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He was once nicknamed "The Sanchize" during his rookie season because of his importance to the team. Now, the New York Jets might just want to sanitize themselves from third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez after another mistake cost them a win on Thursday night in a 17-13 loss to the Denver Broncos.

As big as Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow's 20 yard touchdown run with just under a minute to play was to the game's final score, it was Sanchez's third quarter interception that was the turning moment in the Jets loss. Holding a 10-3 lead midway through the third quarter, Sanchez dropped back on third-and-6 and locked in on wide receiver Plaxico Burress, whom he tried to find on the previous play.

Sanchez thought he had Burress open for a first down, but anyone watching his eyes knew where the ball was going and Broncos cornerback Andre Goodman was waiting underneath, stepping forward for the interception:

"I gave them a touchdown, gave them a free play. The guy made a pretty good play on

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — When the New York Jets need to simulate Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, the responsibility falls to a man old enough to be his father. Well, at least Mark Brunell is left-handed just like Tebow.

Having turned 41 in September, Brunell is 17 years the senior of Tebow, the second-year quarterback who will create all sorts of matchup issues for the Jets on Thursday night.

While opinions differ on Tebow, he is clearly a mobile quarterback who can create problems with his blend of speed, strength and size. Brunell, who has more grey hairs on his head than Tebow has NFL throws, seems like an odd choice to help Rex Ryan's defense prep for the Broncos' read-option.

"The funny thing is Brunell, I don't know what his stats were in college, but he was Tebow minus 50 pounds before Tim Tebow," Ryan said. "He could run like crazy but he's familiar with the option, he's run it before."

Brunell has yet to play this season and last year had just 13 passes all of last year

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Break up the 'Fins.

The suddenly 1-7 Miami Dolphins are everything you don't want a NFL team to be. Management marred by poor decisions and with little or no sense of a direction or purpose in terms of personnel decisions. A team with inadequate talent that has been battered, beaten and bruised during what has been a long, disappointing season. And a despondent and dejected fan base that has already begun to plan for next year.

In short, if you're marketing that Tim Tebow is coming to town to help sell tickets, you're in trouble.

But don't sleep on the Dolphins. This is a team with no quit in them and they won't go down without a fight.

Though he surely is in his final year in Miami, head coach Tony Sparano has somehow gotten through the egos and the losses to tell his team to keep plugging along. It hasn't been an easy season in south Florida, with the team struggling out the gate but the Dolphins have rounded about to some level of respectability the past month. Before Sunday's 31-3

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It would be hard to tell that the New York Jets host the New England Patriots on Sunday night in a crucial divisional battle. Unlike years past, there was no "I hate the Jets" proclamation from Tom Brady, no foot references from Wes Welker and not a single anatomical reference about Brady from Antonio Cromartie. The headlines don't scream out rivalry -- in fact, there has been all the trash talk one would expect at a nursing home over a game of bridge.

Handbags at ten paces, ladies.

But it is indeed Week 10 and the game Sunday night is the latest chapter in one of the NFL's most bitter rivalries, although you'd be hard pressed to tell it from the sound bites. Perhaps though, the fact that neither team is talking much is a sign that the Jets are now in the upper echelon and that New England, perennially among the top teams in the league, doesn't view them as their "little brothers" anymore.

The silence is a sign that the Jets have arrived. Both teams enter the game

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It was one of the more bizarre resignations in NFL history, and perhaps even in sports. On Jan. 5, 2000, Bill Belichick resigned as head coach of the New York Jets less than 24 hours after accepting the position. The media was gathered for what was supposed to be his introduction to the position, but instead was Belichick's resignation from the job.

Belichick was Bill Parcells' heir apparent, but with an ownership change and some franchise instability, Belichick eventually found Robert Kraft's overtures from Foxboro to be more appealing.

As he was ready to take the podium for what everyone thought would be a positive announcement, Belichick scribbled on a sheet of paper "I resign as HC of the NYJ," a moment in time that would make any English teacher want to "SMH." He took to the podium and talked about why he chose to not take the job, saying he wasn't feeling any support or sense of direction from the Jets.

From that resignation letter, Belichick would then take

yahoo_tyreecatchOne thing is for sure — the next time the New England Patriots play the New York Giants, they will double down on whoever is wearing No. 85.

Three years ago late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII, it was the Giants No. 85, wide receiver David Tyree, who rose over New England safety Rodney Harrison to pull down an Eli Manning pass. Clutching the ball against his helmet as he fell backwards Tyree held on to the pass and, four plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

On Sunday while attending a friend's birthday party in Irvington, N.J., Tyree watched the Giants again beat the Patriots, this time in a Week 9 24-20 win in Foxboro. It was billed as a Super Bowl rematch, the first time these two teams have met since that game in Arizona, and it was another No. 85, Jake Ballard, who tormented New England late in the game.

"It was a great game and a tremendous win by the Giants. I don't think a lot of people gave them much

More than a year removed from a head-on collision on the football field that left him paralyzed from the neck down, former Rutgers lineman Eric LeGrand will be leading the team onto the same field Saturday for arguably its biggest game of the season.

LeGrand told Yahoo!Sports Tuesday he will be leading the Scarlet Knights out the tunnel for the pregame introductions at High Point Solutions Stadium, where he hopes to give an emotional lift to the 5-2 Scarlet Knights as they make an upset bid against West Virginia. Had the injury not occurred, rendering him unable to play football again, LeGrand would be in the midst of his senior season under head coach Greg Schiano.

"It's going to happen," LeGrand said. "It's official, just talked to coach. It is happening."

The idea behind LeGrand, who moves about in a motorized wheelchair, leading the team onto the field came from Schiano. This summer, Schiano approached his former player and offered to let him lead the team onto the field before a