No reason to be scared of Sanchez

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Wild-Card Weekend is officially in the books, and now it's on to the Divisional round.

For the Patriots, they now must content with the ever-dangerous (joking) New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Throughout the year, Sanchez has been asked to not make mistakes while the running game and the defense are expected to carry the load and win games.

But with New England up next, you can bet coach Bill Belichick is going to make the Jets young quarterback beat his well-rested defense, which welcomes back rookie inside linebacker Brandon Spikes.

A quick question for Patriots Nation: Are you guys really afraid of the Jets? Better yet, Sanchez?

I think taking the cautiously optimistic approach to beating the Jets is fine, but of all the quarterbacks still left in the playoffs, the Pats drew perhaps the easiest guy to face (I'd even take Jay Cutler and Matt Hasselbeck over Sanchez) and the least likely to carve up a secondary.

So advantage Patriots.

I'm going to say this all week, too: The Jets need to play a perfect game to beat the Pats, while the Pats will have to play a less-than-a-C-game to lose to loudmouth Jets coach Rex Ryan, who obviously wishes he had Tom Brady on his team.

Can the Jets keep up with the Pats and go point-for-point with them? No way, especially not with that offense -- led by pee-shooter-for-an-arm Sanchez running the Jets offense.

The Pats will make Sanchez throw, stacking the line of scrimmage in order to stop LT and Shonn Greene in the backfield. It's the right way to play them, too. Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes must deliver down the field, but plan on one of those two guys being taken away on every play by outstanding play from rookie Pro Bowl cornerback Devin McCourty.

I know the Pats and Jets split during the regular season, but expect the Pats to confuse Sanchez and prove to everyone the former USC product will never be a top-of-the-line starter in this league.