Sanchez upbeat that Jets' offense can rebound

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Mark Sanchez insists he's forgotten, that he no longer can smell the stench from the stinker the Jets turned in Monday night.

The second-year quarterback and the rest of the Jets' offense - save for LaDainian Tomlinson - were downright anemic in a 10-9, season-opening loss to the Ravens. But he claims he's erased it from the memory bank.

"I just really tried to enforce the 24-hour rule," Sanchez said Wednesday. "You get your 24 hours to think about it - win, lose or draw - your best game, your worst game. You throw five touchdowns, 'Man, that's great.' After those 24 hours, 'Man, you have to let it go.' That's the way everybody feels in here. We've definitely moved on in our preparation.

"It's like that game is a lifetime away already."

It's probably best to think that way to prevent nightmares as they await Sunday's AFC East game with the rival Patriots. The Jets compiled a modest 176 yards, converted 1 of 11 third downs, and Sanchez completed only 10 of 21 passes for 74 yards.

Some might point to the Ravens' turnover-happy defense as the reason for the Jets' lack of offensive fireworks Braylon Edwards thinks differently, though.

"We're so emotionally drawn to the fact that we are trying to prove what nobody believes we have," the wide receiver said. "Everybody knows we have a great defense. You think the Jets, you think Darrelle Revis, you think about the defense. But we know we have a good offense, we know we can make plays.

"I know it sounds crazy to the outside world, but we can be just as good as our defense. And we want to do that. I think we're a little edgy. I think we're pressing, and we just need to calm down and relax and I think we'll be OK."

Sanchez wasn't quite so sure that the Jets' offense, which scored only two preseason touchdowns in 18 possessions with the first team on the field, is trying a bit too hard. But he does notice a difference when the team is extremely loose, which might not have been the case Monday, as Edwards pointed out.

"When we're relaxing, having fun and just playing, like a kid's game - when we play it that way, we feel great," Sanchez said. "Good things happen for us. When we do push and stress about stuff, it makes things harder. I think part of that is we started getting penalties, things started happening, it was like nobody wanted to be the one to mess up.

"That's fine, but we just have to go play, eliminate any doubt, know that we're a great offense, go out and prove it."

That includes himself. After all the progress Sanchez made during the stretch run last season - when he threw four TDs and only two interceptions in his final five games - and the expectations bestowed upon this team, it's imperative for the 23-year-old to navigate the offense in the right direction.

"Mark is not a rookie anymore. We're putting a lot on Mark's shoulders this year,'' Edwards said. "We have to find a balance now. If the run isn't there, we lean on the pass and get Mark going with that. And once that gets going, then we get the run game going. We've got to lean on each other a little bit more, knowing that we have the ability to make plays on the outside.

"We've just got to go out there and make them."