Payback

What a difference Wes Welker makes. The Slot Machine, who was so dearly missed during the Jets' Week 2 win in the Meadowlands, came up huge for the Patriots in a crucial division game this afternoon. Now that the game has gone final, and with the Patriots winning so handily, it is easy to forget just how much was on the line today. The Jets, who have been in an absolute tailspin since their hot start, had a chance to turn it all around. A win would've brought them to .500; restored the team's shattered confidence; made a statement to the league; and put them one game behind the Patriots in the division, both in terms of overall record and division record.

And don't think the players and coaches didn't know it. After their home loss to the Jaguars last week, Mark Sanchize reminded us that there was "no more wiggle room," and the local press billed it as the team's last hope. A different outcome yesterday would have profoundly affected both teams' seasons.

But the Jets didn't show up. Their league-best running game produced just 104 yards, 38 of which came on their final drive of the game, in what was effectively garbage time. Their vaunted defense surrendered 410 yards and allowed the Patriots to possess the ball for nearly 40 minutes. But no shortcoming was as significant as that of Sanchez, who produced one of the worst games of his rocky season, throwing 4 interceptions, and losing a fumble.

But even just the turnovers, which alone were probably enough to cost the Jets any chance at the game, don't tell the story of just how far Sanchez has fallen. The young stud, who at the start of the season was drawing comparisons to Namath, is now one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league. He has thrown 16 INTs in 10 games, trailing only Jay Cutler for most in the League. And he's completing just 52% of his passes, ranking him just behind Kerry Collins and just ahead of JaMarcus Russell, both of whom have been benched for poor performance. In fact, Sanchez's accuracy and 61.1 passer rating is the worst in the league for anyone currently with a starting job.

And the Jets are not making up for it. Now 4-6 overall and 1-4 in the AFC East, they've effectively put their season on ice. While not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the Jets would need a series of miracles to climb back into it, and appear to have given up hope.

The Patriots, on the other, showed some resolve, bouncing back from last week's heartbreaking loss in Indianapolis, and exacting revenge for the events of Week 2, chronicled in these pages. Brady was his usual hall-of-fame self, throwing another 300 yard game and connecting with Randy Moss for a touchdown pass. Welker--of course--had a monster game, catching 15 passes for 192 yards, and even the maligned Laurence Maroney, with two TD runs, came up big.

Now, they're on to perhaps the season's toughest test, attempting to tackle the unbeaten Saints in New Orleans. It will be a tough game, but they'll go into this key week of practice coming off a crucial win.

MILES:

Well, at least Wes Welker has a terrible nickname. I was beginning to think the man was without fault, or weakness. He was great yesterday, finding holes in the Jets' defense whenever the Pats needed a big play, or just wanted to throw to him, for that matter. Rex Ryan and his vaunted defense just didn't have an answer for him, which struck me as odd because Darrelle Revis was more than holding his own against Randy Moss. Someone should have been free to shadow Welker. No one did. Or could. 

The story of this game, though, was the horrendous play of Mark Sanchez. With five turnovers (4 INTs, 1 fumble), Sanchez, the cornerstone of the franchise, handed the Patriots 17 points. That just can't happen. I'm going to have to practice some patience with the 23-year-old, but I can't pretend he's not maddeningly frustrating. Statistically, he's a total mess; while emotionally, he's about as sturdy as Kevin Garnett's surgically repaired right knee. 

Still, I'm not about to write him off. The young stud, as you like to call him, is still very much a work in progress, as is, evidently, the entire Jets team. Sanchez does have a ton of talent; he just has to learn how to take care of the football. If he can do that, everything else, I hope, should fall into place. It probably won't be this season, but I remain optimistic about his future, despite his present struggles. 

BEN:

No, I wouldn't write him off either, and while I think he's potentially got a bright future, there is also plenty of cause for concern. The "aw shucks, I'm just a rich handsome quarterback from a powerhouse school" routine worked while things were rosy, but in losses, Sanchez has also occasionally been petulant and easily rattled. These may very well be rookie qualities, and maybe, like Peyton Manning, he'll outgrow them. On the other hand, there are players with all the talent who never mature enough to be effective. Where are you now, Ryan Leaf? How's that starting job treating you, Matt Leinart? Are you glad you got your trade, Jay Cutler?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Sanchez is a bust--it's much, much too early to make a call like that. But his future is far from decided; and at some point the growing pains are going to have to stop.

One last thing: I think your read of the Revis/Moss battle is a little stingy. I'll admit Revis did a great job, but one reason Welker was open so much is that Kerry Rhodes was very often helping over the top on Moss. (In fact, on Welker's longest reception of the day, three of the team's four DBs converged on Moss, allowing the little man to get his release.) And, while Revis was highly effective, he STILL surrendered five catches and a touchdown, and if not for a Brady overthrow, would've surrendered a 60-yard bomb for a second score.

I won't overstate the case--he's an elite corner, and he kept Moss at bay for most of the day, no mean feat. But I think your version of the events is a bit revisionist, and on this blog, we must speak our minds.

By the way, can I take a straw poll of you readers on whether "The Slot Machine" is terrible? Better or worse than "Sanchize"? Anyone? Come on, it's cheeky! He's small and amusing!

MILES:

You seem quite taken with Senor Sanchez's looks. Maybe if he looked more like, say, Eli Manning, you'd be better inclined to cut the kid some slack. Eli, if you remember correctly, got off to a terrible start in New York (1-7 in his first eight starts, with 9 INTs and a 55.1 quarterback rating) before wining a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. 

Sanchez will never be confused with Brady or Peyton, but he will be fine. It's just going to take some time. 

As for the Revis-Moss debate, I'm not a revisionist. Five catches for 34 yards is hardly vintage Moss; reads more like a Jericho Cotchery line to me. On Welker's longest catch, four DBs went to jam both Moss and Welker at the line of scrimmage, according to reporters who understand these things better than I. They all missed Welker, and either Revis or, I think, Eric Smith (possibly Kerry Rhodes) didn't cover over top. The Jets just blew the coverage; they weren't trying to triple Moss. 

Give me a break, though. Revis is one of the few Jets I don't have to worry about. Don't try to take that away from me. In return, I'm willing to concede that "Sanchize" is a terrible nickname. I just think Welker deserves a better nickname than Slot Machine.