New York Sports

By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Senior Sports Producer
NEW YORK (CBS) ― Oh my God Thursday can't come fast enough.

The Jets proved Sunday they are as dangerous offensively as any team in the league. They are as opportunistic defensively as anyone. They have a killer instinct. They know how to beat the tar out of teams they should beat.

More than anything else, they are putting to bed any notion that they can't rise to the occasion and kick to the curb all the horror and dread that has followed this franchise around since 1969.

Sunday's 47-3 thrashing of St. Louis set the stage for the game of the year for Jets fans everywhere. Currently 6-3 and winners of three straight and four of five, Gang Green will have a short week of practice before heading to New England on Thursday for a chance to take the outright AFC East lead.

The NFL Network, which will be broadcasting the game, must be drooling right now.

To the detractors who think the Jets simply beat up on a bad team on Sunday, and really haven't proven they are for real yet, you will find out everything you need to know over the next two weeks. Following their game against the Patriots (6-3), the Jets travel to unbeaten Tennessee.

Prior to Sunday the thought was the Jets had to beat St. Louis and then hopefully would get one win in the next two weeks and take a 7-4 record into their Nov. 30 home game against Denver.

Now, though, the Jets and their fans have to be thinking bigger. They have to start focusing squarely on winning the division and gaining a home game in the playoffs. The stakes have gone up and now the Jets must play like the front-runners they have become.

Earlier this week, wcbstv.com graded the Jets' first half. Ironically, most of the players who were criticized for their inconsistencies over the first eight games, showed up in a big way on Sunday against the Rams.

Safety Kerry Rhodes, who had a very lackluster first half, started the stretch run with a bang, recording and an interception and a fumble recovery on Sunday.

Rookie tight end Dustin Keller had his best game as a pro, registering six receptions, 107 yards and a TD.

Jay Feely was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, including crushing a career-long 55-yarder as the second quarter ended.

Put it this way: the Jets absolutely destroyed the Rams with Brett Favre throwing for a pedestrian 167 yards and receivers Laveraneus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery combining for two catches and 32 yards.

Thomas Jones, the offensive line and a ball-hawking defense powered the Jets to 40 first-half points, one off the franchise record set in 1985. The 41-point victory was the largest in franchise history.

Jones, who came into the game second in the AFC in rushing, finished with 149 yards and three touchdowns. The defense forced five turnovers, including Calvin Pace's 48-yard fumble return for touchdown in the first quarter.

And the list of this day's green superlatives goes on and on.

Now comes the $1 million question: Can the Jets beat the Patriots when it matters?

The Jets are, arguably, as good if not better than the Pats at many of the key positions. They have a better running game, the better quarterback and the better run defense.

We'll soon see if they have the bigger heart.

The 19-10 loss to the Pats back in Week 2 was extremely disappointing. Favre looked old and lost and the Jets' soon-to-be vaunted run D got ripped apart in the second half by, of all people, LaMont Jordan.

Favre doesn't have an excuse anymore, the run-stoppers, led by big and scary Kris Jenkins, are playing like men possessed and the Jet running game is cooking right now.

In other words, nothing short of a win Thursday is acceptable.

The Jets, for the first time in a long while, seem to understand that as well.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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