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We interrupt Tebow-mania to bring you the Jets' starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who chatted with reporters Thursday after an OTA session. Some of the highlights of that conversation:

• On whether he feels differently on the field with everyone watching him and Tim Tebow: "I don’t really think about it while we’re playing. No offense to Tim, I’m not really thinking about Tim. I’m thinking about the play we have, the protection we have, what potential blitz we’re going to get and making sure everybody’s lined up in the right spot. So, my mind is racing a million miles an hour. I feel good, I feel like the system is coming along and nothing's really changed that way, I’m focused on football."

• On whether the offseason feels more competitive with Tebow here: "I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think you guys know that. Everybody in the building knows that, that I want to make it right for me and this team. Whether we have Matt Simms, or (G.J.) Kinne, or (Greg) McElroy, or if it happens to be Tim Tebow behind me, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. I’m playing hard and trying to get this thing right for all of us in here."

• On what experiences he can draw from over his last three seasons to help him overcome the scrutiny because of Tebow being here: "It’s a new experience, but like you said, I’ve got plenty to draw on. The highs and lows of a season ... understanding that this thing is a marathon, not a race ... don’t get caught up in who completed what ball and who didn’t. Don’t even let your mind go there. It’s not worth the time, it’s a waste. Just focus on the next play, have a short memory and keep playing. Be the leader this team needs."

• First impressions of rookie WR Stephen Hill: "He’s a great player. He’s always got a smile. He’s one of those guys who loves coming in the building, and loves to learn. He’s a big, strong, fast kid. He’s a sponge, which is exactly what you want from a young guy like that."

• On new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano: "He doesn’t smile too often. If you catch one, you better save it. They’re few and far between. Sometimes it’s not a smile, it’s a smirk. You never know. But he’s tough on us, he’s fair, he’s an old-school guy and he wants things done right and that’s exactly what we need."

• On looking to Eli Manning for inspiration because he is in the same city: "I look at that as kudos to him for doing a great job and thriving under that pressure. Look where he’s at today, two Super Bowl rings and he’s on the top of the world and doing a great job and he deserves it. He’s put in a lot of hard work so you look at it and admire it. That’s a guy who really did a good job."

• On whether he’s tired of answering questions about Tebow: "It's only OTAs." (Smiling.)

Notes and observations on the Jets and the NFL:

1. IN TONY WE TRUST: The Jets are taking an enormous gamble, opting to stand pat at the right-tackle position. If Vladimir Ducasse doesn't step up, they'll go with the embattled Wayne Hunter, much to the chagrin of Jets fans. Suddenly, we're starting to hear stuff from Rex Ryan about Tony Sparano's system, how it will suit Hunter better than the previous system. In a radio interview last week, Ryan said Hunter was "isolated, one-on-one, for the majority of the time (last season) and I don’t know how many tackles hold up down after down that way." Two thoughts: If Sparano's system can protect suspect right tackles, how come Marco Columbo was a turnstile for the Dolphins? Didn't Ryan always praise Bill Callahan as the best OL coach in the league?

2. SLIM PICKINGS: One well-respected scout told me there were only two legitimate defensive ends in the draft -- Quinton Coples (Jets, 16th pick) and Chandler Jones (Patriots, 21st). The scout said highly-publicized 'tweeners Melvin Ingram (18th, Chargers) and Courtney Upshaw (35th, Ravens) were too short and too short-armed to be effecive pass rushers, and that they were overvalued because of the paucity of true DEs. Obviously, the Jets felt the same way.



3. LUCKY BREAK: Contrary to a report, the Jets had no interest in taking West Virginia DE/OLB Bruce Irvin with the 16th pick -- so they claim. You'd like to believe them because, despite tremendous speed-rushing ability, Irvin is a bit of a head case. An opposing scout, pulling information from his team's report on Irvin, said the player refused an opportunity to become a full-time starter (he started six games last season). According to the scout, Irvin basically told his coach, "I don't want to start, I just want to rush the passer." The Seahawks took him with the 15th pick. Said the scout: "Pete Carroll may have done the Jets a favor."

4. BOY AMONG MEN: Coples discovered at an early age what it's like to play against the big boys. He attended Hargrave Military School in Chatham, Va., and played on their post-graduate football team -- at the age of 17. "He was playing against 21-year-old men," said Hargrave coach Troy Davis, who served as Coples' defensive coordinator. "He grew up real fast and it fueled his confidence." Coples and current teammate Muhammad Wilkerson were the starting DEs for Hargrave in 2007, but they didn't go undefeated. They lost to the University of Tennessee jayvee team.

5. NEW-AGE JETS: Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, discussing why the Jets placed an emphasis on speed in the draft, made an interesting point. To build a defense in today's pass-happy NFL, he said, "You have to work backward," starting with your third-down package. In other words, get pass rushers and coverage people. It makes perfect sense, except for this quirky stat: Opponents threw against the Jets a lot less last season than 2010. The percentage of pass plays was 54.6, down from 58.3.

6. MORE MAYHEM: OLB Aaron Maybin said he's up to 240, having gained eight pounds in the offseason. He'd like to put on a few more pounds, with the hope of increasing his role on defense. He'd like to find a niche in the base package. The Jets could use him because they're awfully thin at OLB.

7. FREE-AGENT SIGNING OF THE YEAR: Kudos to Greg Schiano and the Bucs for signing former Rutgers DL Eric LeGrand. They did it right, even distributing a press release that included his college stats. How can that not put a lump in your throat?

8. SPYGATE: Former Jets coach Eric Mangini, now an ESPN analyst, said on the air last week that he regrets blowing the whistle on the Patriots for their illegal videotaping in 2007. "If there's a decision I could take back, it's easily that decision," he said. "Never in a million years I wanted it to go this way." It ruined his relationship with Bill Belichick. If that hadn't occurred, he'd probably be the Patriots' defensive coordinator.

9. BOUNTY GATE: I think NFL commissioner Roger Goodell came down too hard on Jonathan Vilma. He penalized the soldier as harshly as the generals.

10. SNL REVIEW: I'm sorry, but Eli Manning is just not funny.

Sunday notes, thoughts and observations on the Jets and the rest of the NFL:

1. Now that the Jets have some cap room to be serious players in free agency, I expect them to show interest in S LaRon Landry. They need a safety and Landry probably is the best one in a market watered down by three franchise tags. The Redskins' former first-round pick (sixth overall in 2007) is coming off two injury-plagued seasons, so maybe his asking price won't be crazy. He's a beast as an in-the-box safety, but there are questions about his coverage ability -- and that's where the Jets need help.

2. Quarterback-turned-analyst Chad Pennington is worth a listen because he makes a lot of sense. The other day, I asked him if the Jets should chase Peyton Manning. His response:

"I don’t think so. I don't think he's the right fit for New York. Both New York teams have their quarterback. For crying out loud, over the next three years, if you knew (Mark Sanchez) would take you to two AFC championship games and an 8-8 record ... come on, now. You'd take that. He's been one or two plays away from the big dance. He's right where he needs to be.

"The key is stability at quarterback, and stability around the quarterback. Look at (Tom) Brady and (Eli) Manning, (Drew) Brees and (Aaron) Rodgers. What's the key? Stability, that's the key."

3. Peyton Manning now has blown off the Jets twice. The first time occurred in 1997, when the Jets owned the No. 1 pick in the draft. He could've been the first Manning in New York, seven years ahead of his brother, but he wanted no part of the Jets and opted to stay in school. I'd say it worked out for him.

4. The folks in the Florham Park bunker are Bronco and Cardinal fans this week. They do not want Manning with the Dolphins in the AFC East. My prediction: He chooses 'Zona.

5. Now that Sanchez has his contract extension, what other players are coming up soon? Players with one year remaining on their current deal: TE Dustin Keller, RB Shonn Greene, RG Brandon Moore, LG Matt Slauson and DT Mike DeVito. Players with two years remaining: CB Darrelle Revis, LB Calvin Pace, RB/KR Joe McKnight and FB John Conner.

6. When Rex Ryan shows up on a college campus for a pro day, it's news. Reporters seek him out, prospects seek him out. The other day at Clemson, former Clemson QB Willy Korn made sure to tap Ryan on the shoulder and introduce himself. "Of course he didn't know who I was, but maybe he'll remember my face," Korn told the Charlotte Observer. For the record, he's a draft-eligible QB from Division II North Greenville (S.C.).

7. Nothing new on the Bart Scott situation. He's had several conversations with Ryan, according to a source, but they've yet to come to any sort of resolution. I can imagine the conversation. Bart: I want to play more. Rex: No, and we want you to take a pay cut. Bart: No way. End of conversation. I still think there's a good chance he's not back with the team.

8. The Redskins gave up three No. 1 picks and a No. 2 pick to move up four spots to draft their new quarterback, presumably Robert Griffin III. Mike Shanahan is a desperate man, having won only one playoff game since John Elway retired after the 1998 season. And now we know why Jeff Fisher picked the Rams over the Dolphins.

9. Peyton's classy farewell press conference in Indianapolis was a rarity in professional sports. How many guys show up to talk about their own firing? Got me to thinking about firings in Jets history. Of all the coaches I've covered, Joe Walton is the only one who agreed to a press conference after his ouster. Rich Kotite also had a presser, but it came before his final game. Of the quarterback firings, the classiest came from Pennington, who spoke via conference call the day after getting unceremoniously dumped in favor of Brett Favre.

10. Hearing positive reports on WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame). Maybe the Jets should consider him at 16, because their passing game needs a jolt. Consider: Sanchez averaged only 6.5 yards per attempt last season to his wideouts, which ranked 32nd in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Thoughts and observations on our first Sunday without a football season:

1. The new league year begins in a month and, as usual, the Jets have some cap issues. Get this: Their 10 highest-paid players will count $90 million toward the 2012 salary cap, which is projected in the $120 million to $128 million range. Break out the shoe horn. Right now, the Jets have about $128 million committed to the cap, so they will have to do some trimming. In case you're wondering, the top 10 are Mark Sanchez, David Harris, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Darrelle Revis, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Calvin Pace, Bart Scott, Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore.

2. A lot of fans are up in arms over the decision to guarantee RT Wayne Hunter's $2.45 million salary. It seems like a head scratcher, but here's what the Jets could be thinking: The free-agent market has slim pickings and, even if they replace him with a high draft choice, they'll still need an insurance policy -- and you're not going to find a decent insurance policy for less than $2.45 million. Plus, keep in mind that Hunter didn't receive a signing bonus last offseason with his new contract, so it's not like they've made a huge investment. Hey, I'm just trying to come up with possible reasons here.

3. ... And another thing: It would've looked bad, real bad, if they had dumped Hunter the same week they guaranteed Fort Knox to Holmes. Remember, Hunter was the guy who called out Holmes in the huddle on that fateful day in Miami, standing up to a player many had felt quit. As ESPNNewYork.com's Jane McManus reported at the time, Hunter screamed at Holmes, "If you don’t f------ want to play, get your a-- the f--- out!” If the Jets told Hunter to get out, it would've sent a bad message.

4. Some bookkeeping: Several players, with escalators in the final year of their contracts, received salary bumps for 2012: Dustin Keller ($2 million raise) is up to $3.05 million, Mike DeVito ($300,000) is up to $2.26 million and Matt Slauson ($740,000) is up to $1.3 million and Shonn Greene ($50,000) is up to $615,000. This is pretty standard stuff.

5. As for these rumors the Jets might try to trade Keller because his blocking isn't good enough to fit in Tony Sparano's scheme ... please. It would make no sense to unload Sanchez's security blanket. Keller is a very good receiver. Figure out a way to use him.

6. Bill Belichick is taking too much grief for the Mario Manningham catch. Yeah, he implored his defense to make Eli Manning throw it to Manningham -- the coach was miked by NFL Films -- but that was the right strategy: Force the opponent to go to its No. 3 WR, not its No. 1 or No. 2. The Patriots got burned because Manning made the perfect throw and Manningham made a sensational catch, but Belichick played the right percentages.

7. Belichick's big mistake was letting the Giants score one play too late. He should've done it on the play before Ahmad Bradshaw's 6-yard TD run. The Patriots would've had the ball with 1:04 left and two timeouts instead of :57 and one timeout. Big difference.

8. A few days before the Super Bowl, I wrote a column calling Tom Brady an "average" post-season quarterback since winning his third Super Bowl. That wasn't received too well in Patriot Nation, but facts are facts: Since winning his first 10 post-season games, Brady is 6-6, with 26 TD passes and 17 interceptions. His fourth-quarter numbers from his last two Super Bowls: 16-for-33, 155 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He failed both times to rally his team on his final possession.

Brady's worst moment was throwing off-target to a wide-open Wes Welker. Yes, Welker had both hands on the ball and should've made the catch, but it would've been a lot easier if Brady hadn't choked. It was akin to missing a three-foot putt. The game came down to two throws: Brady missed an open receiver from 23 yards, Manning was on the money to Manningham from 38.

9. Kudos to former Jets QB Erik Ainge, who has started his own football academy in Knoxville -- the Ainge Academy. The former Tennessee standout, basically thrown out of the NFL because of drug and alcohol problems, is trying to give back. He has a powerful story to tell, and he wants to help kids avoid the same mistakes he made. Good for him.

10. Former Jets and Dolphins QB Chad Pennington, in an interview with the Palm Beach Post, all but acknowledged he's ready to retire. He's always had a passion for coaching; wouldn't be interesting if he reunited with Sparano on the Jets? Pennington had this to say about Dolphins QB Chad Henne, a free agent: "For Chad, the best thing is a change of scenery. It was for me after eight years in New York." I wouldn't be shocked if the Jets make a play for Henne.

Tough day for the Jets. New York City is picking up confetti from the Giants’ victory parade. The Jets? Well, they're still picking up the pieces from a shattered season.

But, hey, life is a learning experience, and the Jets can learn plenty from Super Bowl XLVI. Six things they can take away from it:

1. You need a franchise quarterback. There are rare exceptions, of course, but the reality is you need an elite quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Unless they’re lying through their teeth, the Jets believe they have that guy in Mark Sanchez. We’ll find out the truth in about a month, when Peyton Manning is expected to become available.

2. Pass rush is important. Because it's a passing league, you need to have the ability to put the quarterback on the ground. Once again, the Giants proved that it’s vital to have pressure players. Instead of trying to manufacture a pass rush with scheme, the Jets need to bring in some horses. They've ignored this for too long.

3. Chemistry is key. The prevailing theme in the Giants’ locker room late Sunday night was team unity, how their belief in one another helped them navigate a turbulent season. The Giants were 7-7, and everybody wanted Tom Coughlin’s head on a platter, but the team never succumbed to the adversity. The Jets, who did, have a lot of work to do in this area.

4. Depth isn’t a luxury, it’s a must. Both the Giants and Patriots suffered a number of injuries throughout the season, but they kept it together, in many cases with no-name players. The Jets, now paying for having traded away so many draft choices over the years, have depth issues at quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker and safety.

5. Continuity is big. Eli Manning has been in the same offensive system his entire career. For the most part, so has Tom Brady. Both teams have a system that works, and they know how to find players to fit the system. The Jets have that on defense, but not on offense – and they won’t anytime soon. They’re starting over with a new coordinator, Tony Sparano, and a new system.

6. Strong leadership is essential. You may not like their styles, but Coughlin and Bill Belichick have a style, an unwavering philosophy on how to lead their respective teams. Rex Ryan still is finding himself, conceding he needs to tweak his approach. Ryan deserves some slack because he’s a lot less experienced than Coughlin and Belichick, both of whom are in their second head-coaching job, but it’s time for Ryan to settle in and chart a course for the Jets.

Win and he's in. That is Plaxico Burress' take on Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

"He's one win away, I think, from being a Hall of Famer. I really believe that," Burress said Friday on "The Scott Van Pelt Show" on ESPN Radio.

Burress caught the winning touchdown pass from Manning in Super Bowl XLII. Manning will play for his second ring on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI.

"If he goes out and wins this game," Buress said of his former teammate, "I really believe he's gonna be a Hall of Famer."

The Giants' current five-game winning started with a victory over Burress' Jets on Christmas Eve.

"He's just been lights out for the last month-and-a-half," Burress said of Manning. "His play has really just elevated to a level to where he's throwing the ball with tremendous confidence, putting it in tight places and the guys are out there making plays for him.

"He commands the offense, puts them in great position to get up and down the football field. He goes out and wins this game [Sunday], he's going to silence a lot of people."

Burress made his Super Bowl allegiance clear.

"I think the Giants win." he said. "I'm not going for the Patriots, that's for sure. The Patriots broke my heart too many times when I was in Pittsburgh, all of those AFC championships. Me and Tom Brady have been going at it ever since the Michigan-Michigan State days, so he's been a thorn in my side for the last 12 to 13 years.

"As far as from the Giants standpoint, I've built some great relationships over there and I'm still great friends with some of these guys outside of football. We hang out, even during the season when I was playing for the Jets. I'm running with Big Blue."

Burress' Giants career ended in 2008, when accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub. The incident violated New York's gun laws and led to a prison sentence for Burress.