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It looks more and more like unrestricted free-agent tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis will not return to the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots. According to reports, New England's leading rusher is starting to gather interest and will meet with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Green-Ellis was part of a rotation in New England. The Patriots drafted two running backs last year (Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen) and won’t overpay to bring Green-Ellis back. He can get more money elsewhere.

The Bengals, who made the playoffs last season, are looking for a primary ball carrier to replace unrestricted free agent Cedric Benson. Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing last season with 667 yards and 11 touchdowns. But perhaps what’s most impressive is he’s never fumbled in his four-year career.

Here are some additional AFC East notes on Day 2 of free agency:

• Former Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams remains in Buffalo Wednesday, where he underwent a physical. Good sign for the Bills?
• In more Patriots news, they agreed to a three-year contract with defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene.
• The New York Jets have re-signed kicker Nick Folk, the team announced.
  
• The Miami Dolphins are hosting former Cleveland Browns guard and offensive tackle Artis Hicks.

The New York Jets have a lot of questions entering free agency. They have a lengthy list of names about to hit the market, spelled out clearly by Brian McIntyre of the well-respected Mac's Football blog.

Here's the list:

Restricted

• TE Matthew Mulligan
• LB Aaron Maybin
• LB Jamaal Westerman
• CB Marquice Cole

Unrestricted

• QB Mark Brunell
• QB Kevin O'Connell
• RB LaDainian Tomlinson
• WR Plaxico Burress
• OL Robert Turner
• DT Sione Pouha
• LB Bryan Thomas
• CB Donald Strickland
• S Jim Leonhard
• S Brodney Pool
• K Nick Folk

Analysis: There are not many "must-haves" on this list. The Jets already are strapped for salary-cap space and had locker-room issues. I expect plenty of turnover in free agency. Big names like Tomlinson and Burress are not expected to return on offense, and injuries suffered by Leonhard (knee) and Thomas (Achilles tendon) will hurt their chances to come back on the defense. If I had to pick two players from this unrestricted group who could return, it would be Folk and Pouha. But both would have to be at the right price. In terms of restricted players, I think Maybin is a guy the Jets will keep. They found a niche for him in New York and gave him a chance to jumpstart his career. Maybin also was one of the team's best pass-rushers last season.

DENVER -- The New York Jets got Tebow-ed, falling to the Denver Broncos, 17-13, in a stunning, last-minute collapse Thursday night. Broncos QB Tim Tebow led a 95-yard drive, scoring on a 20-yard run with 58 seconds left.

What it means: The Jets fell to 5-5 in the most unimaginable fashion, blowing leads of 10-3 and 13-10 in the fourth quarter. The Jets have serious issues -- a mistake-prone Mark Sanchez, injuries to their running backs and an offense that doesn’t have a clue.

Tebowmania: With only three full days to prepare for Tebow and the Broncos’ college-style offense, the Jets’ defense was stellar for 56 minutes. Then came an utter collapse. Tebow came to life, leading a 12-play, 95-yard drive. In Denver, they will call it The Drive II. He made plays with his feet, and occasionally with his arm. The Jets fell asleep on the game-winning plays, allowing Tebow to scramble -- untouched -- into the end zone.

It may have been the death knell for the Jets’ season.

Bad Mark -- again: Sanchez did it again. For the second straight week, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. This was a momentum-changing killer, a forced throw to Plaxico Burress that was picked by cornerback Andre Goodman. It made it 10-10. It was Sanchez’s third pick-six of the season.

It was another maddeningly inconsistent performance by Sanchez. He completed 11 straight passes at one point, but he missed a wide-open Dustin Keller in the end zone and made two clock-management errors -- one week after getting ripped by Rex Ryan for a botched timeout.

But say this for Sanchez: He’s one tough hombre. He took a beating in the second half, drilled twice by Denver pass rushers, but he managed to lead a 42-yard field goal drive for a 13-10 lead. Nevertheless, the Jets have to be concerned as they look forward.

Brutal special teams: This is supposed to be a strength, but the special teams were awful all night. Joe McKnight fumbled on a third-quarter kickoff return (his second lost fumble in five days), Nick Folk missed two field goal attempts (52 and 61 yards) and punter T.J. Conley shanked a 13-yarder. Give Folk credit; he rebounded to make a 45-yard field goal that could have been the game winner.

Painful injury: The Jets, already without the injured LaDainian Tomlinson (sprained knee), lost starting running back Shonn Greene (ribs) in the first quarter. Greene caught a 4-yard screen pass and landed on the ball as he hit the ground, grimacing in pain. It’s a familiar injury for Greene, who suffered a severe rib injury in the 2009 AFC Championship Game.

Makeshift backfield: Without Greene and Tomlinson, the backfield consisted of special-teams star Joe McKnight and rookie Bilal Powell, who made his NFL debut. That hurt the Jets’ pass protection because neither McKnight nor Powell is a good blocker.

Powell actually made the best bad play of the game -- yes, you read that correctly. On a second down from the Broncos’ 1, Powell fumbled in a crowd. It squirted across the goal line and left guard Matt Slauson pounced on it for the touchdown to give the Jets a 10-3 lead.

McKnight is an undisciplined runner, but he ran hard between the tackles and was effective on screen passes. The Jets aren’t a big screen offense, but they exploited the Broncos’ rush with well-timed screen passes.

Rare score: How fitting that the first touchdown in the ugliest of games was scored by a 325-pound guard from Nebraska. The way the Jets’ offense was playing, it wasn’t going to come from one of their skill-position players. Get this: Slauson’s TD was the first by a Jets offensive lineman since guard Randy Rasmussen in 1972.

All quiet on Revis Island: Just as he expected, Darrelle Revis didn’t get much action against the run-heavy Broncos. Best we can tell, he didn’t fall asleep.

What’s ahead: The Jets get a 10-day break before resuming against the Buffalo Bills in a home game. The Jets dominated the first meeting, 27-11.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New England Patriots lead the New York Jets 13-9 at intermission.

Here are several notes from the first half:

• Receiver Chad Ochocinco already is having his best game as a Patriot. With Jets Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis spending a lot of time on Wes Welker, Ochocinco found early success against New York's secondary. Ochocinco has two receptions for 65 yards, including a big 53-yard catch against the blitz to set up a first-quarter field goal.
• New England's pass rush is playing well. The defensive line is getting off the line quickly and getting to Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. New England defensive end Andre Carter has 2.5 sacks. Sanchez has been sacked three times total.
• The play of New England quarterback Tom Brady has been up and down. He's missed a few throws he normally makes — and also held the ball too long and was sacked for a safety. But Brady also has led the Patriots to three scoring drives -- including one just before the half that ended with a touchdown to tight end Rob Gronkowski. Brady has thrown for 194 yards and one touchdown.
• Jets kicker Nick Folk missed a chip shot of 24 yards to start the game. Folk started the year making 10 consecutive attempts. But he's missed one in each of the past two games. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed two field goals in the first quarter.
• On the injury front, Patriots starting cornerback Devin McCourty suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter. His return in questionable.

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South » Unrestricted FAs

Readiness factor: The Jets' coaching staff and much of the roster will remain intact, which reduces the learning curve. But the Jets won't have training-camp bonding time at SUNY Cortland, an enhancement Rex Ryan and his players prized the past two seasons. They already pulled the plug on their upstate training camp and will convene at team headquarters in Florham Park, N.J.

Biggest challenge: All their free agents. The Jets have some biggies, most notably at wide receiver. They must keep young quarterback Mark Sanchez's support staff stocked with weapons, and receivers Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith are about to hit the market. So are cornerback Antonio Cromartie and safeties Brodney Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo.

What a rush: The Jets quietly tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks last season but didn't have a fearsome presence in an overall defense designed to create mayhem. Of the 40 sacks they recorded last season, more than a quarter of them belonged to defensive backs and almost half were rung up by players who aren't under contract. The Jets released outside linebacker Jason Taylor (5 sacks). Defensive end Shaun Ellis (4.5 sacks) also has an expired contract.

Key players without contracts for 2011: In addition to the above, fullback Tony Richardson, cornerback Drew Coleman, top special-teams tackler Lance Laury, kicker Nick Folk, punter Steve Weatherford.

ESPN's reports from Chicago indicate the latest labor proposal would allow players to become unrestricted free agents after four seasons.

That would clarify the market whenever it opens. Rules for the uncapped 2010 campaign didn't allow for unfettered free agency unless a player had been in the league six seasons. Any player with an expired contract and fewer than six years of experience was a restricted free agent, allowing teams to place qualifying tenders on them and receive compensation if another club tried to sign them.

Now it looks like players will be up for grabs -- with former teams receiving no compensation -- after four seasons.

Here are the AFC East players who would've been restricted with the six-year threshold but unrestricted at four years:

Buffalo Bills

• Keith Ellison, linebacker
• Quinton Ganther, running back
• John McCargo, defensive end
• Paul Posluszny, inside linebacker
• Donte Whitner, safety
• Ashton Youboty, cornerback

Miami Dolphins

• Tony McDaniel, defensive tackle
• Quentin Moses, outside linebacker
• Tyler Thigpen, quarterback

New England Patriots

• Logan Mankins, guard (franchise tagged)
• Quinn Ojinnaka, tackle
• Jarrad Page, safety

New York Jets

• Kellen Clemens, quarterback
• Drew Coleman, cornerback
• Antonio Cromartie, cornerback
• Nick Folk, kicker
• Santonio Holmes, receiver
• James Ihedigbo, safety
• Lance Laury, linebacker
• Brad Smith, kick returner
• Eric Smith, safety
• Steve Weatherford, punter

Mankins' situation remains uncertain because we don't know if franchise-tag rules will remain in place under the next CBA. They probably will, meaning Mankins should be back with the Patriots in 2011.

While yakking with a key starter from last year's New York Jets squad this week, I asked a question I posed on the AFC East blog last month and have addressed regularly in my weekly chat.

What team is the class of the division? The New England Patriots, coming off 14 victories and another title? Or the Jets, who knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs and reached their second straight AFC Championship Game?

"Until we dethrone them," he said, "the Patriots are the class of the AFC East. That's the bottom line. There's no other way to slice it. You've got to knock them off the pedestal. That's goal No. 1, winning the division. That's the easiest way to get to the ultimate goal of the Super Bowl."

That comment alone wasn't enough for the player to request anonymity, but the next part of our conversation made him feel it was necessary for the sake of diplomacy and because he wants to keep his job next season.

I wanted to know more. To extract his veteran insight on the state of the Jets, I asked what his game plan would be if I could appoint him general manager for the next couple months.

How would he get the Jets over the hump from runners-up to AFC East champs and into the Super Bowl? He must have pondered that very question over the past few months because, without much thought, he rattled off six key steps to propelling the Jets upward.

Here they are, in order of what he felt was most important, along with his reasoning:

1. Re-sign receiver Santonio Holmes.

"You have to do that," our embedded analyst said. The Jets have three prominent free-agent receivers, but Holmes must be the priority over Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. Holmes missed four games while serving a suspension but made 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns. He was a clutch performer and added a couple more touchdowns in the playoffs.

"If I had to choose between Santonio, Braylon or Brad Smith -- I don't think you can re-sign them all -- I'll take Santonio because of his body of work," the Jets insider said. "He's more established."

Smith averaged 28.6 yards on kickoff returns and scored two touchdowns, and was the club's third-leading rusher with 299 yards and a TD as a gadget quarterback. The Jets led the NFL in average start position after a kickoff (at the 31.5-yard line). But the insider said revamped kickoff rules would neutralize Smith's impact in 2011.

The possibility of signing Plaxico Burress is intriguing and could help the Jets cope with any inability to re-sign Edwards or Smith. As for whether Burress would be a problem for head coach Rex Ryan, the insider laughed.

"With everything we have in our organization, he'd be just one of the guys," he said. "He wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.

"Guys just love playing for Rex. With Rex's personality and the way he runs the show, Plaxico would just fit right in. Rex doesn't have problems with guys who have so-called character issues or big personalities. Rex is a big personality himself. A guy like Plaxico would do well with the Jets."

2. Get inside linebacker David Harris signed to a long-term contract.

Harris led the Jets with 119 tackles. He recorded three sacks, 14 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a recovery.

He signed his franchise tender and is under contract for next season, but he'll be a free agent again next offseason unless the Jets broker another deal before then.

"I've got to lock up David Harris," the insider said. "He's one of the more underrated defenders in the league. I've got to get him signed long-term."

3. Re-sign cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Another significant free agent, Cromartie helped limit opposing quarterbacks to a 50.7 completion percentage -- lowest in the league by far -- and a 77.1 passer rating. He notched 42 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high 18 passes defensed.

Besides, the Jets invested too much in him to let him stroll for nothing this summer.

"If I gave up a second-round pick for the guy, I don't want to see him walk out the door," the insider said. "That would be a high draft pick I'd wasted.

"Plus, with no offseason to monitor the young players, I don't know what I have with Kyle Wilson. The team hasn't had a chance to coach him up. He didn't do the things the team expected last year. So I need to get Antonio Cromartie back to make sure I shore up the secondary."

4. Find a pass-rusher or two.

One of the Jets' biggest perceived weaknesses heading into the offseason was their inability to generate a more formidable pass rush last season.

"This team has a defensive scheme that can be dangerous with a pass rush," the insider said. "We had a great group, but that'll make my defense even stronger."

Outside linebacker Jason Taylor's status is in question. The Jets cut him, but it's not unfathomable he could return. Last year's regular starters, Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas, are under contract. Thomas recorded a team-high six sacks last season, while Pace had 5.5 sacks. Taylor added five more. Those aren't fearsome numbers.

Football Outsiders charted the Jets for 117.5 hurries (seventh in the NFL), but just 38 quarterback hits (tied for 23rd).

5. Sign a free-agent right tackle.

The Jets released Damien Woody after the season, but published reports before the lockout indicated the club was interested in bringing him back.

Woody can't provide many guarantees in what would be his 13th NFL season. Although he has been to the Pro Bowl, is one of few players on last year's roster who owns a Super Bowl ring and started 13 games last season, there are injury concerns. He battled knee problems before an Achilles' injury landed him on injured reserve in the playoffs.

There don't appear to be any solutions on the roster. Last year's second-round draft choice, Vladimir Ducasse, was a tackle at Boston College but was unable to win a job at guard. Woody's reliable backup, Wayne Hunter, is a free agent.

6. Identify a safety to solidify the secondary, looking first at Brodney Pool.

The Jets' best safety, Jim Leonhard, is coming off a broken shin that had him limited to a scooter during rehab. Pool, Eric Smith and James Ihedigbo all are free agents.

Pool started 12 games. He ranked fourth in tackles with 63. He registered a sack, an interception, nine passes defenses, a forced fumble and a recovery. Smith started six games and was fifth with 57 tackles. He also made an impact on special teams (19 tackles), as did Ihedigbo (27 tackles).

"I would try to get Brodney Pool or Eric Smith back," the Jets insider said. "Both played well down the stretch, but I think Brodney Pool was a guy who, as it got later in the season, really picked up the scheme and became a playmaker at the safety position."

I found the insider's opinions to be insightful. Nowhere among the list of issues to address were quarterback Mark Sanchez, left guard or kicker Nick Folk. The obviously aren't major concerns with this veteran player.

Once the lockout concludes, we'll see how much the anonymous player's wish list jibes with Mike Tannenbaum's.

Buffalo Bills

Tom Modrak's firing wasn't a surprise given the structure of the Bills' scouting operation under GM Buddy Nix -- in fact, the surprise for many was that Modrak lasted as long as he did in Buffalo, writes Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News.

Former Bills defensive lineman Phil Hansen, who ranks No. 3 in team history in sacks, will be added to the team's Wall of Fame.

Da'Norris Searcy and Justin Rogers made Mel Kiper's list of early impact players who were taken on the third day of this year's draft.

Miami Dolphins

The Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly put together a post-draft defensive depth chart.

Count Michael Lombardi of NFL.com among those who really liked Miami's decision to move up to draft Daniel Thomas.

New England Patriots

NFL.com's Vic Carucci looks at the different approaches the Pats and Colts have taken to finding eventual successors at quarterback.

Pats Pulpit has five key factors that could keep the Patriots from making a Super Bowl run in 2011.

New York Jets

Braylon Edwards indicated he'd accept less money to remain with the Jets.

Steve Weatherford and Nick Folk are among the punters and kickers who have worked out with John Carney during the "summit of specialists" in Southern California this offseason.

NEW ORLEANS -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is against the proposed rules to revamp kickoffs.

Belichick, speaking to a small group of reporters at the NFL owners meeting, expressed confusion and dismay over the competition committee's recommendation to move kickoffs up to the 35-yard line from the 30 and spot touchbacks at the 25-yard line instead of the 20.

The competition committee even considered removing kickoffs completely before coming up with this proposal.

"Pretty complicated proposal," Belichick said. "I don't like the idea of eliminating the kickoff from the game. I think it's one of the most exciting plays in football. It looks like the competition committee is trying to eliminate that play. I don't know that's really good for the game."

Safety is believed to be the chief concern, but after attending a presentation Sunday night about the kickoff proposals, Belichick didn't seem to know what the motivation was for change.

The proposal also calls for the ban of all wedge blocks, when multiple players assemble to clear a path for the return man. Wedge blocks result in violent collisions. The NFL adopted a rule that reduced the allowable number of players in a wedge from three to two in 1999.

"From the presentation last night, I don't know that it's because of head injuries," Belichick said. "And the ones they showed, there weren't very many of them. So I don't know. I think you should really talk to the competition committee. They're the ones, really, that proposed the rule.

"There's a lot of components to it, four different elements to it. It's kind of a complicated rule. ... It's pretty confusing. I mean, we're moving the kickoff up and the touchbacks out."

The rule also would help negate Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski as a weapon because he covers more distance than his peers. He averaged 67.9 yards per kickoff last year, fifth in the league, before a thigh injury sidelined him in November. He generated a touchback 35.7 percent of the time, second in the league behind Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff.

Miami Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter was next in the AFC East with a 65.8-yard average and 20 percent touchback rate. Buffalo Bills kicker Rian Lindell averaged 63.3 yards and 11.9 percent, and New York Jets kicker Nick Folk was at 62.0 yards and 8.6 percent.

The extra 5 yards will do them -- and their coverage units -- wonders.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton calculated how much the different spots would impact the game and figured the number of kickoffs last year that would have been touchbacks under the proposal would've risen from 416 to about 800.

In a "SportsCenter" segment that examines the New York Jets' draft needs, Trent Dilfer took a moment to evaluate quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Dilfer asserted the next step in Sanchez's development must be to improve his completion percentage in his third season.

Sanchez completed 53.8 percent of his throws as a rookie (29th among all qualifying passers) and 54.8 percent last year (29th again).

"That's the biggest issue with Mark Sanchez," Dilfer said. "He has proven he's the alpha male. He's the leader. He's the commander-in-chief of this offense, and he plays his best in big moments.

"But there's also first-and-10 in the second quarter, where you've just got to get the gimmie completion. He has to become more of a completion passer, dissect the defense and start dictating the terms."

Dilfer's comments aren't revelatory, but imagine how much better the Jets' offense would be if Sanchez could reach 62 percent. That would've placed him an ordinary 13th in completion percentage.

Using last year's attempts and average yards per completion, the extra 7 percent would translate to 36 more completions for an extra 430 yards for Sanchez.

That might not seem like a lot spread out over 15 games (he barely played in the regular-season finale), but it's nearly three first downs. A completion here or there, especially on third down or in the red zone or to get Nick Folk a little closer to the goal posts, can make a real difference within a game.

The New York Jets have placed restricted free-agent tenders on nine of their free agents.

Now we need to find out if those tenders are worth anything.

First, here's the rundown, with the draft compensation or considerations they'll receive if signed by another team:

• Quarterback Kellen Clemens (third-round choice)
• Receiver Santonio Holmes (first- and third-round choices)
• Receiver Brad Smith (second-round choice)
• Offensive lineman Robert Turner (first refusal)
• Cornerback Antonio Cromartie (first- and third-round choices)
• Cornerback Drew Coleman (sixth-round choice)
• Safety James Ihedigbo (first refusal)
• Safety Eric Smith (third-round choice)
• Kick Nick Folk (sixth-round choice)

ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini points out these tenders might not mean one iota under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Many of these players -- Holmes and Cromartie included -- could be unrestricted free agents under the new CBA. That means the club can't use tenders, and those players would be bound for the open market.

The Jets already used their franchise tag on linebacker David Harris.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- On most throws, Mark Sanchez is unimpressive. His body language shows he's still learning how to carry himself as an NFL quarterback. Stats would imply his season ended weeks ago.

The reality, however, is that Sanchez has made it to the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons with the New York Jets. He turned 24 years old in November, yet he already has tied the NFL record for road playoff victories.

Mediocre quarterbacks don't do that.

Clutch quarterbacks do.

"He's just one of those kids that has 'it,'" Jets backup quarterback Mark Brunell said, "and whatever 'it' may be is the ability to make the play that needs to be made -- clutch."

Sanchez's detractors don't see anything special, but among others, he's developing a reputation as one of those rare quarterbacks who excels in difficult spots. He can erase doubt Sunday by advancing to the Super Bowl with a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and one of the NFL's few established clutch quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger.

Like art, the concept of "clutch" is difficult to define, but you know it when you see it. Clutch performers execute when consequences escalate. Joe Montana was clutch. Michael Jordan was clutch. Tiger Woods, Reggie Jackson, Patrick Roy -- all clutch.

Sanchez isn't remotely near that echelon, but some expert observers claim he's getting there.

"It seems like it," Miami Dolphins consultant and two-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Parcells said. "He's in his embryonic stage. So time will tell, but he's certainly showing some of the characteristics that are vital to that type of player.

"Sometimes with these quarterbacks it's not always pretty. But it becomes efficient."

Sanchez's numbers don't shriek competence. He ranked 25th in passer rating. Only three qualifying passers averaged fewer yards per attempt. Two completed a lower percentage of throws.

But over Sanchez's past 20 games, including the playoffs, he has directed five fourth-quarter comebacks and two more winning drives when the score was tied in the fourth quarter. Two of those victories were back-to-back on the road and in sudden death -- something that never before had happened.

A pair of his fourth-quarter comebacks were postseason games, including the wild-card victory over the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. He took the Jets 40 yards on five plays, completing all three of his passes for 38 yards. He feathered a beautiful pass up the right sideline to Braylon Edwards at the Colts' 14-yard line, setting up Nick Folk's point-blank field goal as time expired.

Clutch? You betcha.

"Sanchez qualifies in the discussion for sure," noted quarterback guru Sam Wyche said. "Their record and the fact they have prevailed in this single-elimination tournament tells me he's had some clutch plays in 2010. There's no way a quarterback can be off much and get this far in the playoffs."

Wyche knows a little about clutch. He was the San Francisco 49ers' passing game coordinator for Montana's first four NFL seasons. Wyche later watched from the Cincinnati Bengals sideline when Montana orchestrated one of the most sublime clutch drives of all time to win Super Bowl XXIII.

Wyche explained clutch as a combination of attributes a quarterback must possess when the margin for error is skinniest. The quarterback must be poised, have the rules mastered, be mindful of field position, be skilled at clock management and be in command of his teammates.

"Clutch means making quicker decisions, generally unforgiving decisions," Wyche said. "You're at the end of the game. You don't have the second half to come back and rebound.

"In a time squeeze with two options -- throw the ball away or try to get it into a tight hole -- who makes the right decision?"

Another clutch quality is raising the performance level when it's essential.

Sanchez's 2010 regular-season stats were ordinary, and in many cases below average. He completed 54.8 percent of his throws, averaged 6.6 yards per attempt and tossed 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. His passer rating was 75.3, lower than Chad Henne's. The Dolphins benched Henne twice because of lackluster play.

A look at Sanchez's effectiveness in key situations indicates an even shakier quarterback. Among those who threw at least 10 times in the regular season, ESPN Stats & Information showed, Sanchez's passer rating was 48th in the fourth quarter and overtime, 38th on third down and 27th in the red zone.

But in Sanchez's five career playoff games, he has completed 60.5 percent of his throws, is averaging 7.4 yards per attempt and has seven touchdowns with three interceptions.

His 92.2 career postseason passer rating -- accumulated entirely on the road -- is 22.0 points higher than his regular-season rating.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan said that when it comes to being clutch "you either have it or you don't" and that Sanchez probably had it as a kid, regardless of the sport he tried "because the great ones, the competitors, find ways to win, and I think Mark is that kind of guy."

Back in November, with the Jets on a death-defying win streak, Ryan was asked about Sanchez's success. The Jets notched consecutive overtime road victories and a miracle against the Houston Texans at the Meadowlands, where Sanchez drove the Jets 72 yards for the winning touchdown in just 45 seconds. Sanchez delivered a dazzling 42-yard strike to Edwards along the right sideline and a perfect 6-yard toss to Santonio Holmes in the left corner of the end zone one play later.

"It doesn't get too big for him," Ryan said a few days later. "The stage here, he plays on this stage every week and he can handle it, where a lot of guys can't. A lot of guys can be great quarterbacks, but on this stage, not so fast."

The Steelers have one of those quarterbacks, too.

Roethlisberger owns two Super Bowl rings and has delivered 19 fourth-quarter comebacks and 25 winning drives over his career, according to ProFootballReference.com data. Three of them happened in the postseason, including that famous dart to a toe-dragging Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII.

Wyche compared Roethlisberger to Montana, whom the NFL Network named the No. 1 clutch quarterback of all time.

"This guy has the same kind of good fortune in the game," Wyche said. "He seems to zig when he's supposed to zig and doesn't zag. He seems to be able to throw the ball away or maybe get a great run out of his running back, and the players around him perform because they have the confidence that he's going to perform.

"He's just got that quality. It's a charisma thing, and you don't bet against it very often."

Sanchez already has beaten Roethlisberger head-to-head at Heinz Field this year. Roethlisberger posted better passing numbers, but Sanchez ran a fourth-down bootleg 7 yards for a touchdown.

No matter the outcome Sunday night, Sanchez should be considered one of the NFL's future stars. A 24-year-old doesn't advance this far twice in a row by accident.

"He's not mentioned in the same sentences as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady," Brunell said. "He doesn't have those numbers yet. He doesn't have a Super Bowl ring. But all indications are that he's going to be an elite quarterback someday, who will have those numbers and be mentioned with all those top guys like Drew Brees.

"He'll be there. For a guy in only his second year, it's pretty dang impressive what he's accomplished."

In the AFC playoffs last weekend, two of the NFL's great rivalries completed in-season trilogies.

What emerged is a matchup that looks nothing like a storied rivalry.

The New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers have met only once in the postseason. The Steelers beat them 20-17 in overtime six years ago.

That game also took place on Heinz Field's notoriously treacherous kicking surface, and two missed field goals in the final 120 seconds proved deadly. Jets kicker Doug Brien struck the crossbar on a 46-yard attempt at the two-minute warning and was wide left on a 43-yard attempt as the fourth quarter expired.

Heinz Field hasn't gotten any more luxurious since then.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said Thursday he expects Sunday's game to be decided by a late field goal.

"That's what's going to happen," Ryan said. "This is going to be one of those games. I don't see a team blowing the other team out. This is going to be hard-fought all the way to the end."

In Wednesday's edition of the "Big Question," we examined Nick Folk's inconsistencies this season. He has made all four of his career kicks at Heinz Field, including from 25 and 34 yards in a Week 15 victory over the Steelers.

Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, who was the Jets' kicker last year, recently handicapped the venues, kickers and punters in Sunday's conference championship games for ESPN.

"You have bad footing, cold weather, which you can't kick the ball as far, and you add the wind," Feely said of Pittsburgh and Chicago. "Heinz Field is historically the toughest place in the NFL footing-wise, kicking-wise. It'll impact the distance of your kicks and punts."

The Jets didn't re-sign the reliable Feely after last season because letting him go allowed them to sign outside linebacker Jason Taylor under weird free-agency rules for the uncapped season. The Jets signed Folk to replace Feely.

"There's a part of me that watches them and says 'Man, I wish I was still playing,' " Feely said. "I wish my team had been better and we had gotten into the playoffs because you want to be in those games. You want to play in those championship games. That's what players play for and live for.

"I'm OK as long as they don't win the Super Bowl because that'll crush me."

With the game on the line at Heinz Field, can the Jets trust Nick Folk?

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- On the sideline, several New York Jets could not bear to watch.

They averted their eyes from the field and definitely from the goal posts. They waited for the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd to tell them whether they had won or lost.

Silence, and the Jets had beaten the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the playoffs. A roar, and the Jets go home.

Nick Folk lined up for what should have been a gimme field goal, 32 yards on artificial turf in a dome.

Yet there was doubt. Folk has been far from automatic throughout his career.

Folk, of course, made that kick as time expired. The Jets eliminated the Colts, sent fans quietly filing into the cold Indianapolis night. They advanced to the next round of the playoffs -- where Folk missed a potentially dear 30-yard field goal against the New England Patriots.

And in an AFC Championship Game likely to be dictated by two of the league's elite defenses, it's foreseeable Folk might be called upon to make another clutch kick that could send the Jets to the Super Bowl or end their season.

The Jets will play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, a treacherous pitch on which to kick.

"He's just looking forward to the next kick," Jets holder and punter Steve Weatherford said Wednesday at the team's training facility. "It could have come down to a field goal in that game we were in [referring to New England].

"He's been here before. He's missed a kick before. He knows how to bounce back. ... If this game were to come down to a game winner, even on that crappy field, I feel confident he would do it."

Folk's inconsistencies are infamous. He had a disastrous 2009 campaign with the Dallas Cowboys, who waived him two games before the playoffs. He missed a kick in each of his final six games with Dallas, the last being a 24-yard attempt against the New Orleans Saints.

Folk's 64.3 percent success rate was third lowest of anybody who attempted a kick that year.

The Jets made Folk their reclamation project. He replaced the reliable Jay Feely as a roster move that allowed them to sign outside linebacker Jason Taylor under the NFL's rules for an uncapped season.

Folk was efficient at first. Through Week 9, he converted 16 of his 19 kicks. He kicked a 48-yarder on opening night and surpassed that as his longest kick three more times by Week 6, topping out at 56 yards.

Then came trouble. Folk missed three field goals in an overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. He missed at least one field goal in four straight games.

The Jets, concerned Folk could cost them, brought in veteran free agent Kris Brown for a tryout in early December.

"You just have to be confident and go out there," Folk said last week. "You have to embrace the pressure that comes with the job. I've done it my whole life. I've enjoyed these situations."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Halftime observations from Gillette Stadium, where the New York Jets lead the New England Patriots 14-3:

• The Jets have taken it to the Patriots so far. Tom Brady has been under pressure, and even when he has time he's misfiring. The Patriots might be starting to come unglued. Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct right before halftime for shoving a Jets player.
• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick benched receiver Wes Welker for the first offensive series. We can only assume it was because because Welker made 11 foot-related comments in a nine-minute news conference Thursday. Welker beat cornerback Darrelle Revis for a 10-yard gain early on the fourth play of the second drive.
• Brady's attempts streak without an interception technically still is intact and will resume when the Patriots open the 2011 regular season. But on his fifth pass, Jets linebacker David Harris returned an interception 58 yards to the Patriots' 12-yard line.
• That interception should have given the Jets an even larger lead. But their offense lost 8 yards on the next two plays and were forced to try a field goal. Nick Folk's 30-yard attempt was wide left, preventing the Jets from taking a 3-0 lead.
• The Jets put together a drive that must have felt mentally satisfying and took a 7-3 lead with 10:24 left in the second quarter. Braylon Edwards made another great sideline catch for a 37-yard gain to the Patriots' 8-yard line. Two plays later, LaDainian Tomlinson made a difficult catch and ran into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
• Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been creative. Option quarterback Brad Smith was deactivated because of a leg injury, but that didn't stop the Jets from trying to dazzle the Patriots. They ran a reverse with Joe McKnight. Backup guard Robert Turner reported as an eligible receiver and on one play went in motion and actually ran a route. Tomlinson has been in the Wildcat.
• The Jets have sacked Brady three times. Defensive end Shaun Ellis collected a pair on the Patriots' second drive, including one on third down deep in Jets territory to force a Shayne Graham field goal. Defensive back Drew Coleman was untouched on another third-down sack in the second quarter.