"The Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL. They're producing mad numbers on offense, Philip Rivers is the new Peyton Manning, their receivers are as big as the Celtics' frontcourt, Darren Sproles is Gale Sayers in the open field and . . .

Pardon the hyperbole, but that's how it sounds to the Jets, who have been inundated with "How do you stop them?" questions for the last two days. Make no mistake, they respect the Chargers, but to paraphrase Dennis Green, they're not ready to crown them.

"I don't think anybody is unstoppable," safety Kerry Rhodes said Wednesday.

Reminded that no team has held the Chargers under 20 points, Rhodes shot back: "They haven't faced us yet."

The Jets are a confident bunch. How could they not be, playing for Rex Ryan? But this isn't a hot-air kind of confidence. They believe they can contain Rivers