Back in January before the Jets visited the Colts to play in the AFC title game, we found this JaMarcus Russell-Mark Sanchez rookie comparison laughable. In June, we couldn’t help but chuckle at this attempt to say “Darrelle Revis isn’t irreplaceable” based on stats. Today, the Jets’ bashing among stat-lovers continues: “Is it time to start worrying about Mark Sanchez?”

Sanchez’s stats through three games – 31 completions in 48 attempts for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions – also reflects a coaching staff that’s hesitant to let it fly. His 5.6 yards per attempt average ranks 23rd in the league, he has just two pass plays of 20 yards or more, and his passer rating of 75.6 isn’t what one would expect of a quarterback that many think will help his team to a Super Bowl berth.

If someone’s going to spend this much time hammering Sanchez for lack of preseason production, what’s going to happen when the Jets start 1-4? Three of their first five games are against playoff teams from 2009; another, Miami, is widely considered a contender in the AFC East this season.We’re going to guess that after the week three loss to Miami, at least one New York tabloid uses the word BUST in a headline with a Sanchez photo underneath. The internet can’t wait for the demise of “Sanchize.”

(Santonio Holmes, the 2009 Super Bowl MVP wide receiver, doesn’t join the Jets until week four, the schedule eases up in the midseason, and the guess here is the bandwagon will be full again by early November.)

We don’t remember exactly how the Jets’ 2009 preseason went – other than getting destroyed by Baltimore – but we went into 2009 with little confidence that Sanchez would do anything as a rookie. In his 1st start, on the road against a promising Houston team (some writers, including SI’s Peter King, pegged the Texans as a playoff team), Sanchez was sensational in a 24-7 triumph.

In January, he was virtually error-free in two playoff road games as the Jets stunned the favored Bengals and Chargers.

And now, we’re off to search for the other “time to start worrying” blog posts about Eli Manning, Tony Romo, and anyone else who hasn’t had an impressive preseason.