Q. The Jets have appeared in the last two A.F.C. championship games but were eliminated each time. Are they talented enough to get to the Super Bowl this season?

A. I have my doubts, and I don’t want to get on the wrong side of people because I’m a real Jets fan. But I’ll tell you what; to get there three years in a row against all that competition, with Lady Luck and injuries involved, uh, the odds aren’t as good as you’d like them to be. I looked at their schedule from Day 1 with the Dallas Cowboys coming to town, and whoa, man, do they have some monsters.

All the more reason to rise to the occasion.

“I thought strategically we would have three guys on two. If we did this exactly correct, we may get that,” Westhoff said. “I didn’t think it would necessarily be Joe. I thought the fullback would step in and take Joe, and we’d get 2-on-1 on the corner. As it turned out, they actually moved out a little bit better than I thought, although the fullback probably went further out than what they’d like him to, and Joe came clean and we blocked it.”

4 years ago, Braylon Edwards promised 100 Cleveland 8th graders if they kept their grades up and did at least 15 hours of community service a year, he’d pay for their college tuition. Now, those 8th graders are graduating high school, and Braylon’s keeping his promise, sending a newly-minted Jets fan into Patriots territory along the way.

(Cap tip to Erik Manassy at Jets Twit for this story.)

I really do love this team, I love the Jets and being with the Jets organization. [General manager] Mike Tannenbaum gave me a shot to join this team as a walk-on when I wasn’t drafted, Woody Johnson is a great owner and treats us all well. I love this team, we’re put in situations to succeed and do well and we can win Super Bowls here, I believe that.

About his looming free agency, Ihedigbo chose his words a little more carefully, saying that he needs “to cautiously weigh and see what’s best for me…but I’d still love to be a Jet.”

Still, it’s great to see Rex’s players sharing his brash attitude and saying things like: “We don’t expect to lose, to be the team that people expect to be that same Jets team from years past.”

As part of its Tony Award coverage, the Times has been interviewing New York celebrities, asking them about the theater and their picks to win it all. Not quite as brash as his coach, Sanchez shied away from making any real predictions, but he seemed to think “Catch Me if You Can” would get the top prize this year, saying that “It had a happy ending, and everybody was smiling when you walked out…” Kind of like what happened when I watched the Jets beat the Patriots this past January at my local bar.

When asked about football, Sanchez showed a bit of his intelligence about the unpredictable nature of the game and the amount of planning that goes into preparing for the unplanned:

Being onstage takes so much preparation. That’s very similar to football, the way you study and critique yourself, and how you think about an opponent and what they’re trying to do. Lots of times things don’t go the way they’re supposed to. If something happens on the field that wasn’t supposed to, you have to switch plays.

It’s nice to see that even during the offseason while he’s going to plays, Sanchez has studying on his mind (or knows to tell reporters he does).

Quiet confidence isn’t the first attribute that comes to mind when thinking of an NFL wide receiver’s personality — but it is the most accurate way to describe how Jerricho Cotchery carries himself.

Secure in his steps and sapient in his speech, the seven-year veteran rarely hesitates to echo the brazen bravado more characteristic of head coach Rex Ryan. Cotchery is deliberate when he speaks, but always modest; he’s confident without arrogance, proud without sin.

When it was time for Cotchery to make his acting debut last Wednesday in the 12 Angry Mascots’ long-running, sports-themed comedy show, he appeared as comfortable acting as he would catching a pass in traffic on a Sunday afternoon.

In character, Cotchery stormed the stage, took on the character of a diva receiver, promoted a reality show, and launched a rap career within seconds in Chelsea’s Gotham Comedy Club. Kevin Armstrong summed up the sequence nicely on Manish Mehta’s “Jets Stream” blog.

It was all routine — executed as seamlessly as the precise routes he runs. And that’s when the master of ceremonies, Scott Rogowsky, called an audible at the line of scrimmage.

Customary for a 12AM show, Rogowsky sits on stage with the guest and interviews him in a format modeled after late-night television talk shows. He asks sports-related questions without the thorough analysis that intimidates casual fans, and sprinkles some of his well-executed sarcasm across the top.

“You’re the second youngest of 13 children,” Rogowsky began. “What’s it like now being reunited on the same team with your father, Antonio Cromartie?”

And the audience erupted into fits of laughter.

“Man, that’s not cool to rip on Cro!” Cotchery replied, laughing along with the shocked crowd.

Behind the scenes, Rogowsky and Neil Janowitz, fathers of the 12AM show, gave Cotchery glowing reviews. They cited his professionalism and commitment to his performance. It was only Friday when J. Co agreed to do the show, and it was Monday when he arrived to rehearsal with his lines memorized for a Wednesday night performance.

As quickly as Cotchery controlled the stage to the instrumental for M.O.P.’s 2000 single “Ante Up,” No. 89 flipped the script back to football — right on cue. After the show, Cotchery took the time to discuss the upcoming season, bonding with teammates in SUNY Cortland, and the versatility of all the Jets’ offensive weapons.

Angel Navedo: The audience got to see you rap a little bit tonight. Is this something you’ve done before?

Jerricho Cotchery: I’m telling you, man, I did everything I possibly could to get out of, what we call, the hood. I started doing that when I was around 11, just penning my stuff down.

AN: With Darrelle Revis doing his ‘Mr. Manhattan’ thing, what are the conversations like in the locker room? Are there every any battles between guys who are into making music?

JC: None at all. Guys don’t really talk about it. We talk about music and different artists that we like and friends we know who rap. But we don’t talk about it in detail.

AN: The premise in tonight’s skit was about you having your own reality show. Is that something you’d actually do, given the opportunity?

JC: If I do something, as far as a reality show, it’d be something about uplifting families. It’d be a family-oriented show, just showing how my wife and my family operates — our foundation; and that’s God. It’d be something up that alley.

AN: You were on 1050 ESPN Radio earlier in the week discussing wide receivers with Jody McDonald and Brandon Tierney (download), and expressed your faith in some receivers to step up while Santonio Holmes serves his four-game suspension. Care to elaborate?

JC: (Cotchery answered this question before the Jets re-signed Laveranues Coles. -Ed.) We have a number of guys that have been working so hard at developing their games. Everyone knows about David Clowney and his speed. Brad Smith is our all-purpose guy — you never know where you might see him line up. Aundrae Allison got hurt in the last preseason game last year, but he’s come along very well.

And my cousin — no one knows about — Marcus Henry is doing an incredible job learning to play to his size. He’s been able to watch Braylon [Edwards], the way he uses his size and his strength, and he’s been doing some of those same things. He’s always been a great route runner, so he’s trying to add that to his game as well.

AN: Have you, Holmes, and Edwards discussed the different roles you can take on offense?

JC: Our mindset is to go out there and dominate. We have a top-notch receiving corp, so that’s our mission. We see the guy that’s lined up across from us and go to work. That’s going to be our approach. That’s how we’re going to put points on the board.

AN: So there’s no such thing as a No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3?

JC: Nah, nah, nah. And none of us are worried about that. When we step out on the field, it’s about us beating the man across from us. No one is out there thinking, “Okay, the No. 1 guy is out on the field, and the No. 2 guy is on the field.” We’re just going out there, trying to make plays, and put points on the board.

AN: So we might see you in the slot for one set, and then out wide next?

JC: Yeah. That’s the thing with our offense — you have to be versatile and you have to be able to move around. All of our receivers are getting accustomed to doing that. It’s going to keep a lot of defenses off-balance.

AN: I’m sure offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is adding new wrinkles in the playbook to use all of you.

JC: Yeah, I can’t reveal those, but we have a lot of new wrinkles. It’s going to be fun. My man Dustin Keller is going to have a fun year as well.

AN: We all know training camp is tough, but with it right around the corner, what are you looking forward to most in this next month?

JC: I’m looking forward to seeing our team develop. We have a lot of guys coming in this year, so I just want to see us develop as a team, and develop that chemistry the way we did last year around this time. And I’m looking forward to getting to know my teammates really well.

Banking on the second-year quarterback’s progress, Gang Green added two offensive weapons for Sanchez in receiver Santonio Holmes and running back LaDainian Tomlinson. And the 23-year-old Sanchez is dedicated to running with it and building a familial dynamic on offense.

“When we’re not throwing and working out, it’s important to just hang out,” Sanchez said. “Not just in the film room and in the facility, but you [have to] go to dinner with them. Not as a chore, but it’s something you want to get to know these guys.”

That means planning to vacation with his receivers this offseason, “either in California, or somewhere else,” Sanchez said. Developing a rapport with his teammates and learning his receivers’ preferences takes as much precedence as forging the friendship.

“When it’s the heat of the moment,  it’s the fourth quarter, tensions are raised, [and] guys are yelling back and forth, you know it’s never personal. … You know there’s that deep bond — that love between you guys — and know that it’s all about winning this game. Nothing’s ever personal.”

But what is becoming personal is the growing sentiment among pundits that the Jets have added too many volatile personalities that will be more explosive in the locker than on the field. Being cognizant of a player’s history and indiscretions is fine, but it undermines the environment coach Rex Ryan and his players have worked on for more than a year.

There are no opportunities to be disruptive on a team where the leadership is unified in achieving a common goal.

“With the Jets, it’s a family-like atmosphere,” Sanchez explained. “These guys support you to the very end. There’s no greater testament to that as when we go through that slump during the season, and it’s not like the whole team was playing poorly. It was me.”

Those are days Sanchez plans to leave behind him. Much like receiver Jerricho Cotchery, Sanchez recognizes the potential for a more explosive offense. Combining the Jets’ newest acquisitions with returning running back Leon Washington creates a semblant pick-your-poison conundrum for opposing defenses next season.

Second-year running back Shonn Greene figures to carry the Jets’ league-leading rush attack. Leon Washington and Tomlinson are both threats in space, either as receivers out of the backfield, or through the holes created by the offensive line. And Dustin Keller is excited about the opportunities he’ll find as a pass-catching tight end with so much attention focused on the receivers.

“I think [Holmes and Tomlinson] are guys that can touch the ball behind the line of scrimmage — four or five yards, even — and take it the distance. Losing Leon early last year was tough on us. We didn’t have that big-time, explosive back, and we made due,” Sanchez said. “I think they all add to everything we bring to the table. It’s going to be a fun year for us.”

—–

With the 2010 NFL Draft on the horizon, Sanchez also recollected his memories of the experience and the anxiety he felt until being picked fifth-overall. After expecting to be selected by Seattle with the fourth pick, Sanchez spoke of his confusion between the time the Seahawks selected Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry and the phone call from general manager Mike Tannenbaum following the trade with Cleveland.

Now that a new crop of rookies are slated to come into Florham Park, Sanchez explained the kind of environment new players will enter after this weekend.

“Only thing I can compare it to is what I know, what he had at [the University of Southern California]. It was a family, it wasn’t just a team. Guys here are very supportive,” Sanchez said. “You take your lumps physically and verbally; they get into you a little bit. But at the same time, that’s just part of earning your stripes and growing up in this league. … It’s the most supportive you could ever imagine a team to be. Any rookie that comes to our team, they’re going to be very happy and excited to be with us.”

Well, everyone is watching what we’re doing right now, so they know they have to step it up another notch. We’ve made a lot of additions this offseason. We’ve been improving our team drastically. I think other teams see that and now they’re trying to make their moves accordingly.

On expectations for 2010:

Well, we made the AFC championship game last year, and we’ve gotten better. On paper, we’ve gotten better with the additions that we’ve made. And with the quality of players that we’ve brought in, it’s not a stretch by any means to say that we’re not going to be better. But we understand what type of work we need to put in. That’s the key to it. We have a very close-knit group and those guys are going to fit in well.

We look forward to having another great year. Our goal is to win a Super Bowl. Anything short of that is going to be disappointing for us, because that’s what we’re setting out to do right now – that’s what we’re working towards. We’re not taking anything for granted. We’re not complacent, at all. We’re just going to work towards our goal.

On Kerry Rhodes being traded to Arizona last month:

I was shocked. He’s a very good friend of mine. I’ve known him since the 11th grade. But sometimes changes need to be made for both sides. You can’t keep going back and forth, who’s right and who’s wrong, sometimes you just need to part ways.

But I think, in the end, Arizona will be a great situation for Kerry. He has the opportunity to go out there and play with Adrian Wilson, team up with him in that secondary at safety and be able to do great things.

He’s a hardworker. He’ll be able to bounce back and have a good year.

On if Rhodes’ “Hollywood” image was overblown:

Well, yeah, I really haven’t seen him in too many movies. A lot of people say he’s into the movie thing and modeling thing, but I don’t see him everywhere. I don’t see him everywhere, but a lot of times, though, that perception can be created by outside individuals. Obviously, he is involved in those things, but you don’t see him everywhere.

Football is important to him and he has a chance to prove that. He has a chance to prove that, and it’s going to be up to him.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @fittedhatlow.