Jets vs. Patriots Preview

It may not be the Super Bowl, but it looms almost as large. It is hard to put so much significance on a game that occurs in the middle of the season, but when it is Jets versus Patriots and first place is on the line, it is hard not to get the sense that this is like a championship game.

The winner of this game will be 7-3 and will be well on its way to winning the log jammed AFC East and will have an inside track to the AFC's number two seed; a seed that will give that team a week off during the playoffs.

In one corner stands Bill Belichick, a man who commands respect and a lot of hatred from his opponents. Yes, he is a genuis as a coach, just look at the job he has done this year without the services of his three-time-Super Bowl winning quarterback, Tom Brady, but Belichick's hatred of losing makes him look a sore loser.

Observe at how he has treated Jets coach Eric Mangini, who worked for Belichick for years. The two haven't spoken in even more years; they never acknowledge each other during pregame and brusquely shake hands without looking at each other at the end of a game. All of this because Belichick didn't want Mangini to go to the Jets three years ago. Now, they square off for the right to be the best in their division.

The other story line is the revamped Jets. They spent $140 million in the off-season to get this orgainization on a winning track. The additions of Kris Jenkins and Calvin Pace have given the Jets a new dimension on defense. For the first time in years, the corps harrass opposing quarterbacks and has yet to yield a 100 yard game on the ground. It is this group that will determine who wins Thursday's game. If the Jets defense can stop running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis and pressure quarterback Matt Cassell, there is no reason to believe the Jets will not win.

Then there is Brett Favre. The Jets brought Favre in for this game. He is known for magical moments, like the one he spun in Super Bowl XXXI against the Patriots, or, more recently, last year's overtime win in Denver on a Monday night. Favre lives for these moments that earned him the nickname as a gunslinger. If Favre doesn't turn the ball over and proceeds to rip apart a Patriots defense that has shown signs of age this year, the Jets should prevail.

But, one never knows with the Jets. The Patriots have won 13 of their last 15 against Jets teams since the 2001 season. The only times the Jets were victorious against the Patriots in this stretch were two victories in Foxboro in 2002 and 2006. The Jets made the playoffs in both of those seasons. It will not be easy for the Jets ... it never is, even if they have a better team on paper than the Patriots.

If the Jets need extra motivation, they should look across the sideline to see Tom Brady in street clothes and to remember that this is their chance, their time, their opportunity to accomplish the ulimate goal.

PREDICTION:

JETS 24, PATRIOTS 21.