Thursday, December 31, 2009

Weekly Jets Blog Week 16

I suppose anything’s possible. Being the Jets fan that I am, I had to be pessimistic about the Jets playoff chances going into to a Week 16 matchup with the unbeaten Colts. Jets fans have been used to let downs for a long time. But with a little luck, some miracles can come true. The Jets now have a shot at the playoffs thanks to some extraordinary effort by a few individuals, as well as some help from the opposite sideline.
A lot of the hype leading up to this game focused on a main point: would the Colts rest the starters or not? Many thought that if QB Peyton Manning could give the Colts a big enough lead, they could take him and other key starters out to avoid the risk of injury. But when Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled Manning and other key players in the 3rd, the Colts only held a 5-point lead. They wouldn’t score again as the Jets combined great defense with good luck to smother backup QB Curtis Painter and end the Colts run at a perfect season. Brad Smith returned a kickoff 106 yards for a TD and Marcus Douglas returned a Painter fumble for another TD. You could tell that the Colts weren’t having their luckiest game when kicker Adam Vinatieri missed an extra point in the 1st quarter. The Colts also failed to complete a 2-point conversion in the 3rd, something the Jets were able to accomplish. Rookie running back Shonn Greene excelled with 95 rushing yards, and the Jets finished with 202 yards on the ground as a team. Cornerback Darrelle Revis shut down yet another star wide receiver, holding Reggie Wayne to just 33 yards.
While it may seem like the Colts threw the game away, you have to consider the fact that the Jets didn’t allow a TD to Peyton Manning, and that the Jets had a lead early in the 3rd, when Peyton was still in the game. A win next week against the Bengals would give Gang Green its first playoff appearance since 2007, which seems like decades ago, especially for Jets fans. Regardless of the outcome of this year, the upcoming drafts will be especially vital for a rebuilding team that could take huge steps towards being a top tier team in the NFL, something the Jets haven’t been in a long time.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Weekly Jets Blog Week 15

Frustration and despair. These are two of just countless adjectives you could use to describe the Jets painful 10-7 loss to Atlanta. The Jets maintained control of the game through the first 3 quarters behind powerful defense, before falling apart and giving the game away in the 4th which is something they’ve done all year long. The fact that the Jets couldn’t solve this negative repetition of events over the course of the season, coupled with their extreme lack of a passing offense led to their overall demise. At 7-7, the Jets are still mathematically in the playoff hunt, but with so many teams to compete with, a spot in the postseason seems unlikely.
Mark Sanchez did show some good signs in the game, despite throwing for 3 more interceptions. He finished with 226 passing yards, highlighted by a 45-yard pass to Braylon Edwards, who finished with 105 receiving yards. Sanchez seemed more comfortable and made some better decisions, but he couldn’t adjust to the cold, wet weather, resulting in many throws that were way long or way short. Thomas Jones was shut down and held to just 52 rushing yards. The biggest killer was special teams. Gang Green couldn’t convert any of their 3 field goal opportunities; the first was a bobbled snap by the holder Kellen Clemens, the second was booted wide right, and the third was blocked after a high snap. An inability to come through in those situations is a great weakness for a team.
Once again, the Jets defense was nearly flawless. They held Matt Ryan to 152 passing yards. No Falcons running backs were able to eclipse 59 yards. Defensive Player of the Year candidate Darrelle Revis shut down another superstar wide receiver in Roddy White, holding him to 33 yards. They didn’t give up a touchdown until there was less than 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, by which time they were exhausted after spending so much of the game on the field. The Falcons last drive was impressive, ending in a 6 yard TD-pass to Tony Gonzalez. The Jets had led 7-3 since the 1st quarter. David Harris was masterful yet again, leading the team with 11 tackles.
The inability to close out games crippled the Jets the entire season. Fourth quarter collapses also led to losses against Miami and Jacksonville, and in 4 out of their 7 losses, Gang Green either held a lead or was tied at half time. They finish with games against the Colts and the Bengals. The unbeaten Colts will most likely end up playing their regular players most of the game versus the Jets, while the Bengals will probably rest there’s in Week 17. Barring some sort of ridiculous and undeserved miracle, the things that the Jets can look forward to the most are the 2010 Pro Bowl and of course the 2010 NFL Draft. Thomas Jones, Revis, Harris and many others should represent the Jets in Hawaii while the organization should be watching some bowl games to look for potential future draft picks that could fill many needed holes. The average salary for rookies will take a huge drop after the 2010-11 season, so many college studs are leaving school early for the NFL, presenting the Jets with many great opportunities to patch up key holes and build up for another run at the playoffs.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 14

It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done. The Jets drubbed Tampa Bay 26-3 despite not having quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Jets decided to give Sanchez extra rest after a knee injury by starting Kellen Clemens, who struggled with just 111 passing yards, but didn’t have any turnovers. The constant themes of dominating defense, poor offense, and superb kicking shined once again down in Florida. The win was the 3rd straight for Gang Green, improving their record to 7-6, and keeping them in the playoff hunt.
Failure to capitalize on wonderful opportunities defined the Jets offense once again. On the first play from scrimmage, David Harris picked off Tampa’s rookie QB Josh Freeman, one of three picks Freeman threw. Harris brought the ball down to the Tampa 31, setting up great field position for Clemens and the offense. Well the Jets went 3-and-out and Jay Feely came on and nailed a 40-yard field goal. The field goal was one of four on the day for Feely, making it his 2nd straight week with four field goals. The Jets couldn’t fully take advantage of excellent field position until Thomas Jones scored late in the 2nd quarter. Jones had 99 rushing yards with 2 TDs, and the Jets outrushed Tampa with 175 rushing yards to just 43. The Jets finished with 310 total yards to Tampa’s 124. Shonn Greene coughed up another fumble, but also showed several good signs of development.
To nobody’s surprise, the Jets defense demolished yet another offense. The picked Freeman off three times and could have held them scoreless if it weren’t for a foolish “un-necessary roughness” penalty on Bart Scott, which gave Tampa Bay the chance to set up and make a field goal. Calvin Pace led the pack with 7 tackles and a sack. Gang Green held Freeman to just 93 passing yards. But the best is yet to come. Not a single Tampa Bay running back recorded more than 14 rushing yards and not a single Buccaneers receiver had more than 26 receiving yards.
As improbable as it may seem, the Jets do have the tools to win the rest of their regular season games and to the playoffs. At 7-6, the Jets are tied with Miami for 2nd place in the AFC East, just one game behind the leading Patriots. The Jets are also just barely behind the two wild card leaders, 8-5 Denver and Miami. The problem happens to be those pesky Miami Dolphins. If the Jets were tied with Miami for either the division title or for the wild card, Miami would go to the playoffs because they beat the Jets in both of their regular season matchups. The same case is true for the Jets in the wild card scenario with 7-6 Jacksonville, who also barley beat the Jets. The Atlanta Falcons, Gang Green’s Week 15 opponents, are injury-laden but have managed to stay close in games. The Jets will have to make a statement early, like they did against Tampa.
Despite their struggles this season, the Jets do have the making of a playoff or even championship-caliber team. The last two Super Bowl champions, the Giants and the Steelers, were and still are teams that were successful because of a great running game and great defense. The Jets lead the NFL in rushing yards per game, as well as total defense and passing defense, meaning that they give up the least passing and total yards per game to opponents. If the Jets can stay true to these powerful foundations, a playoff spot could be theirs, and possibly a championship in the near future.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 13

Yuck. It wasn’t the prettiest football game ever played, but the Jets pulled of the crucial 19-13 victory over Buffalo. Both offenses struggled mightily as each team only scored one touchdown. The Jets defense thrived once again, in this division battle played in Toronto. This matchup north of the border may not be remembered as a classic, but the win was another step in the right direction for Gang Green, who is still trying to sneak into playoff contention.
Thomas Jones rushed for 100 yards once again, and Mark Sanchez didn’t have any turnovers, but the Jets offense missed many opportunities. Sanchez overthrew a wide open Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone and the Jets had to kick a field goal. Then Braylon Edwards dropped a 49-yard pass that hit him in the head and that also would have easily gone for a touchdown. There were a few positives, such as a nice 13-yard TD pass to Edwards, as well as a 59-yard rushing performance for Shonn Greene, the second highest total of the rookie’s career. Kicker Jay Feely provided most of the offense, accounting for 13 of the team’s 19 points. He hit 4 out of 4 of his field goal attempts and made his only extra-point attempt.
The key to the game, once again, without surprise, was the Jets defense. They held the Bills to 194 total yards, of which just 71 were passing yards. The Bills were also held to just 1 3rd down conversion out of 11 attempts. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was a monster once again in shutting down a hot Terrell Owens, holding him to just 3 catches for 31 yards and no touchdowns after he had 293 yards and 2 TDs the previous two weeks.
The scary thing for the Jets going forward will be the health of Mark Sanchez. He injured his right knee on a slide that picked up a key first down. He was replaced by Kellen Clemens as he limped to the locker room. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious. Another positive is that since the Jets played on Thursday, they won’t play again until next Sunday, giving Sanchez 10 days to rest. A third positive is that Gang Green’s next game is against the 1-10 Tampa Bay Bucs, which could mean that Sanchez could split time with Clemens or Erik Ainge if the Jets get a large enough lead against the horrific Bucs defense. This 2-game winning streak has kept the Jets just on the brim of the playoff picture in the AFC wildcard race. At 6-6, they need virtually need to win their final four games to get in, and finishing 10-6 isn’t even a guarantee for a playoff spot. Their schedule is much more favorable than it seems. Matchups against Tampa and the banged-up Atlanta Falcons should be easy wins, even for the Jets. Then they face the top two teams in the AFC in the 11-0 Colts and the 8-3 Bengals. These games are actually very winnable for the Jets for a very good reason. Both the Colts and the Bengals will have clinched playoff spots and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs by the time they play the Jets. There is a very good chance that they either rest their starters or play them for just a part of the game to avoid injury. Regardless, the Jets will have to start playing better against good teams if they want to sniff the playoffs this season. If Sanchez can minimize mistakes on offense, and the running game and defense stay true to who they’ve been all year, the Jets have a slight shot of making a disappointing season into a great season.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Weekly Jets Blog Week 12

Well, the Jets finally pulled one off. It seems like forever since the last time Gang Green actually outscored an opponent. The defense led the way once again as the Jets beat down Carolina 17-6. The Panthers played more like new-born kittens as they once again suffered from turnovers, penalties, and injuries, falling to 4-7. The huge, much-needed victory for the Jets lifted them to 5-6, keeping them in the wildcard picture for the playoffs. They are now 2 and a half games back of the Patriots in the division and one game back for the second wild card spot. Losses by both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh have kept the card race close, but that also means that the Jets have a lot of competition, and basically need to win out to have a good shot of playing in the post season. Winning their first home game since Week 3 is a step in the right direction.
Rex Ryan had a large part in the success of his defense this week. Kerry Rhodes was benched for the first time in his career for his recent struggles, replaced by Eric Smith. The inspired Rhodes had 2 interceptions of Carolina’s Jake Delhomme, and Smith lead the team with 8 tackles. Star cornerback Darrelle Revis also had 2 picks, one that was returned for a TD, while doing a great job of shutting down Panther’s All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith, who finished with one reception for five yards. The Jets D held Carolina to two field goals, not surrendering a touchdown all game, even though the Panthers got close. A gorgeous TD grab by Steve Smith was ruled incomplete and a late 4th quarter TD catch by Dwayne Jarrett was called off by a penalty. Gang Green also deserves credit for shutting down star running back DeAngelo Williams, who ran for just 40 yards on a dreadful 2.5 yards per carry.
Mark Sanchez didn’t have a great game, but he did what he had to do, and didn’t turn the ball over except for one 4th quarter interception. The thing that has Jet’s fans worried is that Sanchez hurt his knee in the 3rd quarter and missed a few plays. He came back, but wasn’t 100%, and was limited in the team practice on Monday. This news is especially frightening seeing that the Jets have play again on Thursday on short rest in a pivotal divisional matchup with the Bills. He is expected to play, but the Jets’ playoffs hopes could very well be riding on his health. Thomas Jones ran for 75 yards and scored the only offensive touchdown of the game. The one positive note for the Panthers was still tainted. Jon Beason had a monster day defensively, recording a season high 17 tackles, 11 of them being solo, and 2 going for a loss. Beason was arrested Monday on misdemeanor assault charges and will await further discipline from the Panthers and the league.
As good as this win was for the Jets, they have to play a lot better if they want to have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs. The offense was lackluster once again, relying completely on the defense for the victory. Getting guys like receiver Braylon Edwards more involved will be crucial. Even if the Jets win all of their final five matchups, which is very unlikely, they will be 10-6, which is never a guarantee for the postseason. Their remaining schedule includes games against 8-3 Cincinnati and 11-0 Indianapolis. But stranger thing have happened, and even if Gang Green doesn’t win out, they could still make it in at 9-7 or somehow 8-8. Anything is possible in football, seeing that the Patriots missed the playoffs last year with an 11-5 record and the Chargers got in with an 8-8 record. As long as the Jets can start clicking on offense, and do what they’ve been doing all year long on defense, they still have a shot at playoff glory. Whether or not they end up just playing as spoilers or as actual contenders, this wild card race should be one of the most exciting ones ever.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 11

The Patriots continued their domination of the Jets and redeemed their Week 2 loss to Gang Green with a 31-14 victory Sunday. Mark Sanchez was an abomination, throwing 4 interceptions, 3 of which were to Leigh Bodden. Tom Brady threw for 310 yards, but the player of the game was receiver Wes Welker, who recorded 192 receiving yards. On a positive note, Thomas Jones did rush for 103 yards, and David Harris had a game high 14 tackles, 11 of which were solo. Shaun Ellis also had 2 sacks. But these numbers don’t begin to heal the wounds of yet another Jets’ loss, one that puts them at a miserable 4-6.
Winning the final 6 games of the year, as radical as it sounds, is nearly a necessity for the Jets. That includes a game against Peyton Manning and the unbeaten Colts. Still, anything’s possible. The Jets can’t dwell on this loss. They have to learn from their mistakes, make improvements, and give their best effort the rest of the way. It all starts with next week’s matchup with the 4-6 Panthers, a must-win for both teams. If Sanchez can avoid turnovers, and the defense can shut down a mistake-prone offense, the Jets have a great shot at victory. As dim as their playoff hopes are, there’s always a way, and us Jets’ fans can’t give up yet, like we learned to do many times before.