NFL: Will the Jets Ever Be a Better Team Than the Patriots?

The New York Jets have improved mightily over the past two seasons. Since ending the days of Eric Mangini as head coach and starting over with Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez at quarterback, the team has come as close to the Super Bowl as possible.

In both 2009 and 2010, the Jets made a run to the AFC Championship game, doing so by winning two road games before falling short. One would think that the Jets should have success for a long time because of their young quarterback, solid coach and strong core.

It's never a guarantee that any team will return to the conference title game, though, and that's what has made these past two seasons a huge disappointment. Even more so in 2010 because the Jets were actually good rather than backing in the previous season.

They have a coach who's guaranteed a Super Bowl victory in each season and Ryan has already said the Jets will win it this coming season. That's a bold prediction to make with the NFL season up in the air and 17 players being free agents. It's also getting old at this point because the team needs to actually win the championship one of these seasons.

The Jets really want to become the newest version of the New England Patriots. You can just see it in the way they act and how badly they want to get a ring. Of course they want to win because all 32 teams would like to do so, but they also want to begin their own "dynasty."

Watching Rex Ryan in his press conferences and watching some other Jets players, you always hear something in reference to Bill Belichick or Tom Brady. It started with Ryan's comment about him not coming to the Jets to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings."

Over the past two seasons, there has been back-and-forth dialogue between the two teams, and the Jets had their opportunities to back it up by raising the Lombardi Trophy. It hasn't happened.

What did happen during the 2010 season was rather strange and unexpected. Who would've thought the Jets could knock the Patriots off in a divisional round matchup after getting drubbed 45-0 to them in the same building?

The Jets stunned everyone across the country and did it after beating Peyton Manning the previous week. That's when it seemed as if it might've been the Jets season. We all know what happened a week later as the Jets lost a heartbreaker in Pittsburgh. Another season gone and once again, no ring to show for it—or AFC title to show for it.

So, will the Jets ever be a better team than the Patriots? New England has absolutely owned the AFC East since Brady became the starting quarterback, having won eight of the last 10. The Jets thought they had the division to themselves last season, before the aforementioned 45-0 loss in Foxboro.

One of the these seasons and coach Ryan has talked about it, the Jets have to win the division and host a playoff game. It's their best chance at reaching the Super Bowl. But it'll be hard for the Jets to dethrone the Patriots anytime soon.

You can almost compare the Patriots to the Yankees. They never seem to lose talent or star power. They always reload and right now, they're very dangerous.

People didn't predict the Patriots to have a very good 2010 season. Some picked them to finish below the Jets and Dolphins in the division. So much for that. New England decided to leave no doubt that they're still mighty, going 14-2 and cruising into the playoffs.

They of course still have the tremendous duo of Brady and Belichick, but they also have a younger offense that showed how talented it is.

They have two fine tight ends who had solid rookie seasons in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. They have some good defensive players, and Devin McCourty had a monster rookie season at corner back, coming up with seven interceptions.

You can look at the entire roster and find great talent; the point is the Patriots aren't going anywhere and are only getting better. For them to go 14-2 last season with five rookie starters on offense and defense, just imagine what they'd do in 2011 if there's a season.

How can the Jets possibly take the division from them or even become what they've been for a decade? Of course the Jets have a great team and some of the 17 free agents will return. You can even argue that last season's Jets team was deeper than the Patriots.

The Jets have good receivers, a young running back, the best corner back in the league, a nice offensive line and a quarterback who's maturing very fast. They're ran by a coach who's gone to the conference title game in each of his first two seasons in the league. All of that may still not be good enough to push the Jets past the Patriots.

The Jets could play the Patriots and beat them every time out there if all goes right, like in the playoffs. But, they can't be better than them over 16 games. Heck, the Patriots finished ahead of the Jets in 2008 without Tom Brady.

Until either the Jets win the division or finally win the Super Bowl, they'll never be better or even at the level of the Patriots. They may have just as much spotlight as them because of their boisterous head coach, but until they get a ring and two more after that, the Patriots will still be on top.

Bijou Phillips Marika Dominczyk Dita Von Teese Rachel Nichols Dido