Jets Emerge From Bye to Face Jaguars

Mark Sanchez says the Jets are better than their 4-4 record, which "doesn’t show the type of players we have, the kind of people we have in this locker room and the kind of coaching we have.” Bill Parcells, who said, "You are what your record says you are," would beg to differ. That said, the Jets did outplay the Dolphins despite losing the game on special teams. They also need only a win and a Patriots loss in Indianapolis to play for first place in the AFC East when they visit Foxborough next week. The team may have lost the luster it had after a 3-0 start turned into a .500 record, but it isn't dead in the water yet.

They welcome the Jaguars, a team that has gotten to 4-4 much more quietly than the Jets have. They have running back Maurice Jones-Drew and wideout Mike Sims-Walker, perhaps the best hyphenated-name duo in the league. The Jets' heavy blitzing could neutralize Jones-Drew out of the backfield. But will the loss of Kris Jenkins continue to hurt them in the ground game? Darrelle Revis can shut down anyone, and that includes Sims-Walker. Besides, he has East Orange, N.J., native David Garrard throwing him the ball. That doesn't always work out well.

The Jets have the tools to win on both sides of the ball, but as they showed in the Miami game two weeks ago, that doesn't guarantee anything. The Jets aren't dead yet, but if they lose this game, they may as well be.