The sovereign ruler of this duchy, Lord Casanova, called it nearly to a tee, but it bears repeating: The Jets are precisely who we thought they were. Only we won’t let them off the hook.

Now, far be it for me to tell a man with a hoss name like Woody Johnson — seriously, was Tony Splooge taken? — how to handle his business, but this Brett Favre thing was an unmitigated disaster. Johnson will only exacerbate his Favre problem by keeping the grizzled Hamlet and his indecision — in the offseason and the pocket — aboard for another season. Brett Favre may not be washed up, and he’s been counted out before, but consider that playoff clubs Tennessee and Arizona have burgeoning quarterback controversies that will need to be fixed in the offseason. Could Matt Leinart be acquired on the cheap? Could Kerry Collins? Certainly Sage Rosenfels would play well with New York’s sizable hippie population.

And what of Kellen Clemens, a man who received less face-time in 2008 than either Kellen Winslow Sr. or Roger Clemens. Is the soon-to-be 26-year-old already relegated to a small bust-ville flat with fellow clipped-winged Oregon Ducks Joey Harrington and Akili Smith?

The truth is that only in New York can an improvement of five wins be considered a failure. The Jets were a legitimate 4-12 team in 2007, and they showed marked improvement in 2008. They fell short of the playoffs after playing in a division with two 11-win teams. They also doubled their win total while getting nothing out of the No. 6 overall pick.

The truth is also that the Jets would have been better served in keeping ol’ Noodle Arm Pennington as their quarterback and focusing on improving their receiving corps. But as is the case with most New York teams, the GM played marketer and went for sizzle over substance.

So the Jets finish 2008 precisely where they finished 2007: at home with a weak-armed quarterback who will likely not return. Perhaps this offseason they will realize that quarterbacks are a bit like closers — unless you’ve got one of the elite five, it makes no sense to devote precious resources to them in lieu of improvement elsewhere.

Though those of us who like to watch Jets fans mope certainly hope that they won’t.