The jets are still far behind the Patriots

Sunday's game against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium was to be a litmus test for the Jets. It was supposed to be a chance to see how they compared to the five-time Super Bowl champions; to see if they had narrowed the gap to challenge Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in East AFC in the near future.

It would be a credible test as Sam Darnold would make 10 games in his rookie season as a franchise quarterback and young players such as Jamal Adams and Leonard Williams would consolidate the defense. Todd Bowles, in his fourth season as head coach, would have his players and his system firmly in place.

Instead, as they enter the first game of the season between the two teams, the gap between the Jets and the Patriots is pretty much like the Grand Canyon.

When Rex Ryan became the head coach of the Jets, he turned his bravado on the Patriots and said he was not going to kiss the rings of Belichick (the Super Bowl). Now, there are more rings to kiss, while the Jets are coming back from one of their worst defeats in the history of the franchise.

The Pats lead (still) the AFC East at 7-3, while the Jets are 3-7 after losing 41-10 against the modest Bills two weeks ago at Met Life Stadium. The Jets were 31-0 at one point against the Bills and quarterback Matt Barkley, who was hired two weeks earlier and made his first start in two years.

"It was a loss I did not expect to happen," said linebacker Avery Williamson. "We absolutely want to prove that we are not this type of team and not this type of defense."

The Jets regress more than improved. Instead of stability, there is uncertainty. The job security of Bowles has never been so tenuous, and a change of coach is likely if the Jets do not finish the season in force. That would mean hiring another new coach to try to resurrect the franchise to the point of competing with the Patriots, who have been a model of consistency since Belichick's resignation from the NYJ HC position and New England appointment.

"Bill Belichick has been working hard to get his system up to scratch," said Quincy Enunwa Jets receiver. "It's all about guys buying in this system."

That the Jets buy remains questionable. They were inconsistent this year, looked impressive in their wins against the Lions, Broncos and Colts, while being terrific defeats against the Browns, Vikings and Bills.

"It's a tough season," said Williamson. "Things did not go as planned. At the end of the day, we must continue to work and continue to grind. "

Darnold, who was facing Brady for the first time, will probably not play, as he continues to recover from a tense foot he suffered in a 13-6 loss to the Dolphins on Nov. 4.

The Darnold-Brady showdown will have to wait, but will not really make sense until the Jets are eligible for the playoffs. At this rate, Brady may not even be there and Darnold could be in his fifth or sixth season under his second head coach and who knows how many offensive coordinators.

A week off gave the Jets time to rest and think, but we do not know if it will be beneficial until Sunday. It will take nothing less than their best performance of the season to avoid their fifth consecutive loss to New England.

"It was really necessary, especially after the last defeat," Williamson said during the break. "We had been in a routine for 10 weeks. Staying away and being able to relax a bit was really good. "

Rested and ready, it must have been a game to prove that the Jets were on the rise. Instead, they try to avoid another forced landing.