Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Patriots-Jets: Zero in common and not much else

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 | 10:18 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

On the surface, it seems as though the New England Patriots and New York Jets have a lot in common.

They're both 5-0. They're both in the AFC East.

Their names both begin with "New."

They were both formerly coached by Bill Parcells.

But that's about where it ends. As the two teams prepare to play Sunday in Foxboro, it's quickly evident how different these franchises have become.

The Patriots have won two of the past three Super Bowls. The last time the Jets won a Super Bowl, only one member of the Patriots -- 14-year veteran and former Jet linebacker Roman Phifer -- was alive.

The Patriots have won 20 consecutive games, the longest streak in NFL history. The Jets are 5-0 for the first time in their 45-year existence.

The Patriots opened the season by defeating Indianapolis to open the season, in a rematch of last year's AFC championship game. Despite that loss, the Colts rebounded and have four wins this season.

The five teams New York has defeated have a combined six wins.

I don't want to say the Jets schedule has been easy, because any win in the modern NFL is a good win. But the Chargers, who had the league's worst record last year, represent the class of the competition with a 3-3 mark. The Jets' other four opponents are a combined 3-19.

After Sunday, New England continues a tough stretch -- at Pittsburgh and at St. Louis. The Jets will play at home against winless Miami, travel to 1-4 Buffalo and I think they play Army a couple of weeks after that, though I'm not sure.

New England is led by the consummate game-planner, Bill Belichick. He always has his team prepared and seems to have all the goods on his opponent. Perhaps he's obtaining inside information through the Patriot Act.

The Patriots have won their past four games by 10 points or more. The Jets have not won a game by more than eight.

Ironically, the Patriots quite possibly have the Jets to thank for their resurgence. Three seasons ago, New York linebacker Mo Lewis leveled Drew Bledsoe on the sidelines early in a game, forcing young Tom Brady into the lineup. You know the rest.

As Brady and the champs try to deal win No. 21 on Sunday, another Boston franchise will be playing Cardinals nearby, after lifting a longtime curse against a New York team.

The Patriots have the talent to follow suit in this Boston-New York matchup, but regardless of who wins, at 5-1 it would be hard to consider the other a loser.

This week's picks: The Rams' Jeff Wilkins missed a late field goal that would have given me a 3-0 mark, but I'll gladly take a 2-0-1 week against the spread. The season marks stands at 10-7-1. This week, I'll select the Giants-Lions over 40, the Titans plus 7 at the Vikings and Falcons plus 4 over the Chiefs.