I watched the New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins game with two hardcore Jets fans.  Most Jets fans are self-loathing, reactionary and generally ready to claim the sky is falling at any given moment (actually, they sound a lot like myself)  and these two are no different.  When coaches, GM’s and T.V. pundits talk abut “changing the culture” of a franchise this is exactly what they mean.  Taking a team that is use to poor coaching, horrible injuries and a worse case scenario mentality and teaching them how to win.  How to be confident that the slightest bump in the road is just a bump and not a giant flaming pit with fire breathing dragons.  That was Rex Ryans undertaking.  To change the losing culture of the Jets franchise.

Ryan sure made everyone a believer quickly.  His speeches were inspiring, his attitude was brash and everyone ate it up.  Then in April the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez.  “Sanchize”, the face of the franchise, the man whose number six was quickly going to make everyone forget about that guy who wore number four.  Jets fans were amped for the coming season.

The Jets Week 1 drubbing of the Texans further cemented the legacy of Sanchez and Ryan.  Jet fans were ready to put both in the hall of fame.  Then in Week 2 the Jets played their hated nemesis the New England Patriots who all of a sudden seemed very vulnerable.  Sanchez wasn’t superhuman but was very effective and the Jets D once again stymied their opponent.  2-0 sitting on top of the AFC East alone, life was good.  Week 3 brought about another challenge in a very tough Titans team.  Though at time struggling the Jets and their Defense made big time plays when they most needed them and another W was added onto their win total.  3-0, in control of the AFC East with the next Joe Cool at QB and the best defensive coach in the NFL running the ship.  Week 4 brought a game that Jets fans knew they could afford to lose.  On the road and against the NFL’s most explosive offense even the most optimistic Jet fan knew they were an underdog.  Lose they did but no one overreacted.  They D held strong but Sanchez looked like a rookie.  It was bound to happen.  The good news was the Jets had an easy stretch of games coming up.  Then the Edwards trade happened.  The Jets got their big play WR in Braylon Edwards they so desperately needed for spare parts.  He was going to be the icing on the cake.  He was going to take the Jets to the promise land.  3-1, with Sanchize, Ryan and Edwards?  With games against the Dolphins, Bills, Raiders, Dolphins and Jacksonville coming up?  Jets fans expected to be 8-1 heading into their Week 11 match up with New England.

But something funny happened along the way to 8-1…

The Jets ran into a slumping Miami team that was a terrible match up for them.   Not to beat it into your skull, as I have wrote a million times this year, the way you beat a blitzing downhill defense like the Jets is with misdirection.  Counters, traps, pitches, draws, screens, flats, slants…basically everything the Dolphins do well.  The Wildcat adds a wrinkle that’s specifically designed to keep aggressive defenses on their toes.

No Jet fan wanted to believe the Dolphins were a tough match up mainly because the Ravens stomped the Dolphins twice last year.  Most impressively holding them to 9 points and 276 yards in their playoff match up.

“But the Ravens stomped the Dolphins” my friend Dave said with a confidence that borderlined on arrogant.  I guess Rex Ryans message has gotten through.

The problem is the ‘09 Jets aren’t the ‘08 Ravens.  They never were.  Sorry Jet fans, but the media has relentlessly bashed you over the head with this comparison till you took it at face value.  Davis Harris? Yea, he’s like Ray Lewis in his prime!

Let’s compare:

‘08R Ravens                                           ‘09 Jets

LDE Trevor Pryce                             Shuan Ellis

NT Justin Bannan                             Kris Jenkins

RDE Haloti Ngata                             Marques Douglas
Kris Jenkins is the big difference but overall I favor the ‘08 Ravens D-Line.  Ngata is easily one of the most underrated player in the NFL and Trevor Pryce has quietly been resurgent in Baltimore.  Don’t forget the Douglas, who starts for the Jets, was a rotational player for the Ravens last year.  The ‘08 Ravens D-Line was much, much deeper.

LOLB Jarret Johnson                  Bryan Thomas

ILB Bart Scott                                Bart Scott

ILB Ray Lewis                               David Harris

ROLB Terrell Suggs                    Calvin Pace/Vernon Gholston

Bart Scott has been excellent for the Jets but if your going to tell me the unit on the right is better then the one on the left I’m going to tell you you’re crazy.  Let’s call Johnson/Thomas a wash (though I’d rather have Johnson.)  Scott and Scott cancel each other out.  That leaves Lewis V. Harris and Suggs V Pace/Gholston.  Eeek.  Pace is coming back from suspension and clearly isn’t in football shape.  Even at his peek his isn’t out Suggs level.  And Gholston who everyone thought was going to be the next Suggs shouldn’t even be on the field right now.  He gets railroaded every play he’s in (see Williams, Ricky) and is a total liability in coverage.   As for Harris and Lewis I continue to contend that Harris is a poor fit in the Jets defense.  He’s a great thumper but he’s strictly a down hill player.  He’s a liability in passing situations and isn’t a great blitzer. Ray Lewis, even at 34, he is not.  He’s much closer to Kendrell Bell.

CB Samari Rolle                      Darelle Revis

CB Chris McAlister                Lito Sheppard

CB Fabain Washington        Donald Strickland

FS Ed Reed                               Kerry Rhodes

SS Jim Leonhard                   Jim Leonhard

The Jets corner are light years ahead of the Ravens.  I’ll give you that.  However, Ed Reed is still still Ed Reed and Kerry Rhodes while very good isn’t the same type of ball hawking play maker.

A defense, especially a 3-4 blitz machine, is built on it’s front seven not it’s back four.  The ‘08 Ravens defense is light years ahead of the ‘09 Jets.

Yes the Jets got off to a hot start but it wasn’t without it’s share of mistakes.  Everyone counts the same but it doesn’t mean every win IS the same.  If the Jets had won the Dolphins game it would have been easy to excuse Sanchez’s inaccuracy or Ryans non use of time outs.  Just like:

• It’s easy to forget how terrible the Texans offensive play calling was in Week 1.
• It’s easy to forget Wes Welker was inactive Week 2.
• It’s easy to forget that Kerry Collins looked like Joe Montana for parts of Week 3.

Don’t misinterpret the tone of this piece.  I’m not telling Jets fans to jump off the ledge, I’m just telling them to lower there expectations (that were unreasonably high to begin with.)

This is a team with a rookie head coach, a rookie QB and not much depth on either side of the ball.  Since when is that a formula for success?  Take a step back and think rationally.  You have a great coach, an aggressive defense, a legit play making WR and a QB that’s getting better every game.  The future is bright, but the future might not be right now.