Grounded

I’m not terribly upset about Mark Sanchez’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He’s a rookie. The Saints are a playoff-caliber team. The Super Dome is a hostile environment, and the Saints D is better than advertised. Everybody predicted Sanchez would implode sooner or later, and Sanchez, God bless him, did his best to oblige. Going forward, though, he would do well to wrap his head around this aspect of the game: sometimes an incomplete pass is your best option. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

Still, as bad as Sanchez was, the Jets defense was just as good. They are, without question, a legitimate unit, ranking in the top 10 in passing yards (6th), total yards (5) and points allowed per game (3). And Darrelle Revis is as good as the game. He and the rest of the defense held Drew Brees to 190 yards, his second so-so outing in as many weeks. They had two fourth-down stops, including a solid goal-line stance, and if not for Kris Jenkins’ false start on fourth-and-1, would have been in a position for a third. If not for Pierre Thomas, the Jets would have held the Saints vaunted offense to zero touchdowns. An impressive showing on an otherwise forgettable day.

All in all, I like where the Jets sit. Four games into the season, they are 3-1 and in first place in the AFC East. In the coming weeks, they face Miami, Oakland, Buffalo and Miami again before their bye in week 9. Is 6-2 or even 7-1 out the question? I don't think so, especially with this defense.