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Jets v. Saints: Recap

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:26:09 EDT

So the Jets went down to New Orleans on Sunday to face their toughest competition to date and left with their first loss of the season. They looked great on one side of the ball and horrific on the other. It may have looked bad on Sunday but the immediate future looks good for the Jets.

The defense looked very strong against the high powered offense of the Saints. They were able to hold QB Drew Brees to under 200 yards passing for the second game straight with no touchdowns. In fact the Saints did not score an offensive touchdown until there was about six minutes left in the game. Brees was never able to get into a serious rhythm against the Jets.

The Saints marched down the field on the opening possession and the "bend but dont break" defense of the Jets held them to a field goal. Brees only managed to throw for 190 yards, but most importantly he had no turnovers. It was the Saints running game that gave the Jets defense fits on the afternoon.

Jets v. Saints: Week 4 (Big "O" v. Big "D")

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:37:25 EDT

So what's more important, a good defense or a good offense? That's the question that will be answered this Sunday when the New York Jets bring their revamped defense down to the Big Easy to take on the high powered offense of the New Orleans Saints. Everyone says that defense wins championships, but the Saints are trying to prove that a very good offense can get you to a championship. Both units will be put to the test on Sunday.

New York's defensive unit will face its biggest test of the 2009 season so far, going up against QB Drew Brees and the Saints offense. Brees has been off the charts over the past two seasons. In 2008, Brees threw for 5069 yards and 34 touchdowns. So far, three weeks into this season, he has 841 yards and 9 touchdowns. Brees' career has really taken off in New Orleans and the Saints have all the tools around him to make a successful run at the playoffs in 2009.

Jets v. Titans: Recap

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:18:17 EDT

So, if you would have told me three weeks ago that the Jets would start the season 3-0, I would have thought you were crazy. So I guess we're all a little crazy right now. The New York Jets have gotten off to a 3-0 start by beating the high powered offense of the Texans. The team they never could seem to beat in the Patriots. And a team that finished 13-3 a year ago with the best record in the AFC, the Titans. The Jets are doing it on both sides of the ball, while letting their quarterback learn on the fly.

QB Mark Sanchez led the Jets out of the gates on Sunday in a hurry. He led the Jets on a 10 play 73 yard scoring drive which was capped off by Sanchez' 14 yard touchdown run. New York opened up the passing game on the opening drive going into a no-huddle offense right off the bat. He was able to hit WR Jerricho Cotchery and TE Dustin Keller for a few long passes while getting down to the Titans 14 yard line. Then on 3rd and 10 from the Tennessee 14, Sanchez took off and plowed his way into the end zone for the Jets first score of the day.

Jets v. Titans: Week 3 (Trap Game?)

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:08:48 EDT

So the Jets enter Sunday's game against the Titans with a record of 2-0. Last week they outplayed and outcoached the New England Patriots, beating them in the Meadowlands for the first time since 2000. Now they will play a Tennessee team that comes in at 0-2 and desperate for a win. So far this week, the trash talking Jets have been remotely quiet. After talking all week about the Patriots leading up to the game, the Jets have not posted any bulletin board material leading into the showdown with the Titans.

We'll start off here with the Jets offense. Last week against New England, the Jets could do nothing on offense in the 1st half. All they were able to manage was a field goal. Against the Texans in week 1, they managed only a field goal in the first quarter. The Jets may not have the opportunity to start out slow this week. Tennessee will be fired up in this game, looking to take the crowd out of it early.

Jets v. Patriots: Recap ("D" is for Dominating)

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:57:57 EDT

So it looks as if the New York Jets are not all talk. The New England Patriots showed up at the Meadowlands on Sunday to teach the Jets a lesson and were punched in the face by a fast and smart Jets defense. This was the first time the Jets have beaten the Patriots at home since the 2000 season. The Jets came out swinging from the opening kickoff and did not let up during the game. In the process, they sent a message to the league that they should not be overlooked.

We have to start this off by talking about the defense. What a performance by Rex Ryan's bunch, holding the Patriots without a touchdown in a game for the first time since December 2006. The defensive line held strong all afternoon, limiting to the Patriots to 83 rushing yards. Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor only ran the ball 14 times in the game for a total of 69 yards. The defensive line, with the return of Shaun Ellis, was able to shut down the run and keep pressure on Tom Brady as well. Kris Jenkins and Shaun Ellis are looking as strong as they did midway through last season when the Jets had one of the most solid defensive lines in the NFL. Not only are they plugging the holes for the running backs, they are creating openings for the line backers to bring the blitz. The line is looking very good to start the season.

Jets v. Patriots: Week 2 (Round 1, Ding..Ding)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 3:36:04 EDT

To quote Terrell Owens, "Get your popcorn ready!" The New York Jets and the New England Patriots will renew their heated rivalry this weekend in the Meadowlands. Both teams come into the game atop of the AFC East, both posting a 1-0 record. New England, in true Bill Belichick form, are treating the game as just another game on the schedule. While the trash talking, Rex Ryan led Jets are treating it like Armageddon. Which as a Jets fan you have to love. He sure does talk a good game.

The Jets are coming off a very dominating performance in Houston last week and are amped up for Sunday. They totally shut down a very good Texans offense. While the Patriots were two minutes away from a loss against the Bills, until Buffalo KR Leodis McKelvin fumbled a kickoff which led to another Tom Brady comeback win. Both teams will be ready to play and play hard on Sunday.

Jets v. Texans: Week 1 Recap

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:51:14 EDT

So the Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan era finally began this past Sunday and it did not disappoint. The Jets went down to Houston and totally dominated a Texans team that many have said are ready to have a break out season. New York's defense was as good as advertised on Sunday and the Jets walked out of Reliant Stadium with a very impressive 24-7 win.

Mark Sanchez seemed to be the real deal on Sunday. The rookie quarterback looked like a seasoned vet with all the poise he showed. On the afternoon, Sanchez was 18-31 for 272 yards with a touchdown and an interception. A very solid performance for the rookie quarterback. But the most impressive stat were his third down numbers. On third down, Sanchez was 12-18 for 191 yards. The Jets offensive line also did a great job as Sanchez was not sacked in the game. The rookie looked very comfortable in the pocket too, not letting the pressure get to him.

Jets v. Texans: Week 1 (The Sanchez Era Begins)

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:35:58 EDT

So here we go again. The 2009 New York Jets season is about to start and a lot has changed since the end of last season. The Jets will take the field at Reliant Stadium on Sunday to take on the Houston Texans. They will be led by new head coach Rex Ryan, who brings his defensive mind to New York from Baltimore. The Jets will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to the 2008 season and it all starts Sunday in Houston.

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez will at the helm for the Jets offense on Sunday. Sanchez beat out Kellen Clemens for the starting job in the pre-season. Sanchez will be starting with some lofty expectations from the Jets fans. Since New York moved up in the draft to get him, he will be counted on to try to get this team in the playoffs. It wont come easy though. The Texans have one of the NFL's best pass rushers in Mario Williams. Williams did have 12 sacks in 2008. He will be going up against a very solid Jets offensive line. This unit will be entering it's second season together after a strong 2008 campaign. It will be up to them to keep Sanchez upright this season.

Jets 2009 Training Camp Preview

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:24:45 EDT

So camp is finally open for the New York Jets. "Another" new season of hope for Gang Green. The Jets enter camp like most other teams in the NFL, with question marks. A lot has happened for the Jets since the disappointing loss to the Dolphins to end the 2008 season.

The Jets did some house cleaning since January. Out is head coach Eric Mangini, QB Brett Favre, WR Laveranues Coles, TE Chris Baker and CB Ty Law. Mangini was let go right after the season ended. The Jets had to make the move. They were at one point 8-3 and leading the AFC East. Only to lose four of the final five games to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. When that happens, its on the coach as well as the players.

Exit Mangini, enter Rex Ryan. Ryan is a defensive minded coach from the Baltimore Ravens. For the past 9 years or so, the Ravens defense has always been one of the best in the NFL. Ryan was a big part of that. He will be looked upon to get the Jets defense to one of the tops in the league. His main focus should be on an average Jets secondary. As good as the Jets defensive line was last season; their secondary was the complete opposite. With the exception of Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, the rest of the secondary was horrible.

Brett Favre Retires...........Again

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 8:12:27 EST

So the news just broke that Brett Favre has decided to hang it up for the 2nd time in two years. This being said, let me be one of the many fans to say thanks for the memories. Favre has had an amazing career since 1992 and has left Jets fans with a season of memories, both good and bad.

Favre was traded to the Jets from the Green Bay Packers back in August and brought with him a cannon for an arm and a breath of hope for Jets fans. And we Jets fans were excited. It was evident at the first practice that Favre attended. About 10,000 fans showed up to see the Jets latest acquisition. The Jets have always been known as a franchise that was 2nd fiddle in their own city. So the acquisition of Brett was just what the franchise needed. The Jets were all over the pack pages of the papers all the way until week 1 of the season.

Jets Offseason Report: Rex Ryan Hiring

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:05:19 EST

So the New York Jets have their new head coach, Rex Ryan. The Jets were able to lure the defensive guru away from the Baltimore Ravens, where he has been for the past 10 years. New York offered Ryan a 4 year deal worth about 11 million dollars. He now takes over a Jets defense that was all over the map in 2008.

The Jets pass defense was the team's achilles heal all throughout the 2008 season. They ranked 29th in the league in passing yards against, giving up 235 yards per game in the air. A very odd stat considering you have Kerry Rhodes and Darelle Revis in the secondary. This is an area that needs to be addressed for the Jets to be successful in 2009.

The Jets defensive line was very successful for the first 11 games of the season. With Kris Jenkins leading the 3-4 defense, the Jets were ranked in the top 4 in the NFL throughout the first 11 games, surrendering about 78 yards per game on the ground. During that same time period, they did not allow a rusher to top the 100 yard mark. Over the final 5 games, the Jets allowed three 100 yard rushers and the other 2 games; they allowed over 100 total yards to multiple rushers. The defensive line just seemed to be tired and worn down at the end of the season.

New York Jets 2008 End of Season Review

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:05:48 EST

What a difference six months makes. The Jets were heading into the 2008 season with a handful of offseason acquisitions that were brought here to improve on a disastrous 2007 season which say the team go 4-12. The Jets made the most noise in the off-season with the signings of Alan Faneca, Damien Woody, Calvin Pace, Bubba Franks, Tony Richardson and the trade for Kris Jenkins. Faneca and Woody were brought here to sure up the offensive line that already consisted of budding stars Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson, attempting to protect injury prone quarterback Chad Pennington. Jenkins was brought in to anchor a 3-4 defense that was missing a true nose tackle. Pace was brought in to establish a better pass rush. Coming into training camp in late July, things were looking better for the Jets and they were looking like a 8-8 or 9-7 team, much better than the 2007 season. Then on August 6th the whole landscape of the franchise changed.

Jets v. Dolphins: Recap (The Ironic End)

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:48:19 EST

Miami Dolphins 24. New York Jets 17. So how ironic was that ending? Former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington comes into town and puts the final nail in the coffin of the Jets 2008 season. Kind of fitting don't you think? You know Chad would not have wanted it any other way. It's amazing what can happen in a month's time in the NFL. On Thanksgiving, the Jets stood at 8-3 and were in the top 2 or 3 of everyone's power rankings. You were hearing talk all around New York of a Jets v. Giants Super Bowl. Well at least the Giants are still on track to be playing on February 1st.

So Brett Favre played on Sunday just like he has all season. He threw for 233 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Favre worked with what the defense gave him, which was not much. Miami was solid on "D" like they have been all season and kept Favre under control every time he dropped back. The offensive line kept Favre on his feet for the day, not allowing him to be sacked on the afternoon. But either way you look at it, Favre was outplayed by Pennington this season in almost every category, and Sunday was no different. Laveranues Coles had the best day among Jets receivers. He had four receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. Dustin Keller was again a no-show with two receptions for 24 yards. Jerricho Cotchery also saw limited action on Sunday with two catches for 41 yards. Leon Washington led the team in receptions with six but for only 29 yards. Not many stats jumped out at you from the passing game, and that is just sad against the 25th ranked pass defense in the league.

Jets v. Dolphins: Week 17 (The Final Act?)

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 2:40:48 EST

So this is it? Chad Pennington comes back into town to knock the Jets out of the playoff picture. Basically, to try and put the final nail in the coffin for the New York Jets 2008 season, a season that has made a complete u-turn over the past four weeks. The Jets have totally fallen apart at the seams since beating the Titans in late November. So let's break down what will either be the Jets last game of the season or a push into what may become a memorable playoff run.

So the Jets slim playoff hopes rest on the 39 year old sore shoulder of Brett Favre. For the first 12 games of the season, Favre was all the Jets could have hoped for. For the past 4 games, he has been about as lost as the entire Jets offense. Like I've said before, the Jets will only go as far as Favre takes them. While the Jets were on their five game winning streak, their offensive game plan consisted of a very balanced attack. Not so much over the past four games. Dustin Keller has disappeared and Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery have been used sparingly in the passing game. The Dolphins have the 25th ranked passing defense in the league, giving up 226 yards per game. New York needs to take advantage of this if they want to win this game. I know Brett's shoulder may be sore, but they need to get the ball downfield, even if it's only 2 or 3 times during this game. He has to be able to have the "deep ball" in his back pocket and use it when he really needs it. On top of that, Keller really needs to be back in the game plan this week. During their winning streak, Keller was he key 3rd down man. We need to see more of that on Sunday.

Jets v. Seahwaks: Recap (Just Sad)

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:16:17 EST

Seahawks 13. Jets 3. Just outright pathetic. Ok, I know the weather was poor, but that is still no excuse why they should have lost to that team. This was about as bad is it gets for the Jets and their fans. The blame for this goes to everyone on that field on Sunday. Players and coaches equally. Just watching the way they have played over the past month, it's amazing that they beat the Titans and Patriots back in November. They would have been totally embarrassed if they played in those games like they have over the past four weeks.

The Jets brought Brett Favre here to bring this team back to respectability. Instead of bringing the Jets up to his level, the Jets brought him down to theirs. After the win over the Titans, Favre could do no wrong in the Jets eyes. Since that game he has done very little right. In Seattle, Favre went 18/31 for 187 yards and two interceptions. And for the third time in four weeks he had zero touchdowns. He started off red hot in the frigid temperatures on Sunday by going 8/9 and getting the Jets a field goal on their opening drive. It was all pretty much downhill after that. He just never seemed to get into any kind of groove. The defense kept constant pressure on him and ended up sacking him 4 times. He was also forced into a handful of bad throws and that led to the two interceptions. As we have all seen multiple times over the past few weeks, Favre was again under throwing his receivers. So either he is hurt or age has finally caught up to him. Jerricho Cotchery had a nice game, grabbing 6 balls for 81 yards. Laveranues Coles had 60 yards of his own but dropped a deep ball late in the game. On a 4th and 2 with about 2 minutes to go and the Jets down 10-3, Favre heaved a deep ball down to about the Seahawks 40 yard line that Coles caught but the ball was knocked out by the defender. It was probably Favre's best pass of the day.

Jets v. Seahawks: Week 16 Preview

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:57:28 EST

The Jets have just hit the two minute warning. Week 16, two games to go and a three way tie for the division lead. Now if someone would have said back in the summer that the Jets would be 9-5 after 14 weeks and they would control their own destiny for the division, I'm sure all Jets fans would have signed up for that in a heartbeat. But with the Jets, things like that are never easy. This week they head up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the 3-11 Seahwaks. This is their fourth trip to the West coast this season, where at the moment they are 0-3 out there this year. But with the way things are going this season, if they lose this game, they may as well not come home.

If you go by the numbers, then this week should be a good week for New York and their passing game. The Seahawks have the 32nd ranked passing defense in the NFL. They have been giving up an average of 261 yards per game in the air this season. This may be just what Brett Favre and the offense need to get going for the rest of the season and hopefully the playoffs. Over the past three games, Favre has passed for 591 yards, one touchdown and 4 interceptions to add to his lead leading total of 17. If there is any chance to get back on track, it is this week. After two straight weeks of no shows, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery finally were involved in the offense last week for a total of 9 catches for 116 yards. However, Coles had no catches in the second half of that game. I expect Coles, Cotchery and Dustin Keller to all have big games this week. They also need to re-establish the screen pass in the offense again. Get the ball on a screen over to Leon Washington two or three times on Sunday and see what happens.

Jets v. Bills: Recap (Hey...It's a Win)

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:55:20 EST

Jets 31. Bills 27. This game should be called the Miracle at the Meadowlands Part 2. The Jets were able to escape a sure loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday thanks to some defensive heroics late in the 4th quarter. The Jets can also thank Bills quarterback J.P. Losman for being J.P. Losman. Overall, the Jets had another poor performance, especially on defense. This time however, they managed to get a win that the desperately needed.

The offense showed up early in this game. On the opening drive of the game, Brett Favre was able to get the Jets down the field for a touchdown. This is something that the Jets did pretty consistently during their five game winning streak. He came out on fire, leading the Jets to scores on their first two drives. He had a better first half then he did in the second, but overall he was 17-30 for 207 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. On the plus side he was able to complete nine of his passes to Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Coles pulled in 5 receptions for 82 yards, all in the first half. That is more catches then he has had the previous two weeks combined. Dustin Keller also hauled in three balls for 35 yards. After last weeks game, it was good to see the Jets top 3 receivers getting 12 catches between them.

Jets v. Bills: Week 15 (Time to Step It Up)

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:27:53 EST

Thirteen down, three to go. That's all that's left for the Jets to prove themselves, right the ship and get themselves into the playoffs. Right now the Jets are reeling after consecutive loses to two average teams, the 49ers and Broncos. Now they are down to the final three games and none of them are going to be easy, despite what their records are. This week the Jets welcome the Buffalo Bills to the Meadowlands with a chance for the Bills to play the role of playoff spoiler.

During the Jets five game winning streak last month, the offense was averaging about 32 points per game. That has dropped to 17 over the past two games. Brett Favre has not found the end zone over the past two games with the exception of a rushing touchdown last week. Buffalo has a decent pass defense so this week will not be easy for Favre. They only give up about 200 yards per game in the air. The Jets and Favre have done a horrible job of getting the ball to their top two receivers in Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles over the past few weeks. During the past two games, Coles has a total of 3 catches for about 7 yards. That is just totally unacceptable. New York has to get these two back in the offensive game plan once again. It seems that if they can not get them the ball in the first quarter then they quit trying for the rest of the game. Dustin Keller, who had been emerging as a huge threat during the month of November, was also shut down by San Francisco last week. If this keeps happening, the Jets will not win another game this season. In the beginning of the season, it seemed like the Jets used more play action and threw the ball deep. Now, it is all about the dink and dunk over the middle. If the Jets can re-establish the deep threat then the offense will be fine.

Jets v. 49ers: Recap (Slipping Away)

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 0:59:40 EST

49ers 24. Jets 14. So the Jets, who just two weeks ago were 8-3 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC East, now find themselves at 8-5 and tied for first place with the Dolphins and Patriots. My how things have changed over the past two weeks. All those thoughts of a subway Super Bowl are long gone. And if the Jets keep playing the way they have been over the past two weeks, then their playoff hopes may be long gone as well.

In my blog last week I said there were four things the Jets had to do to win this game: The keys for Gang Green this week is A) tighten up the secondary; B) get Leon Washington more touches; C) get the ball to your top wide receivers; and D) pressure the QB. So lets break down what the did and did not do in regards to my list.

Jets v. 49ers: Week 14 (Battle by the Bay)

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:03:57 EST

The Jets head out west this week for the 4th time this season to take on the San Francisco 49ers (4-8). They will try to put a horrible performance against the Denver Broncos last week behind them and look to pad their lead in the AFC East. Currently they are one game ahead of the Patriots and Dolphins for the division lead. This would seem like the perfect scenario for the Jets coming off that loss last week. The 49ers are one of the league's worst teams, and on paper it looks like the Jets should run away with a "W" this week. But after last week, you never can tell.

Lately, the Jets have not been airing it out like they were earlier in the season. This is the time to let Brett Favre be Brett Favre. San Francisco currently is ranked 28th in the league in passing yards allowed. That all sounds well and good, but then again the Broncos were ranked 27th and the Jets did nothing against them in the air. The Jets game plan has been calling for Favre to dink and dunk his was to managing a game. It was working great during their five game winning streak, but Favre was brought here for two reasons. One, he knows how to win and win big games. Two, he has a better arm then Chad Pennington. The conditions will be a lot better this week than last. The weather in the Bay area calls for 61 degrees with a 10% chance for rain. This will probably be the Jets warmest game the rest of the season, unless they get to Tampa on February 1st.

Jets v. Broncos: Recap (Bump in the Road)

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 9:51:02 EST

Well I think we can all see now that the Jets are not the team to beat in the AFC. Not only was the Jets major weakness exposed in the sloppy loss to the Denver Broncos, their major strength was also knocked down a few pegs as well. The weather in the Meadowlands was bad as was the showing of the Jets defense yesterday. The Broncos, who are an average team in a horrible division, came into the Jets house and basically had their way with them.

I have to start with the defense today. The other day I said that the Jets need to tighten up their passing defense in a major way because that has been their achilles heal this season. So what happens? Jay Cutler picks them apart for 357 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The two men I said the Jets needed to watch out for, Brandon Stokley and Tony Scheffler, each had big games for the Broncos on Sunday. Stokley has always been a threat going back to his days on the Colts. He was able to grab two balls for 44 yards and a touchdown. He is a good slot receiver and needs to be watched at all times when on the field. Scheffler grabbed 7 catches for 90 yards, a very nice day for the Broncos tight end. The Jets showed how much they miss LB David Harris in the middle of the field, after missing his 5th straight game with a groin injury. In total, Denver had four receivers with over 55 yards. If the Jets plan to make any noise in the playoffs, then this problem needs to be fixed. Otherwise, it will be one and done for the Jets in January.

Jets v. Broncos: Week 13 (Confidence a Mile High)

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:50:07 EST

November into December 1998. That was the last time the Jets had a six game winning streak. If they win against the Broncos on Sunday, they can match that feat. The Jets are flying high with confidence right now riding a five game winning streak, with the last two wins coming over the Patriots and Titans both on the road. Now the Jets return home to the Meadowlands to play a 6-5 Denver team who has been anything but consistent this season.

The Jets running game has been really hitting it's stride the past few weeks. Thomas Jones, who is currently 5th in the NFL in rushing, should have a huge game against the Broncos on Sunday. Denver has one of the worst run defenses in the league, surrendering about 145 yards per game. The Jets offensive line has been one of the tops in the league during the Jets five game winning streak and I expect them to continue to get better. Jones and Leon Washington had a field day against a very good Titans defense last week, totaling 178 yards on the ground between the two of them. Jones looks like a man on a mission the past month or so. He has become the workhorse the Jets thought they were getting when they traded for him before the 2007 season. And Washington has become the Jets "X-Factor" out of the backfield. Whether he is running the ball, catching a pass in the flat or on special teams, he always seems to make something happen when he touches the ball. I can see each of them getting at least 75 rushing yards against the Broncos.

Jets v. Titans: Recap (Remember the Jets)

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:57:30 EST

I think it's now time to take the Jets seriously as a contender in the AFC this season. The Jets managed to not only beat the undefeated Tennessee Titans in Tennessee, but they steamrolled them in the processby a score of 34-13. New York now sits at 8-3 on the season and could be in a position to get a bye week for the first round of the playoffs. Of course we are still five weeks away, but the Jets have put themselves in a very good position after Sunday's win against the Titans.

Brett Favre is showing everyone that there is still some gas left in the tank. Favre managed the game very effectively once again. On the day Favre was 25-32 for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. I believe there were two huge moments in the game. The first was a Chris Johnson fumble in the 3rd quarter. At the time, the Jets were leading 13-3. The Titans were getting a drive together when Johnson coughed up the ball. Favre was able to put together an 8 play drive that ate up almost 5 minutes of game clock that ended with a 2 yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles in the back of the end zone in double coverage. That gave the Jets a 20-3 lead late in the 3rd and from that point on they were in the drivers seat.

Jets v. Titans: Week 12 (Melee in Music City)

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:26:43 EST

With the Jets still riding high after their huge win against the Patriots last week, they now head down to Tennessee to take on the undefeated Titans. Right now the Jets sit alone on top in the AFC East, but they are well aware that if they do not show up against the Titans, they will be back in a tie for first in their division. On paper the Jets seem to match up well with the Titans, so I do not see this game being a blow out for either team. But it will be fun to watch, that's for sure.

One of the main keys for the Jets is for Brett Favre to keep playing smart. He has only thrown 1 interception in the past three games. He has been able to manage games efficiently without putting the Jets in any bad situations. Favre has found a new favorite target the past 2 weeks to get the ball to, Dustin Keller. The rookie tight end has finally become what the Jets thought they were getting when they took him in the first round of the 2008 draft. Against the Rams two weeks ago, Keller had 6 receptions for 107 yards. Last week against the Patriots he had 8 more catches for 87 yards. With him emerging as a down field threat, defenses will have to adjust which could leave either Jerricho Cotchery or Laveranues Coles in man coverage. And if that is the case, Favre should be able to see this and expose it.

Jets v. Patriots: Recap (Jettin' into First)

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 9:41:36 EST

Jets v. Patriots...Thursday night...prime time...only game of the day, talk about an instant classic. What a game for the New York Jets. They go up to New England tied for first place with the hated Patriots, build a huge lead and blow it, and still walk out with a win. This game was big, not just for the Jets in the standings, but for the whole organization. Just when we were all ready to say "Same Old Jets", they pull out a miracle win in enemy territory.

All throughout his career, Brett Favre has won big games. Last night, he finally won a big one for the Jets. Favre played by far his best game of the season for the Jets, considering the stakes. He made no mistakes in this game. He was 26-33 for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns, and most importantly, no turnovers. He was able to spread the ball all over the field, making completions to seven different receivers. He is definitely getting more comfortable in the Jets offense, which was evident last night, completing almost 80% of his passes. The key stat for Favre was that he was 9-12 on third down. He was finding the open man all night.

Jets v. Patriots: Week 11 (Now or Never)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 9:27:44 EST

It's finally here...the Jets vs. the Patriots with first place in the AFC East on the line. This is what we Jets fans have been waiting for, a late season matchup against the reigning AFC champs with a chance to put them in out rear view mirror. This is the reason why the Jets got Brett Favre and all the other big names in the off-season, to beat New England in a game that matters. The Jets have been getting knocked around by the Patriots ever since Tom Brady took over the reigns. The Jets have been rolling the past three weeks and have plenty of momentum heading up to Foxborough on Thursday night.

Brett Favre, the old gunslinger, came here for a chance to win one more before he rides off into the sunset. This is the game the Jets really need him to step up and flash some of that "Favre magic". Last week against the Rams, Favre played a well managed game. He threw for only 167 yards and a touchdown, but no interceptions. They did not need him to do a lot with Thomas Jones running all over the field. Brett has seen a ton of these games during his career, more than any of his teammates have. The bottom line is that he is a winner and should be able to lead gang green to a win. The offensive line has also played a lot better in recent weeks. They have not allowed a sack the past two weeks, which has allowed Favre to cut down on his mistakes (one interception in the past two games). Jones has also benefitted from this as well. He now leads the AFC in rushing with 750 yards. However, the best part of the Patriots defense is their defensive line. If the Jets are to have any success on Thursday, then they need to somehow establish the running game.

Jets v. Rams: Recap (A Complete Game)

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:17:58 EST

Jets 47. Rams 3. Now that's what Eric Mangini has been talking about all season, a complete game. The offense was almost perfect, scoring on their first eight possessions. The defense was just as good getting five turnovers against the Rams with one defensive touchdown. The Jets did not get caught up in a potential "trap game" with a trip to New England looming this coming Thursday. And with the Patriots coming up, this was a perfect tune up with 1st place on the line in Foxborough.

Thomas Jones was one of the main factors on offense Sunday. He had his second 3 touchdown game of he season while also adding 149 yards rushing. Jones, who coming into the game was the AFC's 2nd leading rusher, is really proving this season that last season was just bad season on a bad team. He now has 750 rushing yards on the season and is on pace for over 1300 yards. He also had 8 touchdowns on the ground and is also on pace for about 15 this season. I know it's tough to say that he will get to 15, but it's a whole lot better than last season when he only had one rushing touchdown. Dustin Keller was also a big part of the offense on Sunday. The Jets second pick in this year's draft, 30th overall, had by far his best game of the season with 6 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. His biggest catch of the day came on the Jets second possession when Brett Favre went over the top to hit him for a 54 yard reception that led to a Jets field goal and a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. New York has been waiting for him to break out and be a threat in the offense. Hopefully this will lead to bigger things for the young tight end.

Jets v. Rams: Week 10 (Playing the Trap)

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:31:07 EST

Here we go Jets fans. The New York Jets v. the St. Louis Rams on Sunday in the ultimate "trap" game. Looking at the remaining schedule for the Jets, this game is very important if the Jets have a shot to make the playoffs. They get a 2-6 Rams team that is banged up and could be possibly missing their best offensive player in Steven Jackson. After the Rams, they get the Patriots in New England four days later. They then follow that up with a road game in Tennessee versus the Titans. So with those two brutal road games looming ahead it makes the St. Louis game on Sunday huge.

The offense played a very conservative game this past Sunday against the Bills. Brett Favre managed the game and did not make too many high risk passes. Eric Mangini had him throwing underneath all day. It was enough to grab a win up in Buffalo. The running game looked good with about 100 total yards against a goof Bills defense. Thomas Jones is currently the second leading rusher in the AFC. The Rams rushing defense is the fourth worst in the NFL, giving up 155 yards per game. And with the way the Jets offensive line has played in recent weeks, they should be able to expose this. They can not do what they did against the Chiefs two weeks ago. Kansas City had one of the worst run defenses and the Jets came out of the gate throwing 40 times. The Rams also have the fifth worst passing defense in the NFL as well, so this also bodes well for New York. The Rams are surrendering almost 30 points and 400 yards a game on defense. The Jets should be able to expose this with a balanced offensive attack of rushing and passing.

Jets v. Bills: Recap (All About The "D")

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:11:16 EST

So the Jets went up to Buffalo this weekend with first place potentially on the line and they pull out their biggest win of 2008. And they did it with a great defensive performance. And thanks to the Colts for taking care of the Patriots, the Jets see themselves in a three way tie for first place at 5-3. The defense played great and the offense did enough to win the game.

I have to start with the defense this week. Kris Jenkins, the Jets defensive MVP this season, led a defensive line that gave up only 30 rushing yards on the afternoon. They were able to keep Marshawn Lynch in check for only 16 rushing yards. He did have three receptions for 52 yards, but got about 40 of those yards on one play on the opening drive. Jenkins not only shut down the running game, he also had two sacks and forced Trent Edwards to make a pass that was picked off by Abram Elam and taken 92 yards to the house for a touchdown. One of the biggest plays of the day was on the ensuing drive for the Bills when they got down to the Jets 8 yard line and had 4th and 1. Jenkins and Kerry Rhodes were able to stuff Fred Jackson for no gain. Darrelle Revis also had a huge day for the Jets. He sacked Edwards in the first quarter, forcing a fumble that he also recovered leading to a Jets field goal. He then ended the game with an Interception in the end zone. Revis is becoming one of the best cover corners in the NFL. He now has 4 int's on the season, 2 of them were game enders. Overall the Jets defense ended up 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and sacked Edwards 5 times.

Jets v. Bills: Week 9 (Jekyll or Hyde)

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:43:08 EST

Dr. Jekyll (Good Brett) or Mr. Hyde (Bad Brett). Who will be circling the wagons in Orchard Park on Sunday? This is a big test for the Jets this week. Either they will make a statement and finally beat a team with a winning record under Eric Mangini, or fall to 4-4 and be on pace for a .500 season. Lately, the Jets have had tough times playing in Buffalo the last 3 years. Dick Jauron has had Mangin's number the last few seasons. The Jets have only averaged 10 ppg over the last three games versus the Bills.

The main key for the Jets this week is stopping the turnovers. Mangini preached all week (to Favre) about not turning over the football. That it is ok to take the sack or throw it away. Look, we all know that Brett Favre brings three things with him no matter what. Win's, touchdowns and interceptions. And right now Favre leads the league with 11 interceptions and is second in the league with 15 touchdowns. The Jets talent is capable of winning this game, but they need to win the turnover battle. The Bills and the Jets both only have 10 turnovers on defense for the season. If Favre and Shotty play it safe, like Chad Pennington did last week, and they pick their spots to go deep, then the Jets should limit the picks on Sunday.