1987, 2007, 2008, close calls in 1998 and 2001), but that doesn't mean anything.

It sometime boggles my mind to think about teams like the Red Sox and Yankees and the decades they have had. What would I do in that situation? Would I appreciate just how awesome that is? Or would I take it for granted?

Of course, this extends to football too. The Jets have done nothing in my lifetime. Sure, there's the occasional foray deep into the playoffs, and the occasional back-to-back playoff seasons (and at least lately there have been playoff appearances - for a while during my childhood I didn't think I'd see even that)...but there still hasn't been a sniff of a Super Bowl. (Or at least, those sniffs are few and far between - 1998, 2004...that's about it.)

I'm hopelessly optimistic though. I still dream, and every season's beginning to me is a chance for my team to win it all. It only feeds this (dis)illusion when the Jets get off to 3-1 starts and look good doing it.

So as October marches on and I watch teams that aren't the Mets carry out other people's dreams, I think about what may be some day for the Mets....some day that will challenge 1986 as the highlight of my sports life.

And all the while I'll be thinking about what could be this year for the Jets...and how I'd react if it ever actually happened.

**As a sidebar, in case you're wondering, I do root for the New York Rangers, and I did root for the Rangers in 1994, but hockey just isn't the same for me as baseball and football. And my college (Boston University) is the defending national champion in hockey, but I don't see that the same way, I guess because my affiliation with them only goes back to 1996...it still feels too new. The way they won, though, was super exciting for me...so again, it only makes me think how happy I would feel if the Mets or Jets ever won another championship.

**This is one of the times during the year when living in the greater Boston area is ultra-frustrating. Because of their provincial sports view, there is no real local outlet for national radio. So come playoff time, you can't catch a baseball game on the radio (except, of course, the local Red Sox broadcast). So Wednesday and Thursday I drove home from school without being able to listen to the playoff games. Drives me nuts. Am I wrong to say this only happens in Boston? Do you get the playoffs on the radio in your area? (Update...I did get the Saturday night game on the local station. So that means people around here would rather listen to the afternoon and weeknight blather instead of a playoff game during the week.)

**Some good stuff to come out of New York and Miami this week - I guess Rex Ryan and Channing Crowder made their peace after an off-season trading barbs. Crowder is right when he says people can let their emotions get the best of them and run their mouths off, but it shouldn't happen with a coach. Ryan is right when he says everything that comes out of his mouth is just excitement because he really does believe he has a good team. The other part of it was that Crowder said he curses out everyone on the field....especially Leon Washington. I guess the players hate each other from as far back as their college days when Washington was at Florida State and Crowder was at Florida. That'll be an interesting part of the game to watch tomorrow night.

**While we're on the subject of Monday Night Football, I'll make my Jets pick. This is such an important game for the Jets, because it's a game they have no business losing. If they lose, they're nothing more than the Buffalo Bills, who played teams like the Patriots and Saints tough before getting smoked last week by Miami. If the Jets are for real, they'll beat Miami Monday night. If they lose, they're no different than Jets teams of the past that have gotten off to fast starts. Of course, I've seen only evidence that makes me believe the former over the latter, so I say Jets 31, Dolphins 10. Please let them prove me right.

**My worst week of picking games so far this season came last week. I hit on only a couple of underdogs (Cleveland and Tampa), and lost the rest. So this week, at the risk of you actually reading this and thinking I know what I'm doing, I'll just observe some of the spreads, and reason out loud why I'm picking what I'm picking. I feel like, even though the Giants have been whooping these poorer teams, 15-and-a-half is a lot of points for Oakland. Especially with Manning not 100%. Maybe like a 13-0 Giants win this week. I don't know. They'll probably prove me wrong to the tune of 70-3. I like Atlanta in San Francisco a lot, with the Falcons getting 2-and-a-half - I feel like they'll take out their aggression over losing in New England on the 49ers. And I'm going with Washington getting 3-and-a-half in Carolina, with the idea that they have looked less bad than the Panthers...though don't get me wrong - both have looked pretty bad.

EARLY INDICATIONS

Three games in, your team can only be 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, or 0-3. Four possibilities, but the record could be terribly misleading. I'm here to set the....um, record....straight.

0-3 (...and going nowhere)

St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Miami, Tampa Bay - all of these teams have shown nothing this season. Quarterbacks are the key - which is the surprise with Kansas City, considering Matt Cassel's success last year. St. Louis has an injured Marc Bulger...again. Cleveland might win a few games when Eric Mangini makes up his mind about a quarterback to stick with, but Miami suffered a huge setback when Chad Pennington got hurt. Tampa Bay's last hope is a quarterback change.

0-3 (...not quite cooked yet)

Carolina, Tennessee - Carolina showed signs of life Monday night, but even then couldn't get a win. They might fight their way back to 8-8 or so, but they certainly won't be in the playoffs, as I predicted at the beginning of the year. (Though the '200 Miles From the Citi' Southern Bureau had Carolina pegged this year. Should have consulted them before putting out my picks.) Tennessee played well against the Jets after the first quarter, but they need to play well now for 13 straight full games to earn back some respect.

1-2 (...and they mean it)

Detroit, Oakland, Seattle, Jacksonville, Washington - I really wanted Washington to play well this year, but they haven't shown anything. Detroit has nothing to play for now that they have a win under their belt.

1-2 (...but we'll still be a force to be reckoned with)

Pittsburgh, Arizona, Houston, Buffalo - Buffalo and Houston could be in their own category - bad teams that will play you tough this year. They'll hurt somebody's season down the stretch. I fully expect last year's Super Bowl teams to right themselves and make it back to the playoffs.

2-1 (...but don't be fooled, we're not really that good)

Cincinnati - I know they could easily be 3-0 right now, but I'm not buying into them. I don't know how they beat Pittsburgh, but their winning ways won't last.

2-1 (...and on the way up)

New England, San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco, Green Bay, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia - Best crop of teams in any grouping, including the 3-0's. These teams could all be in the playoffs...and San Francisco's presence reminds me that I may regret saying I expect Arizona to rebound from their 1-2 start and make the post-season.

3-0 (...mostly with smoke and mirrors)

Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver - Ugh. How is this team 3-0? Anyone want to tell you momentum means nothing from week to week in the NFL, you point to this team. They lucked into a win in Week 1 and have ridden that wave. I'll be disgusted if they keep this up. Luckily for me, they won't.

(Due to the fact I wanted to emphasize Denver, I'm slipping Minnesota's presence to down here, as a sub-headline. Let's not forget Brett Favre's huge fade last year. Yes, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, unlike the Jets, but Favre won't be making last-second touchdown throws all season, and the Vikings will lose key games because of that.)

3-0 (...and here to stay)

New Orleans, Baltimore, Indianapolis, New York Giants, New York Jets - I know, this is where I lose credibility...but you tell me that Jets' defense won't keep them in games and win them a few the rest of the season. Same with Baltimore, which is now putting up points as well. New Orleans and Indianapolis are the opposite, winning with offense (and the Colts just know how to win). The Giants still aren't impressing me, but they're winning, and they look convincing doing it. Color me convinced.

DUCKS UPDATE: By a hair, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs knocked the Long Island Ducks out of the playoffs. After Long Island battled back from an 0-2 series deficit, they rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 9th in Game 5 to cut a 7-3 lead to 7-5, but a strikeout with the winning run at the plate ended Hall of Famer Gary Carter's season. Next stop, the majors?

OH CHAD

The good news, I guess, is that Chad Pennington could be in line for a record third Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2010.

But there's got to be serious doubt that Pennington will be able to come back at all from another season-ending shoulder injury suffered Sunday in San Diego.

The reports are that Pennington has a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder, the same shoulder he had surgery on in 2004 and 2005. The same reports say he is out the rest of this season. I'm guessing the next step, though I haven't heard anything yet, is that the rest of his career is in jeopardy.

For those of you who are not familiar with my past, you need to know that I think the world of Chad Pennington. So much so that last year he had me rooting for the Dolphins (I HATE the Dolphins) over the Jets so that he could make the playoffs again. I know he couldn't throw the deep ball, and I know he didn't play the greatest games of his career in the playoffs, but he was a winner with the Jets. He just couldn't stay healthy.

And that is still a problem.

This latest injury seems a bit much. I'm no expert, but when your career (a career which is already characterized by a weak arm) rests on your throwing shoulder, and that shoulder has already suffered three pretty serious traumas, I would think that would end said career. And I would hate to see it happen...but I would also hate to see Chad Pennington unable to do simple tasks like lift a fork to his mouth because he ruined his shoulder playing football.

My dad and I talk about Pennington often. He likes to say that one day Pennington will win a Super Bowl. I like to agree, because he is such a smart ballplayer, a great leader, and someone you want to see have that kind of success. He has all the traits that would make him a great coach after his playing days are over.

I want to think maybe he'll still get that Super Bowl win. Unfortunately, after this latest injury, it might have to be on the sidelines as a coach rather than on the field as a player.

SUNDAY PAPER

I'll admit, I was less than pleased all last week when the Jets talked and talked leading up to their game with the Patriots.

The truth is, when they do things like that, it makes them look even worse when they get beat.

But the fact that they were able to back up all that talk and win the game makes me kind of happy they did it.

I think I like a team with some swagger.

And I think I like that it starts with the coach.

This is certainly not the type of thing that would have happened under Eric Mangini. A player who said anything under Mangini would face a fine, I'm sure...or worse.

I suppose it could have happened when Herm Edwards was at the helm, but it didn't really seem to. That was the kind of team that let Herm do the talking and they just went out and played. And while it was fun to listen to Edwards most of the time, the team was never really what you'd call dominant. More of a by-the-skin-of-their-teeth team.

Enter Rex Ryan. He started the talking in the middle of the off-season, first targeting Bill Belichick (which is tremendously overblown, incidentally - tell me something he said that has been wrong. Of course he's not going to worship Belichick - he's out to beat him. He just said what others keep to themselves.), but don't forget that when the Jets play the Dolphins, Channing Crowder says he has a score to settle with the Jets coach dating back to an off-season war of words.

The team picked up on the chatter in Week 2, and I think I'm a little disappointed that it hasn't continued into Week 3.

Well it has, kind of. Bart Scott took to the airwaves this week to call out Randy Moss, who belittled some of the Jets' defensive performance. And the target wasn't Scott specifically - he was backing up his teammates.

Listen, I know the Jets are just 2-0. I know it's not like they are a threat to win the Super Bowl...yet. (I was talking to a Patriots friend of mine this week after the Jets-Pats game and he said, "I wouldn't get too excited about your team yet." I had to respond, "I'm a Jets fan. You don't have to tell me that.") But you have to get a little excited at the atmosphere around the team Rex Ryan has created.

They believe they can win. They'll talk about it and they'll back it up. Most importantly, they'll back each other up on and off the field.

There's a lot to like - and believe in - about that.

**All of the talk around Boston is who the Red Sox are going to start in Game 1 of the ALDS...not an 'if' but a 'when'. I know they're very close to clinching...but after what I've seen with the Mets the past couple of years it gives me pause to hear people talking about the playoffs as a sure thing when it's not locked up yet. It's like when the Mets were in the playoffs commercials MLB was airing last year through the summer. That turned embarrassing come late September. And then you watch Jon Lester take a line drive off the knee and you think, 'Maybe everyone should keep their mouth shut.' Or at least stop talking about the ALCS versus the Yankees and only focus on an ALDS.

**You may remember two weeks ago I (slightly accidentally) gave you the Bills getting big points against the Patriots. I forgot to pick an underdog last Sunday, but if I had I like to think I would have gone with the Cardinals to outright win getting points in Jacksonville (I had them and felt great about them in my picks pool). But I won't let another "would have" situation go by. This week, I notice there are quite a few home underdogs, which are always hard to pick against. I do not like the Lions or Rams, both getting points, nor do I like the Bengals or the Seahawks. I think all of those teams lose and fail to cover at home. I do like the Bucs to at least cover against the Giants and the Bills to at least cover against the Saints. I'm not sure either team wins, though. And then finally, I can't believe the Broncos are underdogs in Oakland. Is there any way they lose to the Raiders? I don't think either team is very good, and I have a hard time seeing Denver getting to 3-0, but I think they win again on Sunday.

**That reminds me - I think it's time to start figuring out who's for real and who's not some time this week I'll write about the legit teams with winning records (like the Falcons) and the frauds (Denver). Also, the hard-luck losing teams (like the Titans) and the flat-out bad teams (like the Rams).

**I know you're dying to know a little more about the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, opponent of Hall of Famer Gary Carter's Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League playoffs. In Game 1 of their series, the Ducks were beaten 1-0 by former major league pitchers John Halama and Mac Suzuki (the closer). The manager is Butch Hobson, which I'm sure resonates with the many Red Sox fans who read this blog.

**I was able to listen to the last couple of innings of Game 3 of the series on WNYG streaming over the internet and it was pretty excellent quality, all things considered. Surprised to hear that Gary Carter also coaches third base, but I guess it makes sense at that level. I guess I always assumed Buddy Harrelson would man third for Carter like he did for the 1980's Mets teams. Anyway, the Ducks pulled out an 8th inning rally to win Game 3 and stave off elimination in the best-of-five series. They trail the series 2 games to 1.

**Update: Forgot to make a Jets pick in my original posting...The Jets and Titans always play each other tight (in today's case, incidentally, it'll be Titans-Oilers - one of the AFL anniversary games, with the Jets as the Titans). I say Jets 23, Titans 20.

WHAT'S UP WITH TOM BRADY?

OK Jets fans...let's cool it with the "Brady Sucks" chants.

Tom Brady does not suck. Tom Brady is just playing below the significant bar he has set for himself to this point in his career. I know, it's much too wordy to chant at a game. But it's more true than "Brady Sucks".

At the very least, Brady sucks right now. The question is, why?

Here are the facts:

Game 1: 39-53 for 378 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Game 2: 23-47 for 216 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Going deeper than the facts, Brady only had as many yards against Buffalo as he did because they didn't run the ball and he completed short passes. And if it wasn't for the final five minutes of that game he would have shown no life at all.

Against the Jets, he should have gotten a win. All he had to do was complete one pass at any of five or six key moments in the game - and he overthrew or threw behind his receiver each time.

I'm hearing that the Jets' pressure was affecting his timing and that every throw was made a step sooner than he would have liked. But I don't buy it. Because there were times he was throwing to the sidelines when his receivers were going long, or vice versa. He was throwing over guys' heads. To be honest, I didn't think the Jets' pressure in Week 2 was all that great. He had plenty of time to let things unfold most of the game.

My wife was quick to a theory - "Remember he had the shoulder injury in the pre-season?" I do remember, and it's certainly possible that his shoulder is bothering him...many a lesser quarterback suffered through such injuries and never came back (Ken O'Brien anyone?). And of course, he's coming off major knee surgery. So he still may come around as he gets his legs under him.

But I'm not so sure I'm buying the injury thing either. Is it because he's hurt that Brady takes his sweet time coming on and off the field? Casually coming up to the line and letting delay of game penalties rack up? I don't really think so.

To sum up what I'm noticing I need to give you some background. Even as a Jets fan I've always liked Tom Brady. He was hard not to like. He always had an answer for the reporters, he played the game hard, he seemed like a nice guy.

The Brady I'm watching on the field right now looks like a punk.

He looks like he's slinking on and off the field. Really, he does. Watch him. He doesn't look like he's hustling. I know it's hard to tell sometimes with football players with all the padding and helmets and stuff...but he doesn't really look like he cares.

Then there was the interview he blew off after the Buffalo game. Tom Brady doesn't do that. He stops and answers the questions, or at least makes an effort to hear the reporter ask the question. He doesn't give an on-the-run "I can't hear anything you're saying." At least he doesn't do it when it's live TV and it's ESPN. Is it an off-the-field thing that's bothering him and made him wary of a reporter's on-the-spot question? He and his supermodel wife are expecting a baby, and then there was a lawsuit publicized Tuesday against their bodyguards for gunshots at the wedding. The problem here is that Tom Brady doesn't bring that type of stuff with him onto the field.

I know it's silly that I sound so concerned. As a Jets fan, part of me is enjoying watching this - it's been a long nine years. But the football fan in me misses watching a professional go about his job.

And it also makes me think how lucky the Jets would be if Mark Sanchez turns into the type of player I expect Tom Brady to be...on and off the field.

AROUND THE NFL: WEEK 1

My thoughts on some of the rest of the NFL weekend:

CHECKING IN WITH CHAD: You are not forgotten, Chad Pennington. Pennington had a typical Pennington day passing, at least in the positive stats category, in the Dolphins' 19-7 loss to the Falcons. Pennington was 21-29 for 176 yards (that's vintage Pennington) with a touchdown and interception each. But he also fumbled, making him responsible for 2 of the Dolphins' four costly turnovers. The numbers look OK, but it wasn't a great day for Chad.

WISHY-WASHINGTON: I swear the only time I've seen the Redskins move the ball well the past couple of years is when they're trailing in the final five minutes of a ballgame. That was when they looked the best against the Giants on Sunday, when Jason Campbell brought them to within six points (big back-door cover!) on a 17-yard TD pass to Chris Cooley. Otherwise the Redskins looked terrible against a Giants team that kind of dominated the game...but it's hard to judge because of how badly the Redskins played. I'm still not buying into the Giants a ton - but I think I may have miscalculted the Redskins. I thought they were better than they looked in Week 1.

COMEBACK: The Denver/Brandon Stokely play is the reason I never, if at all possible, leave a game before the final gun sounds. Rare that it's worth it, though. Also, let's not let that touchdown mask the fact that both the Broncos and the Bengals played a terrible ballgame offensively, and both are going nowhere this year.

MCRIBB: Just what Donovan McNabb needed - an injury to fuel speculation that he should take a backseat to Michael Vick when Vick's suspension is over. The worst part of it all was that it didn't have to happen - it came with McNabb taking on a defender as he entered the end zone when the game was already well in hand.

SPEAKING OF INJURIES: I always listen to at least one sports radio update on my way home from school to catch what I may have missed during the day, and usually the Monday after an NFL weekend has a juicy something. Today it was nothing less than shocking to hear that Brian Urlacher would be out the rest of the season. I watched most of the Sunday night game, and I didn't see him get hurt, but I knew he was hurt and I saw them cut to him on the sideline often during the game...and I'm just very surprised it was a season-ending injury. Bad news for the Bears.

MONDAY NIGHT: Speaking as someone who no longer has the DirecTV Sunday Ticket, I would totally deal with only 3 of the late Sunday games (4pm starts) to have two Monday night games...and one starting at 7pm. I love the 7pm Monday start.

PLAYOFF PICKS

You saw my picks for the regular season yesterday...today I present my playoff picks.

Not much for me to say about these, other than your guess is as good as mine.

Remember in the playoffs last year, the Falcons fumbled their opening possession in the second half, and the Cardinals never looked back? (If I remember correctly.) I have to think that's been sitting poorly in the Falcons' guts since then. It could have just as easily been them in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh last season. Might as well be them this year.

YOUR 2009 NFL STANDINGS

Like everyone else, I like to try my hand at the ol' NFL predictions, so here they are.

Warning: I don't know any more than you do.


A couple of clarifications:

-I would give these picks, especially the extremes (15-1 and 1-15, for example) a +/- 2 margin of error.

-Based on what I'm seeing elsewhere, I may have put too much stock in the Tennessee Titans, and too little stock in the New York Giants. But I don't get the love for the Giants - what makes them any different today than the team that fell apart at the end of last season? I'll stay with what I have.

-In the AFC North, it's not so much that I believe a tremendous amount in the Steelers and the Ravens, it's more that they have an easy schedule and the other two teams in that division are pretty bad.

-Tampa Bay is another one that I'm not feeling so great about my pick with...but who knows. It's the NFL...they probably will be terrible.

-I'm a bit surprised at how highly regarded the Houston Texans are in these pre-season publications. What am I missing there?

-Arizona might not be as good as I picked them to be, but I definitely don't think they'll fare as poorly as past Super Bowl losers. I definitely think they're the best team in their division, hands-down. I don't expect a Super Bowl run, but I do expect a division title.

-You'll notice I played it conservatively with the Jets. Still, I ended up with 9-7. They do have a tougher schedule this year, so it was easier to not pick them every week...but it was still a struggle. I was happy to read this week's Sports Illustrated, though, and the 'Point After' section, where Phil Taylor writes about unsuccessful predictions...and the chances of the Jets winning the Super Bowl. I'll gladly let him make the prediction instead of me if it helps the karma.

Tomorrow I'll play out my playoffs for you.

SANCHEZ STILL LOOKS GOOD

I just finished watching the NFL Network's rebroadcast of the Jets-Giants preseason game - the first for the Jets since Mark Sanchez was named the starter.

The impression I came away with after watching Sanchez's performance: The Jets will be OK.

I'm not saying that you can tell everything from the preseason, but 13-20, 149 yards, 1 touchdown will make you feel good about your rookie quarterback.

When I first saw the numbers, I was excited, but I wanted to hold full judgment until I saw more than just the ESPN highlights (which basically consisted of the touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey, pictured at right).

There was another highlight-reel play which I hadn't seen, and it came earlier on the same drive as the Stuckey touchdown. And it made me realize a disturbing trend that is worth keeping an eye on.

It's the same problem that plagued Chad Pennington in his final years in New York, caused Kellen Clemens so many problems in his brief time as Jets starter, and threatens what is looking like a promising career for Sanchez.

He doesn't have much time to throw.

Both the Stuckey touchdown and the pass earlier in the drive, also to Stuckey, were thrown by Sanchez as he avoided a rush. He was on the run, if I remember correctly, when he threw his touchdown to Leon Washington against the Ravens last week. Rarely have I seeen Sanchez throw a pass when he has had time to get set in the pocket (though I have seen it, and he looks fine, no surprise, in those situations).

Listen, it's preseason. Just as it's too early to tell if Sanchez will be a star because of his preseason numbers, it's too early to tell if the offensive line will be a disaster. But it's certainly not something to be thrilled about - Sanchez has taken more than his share of hits in August.

The third preseason game, as I'm sure you're well aware by now, is the dress rehearsal. The starters will see very limited action in the fourth exhibition game, so Sanchez likely won't take a hit Thursday night against the Eagles (and won't it be nice that the media focus will be on the Eagles and Michael Vick and not the Jets and Sanchez that night). But he will likely take many hits in his first few regular season starts, unless the O-line gets their act together fast.