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ST. LOUIS — The best practice team in the NFL will try to take it to the game field today.
The Jets talk about how every week they had great practices. Then Sunday comes and they lose. They are riding a three-game losing streak, and the season feels very close to spiraling out of control.
“We’re desperate for a win,” coach Rex Ryan said.
That brings the Jets into St. Louis today to face the Rams and former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who holds the same position with St. Louis now. The 3-6 Jets and the 3-5-1 Rams both are desperate and know one more loss and it’s time to start thinking about 2013.
This is how bad it is for the Jets — they’re getting tired of talking. Asked about what the Rams offense does well this week, Jets safety LaRon Landry said he has done talking about the Jets’ opponent.
“At this point, it’s not about what they do anymore, no matter who we face,” Landry said. “It comes down to: Do we want to win or not? Do we want to play? Do we want to execute? Giving the key points and strengths of our opponent, it’s over and done with to me. It just boils down to: Are we going to win a ballgame or not?”
The Jets’ offense is 30th in the league and has scored just one touchdown in its past two games. The defense played well for three quarters against the Seahawks last week, then collapsed in the 28-7 loss.
Landry said the defense is not encouraged by its play in the first three quarters last week.
“Hell, no,” Landry said. “You’re talking about three quarters. That’s not a finish.”
The Jets insist the distractions of this week will not factor into today’s game. We’ll see.
Nothing would be more humiliating for the Jets than to get beaten by Schottenheimer’s offense. They dumped Schottenheimer in January after six years, convinced he was the problem. Things have gotten worse on offense this year with Tony Sparano in charge.
Schottenheimer’s revenge? That would be another body blow for the Jets in a season filled with them.
A look inside the game:
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Jets RT Austin Howard vs. Rams DE Chris Long.
The Jets get to see former right tackle Wayne Hunter, who they traded to the Rams in August after a brutal 2011 season. His replacement, Howard, has not been much better. He has given up 10 quarterback hits, the second-highest total among tackles, according to profootballfocus.com.
Long has five sacks this season, 34 pressures and 15 QB hits. He and Robert Quinn (8.5 sacks) are nice bookends. If Mark Sanchez is on his back all day, forget about the Jets winning.
OH DANNY BOY
The Jets have faced some good receivers this year, and they get another one today. Danny Amendola has been a huge weapon for the Rams. He returned last week from a shoulder injury and caught 11 passes for 102 yards vs. the 49ers. He was second in the NFL in receptions before missing three weeks.
The Jets would have matched up CB Isaiah Trufant against Amendola, just as they did with Wes Welker in the Patriots game last month. But Trufant injured his left knee last week and is done for the season.
“It’s frustrating for us,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said, “because here we are going into two games where we’re playing the two best slot receivers in the league [Amendola and Welker], and we felt we had a real good matchup in Isaiah, and he gets hurt. I was so upset for him.”
Ellis Lankster will be the Jets’ nickel back with Aaron Berry also getting some time.
WAY OFF MARK
For all of the attention spent on Tim Tebow this week, people have lost sight that this team’s real problem is Sanchez. He has been pathetic lately. In his past two games, Sanchez has completed 49 percent of his passes, and thrown one touchdown and two red-zone interceptions.
He couldn’t hit the Gateway Arch.
But don’t forget coach Rex Ryan’s mantra: He gives the Jets their best chance to win.
1-2 PUNCH
The Jets defense allowed another 100-yard rusher last week in Marshawn Lynch. Now, here comes the Rams with Steven Jackson, who is on his way to his eighth consecutive 1,000 yard season.
The Rams also added Daryl Richardson in the seventh round of this year’s draft. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry as a rookie. He has two carries of
40 yards or more in limited action, so he is a home-run threat.
WHO’S SPECIAL?
The most interesting matchups today might come on special teams. The Jets have had two straight games with special teams mistakes that hurt them. The Rams converted two fake punts last week and have rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein, who has five field goals of 50 yards or more.
Costello’s Call
The Jets’ season ends at the hands of Brian Schottenheimer’s Rams offense in a fitting chapter to this train wreck.
The Jets are a mess. I can’t see them putting it together today. Expect another few turnovers from Mark Sanchez and more Tim Tebow questions.
RAMS 20, JETS 10
brian.costello@nypost.com