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The New York Jets aren't stupid.

They know how much New England is savoring this Sunday's game. After all, the Jets exposed the spying tactics of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during a season-opening 38-14 loss to New England and the Patriots have fed off that embarrassment in the weeks that followed.

"They've definitely had a certain swagger ever since then," said Jets linebacker David Bowens. "And I'm sure everybody is saying that we don't have a shot at winning this game. But I also know the character of the guys in this room. We think we can win."

That was the general sentiment coming from the Jets in the wake of their 24-18 loss to Cleveland Sunday.

Yes, they understand they're up against a tremendous challenge -- the Patriots have been running up the score whenever possible while rolling to their current 13-0 record so it stands that the Jets should brace for a blowout -- but they're also not going to wilt this week. New York's attitude is that Belichick can seek all the retribution he wants. The Jets have had far worse issues to deal with this season.

This was supposed to be the year when the Jets took the next step in their development, especially after they surprised everybody by going 10-6 and earning an AFC wild-card berth in their first season under coach Eric Mangini. Instead, the Jets opened with seven losses in their first eight games and their record now sits at a frustrating 3-10.

There has been no mystery as to why the Jets have been so disappointing, either. It all comes down to inconsistency.

The Jets have had so many problems at quarterback that they benched Chad Pennington and promoted second-year signal-caller Kellen Clemens prior to a 23-20 loss to Washington on Nov. 4. Their offense is averaging just 18.4 points game. Their defense ranks 28th in the NFL in total yards allowed (350.2 per game) and 30th in rushing yards allowed (141.9).

They've also been unable to make plays when it matters most; six of their losses have come by a touchdown or less.

The Jets obviously can't afford to suffer through the same mistakes that have plagued them this season when they meet the Patriots. The only teams that have really threatened New England this season -- Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Baltimore -- eventually killed themselves with critical errors late in those contests. The Jets should know this reality as well as anybody; they actually played New England tough for a half in that first meeting. It was in the final two quarters of that contest that the Patriots turned a 14-7 halftime lead into a 24-point win.

The Jets also know they have a few positives to draw upon for confidence as this contest nears.

They have beaten one playoff contender this season (a 19-16 upset of Pittsburgh on Nov. 18) and they also sparked this rivalry last season when Mangini, a former Belichick assistant, led his team to a 17-14 regular season win at New England.

Of course, plenty has changed about the Patriots since the Jets' last victory over New England. Most importantly, wide receiver Randy Moss wasn't on the Patriots roster and quarterback Tom Brady, a shoo-in for the league's Most Valuable Player award, wasn't dissecting defenses with the precision of a surgeon.

In fact, the only hope the Jets really have is to apply the same formula that the Colts, Eagles and Ravens used -- run the football and take Moss out of the game -- and then hope the game moves quickly. New York has had success confusing Brady with coverages in the past but it's doubtful the Jets can come up with something Belichick and his staff won't anticipate.

We saw how the Patriots whipped Pittsburgh, 34-13, after Steelers safety Anthony Smith guaranteed a victory last week. Just imagine how badly Belichick wants to embarrass his old protégé after the spying infractions resulted in a league-record $500,000 fine for him, a $250,000 fine for the franchise and the loss of a first-round pick in next year's draft.

What the Jets won't do, however, is fret about what's going through the Patriots' minds heading into a contest for which the point spread has New England favored by 24.

"They don't need any more motivation than what they already have," said Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. "They're an undefeated team and we have three wins. They aren't worrying about us."

Added Jets running back Thomas Jones: "I really don't spend any time thinking about that stuff [spying]. We have to line up and play football on Sunday and they have to do the same thing. All that other stuff goes out the window."

Jones actually stressed that the Jets need to have a much bigger vision than this game with New England. New York has to find a way simply to put together some consistent performances before the season ends. If that happens this week against the Patriots, so be it. But that's the one goal that several veterans have for a Jets team that still believes it has enough talent to compete.

So when Sunday's game kicks off, don't expect to hear much hype coming from the Jets' sideline. The spy game came and went and if New England still cares about it, that's the Patriots' issue. As for the Jets, they're not wondering whether Belichick will run up the score or do everything possible to embarrass his AFC East rivals. All the Jets care about is finding something positive in a season that has been nightmarish from the moment it began.

Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.