In a virtually must-win game, the Jets couldn’t get the job done. Gang Green fell on a last-second game-winning 21-yard field goal to the Jaguars. They had been leading by one after a huge touchdown run by Thomas Jones, but they failed to complete the two-point conversion, leaving the Jets with a 22-21 lead. Coach Rex Ryan decided to kick the ball to Jacksonville, confident that his previously reliable defense could preserve the lead. Instead, the Jaguars steadily marched down the field and effectively managed the clock, setting up Josh Scobee’s 21 yard field goal that would put the Jags at 5-4 and the Jets at 4-5. With the huge victory in the Meadowlands, Jacksonville has emerged out of nowhere as a possible playoff contender. With the heartbreaking loss, the Jets are fading from the playoff picture. They will need a miraculous finish to the season against several very tough opponents to squeak their way in.
The Jets have now lost 5 out of their last 6 games, and have lost 3 games in a row at home. They had plenty of chances to gain control of the game off of many mistakes and miscues by Jacksonville, but Rex Ryan’s heralded defense had a rare poor game and the offense never really got clicking. Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran all over the Jets in the first half, and Gang Green couldn’t halt the Jags on that final 4th quarter drive. Jones-Drew, who leads the NFL in touchdowns, took a knee at the one-yard line with less than two minutes to go instead of scoring an easy touchdown. His selfless act enabled the Jags to take a few knees and bring the clock down to just a few seconds before Scobee iced the victory. A critical mistake that doomed the Jets was when QB Mark Sanchez called a timeout at the one-yard line of Jacksonville with five minutes left. The timeout was a huge waste, seeing that Thomas Jones pounded in for a TD on the next play. The timeout could have been used to save time on Jacksonville’s final drive.
The Jets also couldn’t ride their momentum when they had it. Things looked bad when Quentin Groves picked off Sanchez and appeared to be on his way to the end zone with Jacksonville already leading 21-13. But Groves went to fast, tripped over his own feet, and fell at the 4-yard line. Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio smiled and joked with Groves. He wasn’t smiling anymore when a few plays later, the Jaguars fumbled the ball, and the Jets recovered near the goal line. The Jets finally got the big play they needed when Sanchez connected with Edwards for a 41-yard pass. But Edwards tried to get a few extra yards and got the ball stripped away from him, killing the momentum and the drive.
Nevertheless, you can keep making excuses until the cows come home. In the end, the thing that mattered most was that when the Jets needed their offense to step up in the 3rd quarter, they couldn’t do it, and when they the needed their defense to step up in the 4th, they failed as well. People say it’s tough to lose close games. That’s true. But you either have to learn how to win those close games, or not let games that you have control of get that close. The Jets have an extremely tough remaining schedule, with games against the likes of 7-2 Cincinnati and unbeaten Indianapolis. Their final three games are against teams with a combined record of 21-6. They will have to play far better than they have to even sniff the playoffs in a crowded AFC Wildcard race. If Sanchez can mature and make big plays, and if they defense can make more of an impact, Gang Green does have a slight chance of conquering their tough schedule and surviving to the postseason. If one thing’s for certain, it’s that Rex Ryan’s club full of “swagger” is running out of time, and fast.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
All-Injured Team
It’s understandable that there are injuries in college football. While it may not be the pros, it’s still a hard-hitting, physical game. Occasionally, a star player gets hurt. Top Heisman candidates have been hurt in the past, most notably Adrian Peterson. Peterson’s collar bone injury on a celebratory touchdown dive in his junior year at Oklahoma cost him a shot at the Heisman and Oklahoma’s all-time rushing record as he missed most of the regular season. He returned only to be held to 77 yards in Oklahoma’s 43-42 loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. In this 2009-10 college football season, more high-impact players have been hurt than ever. In fact, if you made a team out of these fallen heroes, they would look a lot like an All-America team:
Quarterbacks
1st Team All-Injured- Sam Bradford (Oklahoma): The second sophomore in the history of college football to win the Heisman returned to Norman with high expectations, such as winning a national championship and becoming the second player to ever win two Heisman awards. All of that was jeopardized when Bradford suffered a shoulder injury in the first game of the year against BYU, a game that the then 3rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners would go on to lose. He reaggravated the injury against Texas and was lost for the season. The Sooners, who were expected to compete for a national title, have fallen to 6-4, and are out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2005. Just like with Peterson, a horrible injury has cost OU a Heisman hopeful and derailed their season.
2nd Team- Ricky Stanzi (Iowa): Stanzi had led the Hawkeyes to a surprising 9-0 start, gotten them to number 8 in the polls, and had fans in Iowa thinking about going to the national championship game. The Cinderella story collapsed when Stanzi injured his ankle in the 2nd quarter against Northwestern. Iowa would end up losing the game by 7, a blow that ended their national title hopes. Stanzi had been a great orchestrator of late comebacks, but backup James Vandenberg couldn’t get it done. Iowa lost its shot at the Rose Bowl the next week with a heartbreaking 27-24 loss in overtime to Ohio State on a game-winning field goal. Vandenberg played well, but Stanzi’s presence could have made a difference.
Running Backs
1st Team All-Injured- Jahvid Best (California): Arguably the most exciting and dynamic player in college football suffered a concussion in the 2nd quarter against Oregon State, an event that emotionally rocked Cal, and later resulted in a Golden Bears’ loss. Best ran for 412 yards and 8 TDs in his first 3 games and looked like an easy favorite for the Heisman. Even after struggling in a few games, many thought Best still had a shot at the prestigious award if he finished the season strong. His injury not only halted his Heisman run, it also put Cal at 6-3 and hurt their bowl profile. His return is crucial for Cal if they can sneak into a respectable bowl.
2nd Team- Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech): Dwyer is still 11th in the country in rushing yards despite a nagging shoulder injury that limited his carries early in the season. He recovered well and is now a Heisman contender. He’s been a huge part of the Yellow Jackets shocking 10-1 start. Dwyer only ran for 7 yards in their one loss, a game when he was limited the most by his shoulder. If he stays healthy, Tech could play in a very important bowl game at the end of the year.
3rd Team- Charles Scott (LSU): Scott was lost for the season with a fractured collarbone. His powerful north-south running had help lead LSU to a 7-2 record. He had hurt his shoulder during a loss to 3rd-ranked Alabama, and LSU’s other loss had been to number one Florida. His absence may cost the Tigers a chance to play in an important bowl game as LSU has to finish the regular season against tow tough unranked teams in Mississippi and Arkansas. He was thought to have been a Heisman sleeper after rushing for 1174 yards and 18 TDs the year before.
4th Team- Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State): After leading the Big 12 in rushing in his sophomore year, Hunter was another Heisman candidate as a junior this year. Those hopes faded and then died as Hunter suffered an ankle injury that limited him in the first two games and then forced him to miss the next 5 weeks. He hasn’t been impressive since returning from the injury, not even recorded 100 rushing yards in his 3 games back combined. Oklahoma State hasn’t struggled too much in his absence, going 7-2 so far.
5th Team-Darren Evans (Virginia Tech): The Hokies lost their superstar back Evans before the season even began to a knee injury. He had been returning from a stellar freshman campaign, in which he had been named the ACC Rookie of the Year. He was a Heisman favorite and was also expected to lead the Hokies to another ACC Coastal Division Title. Georgia Tech won the Coastal Division as Virginia Tech went 7-3 in the first 10 games. Ryan Williams has had an excellent season replacing Evans, but the Hokies could have really used the multi-back threat that Evans would have given them.
Other notable injuries: - Oklahoma lost another key member of their high-octane offense early in the year when tight end Jermaine Gresham went down with a knee injury. He was regarded as the best returning tight end in college football before the season started.
- USC lost one of its huge playmakers in Stafon Johnson when he went down for the year with a throat injury. USC has fallen from its powerhouse status after going 7-3 so far this season. In a humiliating 55-21 loss to Stanford, the Trojans gave up the points most points they ever have under coach Pete Carroll, and Carroll suffered his first November loss with the program. Johnson’s injury may have had a role in this deep decline.
- South Florida lost 4th-year starting QB Matt Grothe to a knee injury back in September, and amazingly still managed to start 5-0. They are currently 6-3 after getting huge upsets of then 18th-ranked Florida State and 21st-ranked West Virginia.
All Suspended Team
- Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State): Regarded as the best wide receiver in college football coming into the season, Bryant was ruled ineligible and suspended for the rest of the season in October. He is still considered a high draft prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft, and he could be a great NFL receiver if he matures soon.
- LeGarrette Blount (Oregon): Blount had set a Duck’s record with 17 rushing touchdowns last season, and was regarded as another Heisman candidate for this year. That talk was dismissed after Blount punched a Boise State player in the face after Oregon lost their first game of the season. He was originally suspended for the entire season, but he was allowed to return with 3 regular season games left. The team went 7-1 without him and might have a chance at a decent bowl game if they finish strong.
All of this just goes to show how much an injured or suspended star can affect a team and their season. Anyone can go down any week, a Heisman favorite could be forced to watch from the sidelines, and a team with high expectations can fall fast. But in football, anything can happen. You can’t just predict and assume. Any hero can fall, no matter how mighty and invincible they might seem.
Quarterbacks
1st Team All-Injured- Sam Bradford (Oklahoma): The second sophomore in the history of college football to win the Heisman returned to Norman with high expectations, such as winning a national championship and becoming the second player to ever win two Heisman awards. All of that was jeopardized when Bradford suffered a shoulder injury in the first game of the year against BYU, a game that the then 3rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners would go on to lose. He reaggravated the injury against Texas and was lost for the season. The Sooners, who were expected to compete for a national title, have fallen to 6-4, and are out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2005. Just like with Peterson, a horrible injury has cost OU a Heisman hopeful and derailed their season.
2nd Team- Ricky Stanzi (Iowa): Stanzi had led the Hawkeyes to a surprising 9-0 start, gotten them to number 8 in the polls, and had fans in Iowa thinking about going to the national championship game. The Cinderella story collapsed when Stanzi injured his ankle in the 2nd quarter against Northwestern. Iowa would end up losing the game by 7, a blow that ended their national title hopes. Stanzi had been a great orchestrator of late comebacks, but backup James Vandenberg couldn’t get it done. Iowa lost its shot at the Rose Bowl the next week with a heartbreaking 27-24 loss in overtime to Ohio State on a game-winning field goal. Vandenberg played well, but Stanzi’s presence could have made a difference.
Running Backs
1st Team All-Injured- Jahvid Best (California): Arguably the most exciting and dynamic player in college football suffered a concussion in the 2nd quarter against Oregon State, an event that emotionally rocked Cal, and later resulted in a Golden Bears’ loss. Best ran for 412 yards and 8 TDs in his first 3 games and looked like an easy favorite for the Heisman. Even after struggling in a few games, many thought Best still had a shot at the prestigious award if he finished the season strong. His injury not only halted his Heisman run, it also put Cal at 6-3 and hurt their bowl profile. His return is crucial for Cal if they can sneak into a respectable bowl.
2nd Team- Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech): Dwyer is still 11th in the country in rushing yards despite a nagging shoulder injury that limited his carries early in the season. He recovered well and is now a Heisman contender. He’s been a huge part of the Yellow Jackets shocking 10-1 start. Dwyer only ran for 7 yards in their one loss, a game when he was limited the most by his shoulder. If he stays healthy, Tech could play in a very important bowl game at the end of the year.
3rd Team- Charles Scott (LSU): Scott was lost for the season with a fractured collarbone. His powerful north-south running had help lead LSU to a 7-2 record. He had hurt his shoulder during a loss to 3rd-ranked Alabama, and LSU’s other loss had been to number one Florida. His absence may cost the Tigers a chance to play in an important bowl game as LSU has to finish the regular season against tow tough unranked teams in Mississippi and Arkansas. He was thought to have been a Heisman sleeper after rushing for 1174 yards and 18 TDs the year before.
4th Team- Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State): After leading the Big 12 in rushing in his sophomore year, Hunter was another Heisman candidate as a junior this year. Those hopes faded and then died as Hunter suffered an ankle injury that limited him in the first two games and then forced him to miss the next 5 weeks. He hasn’t been impressive since returning from the injury, not even recorded 100 rushing yards in his 3 games back combined. Oklahoma State hasn’t struggled too much in his absence, going 7-2 so far.
5th Team-Darren Evans (Virginia Tech): The Hokies lost their superstar back Evans before the season even began to a knee injury. He had been returning from a stellar freshman campaign, in which he had been named the ACC Rookie of the Year. He was a Heisman favorite and was also expected to lead the Hokies to another ACC Coastal Division Title. Georgia Tech won the Coastal Division as Virginia Tech went 7-3 in the first 10 games. Ryan Williams has had an excellent season replacing Evans, but the Hokies could have really used the multi-back threat that Evans would have given them.
Other notable injuries: - Oklahoma lost another key member of their high-octane offense early in the year when tight end Jermaine Gresham went down with a knee injury. He was regarded as the best returning tight end in college football before the season started.
- USC lost one of its huge playmakers in Stafon Johnson when he went down for the year with a throat injury. USC has fallen from its powerhouse status after going 7-3 so far this season. In a humiliating 55-21 loss to Stanford, the Trojans gave up the points most points they ever have under coach Pete Carroll, and Carroll suffered his first November loss with the program. Johnson’s injury may have had a role in this deep decline.
- South Florida lost 4th-year starting QB Matt Grothe to a knee injury back in September, and amazingly still managed to start 5-0. They are currently 6-3 after getting huge upsets of then 18th-ranked Florida State and 21st-ranked West Virginia.
All Suspended Team
- Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State): Regarded as the best wide receiver in college football coming into the season, Bryant was ruled ineligible and suspended for the rest of the season in October. He is still considered a high draft prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft, and he could be a great NFL receiver if he matures soon.
- LeGarrette Blount (Oregon): Blount had set a Duck’s record with 17 rushing touchdowns last season, and was regarded as another Heisman candidate for this year. That talk was dismissed after Blount punched a Boise State player in the face after Oregon lost their first game of the season. He was originally suspended for the entire season, but he was allowed to return with 3 regular season games left. The team went 7-1 without him and might have a chance at a decent bowl game if they finish strong.
All of this just goes to show how much an injured or suspended star can affect a team and their season. Anyone can go down any week, a Heisman favorite could be forced to watch from the sidelines, and a team with high expectations can fall fast. But in football, anything can happen. You can’t just predict and assume. Any hero can fall, no matter how mighty and invincible they might seem.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Weekly Jets Blog Week 8
Another week, another humiliating loss for the Jets. An embarrassing 30-25 defeat to the Dolphins dropped the Jets to 4-4, an ugly mark considering the fact that the team started 3-0. Football in New York has been pretty degrading overall, seeing that the Giants have lost their last 3 and that the Bills are once again in the cellar of the AFC East.
A constant theme for Gang Green has been losing despite great defensive efforts. You wouldn’t have guessed this from the final score, but it’s the truth. The Jets defensive only gave up 10 points to a strong Dolphins’ offense, yielding just 3 points before the 4th quarter. The Jets held Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, two of the hottest running backs in football, to just 27 rushing yards each. No Dolphin recorded more than 41 receiving yards as Bart Scott led the Jets D statistically once again.
The Achilles heel was special teams. Again, the Jets showed some very positive signs in defeat, specifically two huge tackles by kicker Jay Feely. Nevertheless, the Dolphins recorded 14 points on special teams on two kickoff returns for TDs by Ted Ginn. Nothing hurts a team’s moral more than having a score of theirs being erased the very next play by the other team. Another one-play killer was when Jason Taylor recovered a Shonn Greene fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
The Jets defense also wreaked havoc on Miami QB Chad Henne, who only completed 12 passes for 112 yards. Mark Sanchez had a great day for the Jets, completed 20 passes for 265 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. Thomas Jones had another good game on the ground with 102 rushing yards.
By looking at the stats, you couldn’t believe that the Jets lost this game. In other losses, like the one to the Saints, the reasons for defeat were more obvious. It just goes to show that to be a great football team and to win big games, you have to be able to win every side and aspect of the game. This may not always be true, but the intangibles and the little things can be just as key to a victory as the more obvious parts. The Jets have a much-needed bye week where they can hopefully work out the kinks and try to build on other aspects than rushing and defense.
The key for Gang Green will be to not overlook a matchup with the pathetic 3-4 Jaguars in Week 10, seeing that the Jets have a huge rematch with the Patriots in Foxboro. The Jaguars are 1-3 on the road and were the first team to lose to the dreadful Titans this season. Nevertheless, they have dynamic running back Maurice Jones-Drew and extra-inspiration from their coach, Jack Del Rio. Rio publically insulted his team’s defense and also made them practice in full pads. A romping of the Chiefs could be a good warmup for their matchup with the Jets in the Meadowlands. Both teams realize that they’ll have to get serious if they want to be in the playoff picture towards the end of the year. This game could be more interesting than their records entail as both teams fight for their playoff hopes as well as for respect.
A constant theme for Gang Green has been losing despite great defensive efforts. You wouldn’t have guessed this from the final score, but it’s the truth. The Jets defensive only gave up 10 points to a strong Dolphins’ offense, yielding just 3 points before the 4th quarter. The Jets held Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, two of the hottest running backs in football, to just 27 rushing yards each. No Dolphin recorded more than 41 receiving yards as Bart Scott led the Jets D statistically once again.
The Achilles heel was special teams. Again, the Jets showed some very positive signs in defeat, specifically two huge tackles by kicker Jay Feely. Nevertheless, the Dolphins recorded 14 points on special teams on two kickoff returns for TDs by Ted Ginn. Nothing hurts a team’s moral more than having a score of theirs being erased the very next play by the other team. Another one-play killer was when Jason Taylor recovered a Shonn Greene fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
The Jets defense also wreaked havoc on Miami QB Chad Henne, who only completed 12 passes for 112 yards. Mark Sanchez had a great day for the Jets, completed 20 passes for 265 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. Thomas Jones had another good game on the ground with 102 rushing yards.
By looking at the stats, you couldn’t believe that the Jets lost this game. In other losses, like the one to the Saints, the reasons for defeat were more obvious. It just goes to show that to be a great football team and to win big games, you have to be able to win every side and aspect of the game. This may not always be true, but the intangibles and the little things can be just as key to a victory as the more obvious parts. The Jets have a much-needed bye week where they can hopefully work out the kinks and try to build on other aspects than rushing and defense.
The key for Gang Green will be to not overlook a matchup with the pathetic 3-4 Jaguars in Week 10, seeing that the Jets have a huge rematch with the Patriots in Foxboro. The Jaguars are 1-3 on the road and were the first team to lose to the dreadful Titans this season. Nevertheless, they have dynamic running back Maurice Jones-Drew and extra-inspiration from their coach, Jack Del Rio. Rio publically insulted his team’s defense and also made them practice in full pads. A romping of the Chiefs could be a good warmup for their matchup with the Jets in the Meadowlands. Both teams realize that they’ll have to get serious if they want to be in the playoff picture towards the end of the year. This game could be more interesting than their records entail as both teams fight for their playoff hopes as well as for respect.
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