Monthly Archives: September 2007
Note: We are trying to put together a place in Midtown Manhattan to watch the Giants game next Sunday. Stay tuned and we will have details on Monday …
Who: Jets at Bills
When: 1:00PM EDT
Where: Orchard Park, NY
TV – Radio: CBS – ESPN 1050, WABC 770
Weather: Mostly Sunny 69° F
Links: TJB Chat | ESPN Intel Report | *NFL Gamecenter*
With the Jets looking to square their record and continue their winning ways, the Jets need to get some more wins now into the middle of their season before facing some tougher opponents after the bye week. The Bills are ravaged by injuries this year, and will be without QB JP Losman and rookie LB Paul Posluzny after last week’s loss to the Patriots.
Having faced some tough competition at the outset of the season, the Jets are now into teams that they should be beating if they are going to try and make a serious push at the playoffs.
Things to consider in the game
Jets’ Offense:
Ground: Similarly to last week, the Jets are up against a team that has been unsuccessful in stopping the run, so look for the Jets to try and continue to work Thomas Jones and Leon Washington as much as they can in the game. Buffalo’s smaller and quicker defensive front seven is suited to burrowing into the backfield and stopping the ballcarrier from getting to the line of scrimmage, but it’s not working for the Bills thus far. The Jets will likely use a steady dose of Thomas Jones who might be a better counter to the smaller lineman. If Jones carries the ball more than 20 times again, it will be because the Jets are winning.
Air: The Bills have a tough time defending against the run, but they have also struggled mightily in defending the pass. . Should the Jets not be able to establish an effective running game, the burden will fall on Chad to move the ball through the air. Chad hasn’t piled in the yards so far, but he has the second highest QB Rating in three weeks (only behind Tom Brady) and with a depleted secondary and linebacking corps, the Jets should be able to have nice progressions and find the open man at will all day. The Jets offensive line has allowed 10 sacks in three games, and is ranked 29th according to Football Outsiders in terms of allowing sacks in 10% of their passing plays. Look for the line who has struggled in line assignments the first two weeks, to continue to tighten up against the Bills, but pay close attention to D’Brick and how he fares against Aaron Schobel, who victimized him late in the season last year, while the rookie’s weight was down and he was gassed from a long season.
Jets Defense:
Stop the Run - Although rookie QB Trent Edwards looked poised in his first series against the Patriots, the Jets will likely need to focus on taking another rookie #12 pick Marshawn Lynch RB out of the equation for the Jets. The Jets’ D-line has been pushed around against the offensive lines they have faced thus far, and the Bills worked to improve their line in the offseason. The Bills line doesn’t have a single player under 310 pounds, and their left and right tackles are 344 and 360 respectively. If the Bills are smart, they will try and wear down the defensive lineman and do their best to get Marshawn Lynch to have a big day against the Jets.
Mangini has stressed that the Jets are doing the right things, but the results haven’t come. This would be a good time to see the results, but against such a big line, don’t hold your breath. The Linebackers will need to stay disciplined and keep the runner ahead of them, not giving up big gains on one play.
Turnovers & Pressure – Just like last week, the Patriots did not respect the running game much, and brought pressure in the blitz off corners a few times. Expect to see Kerry Rhodes rather than the Patriots corners up around the line of scrimmage looking to sack the rookie QB.
Injuries
JETS: OUT: LB Cody Spencer (illness). QUESTIONABLE: WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder), CB Andre Dyson (foot), G Brandon Moore (shoulder), QB Chad Pennington (ankle), DT Dewayne Robertson (knee), S Eric Smith (thigh). PROBABLE: RB Darian Barnes (shoulder), CB David Barrett (thigh), LB David Bowens (hand), RB Thomas Jones (calf), TE Joe Kowalewski (shoulder), DT Sione Pouha (foot).
BILLS: OUT: DE Ryan Denney (foot), LB Keith Ellison (ankle), QB J.P. Losman (knee), LB Paul Posluszny (forearm), G Jason Whittle (hamstring), LB Coy Wire (knee). PROBABLE: WR Sam Aiken (groin), CB Terrence McGee (ribs).
- An article on how much the Bills have struggled with injuries thus far.
- Pelzman writes an article on Chris Baker, while Rock looks at Brad Smith..
- Cimini writes about the Jets defense.
- Jet Cody Spencer’s brother is heading to Iraq.
- Only four weeks into the season, the Jets are in their third divisional game, and with the Bills, anything can happen.
- A Bloomberg correspondent writes about the larger new stadiums, and writes on the Jets/Giants new home.
- John Clayton writes on the possibility of some QBs breaking passing records this year, due to less calling of holding. The Jets have yet to be called for the penalty.
In his Friday Press Conference, Mangini addressed many issues, but what I thought most notable was about the defense.
About stopping the run and their trouble thus far:
It’s a collective effort, just like it always is. Everybody needs to continue to improve and that’s why we focus on the process and not the results, because if you do the things you’re supposed to do better, then the results always come. You saw last season where we improved throughout the season. You want to start fast, ideally, but sometimes that doesn’t happen, just like in games sometimes it doesn’t happen.
You open side, shade the nose to form an under front, or you can bring the guys over to build an over front. You can reduce both ends to build a Bear front, a 46-type look – we do it quite a bit. Other 3-4 teams do it quite a bit. Really it’s a number. It’s how many defensive linemen you have and how many linebackers you have as opposed to a set scheme out of that grouping of people.
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Week 3 was a huge week for LCII as instead of getting whacked, a tally of +.7 units was generated thanks to a 4-3-3 week, Cannot remember ever having 3 pushes in 1 week. Deficit has been trimmed to 12.1 Schroys. Onto Week 4
Balt @ Clev: Favorite Game of the Year so far. Ravens are night & day in terms of home/road. Their D is still given as much respect as the 2000 team, and it is not even close. Would the 2000 team have let 2 teams with suspect offensive lines laucnh furious 4th quarter rallies? 3 Units on Browns + points & 2 Units with Money Line.
Chi @ Det: Safe & logical play is to lay off as their lots of variables – Griese replacing Rexy, Bears D banged up, Det D looking like an expansion team last week. Have always been a home dog kind of guy when I think I have the better OL, and Det’s line looks a whole lot better than Chi right now. Det with money line for 1 unit.
- Katie Strang writes about the defense on Newsday’s blog.
- An article on the Jets’ site about Brian Daboll, the new QB Coach (and likely successor to the OC should Schotty leave).
- Bullock writes on the key to winning against the Bills.
- Is David Barrett really playing strong?
- Did you ever know Chrebet was known as Q-Bert to his teammates.
- Recco’s blog writes on the Jets trip to Buffalo.
- A Jets fan has decided to sue Belichick for fraud.
- A great question was asked about the Eagles on FO to determine if they are a good team or not.
- Hashmarks talks to Titans DC Jim Schwartz.
- Bonds’ ball will get the asterisk.
Phew! Been a bad, bad week … moving from discombobulation to combobulation …
- Coles and Cotch are a match made in heaven, but the Jets have dropped more passes than at this time last year … Justin McCareins unavailable for comment.
- Leon compares his kick to Madden. Tom Rock notes the Jets have 10 TD returns in 10 years on the Bills … great now we’re jinxed!
- Mangini praises Tutt’s progress.
- Corey Griffin has his Week 4 Preview up and is heading to the game.
- Sean Lahman writes in the Sun that the Jets and Giants need to keep it going … as opposed to losing? Hello!?! (You know the rest)
- Jim Rich takes a look at the lines.
- Roger Goodell’s $12K fine on Wilfork validates you now adding “cheap shotting” as an adjective to any tirade on the Patriots.
- Bad Newz, indeed Mike.
- Will Carroll runs down some of the injured players in the league.
- Our friend Dan Benton interviewed me for a Bills’ column on FanHouse.
God Bless Darian Barnes.
It seems the fullback might have played hookey instead of attending Eric Mangini Charm School. Apparently, 80 pound weakling Travis Daniels wasn’t the only one who was trash talking the Jets last Sunday. It looks like Joey “Speed Bump” Porter had some words for Barnes before the game started last weekend. (Emphasis is mine)
“Joey Porter is a [bleep],” Barnes recounted yesterday. “He’s been trash talking for years. What was he trying to prove coming up to me at the 50 yard line (before the game) like it was some sort of showdown? I’m not worried about Joey Porter. He hasn’t hit anybody in eight years.“
When a photographer approached Barnes to tell him he had a good shot of he and Porter talking before the game, Barnes asked if he could have a print so he could send it to Porter and write the words “[Bleep] you” on it.
“I’m as serious as a heart attack,” Barnes said to the photographer
One can only hope that the photog also got one of Barnes standing up Porter.Ten gallon hat tip to Josh Alper at FanHouse for finding this absolute treasure.
I am 50/50 on joining the chat … work has been a bear this week, but all the same I wanted to host the chat again for folks to talk about the Gang Green. Please join in at 12PM EDT today if you would like to talk about the Jets, what you’ve seen so far, and how they might fare this weekend against the Bills.
One of the lowest points from last season was the December Debacle, when the Jets were soundly thrashed 31-13 by the Buffalo Bills at The Meadowlands. The Bills stampeded over, passed by and otherwise embarrassed a Jets team headed for the playoffs, a game that left a bad taste in every Jets fan’s mouth for weeks.
Less than eleven months later and the Bills have let Jet killer Willis McGahee, cornerback Nate Clements and linebackers London Fletcher-Baker and Takeo Spikes all go to greener pastures. They have been devastated by injuries: In addition to starting quarterback J.P. Losman and rookie middle linebacker Paul Posluszny (both of whom went down versus New England), they’ve lost safety Ko Simpson and cornerback Jason Webster for the season, and we all witnessed what happened to tight end Kevin Everett. (Although thankfully, he seems to be improving every day.)
Head coach Dick Jauron’s young and battered Bills are desperate for a win and are sure to be circling the wagons in Orchard Park. Will they be able to turn adversity to inspiration and rally, or will they be outmanned by a relatively healthy Jets team?
Can you say “trap game”?
If you are into gaming at all, you know that the whole HALO 3 launch was kind of a big deal. Well it seems that after doing a little digging, Nick understated his going to pick up the game a bit … seems he was at the G4 launch party in New York earlier this week.
It seems that some Jets were on hand, Nick Mangold and Leon Washington, but it’s hard to tell from the picture … that looks like Victor Hobson to me from the side, but can anyone verify? This report on CNET says Leon Washington was there.
Too bad Olivia Munn wasn’t there for Nick to hit on … just the witchlike Morgan Webb (shudder) …
Yesterday in his press conference, Eric Mangini was asked about what some of the keys were to the loss to the Bills toward the end of last season.
I don’t think we practiced as effectively as we could have, and there’s always a correlation between how you practice and how you play. That’s an on ongoing point of conversation, the importance of your preparation. That’s why we stress so much each week to look at yourself and honestly evaluate where your weaknesses are and go out the next week and practice with a purpose and get those things better. Not just be satisfied with, ‘this is what I do well, I’m going to do a lot of that’, because eventually you need another punch and you need to be able to deal with the things that you don’t do as well.
No game in this league is a sure thing, and I sure hope the Jets had some good practices this week.
It’s easy to think that football players are just machines that wake up, go to practice, go home from practice, ice up and do it all over again the next day. According to his blog, Nick Mangold and his fellow teammates love them some HALO 3.
Halo 3 has graced us with its presence. I was never big into video games until my college roommate introduced me to Halo. For those who haven’t enjoyed the greatness that follows Halo around like Linus’ blanket, it is a sci-fi first-person-shooter video game. You can play by yourself or join others online to play as a group. Since my introduction to Halo I have wasted many hours of my life to the game. When I first arrived at the Jets, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that many of my teammates enjoy the game as much as I do. During training camp it gets pretty intense with different Halo competitions and rivalries. I think it gives us a simple escape from the rigors of practice and meetings.
Anywho, after receiving the game … and logging a good amount of hours to my family’s chagrin, I highly recommend going out and purchasing it.
Many of his teammates? We want names!!
There are just too many permutations of questions in my mind … I want to know if Laveranues Coles enjoys a nicely timed grenade kill or if Jon Vilma likes a good sniper shot as much as we all do. Does Chad Pennington snicker after mowing down Victor Hobson in a Warthog Jeep? What’s everyone’s screenname? Is Mangold’s stonecoldmangold? I need answers!!
I had heard over the summer the PR department of the Jets handed out XBOXes to players who would sign autographs to fans … never validated, but it seems clear they were a bigger part of camp, than I thought.
After reading this, alls I am saying is if I was to play a nice game of “Rockets” with some of the guys on the Jets, I think I could die a happy man.
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