Inside The Jets

By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Senior Sports Producer
NEW YORK (CBS) ― What the Jets did Sunday in Oakland was historic on many levels, but if anyone -- and I mean anyone -- gets too giddy over it I will be paying you a visit with a sledgehammer.

And make no mistake, I will slam home the fact that this was just one win ... over probably the most dysfunctional franchise currently in sports.

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All right, glass half empty nonsense aside, there was just one negative to come out of the 38-0 win, which just happens to be the worst home shutout loss in the Raiders' 50-year history. What happened to Leon Washington in the first quarter was a crying shame, but if you believe that everything happens for a reason -- which I most certainly do not but will play along for my own selfish reasons -- the injury opened the door to the future.

You saw Shonn Greene. The kid is a beast and now, with a one-two punch of Thomas Jones and the rookie wrecking ball out of Iowa picking their way through an offensive line that has finally come together, the Jets appear to have an offense. Add Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith back into the mix at some point and -- dare I say it -- the Jets could be balanced offensively for the second-half run.

I'm not going to lie. If you've ever had even a shread of optimism about this team, or have been saving up the karma points for a serious cash in, you have every right to be absolutely giddy about Greene. Here is a guy who can one day win a rushing title. He appears to be, as I Tweeted last night, a combination of Frank Gore and Larry Johnson. He hits the line with a head of steam and is every bit the type of running back who can pull away from a defense that Jones isn't anymore and Jet-era Curtis Martin never really was.

Greene went for 144 yards and two TDs on Sunday, while Jones finished with a workmanlike 121 yards on 26 carries and a score.

Having a running game that is among the best in the NFL is something we can all be excited about because, first and foremost, if the Jets have the ball and control the clock bad things cannot happen on defense, and second, this running game will mask many of Mark Sanchez's faults.

Sanchez was economical on Sunday -- just 9-of-15 for 143 yards -- but did not turn the ball over. He showed once again he can throw a really accurate deep ball with the 35-yard TD pass to David Clowney, who now gives the Jets a really solid receiving corps provided Cotchery comes back fully healed from his hamstring injury.

Sanchez did some nice things, but when you run for 316 yards -- the Jets are the only team in the last 34 years to run for at least a perfect bowling score in successive weeks -- the sky's the limit.

Now, the naysayer's obvious point would be, well, the Jets did all this rushing damage against Buffalo and Oakland, who have a combined five wins and are 32nd and 30th, respectively, against the run. But I say, you have to start somewhere and if the schedule says you're playing a patsy, you pound that patsy.

It's what good teams do.

Switching gears, I am not going to get too crazy about the defensive effort. The Jets frustrated horrible JaMarcus Russell into three first-half turnovers before he got the boot and Bruce Gradkowski is, well, Bruce Gradkowski, so don't go overboard with any thoughts that the Jets' defense is back or that Rex Ryan has fixed all the problems.

He hasn't. The test will come against Miami and that stupid "Wildcat" offense next week.

And while I'm at it, say this about the Dolphins: You looked pretty Jet-like blowing a 24-3 lead in losing to the Saints on Sunday. Yes, I realize the Saints are elite, but if you are so good, how do you blow a 21-point lead at home in front of Marc Anthony, J-Lo and all those other folks?

If the Jets really want to impress their fans heading into the Week 9 bye, they have to go out and beat the hell out of the Dolphins at the Meadowlands. There's really nothing else to say on this issue. You want to show that the Same Old Jets aren't really the team we've seen through seven games? Fine. Get to 5-3.

Right now the Jets are in a decent position to make the playoffs. I am not ruling out winning the division, but let's face it. New England is the better team. The Jets' losses to Miami and Buffalo probably sank that ship.

But there's no reason this team can't be a wildcard team. The Jets are 4-2 against the AFC, with a win over 4-3 Houston, and, wouldn't you know it, the Jets and Texans are currently "tied" for the final playoff berth in the AFC.

Again, this is all very premature. Get to 5-3. Get the wounded back. Continue to make up for the losses of Kris Jenkins and Washington.

Then we'll talk seriously.

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