Before angry Jets fans accost this article’s comments section and accuse me of blasphemy, answer me one question:

If the Jets had not reached the AFC Championship game a season ago, would you be as enthusiastic about the upcoming season as you are right now?

It’s hard to imagine the answer to the question being anything but a resounding “No.” And considering the good fortune the Jets received in 2009, that outcome was a serious possibility.

In Week 16, the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts amiably rested their starters against a Jets team facing elimination. Barely hanging on at halftime, the Jets giddily looked on as Curtis Painter took over at quarterback for Peyton Manning.

Thirty minutes later, David had beaten a toothless Goliath and the Jets were well on their way to a playoff berth.

The Jets then went on to beat the Bengals and Chargers in the playoffs, but neither game was exactly an overwhelming victory. In the two wins, opposing kickers missed five field goals, including three by Nate Kaeding, who is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, in a three-point game.

So, I ask you again:

Are you as optimistic about the 2010 Jets’ Super Bowl chances if the 2009 version had not gone on its “storybook” run?

Again, a person who would answer that question in the affirmative is simply being dishonest.

The fact is that the answer is undoubtedly a “no,” and the Jets status as favorites needs to be seriously reevaluated.

In a league in which Super Bowl teams routinely miss the playoffs the following season, it couldn’t be more obvious that prior performance is not a good indicator of future success.

When predicting the outlook for prospective contenders, one can only look at the product that the team is set to put on the field; not, as so many are doing, getting swept up in a wave of enthusiasm and excitement inspired only by a team’s past endeavors.

It’s hard to imagine the last time an 8-8 team received this kind of hype.

No matter how talented or flawed the Jets were last season, they were one unfavorable decision away from such a record, one loss removed from putting a sock in Rex Ryan’s oversized mouth.

That’s not to say that they aren’t contenders. But teams with this many question marks aren’t deserved of “favorite” status.

Unarguably, the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in the league. But it remains up to debate whether second-year running back Shonn Greene can shoulder a season’s worth of carries. If the Jets want to maximize Greene’s chances of doing so, they will need former superstar LaDanian Tomlinson to regain some of the productivity he’s lost over the last few years.

That, for a man who averaged 3.3 yards-per-carry a season ago, is no small feat.

Without question, the Jets have a formidable receiving corps. But can Mark Sanchez, who led all QBs in turnovers a season ago, take the huge step that will be necessary for him to be a Super Bowl quarterback?

Let’s examine.

Since Super Bowl XXXVIII, 11 of the 12 competing teams and all six winners had quarterbacks who were at the least reliable (Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Delhomme) and, more often, legendary (Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning).

The only below-average QB, Rex Grossman, had moments of brilliance but still saw his Bears lose to the much more steadily-led Colts in 2007.

Out of the same crop of quarterbacks, only one (Roethlisberger), had less games under his belt than Sanchez at the time of the big game. Roethlisberger was also far more developed at that stage of his career than Sanchez is now.

Super Bowl teams need playmaking quarterbacks, not game managers. Say what you want about Eli Manning circa 2008, but he made the plays he needed to when the Giants’ were in trouble.

In the Jets Wild Card win over the Bengals, Sanchez threw just 15 passes. When he was forced to throw slightly more often against San Diego in the divisional round, he passed for just 100 yards and a 60.1 QB Rating.

Those type of numbers support what is clearly visible on the field. Sanchez is more of a liability than an asset, more of a game manager than a playmaker. At this point, it might even be generous to label him with the former.

That’s not to say Sanchez won’t one day be a good quarterback.

But it is extremely rare to make the kind of stratospheric leap that he will need to make in order to elevate himself to the level of the vast majority of Super Bowl QBs. The problem is, he will need to do just that for the Jets to make a run at the Super Bowl, especially if the running game isn’t the dominant force it was a season ago.

“So what?” you say. “Defense wins championships. If the offense falters, our defense will more than make up for it!”

Perhaps. But that tired cliché isn’t exactly true. Sure, a great defense will always help a team’s title hopes, but it isn’t the sole indicator of success.

The aforementioned Rex Grossman-led 2007 Bears were the only one of the past 12 Super Bowl teams to have a dominant defense compensate for a shoddy offensive attack.

Not surprisingly, the exuberant Colts were doused with confetti, while Chicago retreated to the locker room and experienced the more conventional type of shower.

Regardless of the successes of past teams, there is no guarantee that the Jets will be as dominant defensively as they were last year.

There is the seemingly never-ending saga of the Darelle Revis holdout, which threatens to destroy any chance at a Jets Super Bowl victory. But, despite Jets’ owner Woody Johnson’s recent comment, it seems unlikely that Revis will hold out for the entire season.

He would do too much damage to his reputation as a team player, and the Jets would do too much to theirs as a team dedicated to its players. It also is undeniably rare for a holdout to last for an entire season.

Revis not withstanding, a host of other concerns remain for the Jets’ defense.

The Jets were helped at least a little bit by their first ranked rushing attack, which kept the opposing offense off of the field and the Jets’ defenders with fresh legs. If the running game falters, it could have some negative effects on the other side of the ball.

Another problem that might rear its ugly head is the Jets lack of safety depth. Jim Leonhard remains a steady hand, but whoever fills in on the other side (almost certainly Eric Smith) is likely to be exploited. This could become a serious problem if Leonhard goes down, as was exhibited by the Giants’ loss of Kenny Phillips last year.

A dearth of safety depth is always a problem, no matter how good your cornerbacks are.

The pass rush is also a concern. Last year’s top ranked defense accumulated only 32 sacks, good for 18th in the NFL.  If the rush doesn’t improve, there will undoubtedly be more big plays down whatever side of the field Revis isn’t covering.

It also might be worth worrying about the Jets defensive line, which is devoid of a bonafide pass rusher and is anchored by NT Kris Jenkins, who is coming off major surgery. If Jenkins is not back at his full capabilities or is bitten by the injury bug again, it could open up problems against the running game.

If the latter were to happen, the Jets depth might be tested. On paper, they seem to be up to the task. But they were largely healthy last year and it remains to be seen as to whether the second-string can fill the void.

With all that has been said, it still goes without saying that the Jets are a talented football team.

With the Patriots shrinking further and further into the realm of NFL parity, the Jets have a solid shot at the AFC East supremacy. It doesn’t hurt that they have an outstanding offensive line, great wide receivers, impressive linebackers, and a stable of cornerbacks with massive potential.

But with the success of the remaining facets of the team in doubt, it's hard to reason why this team has been anointed favorites by both themselves and the adoring media.

Perhaps it’s their boisterous, likable coach. Maybe it’s their undeniable swagger. Or their passionate fans.

More likely, however, it’s an entire portion of the public who has been seduced by a magical, yet misleading journey into the month of January.

When the calendar turns to 2011, we’ll find out whether the Jets were worth the hype, or—more likely—if their run to the AFC Championship Game was simply an exciting detour for a merely solid football team.