Jets vs. Patriots: Are the Jets Really That Bad?

Rex Ryan got a call from his bank this morning.

Seems his mouth wrote a check his players couldn't cash Monday night in Foxborough.

He couldn't take the call—he was being prepped for day surgery to remove his sizable foot from deep in his mouth.

This one was supposed to be a classic, instead, it was a Monday Night Butt-Whuppin.

Even Rex admits that.

"I mean, humiliating? For one night, shoot, I'll fight tomorrow. I'll guarantee you that," said the portly one who was the main witness to the dismantling of his defense by Tom Brady, who is virtually unbeatable at home. His P-men are now 10-2, tops in the AFC and equal to the Atlanta Falcons over in the NFC.

Are the Jets as bad as they looked in that 45-3 debacle? Overall, no. But for one night, they were pretty bad. But even Brady knows the J-E-T-S have a load of talent and won't let this one define their season.

"They have great players, corners, linebackers. It was just our night," Brady pointed out after he passed for four touchdowns and 326 yards.

It was all New England's night. This one was over in 15 minutes when the Patriots dashed to that 17-0 lead, then it grew to 24-3 at the half and most of the nation that anticipated a classic football game headed for bed.

No, the Jets aren't that bad. On this night, the Patriots were that good and they've been good at home all year. They're 6-0. But again, as Brady pointed out, "That's a damn good team. We just executed tonight."

It was a merciful execution. No tough decisions for Ryan to make. His toughest task was to shake Bill Belichick's hand afterward, the man with the butt that Ryan proclaimed he'd kick.

"I came in here to kick his butt and he kicked mine," Ryan admitted.

Are the Jets that bad? No, but Brady had this intelligence leak: "We saw some certain things we took advantage of..."

Leave it to Brady and Belichick to see some things and take advantage of them. It's not like the Jets are alone in this. It's happened to others as well.

But the fact of life in the NFL season is that one win or one loss does not a season make.

The month of December is, however, that critical time to mount a charge to get all phases of the game working toward a playoff run.

Both teams have similar situations in their remaining four games.

The Patriots go to Chicago, then home against Green Bay, at Buffalo and home against Miami. Two tough games and two, well, not so tough games.

The Jets should get themselves dusted off from this one in a hurry—they host Miami on Sunday, the team to play to get rid of what ails you. Then Rex and his boys play at Pittsburgh, at Chicago and close at home against Buffalo. Same as the P-men, two tough games and two, well, not so tough games.

The Jets most likely will put this one behind them. It was one of those nights. It was a night when there was so much hype, it perhaps couldn't, and in this case, didn't live up to it.

"We don't listen to the hype. I don't think we ever have," Brady said. "We really take after our coach and he says 'When you win, say little. When you lose, say less.'"

Smart fella, that Tom Brady.

Now the Jets need to sound like their coach.

They need to get ready to fight on Sunday.