After four weeks of the National Football League season, it appears the New York Jets still have the same problems that have plagued them since coach Rex Ryan arrived in New York in 2009: Quarterback Mark Sanchez and the offense are weak.

After four games this season, the New York Jets are 2-2, same as the New England Patriots. That seems respectable at first, but one only needs to take a look at the statistics to see that this Jets team just isn’t very good.

In those four games, the Jets have only scored 81 points, while allowing 102. Forty-eight of those points were in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, whose defense is suspect. Since then, the Jets were blown out at Pittsburgh 27-10 and then needed a field goal to beat the Miami Dolphins 23-20.

The Patriots, who could easily be 4-0 if it weren’t for a missed field goal and a bad call, have scored 134 points and allowed only 92. The teams’ two losses were by a total of three points to two of the best teams in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals (4-0) and the Baltimore Ravens (3-1).

Sanchez is in his fourth season with the team since being drafted in the first round out of the University of Southern California. Four seasons ago, he was part of the  Jets team that went to the American Football Conference title game, and they did it again the next year. The Jets got to those games in spite of their offense and Sanchez, so it allowed them to have a false sense of confidence. After all, they had beaten the Patriots to get to the AFC title game in 2010, and Ryan could brag that his squad had replaced the Patriots as the team to beat in the AFC.

Then 2011 came, and with it more loud talk from Ryan as he predicted the Jets would be the 2011 Super Bowl champions. There was only one problem: The Jets were still relying on Sanchez as their quarterback. By the end of the season, the Jets missed the playoffs, and the Patriots went 14-2, only to lose to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

OK, so the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl, but unlike the Jets, they at least got there after New York had supposedly dethroned them.

Now, we turn to the current season, which could be Ryan’s last with New York if the team doesn’t make the playoffs or win some type of championship.

During the off season, New York acquired quarterback Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos. The lefty, who appeared on two University of Florida national championship squads, had an improbable run with the Broncos last year, leading them to the playoffs before New England ousted them in the second round.

It seems that Tebow was brought in to run the wildcat offense on select downs, but not to replace Sanchez. After Sunday’s 34-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers ”“ during which Sanchez looked confused through most of the game ”“ fans in New York are shouting for Tebow to replace the quarterback who was once thought of as being the top player of the franchise’s future.

It’s sad to see that Jets fans, a supportive and deserving group that hasn’t seen their team win or play in a Super Bowl since Joe Namath guided them to the summit in Super Bowl III in 1969, have to chant for Tebow to be their best option in the NFL’s most difficult position. Tebow isn’t really any better. He has an awkward throwing motion, is too erratic and not polished enough to be a good NFL quarterback. Yes, he led the Broncos on a five-game winning streak last season, but he didn’t put up good numbers during the streak. He just happened to ride some good luck along the way.

The Jets fans’ reaction after Sunday’s blowout was delightful for New England Patriots fans, who have grown to hate the team thanks to Ryan and his unwarranted rhetoric.

It started in 2008 when Ryan took the head coaching job and said he wasn’t going to kiss New England Patriot coach Bill Belichick’s Super Bowl rings. That was funny at the time, because no one had asked him to.

But a lot has changed in four years. Once the brash coach, who said his team was the best thing since sliced bread despite never backing it up, Ryan has softened and been forced to see his team continue to struggle offensively. Sanchez isn’t going to get much better, and while he remains in New York, the Jets won’t get much better either.

And that’s just fine with New England Patriots fans.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards representing the majority opinion of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.