New York Jets Fail the Final: Mid-Semesters Appeared Against the Colts

The Jets' tale was one of THREE seasons.

In the all too brief first season, the Jets got off to a roaring 3-0 start.

In the second season, the team went a dismal 1-6.

And in the third season, Gang Green went 5-1.

It's basically a tale of two teams: one that compiled a record of 8-1 in the first and third seasons. The other posted a nearly reverse score. All for a composite 9-7.

The problem was, the "bad" Jets showed up for the conference game.

That was the team whose vaunted DEFENSE gave up 24-31 points in five of the six "midterm" losses. Surprisingly, the offense managed to come within five points in three of those five games, almost snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

And keeping the Jets' "sabermetrics" close to that of other, better teams.

In the remaining two of those five games, the Jets never had a chance.

On the other hand, there was the overtime mid-term game against the Buffalo Bills (13-16) and the (7-10) late-season game against the Atlanta Falcons, where the defense allowed no more than 13 points (in regulation), and the offense let the team down.

Mark Sanchez gets full credit for the 17 points that the Jets managed to score against the Colts, and before the end of the second quarter. Given the Jets' "late season" defense, that would have been enough to win.

But the "mid-termers" were on the field.

And Peyton Manning, being Peyton Manning, managed to crank out 30 points against those Jets. And unlike the majority of their other large losses, the Jets' offense couldn't score enough to cover the spread this time.

I had earlier pegged the chances of the Colts covering the spread at one in eight. After having given more thought to the "bad" Jets versus "good' Colts, I would today estimate the chances at one in four; still less than even money, but no longer "long" odds.

No rookie quarterback has gone to the Superbowl, and only a handful got as far as Sanchez. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger couldn't do it his first year either.

But he did it the second.

That's because a quarterback has to step up, like Manning, when the defense lets him down. He won't, all the time, of course, but he will often enough to matter. Sanchez didn't do that his first season, accounting for the five narrow losses.

But give him time, and he will.

Look for a rematch between Sanchez and Manning down the line. Sanchez will get better. Manning—who's at the top of his game—will not.

Or look for a match between the "new Roethlisberger" (Sanchez) and the original one.