NFL

Jets’ quest to prove pundits wrong begins behind rookie QB

The stench of the 2012 Jets season has lingered like a pile of dirty laundry and garbage around the organization for eight months.

Now, the new season is here.

The Jets have a lot of new faces, starting with rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who will make his first official NFL start Sunday against the Buccaneers. Smith saw limited time in the preseason and was handed the starting job by default after Mark Sanchez was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

The Jets could have five new starters on offense Sunday and seven on defense, depending on the formations they come out in.

One face that has not changed is head coach Rex Ryan, who looks and sounds nothing like the coach Jets fans fell in love with in 2009 and ’10. But he’s back — perhaps for one last run. The expectations for the Jets are as low as they’ve been under Ryan.

The players and coaches know they could flip those expectations with a win Sunday.

“ I honestly believe this is a game we must win,” guard Willie Colon told The Post. “We have to get off on the right foot. The sense of urgency has to be right now.”

Tampa Bay should provide a good test for the Jets. They had the ninth best offense last season and are loaded with playmakers. Their defense should be improved with the additions of cornerback Darrelle Revis (remember him?) and safety Dashon Goldson.

The Jets enter this game with a chip on their shoulders, sick of hearing predictions that they will be bottom feeders. Some outlets ranked them as the worst team in football this week.

“We’re not naïve,” linebacker David Harris said. “We know what’s being said. We’ve got to go out there and continue to do what we’ve been doing. We can’t let outside influences affect us and keep our heads down and keep grinding.”

The new season is here. The Jets now can expunge that 2012 stench or make it worse with an even worse year. We’ll have a better sense after Sunday which direction these Jets are headed.

Here is how The Post sees Sunday’s game breaking down:

MARQUEE MATCHUP

Buccaneers CB Darrelle Revis vs. Jets WRs Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill

The biggest move of the Jets offseason was the trade that sent Revis to Tampa Bay in April. Now, he returns to MetLife Stadium for his first game with the Bucs. He has not played in nearly a year after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Week 3 last year.

Ryan said this week he won’t test Revis, but you have to think the Jets will be tempted. Revis could be on Holmes, who also is playing his first game in almost a year, or the second-year receiver Hill. Whoever he covers, all eyes in MetLife will be on No. 24 waiting to see if he can pick off one of Smith’s passes.

GANG GENO

The Jets will start a rookie quarterback on opening day for the second time in five seasons. Smith was limited in training camp by an ankle injury, and there are questions about his readiness. The Jets have no choice but to put their faith in him now.

“I think our guys are ready to rally behind Geno, and the big thing that we tell Geno is that you just have to be part of the solution,” Ryan said. “I’ve always said it to the quarterback. Just go out and play the position, be part of the solution. You don’t have to think you have to carry this team on your back. That’s not the case. We have a good football team. I will say this about our team. We’ll be popping out of our skin to play.”

STOP THE DOUGIE

One of the biggest points of emphasis for the Jets defense has been improving against the run. The Jets finished 26th in the NFL last season, allowing 133.6 rushing yards per game. We’ll get to see how much better they are this year immediately.

Second-year Buccaneers running back Doug Martin had a huge rookie year and will give the Jets a tough test. He rushed for 1,454 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns last season.

“He’s a future star in this league,” Harris said. “He had a great rookie season last year, and pretty much everything starts and ends with him. We know we have our hands full up front. We can’t let him get going.”

CURIOUS CAT

Last year at this time all we were talking about was Tim Tebow running the Wildcat. Yeah, that didn’t work out too well.

Now expect to see more Wildcat from the Jets even though Tebow is gone. Running back Bilal Powell and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley can both run the formation, which could give the Jets some rushing yardage in an untraditional fashion. Quarterbacks coach David Lee is a pioneer of the Wildcat, and he and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg worked on it this offseason.

NO PASSING ZONE

The Buccaneers were dead last in passing defense last season. That led to the move for Revis and signing Goldson at safety. It will be interesting if the Jets try to attack the unit anyway with Smith or try to run the ball more. Mornhinweg loves to pass, and the Tampa Bay run defense was best in the NFL last year. It’s a game-planning challenge for Mornhinweg. Do you let the rookie test the new-look secondary or rely on your running game against a team that was stiff against the run a year ago?

COSTELLO’S CALL

The 2013 season finally is here. Expectations are low for the Jets, and they are promising they will surprise people. Not today. Tampa Bay’s offense has a lot of weapons, and Geno Smith will struggle in his debut.

BUCCANEERS 21, JETS 10