FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez is the face of the franchise, and right now his GQ face is sporting a black eye.

Symbolism doesn't get more obvious than that.

The New York Jets got beat up in Oakland, and Rex Ryan got beat up by Joe Namath, of all people, and now they go to Baltimore to meet the defensive monster Ryan helped create. Every season is filled with pressure points, and this is the first for the Jets. The good teams respond; the others let pressure turn to crisis.

What the Jets need Sunday night, what they need more than anything, is for Sanchez to play like it's January.

In other words, he needs to play one of those beyond-his-years games, because the Jets -- no longer a punch-em-in-the-mouth offense -- need some vintage Sanchez to upset the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

"We've already experienced what it's like to lose on the road and we can't let it happen again," wide receiver Santonio Holmes said. "That's been our identity since Coach Ryan has been here, winning big games on the road."

For the better part of his first two seasons, Sanchez was lifted up by his supporting cast, but now it's his turn -- his time -- to do the raising.

The foundation is showing cracks, which is what happens when your two staples -- running the ball and stopping the run -- become question marks. The Jets are experiencing a mini-identity crisis, with Sanchez admitting, "We're still trying to find our way" on offense.

At a time like this, you need your leader to ... well, lead. Sanchez gives the Jets a puncher's chance because he's being allowed to punch. This isn't the same quarterback -- or the same offense -- that faced the Ravens in the 2010 opener. That was a classic case of micro-managing, coaches filling Sanchez's head with too much information.