J-E-T-S went from contenders to M-E-S-S

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — From nearly Super to just plain stupefying.

That is what the New York Jets have become in a span of two NFL seasons.

From a botched trade for Tim Tebow before the season to a botched snap by Mark Sanchez that ended the season, Rex Ryan’s bunch became a dysfunctional mess with no clear solution in sight.

The Jets are considered by many a laughingstock, one big circus which ranks up there with the Bronx Zoo Yankees, the Isiah Thomas Knicks and the late Al Davis’ Raiders. At least those Yankees won a few World Series titles, and the Raiders took home three Super Bowl trophies despite all the madness.

Woody Johnson’s flawed franchise could be headed for a total teardown before things get any better.

“Being in this market for six years, I’ve seen the ups and downs,” defensive lineman Mike DeVito said. “You get used to it after a while. You see the good stuff and the bad stuff.” Lately, it’s been all bad. The Jets are a team whose owner craves attention, and gets it — always for the wrong reasons, it seems. Two years ago, the Jets were a win away from the Super Bowl, just as they were the previous year.

Both times, they fell just short of ending the drought that began after Joe Namath delivered on his guarantee in 1969 for the franchise’s first and only title.

But there was hope for the future.

Ryan was a brash and bold coach who didn’t back down from anyone and said what was on his mind, predicting Super Bowl wins before the season even started, a refreshing departure from the tightlipped three-year tenure of Eric Mangini. He had a dominant defense, led by All-Pro Darrelle Revis, and a young, promising quarterback in Sanchez.

And most of all, the Jets were winning games.

Those positive feelings all seem like a distant memory as the Jets ( 6- 8) play out the last two games of the season and head into a winter of uncertainty with a second straight year out of the playoffs.

“If you look at it, right now, I’m not looking further than this game against San Diego and (then) we have one more game,” Ryan said. “We’ll see what happens. My focus has to be with those two games and that’s it.”

That’s because Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum don’t know for sure if they’ll even be back beyond the final game of the season.

Tebow will be out the door less than a year after coming to New York and saying he’s “excited to be a Jet.” Sanchez could be a goner, too, although his hefty contract could keep him put — but as the former face of the franchise instead of the next Namath.

Tired of getting into arguments with fans for wearing Sanchez’s No. 6 jersey this season and fearing the incidents could escalate, the Jets’ most famous supporter, Ed Anzalone, hung up his helmet last month and “retired” from being Fireman Ed.

So, there are no more JE- T- S chants led by him. Still, the Jets insist they are far from the muddled M- E- S- S they are perceived by many to be.

“I certainly don’t feel that,” Johnson said earlier this season. “We are deadly serious about what we do here, trying to win games and trying to represent our fans in a way that they expect us to represent them.”

But perception often is reality, and the Jets have provided plenty of fodder to feed into that during the past few years.

There was Ryan at his opening news conference nearly four years ago, talking about how his team would soon meet President Barack Obama as champions.

He came with plenty of other guarantees, too, that made him one of the most confident— and as a result — disliked sports figures New York has seen.

Most Jets fans loved his approach, though, and bought in.

They’re some of the same fans who now hope for a change in leadership, tired of Ryan’s empty promises and the distractions that have marked his tenure as coach.