A Peek Ahead: The Jets Second Half
We’re taking a quick look at the Jets second half. Nothing can ever be set in stone, as injuries, teams losing (or gaining) steam all need to be considered, but here’s a look at some of the Jets opponents and how the Jets might fare against them — or need to beat them.
Week 10 Jacksonville (4-4) — Maurice Jones-Drew has proven himself worth the faith that the team has placed in him, but overall the Jacksonville offense has sputtered with consistency this year. Although this team has been built to be big and intimidating on defense, it’s lost some of it’s core in recent years and defensively, this is a team that the Jets should be able to run (and pass) over.
Week 11 @ New England (6-2) — I don’t hold a lot of stock in “who beat us and did they beat them” but it’s hard not to think about it when they played the Jets and Patriots in back to back weeks. This Patriots team is not the same team that the Jets saw in Week 2 that was struggling to find their identity in the losses of players like Welker (injury) Jerod Mayo (injury) and Seymour (trade). The defense isn’t world beaters, but they’re good enough to foil the Jets. It’s going to be very hard for an inconsistent Jets team to come out of this away game (where the Pats are 5-0 so far this season) with a win.
Week 12 Carolina (3-5) — Carolina has been good running the ball, but struggled all season throwing it. Defensively the team is mediocre and terrible against the run. This is a “should” game for the Jets. If Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene have good days, the Jets should have a good day.
Week 13 @ Buffalo (3-5) — This isn’t your typical away game. It’s in Toronto, where the crowd and Bills have been flat historically. Playing in a dome and in Toronto will neutralize any home-field advantage. The Jets have already proven that they can run on this team, and just like Carolina a week earlier, the Jets should be able to run all over this team, who is one of the very worst teams against the run in the NFL. Mark Sanchez was very generous in the team’s last outing … as long as he can not sabotage his offense, the Jets can make it out unscathed. Do beware what the optimal conditions can do for the Bills receivers in a dome.
Week 14 @ Tampa Bay (1-7) — Although they looked impressive against the Packers this past weekend, this is still a team that can be had. They are at the bottom of the league on defense, bottom third on offense. Even though it will be in front of a hostile crowd, the Jets proved that they can win these type games and the warm weather will be a welcome game for the “thin-blooded” Mark Sanchez.
Week 15 Atlanta (5-3) — Now it begins to get interesting. If the Jets are 4-1 after the bye at this point, the playoffs have basically begun for the Jets, who will likely need to take at least two (if not all three) games to remain competitive in the AFC. Although Atlanta came out of the gate hot, they’ve fallen back a little bit, but let’s look at those losses: at New England, at Dallas and at New Orleans. Three losses in away games to three top ten power ranked teams. No one’s going out of their way to applaud them for their victory in games like that over the Redskins yesterday, but the fact is they’ve beaten the teams they should beat and lost to very good teams. There’s no shame in that. This is a great “ramp up” game for the Jets as they head into their Week 16 match-up.
Week 16 @ Indianapolis (8-0) — Indy has a long history of locking up the AFC South early. With that history, comes the yearly questions of who will get some R&R to prepare for the playoffs. The team has had varying success at this, but by this time, probably knows their business on this matter. At the rate Indy is going, could they be looking to rest players as early as Week 16? The fact of the matter is that Peyton Manning will likely play, but some bruised defenders or skill players could well be held out as the team preps for the playoffs. Since the team is likely to get a bye, they might only rest a select handful of guys, but it’s hard to know if it will be enough to effect the outcome. Running the ball on this quick, but undersized defense will be an important part of how the Jets fortunes go.
Week 17 Cincinnati (6-2) — This isn’t your regular Bengals team. Carson Palmer’s healthy and playing well, Cedric Benson has redeemed his past indiscretions this season with some solid running, and the defense is coming around, although not confusing anyone with the 2000 Ravens. Steady production on both sides of the ball has been crucial to the progress of this team and has supplanted the Ravens as the second team in their battle tested division. Still the key on this team is passing the ball. Mark Sanchez will have to have a good day to carry the Jets into the off/post season.
Add your thoughts in the comments …
Filed under: Main Page, Opinion
sanchez will be able to put this team into the postseason, mark my words
These all seem like winnable games to me. I can see the Colts resting guys by week 16, assuming they lose a game between then and now (Manning definitely would want to match Brady’s undefeated season, and since he runs that team, we need to hope they lose one before we play them). Hopefully Indy beats NE and we take care of business against the Jags, so in 2 weeks we play for first place and get an idea about what this team can do this year.
Going 6-2 in the second half is the only way …
More like 7-1; where we really should have been already! But that said, it’s a rookie year, and let’s hope our Coach and QB have grown over the first half, reflected on it during the bye, and are ready to roll it up all the way thru the next 12 games!
That’s the real season…
I’m pretty optimistic, but given the way the team has performed inconsistenly and the key injuries, I see 4-4 at best here.
I know we all got hopeful at 3-0, but realistically, rookie QBs and HCs don’t come in and make the playoffs. In the long context of NFL history, what Atlanta and Baltimore did last year were flukes, and even flukier in that they happened at the same time.
That all being said, I truly expect this team to seriously contend next year — and that’s not just “Oh, wait till next year talk.”
I think focussing 1 game at a time will be they key for this team heading into the second half of the year. It would be a total disappointment to lose to any team thats not NE, Indy, and Cincy. But we made the bed we lie in now. Limiting turnovers should be the message the coaching staff drills in their heads!
Sign me up for a Cincy @ NY for a one game playoff. That would be pretty sweet.
The key is Jacksonville. They are similar to us in they have been very inconsistent. If we beat them the Pats game could be a huge boost to our season and chance at the division and playoffs
If we lose to Jacksonville the Pats game becomes just hoping we stay relavent.
It starts with the offense. i am very confident the defense will hold up its end.
A regular season “playoff game” against Cincy? I’ll take it. Not a gimme by any stretch, but it’s a heck of a lot better than nothing.
Though I would note that the Jets are currently tied with the Jaguards in the AFC, so if they lose this week they can pretty much kiss away the rest of the season.
Of course thats the ideal scenario besides every afc team collapsing besides us…a battle of USC QB’s and solid Defenses
The ideal situation is having a playoff spot locked up by beating a resting Colts team in week 16. But a one game playoff is a decent consolation prize.
We will go as far as Mark can take us. Its unfortunate that we need to depend on him because thats a lot of pressure for a rookie, but at an inconsistent 4-4, it is what it is.
Our running game is in place, our defense is relatively solid even without Jenkins (anyone else feel like maybe Jenkins is so big that he might of been blocking our own blitzes from coming through? Just a thought…we just seem more athletic on defense right now) and our WRs will be set with JCo coming back healthy.
One game at a time. If Revis can shutdown Mike Sims Walker and the defense can shut down MJD…we win, because thats all they have. The best recipe for that would be to just keep them off the field. RUN THE BALL ALL DAY!
NJets,
Did you honestly just say “if” Darrelle Revis can shut down Mike Sims-Walker? Of course he will!
Like you said, the Jets need to stop MJD, he’s is the difference maker in Jacksonvilles offense.
I know… what was I thinking? By the way… is anyone else in a really good mood today? God… watching the Jets is really stressfull.
The next 4 weeks:
Jets vs Jags Pats @ Ind
Jets @ Pats
Jets vs Car Pats @ NO
Jets @ Buf Pats @ Mia
Jets have 3 very winnable games and 1 vs the patriats.
The Patriats have 4 very tough games (with 3 on the road).
Ladies and Gentlemen, we can take over this division in just a few weeks and even separate from the Pats.
Larry Johnson was just released by the Chiefs.
I think the Pats will scoop him up.
Some tough games here. 10-6 is possible (of course anything is possible) but I see 8-8 as just as likely. We need a reason to believe that they won’t be as inconsistent in the 2nd half of the season as they were in the first. Hopefully they come back from the bye more consistent but starting strong and finishing weak, as they did during the 1st half, is so much more unsettling than the other way around.
What’s funny to me is that people seem to be looking at games like Jacksonville, Buffalo and Atlanta as games that we should win. Bassett gave some great reasons why we could or should win those games, but we could or should have beat miami twice. The jags have the same record as us, buffalo is only one game worse and and the falcons are one game better. They are looking at us as “should win” games, too (maybe ‘could win” in buffalo’s case).
It’s great to be optimistic but this team needs to give us a reason to believe that they can play well or at least decent in all three phases week in/week out.
The reason people are thinking that about the Jags game is because they’re bottom 1/3 in the league in team offense & team defense and give up 120 yards on the ground per game. They have only one real weapon (MJD) and as long as he can be bottled up, the Jets should win that game.
Buffalo game people believe we should win because we had the worst game ever by a Jets QB and were still a holding call away from having the game-winning field goal attempt (in easy range for Feeley).
I don’t think anyone feels we the Falcons are a “should” game, so much as if we play our game well, we should be in very good position to win that game.
I’m not sure the fact we have a rookie HC is as important as the rookie QB. With an average QB, the Jets are now 6-2 and poised for a playoff run. Sanchez has been playing below average. I’m not killing him, that’s what rookies do and his ability to throw the deep ball and mobility is something we haven’t seen from a Jets QB maybe ever. If history is a guide, his second season is the one that should elevate his game.
That being said, if Sanchez can play a little better than average in the second half, the Jets could make a run at the Pats for the AFC East or have an outside chance at a wildcard. It all starts with taking care of Jax, which is a pesky team, and, then, beating the Pats. A tall order, but if the Jets have any chance to make the playoffs, these are 2 must wins (and, generally, the Jets have to win the AFC games…they can take 1 loss to an NFC team (preferably not to either the Bucs or Panthers, which is another pesky team, but really have to sweep the AFC).
Cheifs released Larry Johnson. Next stop, New England.
Looking at our sched and the other teams vying for wildcards, we have the easiest. Baltimore and SD have tough games and so do the Texans. I think we should be in the mix as long as we play MISTAKE-FREE FOOTBALL.
As much as I hate to say it, the realist in me says there is very little chance we can get to 6-2 in the second half and make the playoffs. Judging by the first half of the season, there are no games that are guaranteed wins (remember Buffalo). This team is still going to have a game or two where Sanchez has his rookie moments and throws away a win. As much as I like Rex, he is still going to make some rookie HC mistakes like he did in both Miami games. There are no gimme games in the NFL, and having a rookie QB/HC is going to lead to a couple of more “how did that just happen” losses.
I’d be happy to see the team go 5-3 and show some the ability to finish games. Everyone be honest, you would have been ecstatic if someone told you at the beginning of the season that the Jets would finish over .500.
One more side note, there’s a very good chance 10 wins wont cut it. Remember the Pats went 11-5 last year and missed the playoffs.
I don’t know why everyone is so sure that Johnson is going to NE. While NE takes in character-questionable guys all the time, Johnson just hasn’t been performing the past few years. I guess it’s worth a shot for them, but they already have a crowded backfield and adding that moody guy to the mix (giving him a very reduced workload) probably won’t make him super happy either.
3 – 5 at best. better hope its not windy in any of those home games. poor sanchez cant handle it
Reality sucks! Sorry to be a wet blanket and hope I’m totally wrong, but we’re not making the playoffs this year. 39 yrs of disappointment and sleepless nights after a heart breaking loss has convinced me that Parcells was right “You are what your record says you are.” In our case we’ll be in every game, hang on to win some, but have heart breaking losses in games we should have been able to pull out because of a random breakdown on ST, D or O.
As much as I hate the Pats & Miami, they are ahead of us in being able (or lucky) to pull out games they should lose.
Hope I’m wrong, but even if we go 6-2 down the stretch we’ll miss the playoffs. As I said, reality SUCKS!
If we play good specials, stop getting penalized and limit the turnovers on offense we can beat any team in this league… any team!!
If we play turnover offense dont tackle the guy running back kicks and continue to get dumb penalties we will be a 7-8 win team.
Until we prove we can play consistent football no game can be handicapped…. as a win or loss.
there are reasons there are .500 teams every year. They are not consistent…..Unless we clean up the nonsesne we will be one.
IMO, the only thing the Fins have shown this season is the ability to beat the Jets. Didn’t they have a short-lived lead in the 3rd quarter yesterday? Didn’t they dominate TOP against the Colts and lose in the only game in NFL history where the team with that big an edge in TOP lost? Didn’t they have a 24-3 lead over the Saints deep into the 2nd half, yet end up being blown out because the Saints out-scored them 43-12 in little over 2 quarters of play? If “you are what your record says you are,” the Fins are 3-5 and will struggle to be over .500 for the season.
NOT WATCHING ANOTHER GAME TIL WE ARE 2 GAMES OVER 500.
The jets season depends on this week against Jacksonville. You guys keep looking ahead but the real focus is whether Sanchez will be intimidated this sunday. Jack Del Rio is a tough football coach. I don’t see any game past this week. Jacksonville will be a big test for the jets on all phases.
Fonzie,
Why would Sanchez be intimidated by the 26th ranked pass defense that is last in the league in sacks?
Sanchez is at home and the Jags defense has been porous. Yesterday, Matt Cassel nearly beat them with no running game and a WR signed that week. If anything, Sanchez will have to control his giddiness at facing a defense which is worse that the Penn State D he decimated in the Rose Bowl.
SackDance99,
You don’t understand the Fins that well. Maybe if you posted your comments on their blog you will learn what is really going on with Miami. Miami is a VERY young team overall and is trying to find its identity. The dolphins have proven they can contend with the tough teams in the nfl but to beat them is asking a bit too much considering they are starting their franchise with a pennington-like clone (with a better arm of course). They are finding ways to win but show they can beat the teams they need to beat like the jets and bills. I think their schedule after having a tough opening to the season may be easier down the stretch. They will remain focused and this season is FAR from over. The top 10 teams in the AFC conference all have brutual schedules. Several teams are going out limping by the end of December. Its just how life goes and the way the nfl works. The jets continue to surround themselves in this warm fuzzy dream that they will be in the playoffs and will become superbowl champions. The jets fans believe in them but realistically don’t want to because any setback will devastate them.
Brendan,
The same way he was intimidated against the Bills and Phins who had worser records than the Jags.
The bills were close to last against the run at the time and had an up and down pass defense (now they have turned it around).
SackDance99,
The jaguars still found a way to win something Sanchez hasn’t learned yet.
Brendan,
You can’t assume that their defensive backs are going to give our receivers at least 6 yards off the line of scrimmage. You read too much into the stats if you believe in that. You are making something up in your mind that isn’t there. The jags WILL BE READY TO PLAY THE JETS ON SUNDAY.
Fonzie,
Looking past the fact that you have no idea what goes in Sanchez’s head, the Bills defense has twice as many sacks and gives up about 50 less yards a game. And he was intimidated by the Phins? Really!?
His line for the 2 games:
437 yards, 32/59 completion %: 55%, 3 passing TD’s, 1 rushing TD, no turnovers.
Yeah, clearly intimidated.
We are medicore as our record indicates…we finish 8-8 unless this team learns to play and the coaching staff coaches for a full 60 minutes…
Fonzie, you are openly rooting against your “favorite” team now? The Jags have one of the worst passing defenses in the league. How can you honestly say that Sanchez will be intimidated? He’s either going to be facing 8 in the box and one on one’s on the outside (Cotch, Braylon & Keller will feast) or they don’t load up in the box and our team steamrolls their front 7.
SIGN LARRY JOHNSON HE HAS BEEN RELEASED!!!!!
Brendan,
You give too much credit to Sanchez. He has proven he is inconsistent at quarterbacks. I still think that their poor pass defensive is not indictative of whether Sanchez will have has day with the Jags. The only way Sanchez will have his way is if the Jags don’t show up AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!! Sanchez will continue to have opportunities to either win or lose the game for the jets. So far he has shown from his attitude alone that he can kill the jets by not having the resolve and focus needed to establish game winning drives. Drives that break the back of the defense. I don’t give him credit for oakland or for him not beating himself against the phins. He did NOT win the game for the jets against the phins in both games regardless of how bad the defense or special teams played. NO ONE NOT EVEN THIS PUNK DESERVES 50 MILLION DOLLARS AND A SACRIFICE OF 5 PLAYERS AND SHOW HE IS INTIMIDATED ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD!!!
Its hilarious….as soon as fonzie posts everyone reacts…lol
I honestly believe that with the week to clear their heads, this team will revive the season and take baby steps toward something very good in 2010.
They will win the four games they are supposed to win, and maybe even pull off another upset or two to go 9-7 or 10-6, but it will not be enough to make the playoffs.
At this point I am hoping for two things;
A victory this week so the Pat game is meaninful, not that I think they will win it but it will be fun and a good experience for the team and
Rex and Mark to grow into their roles and prove they will be forces to be reckoned with for years to come.
That would be a successful season.
the giants really stuck it to us by handing SD a win yesterday. had SD lost and been 4-4, i would feel a lot better about making the playoffs at 10-6
i think that of our remaining schedule, there are 4 very winnable games (jax, buff, car, TB). we have to make sure to win all 4 of these games. if we do that, anything can happen. i think we can beat ATL and Cincy – both games are at home and although there is a lot of football left to play, cincy may have their playoff seed locked up by week 17. i dont see us beating the pats or colts on the road, but you never know. there is a lot of football left to be played and injuries could happen.
bottom line, is that other teams in the race (pats, SD, houston, pitt all have difficult schedules left. anything can happen
Punk? I’m sorry? Since when is Sanchez a punk? He has made his rookie mistakes (away from the field, that is) but always owns up to them and generally says all the right things. Punk? My God you’re more delusional than I thought.
Sanchez can have his way with the Jags if they Jets start running the ball early and often and work the play-action passes off of that. How can a team’s poor pass defense not be indicative of how our passer will fare against them? If we were playing, say, the Packers’ pass defense (one of the best defensive units, all-around, in the NFL) would you not think that since Sanchez was facing a very good unit, that he would have a rough day? Why would the opposite not be true? He’s facing one of the worst overall defenses in the league, who hasn’t been successful stopping any form of attack, so he is expected to play poorly?
I hope everyone noticed that Fonzie just referred to Sanchez as “a punk”.
If no one deserves a 50 million dollar contract, why did the Jets sign Pennington to a $64.2 million deal in 2004?
fonzie,
I understand the Fins very well. They are a team without gamebreakers at WR or TE and with an inexperienced QB. Thus, they have to squeeze every drop of offense they can through the running game and that’s why they are so committed to the Wildcat. As Greg Buttle says, “you pass to score and run to win.” Because the Fins’ passing game is weak, they will struggle scoring, which means that teams with superior offenses will stress the Fins, no matter how good their defense is and, with 2 rookie CBs and an injured Jason Ferguson, their defense isn’t as good as it was to start the season.
You do know that the Jets are the 13th oldest team (tied with the Broncos) in the NFL at an average age of just 27.16, while the Fins are younger by a little more than just 1/2 a year at 26.47. I wonder what happens when you net out the fact that our kicker is 33 and there’s is 24? Point is that it’s not a big difference and the Jets’ core of players is no older than the Fins’ core..in fact, at some key positions, like NT, the Jets are younger…Ferguson is 35, Jenks is 30; Porter is 32, Pace is 29; Will Allen is 31, Revis is 24. Heck, even Ricky Williams is older than Thomas Jones.
Plus, I don’t believe many Jets fans thought a Super Bowl or even the playoffs were going to happen with a rookie QB. The only question is whether the Fins or Jets are closer to getting to that level. We’ll really have to see what happens next season to evaluate that question because the Fins just don’t have the passing game to compete in the playoffs. Did they have the Jets’ number this season? Yes, but net out the Fins’ success against the Jets and all they have is a solid home win against the Bills and a bunch of losses against teams with much better offenses. The Jets, on the other hand, have shown that their defense can beat good offensive teams, like the Texans and Pats. The Jets are inconsistent, but generally solid in all 3 areas; the Fins have a structural flaw in their passing game.
Brendan,
I am not rooting against the jets. I am pointing out the mistakes that are hurting the jets every week. The mistakes that should have been corrected a while ago by this rookie head coach and this immature quarterback. The jets need to play physical every week. They did not play physical the entire game against the phins or the bills. The jags are a different test because Del Rio was a physical football player the same way Singletary was for the Bears now coaching the 49ers. The jags have beaten us up everytime they have played us the last few years. The jets running game may be able to dominate once they have rammed the ball down their throats enough but until the jets start doing that opposing defenses will continue to key on the receivers and take away Sanchez’s easy passes. They will force him to throw and make important decisions. They will force the jets to run. I don’t know why they don’t do that more often. What ever happened to “take what the defense gives you”? The jets have gone against that and sanchez continues to struggle.
As far as I can tell Fonzie is damaged goods. He seems to have reached this level of psychological damage where he has ceased to be a rational fan and has instead become a nervous wreck that bad things are just around every corner. (Understandable as it is since the Jets often seem to find bad things). But still, at this point maybe its time to take a step back and question why you’re a fan at all.
SackDance99,
If you read my earlier comments i said that the jets (not their fans) think they are ready for the playoffs and the superbowl. Just listen to Scott, Rex, Rhodes and company. The fans don’t believe it right now because they don’t want any setbacks. If you look at the dolphins team now and the jets team the dolphins are in their second year. The jets are in their fourth year. Yes I am continuing from Mangini’s campaign. These are still his players. The dolphins are not now primed to win. It was a “shocker” that they made it to the playoffs last year with the team they had and still be able contend this year with a new quarterback that wasn’t a guaruntee until a week ago. The jets are primed to win now. They have a 150 plus million dollar offensive line and high priced free agents (pace, faneca, and woody) in the trenches. Why are the jets spending so much money on these free agents? The wildcat has been the dolphins trademark for almost a year. They have begun to open up the passing game with Henne. Their defense is still playing well despite injuries to Ferguson and Will Allen. Their corners are very physical. Their linebackers play against the run very well. They are a good team overall. SackDance do you really need to go into breakdown of how old position by position the jets are in comparison to the dolphins? That is irrelevant to what is going on. SackDance you continue to find ways to twist your argument to make you right. It just makes you more wrong.
A lot of things would have to turn the Jets way for them to make the playoffs.
I expect Sanchez will have at least one or two more rookie, hiccup games along his path to development this season. If they happen against an NFC team and he plays over his head against the Pats, Indy, etc., anything’s possible.
I get more joy out of life by being optimistic but I’m also a realist. If the team continues to improve and goes out strong I’ll feel good about the season and bullish on 2010.
Fonzie – Why do you say Henne is Pennington like? Is it because they have the same name?
I don’t think the Jets have a shot at the division even if they beat NE. Other than the Indy and saints games, which aren’t even guaranteed losses, I can’t really see them losing another game (maybe the phins, maybe). I think the Jets are definately good enough to be a wild card team. The question is if they can be consistent enough and get enough help to get there. Speakin of help, f**k you giants for trying to run the clock out instead of playing for a TD. Did you really think that 2 minutes with a timeout wasn’t enough time for the chargers to score a TD, especially with how your secondary has been getting torched as of late? Such conservative, Mangini-esque bull
JPM,
I see you drink the media kool-aid a little too much. Take a look at yourself FIRST!! You must be a wreck in life; at least I am in school. You have the nerve to call me out, under what conditions?
“The jets running game may be able to dominate once they have rammed the ball down their throats enough but until the jets start doing that opposing defenses will continue to key on the receivers and take away Sanchez’s easy passes. They will force him to throw and make important decisions. They will force the jets to run.”
So in three sentences you said the Jets need to start ramming the ball down defenses’ throats (which is false since they already are doing that), that opposing defenses will key on the receivers & take away Sanchez’s passes (“force him to throw”), then say they will force us to run.
So they’re going to force us to pass, and force us to run. Now I may be wrong here, but aren’t those your only two options on offense? You can run, and you can pass. They aren’t forcing us to do both because the rulebook already does.
The Jags aren’t the same team they were when Stroud and Henderson were crushing people in the middle and Mike Peterson was making plays all over the field. They’re smaller than the past times we played them, and the last time we played them was under Mangini, before the roster was revamped. The Jets dictate the tempo in this game, with the way they will rush the ball and control the clock. Get the O-line in an agressive, early groove and watch the Jets grind out a 20-10 win.
2g,
Its interesting really. Chad Pennington had quarterbacks meetings last year with Henne and Beck. He taught his backups the intrinsic things that they have to look at during the games. He asked them to study their opponents and break down film for him. What planet are you on man? Read a little bit of the dolphins blogs or are you too scared to post on them?
Oh, so Pennington had the backups do what they’re supposed to do? Watch/break down film of their opponents. You do realize that every backup QB does that on a weekly basis, right?
correction:
He didn’t tell them the intrinsic things of his opponents. He taught them what to look for at opposing defenses and had them conduct meetings with the receivers, runningbacks, and offensive linemen. Pennington took his offensive line out to dinner. Henne will soon follow suit.
When Fonzie and Hank get on a roll watch out….. the only way to quiet these 2 down is to have the Jets win games. There is very little room for a logoical discussion with either.
The constant negative attitude from thse guys is exhausting….Its why i dont listen to Beningo. That clown screams how much he loves the Jets but kills them and cry SOJ as much as any idiot out there.
The Jets make me miserable as much as anyone if not more when they lose and especially how they lose. But I choose to not kill my team at every chance. I choose to support my tean and hope that a championship is coming…. I guess that makes me just another Kool Aid drinker
No Brendan,
Pennington had his backups break down film for HIM. He had them working as assistants. They had to report to HIM. This is why Henne is a clone of pennington.
fonzie,
Again, that is what every backup QB does. They don’t just break down film and light their notes on fire. They break down film for the benefit of themselves (in case they get in the game) but also for the good of the team. Anything they pick up helps the starter. This is how a football team works.
Just because Clemens and Ainge broke down tape for Favre doesn’t mean we are calling either one the next Favre.
I don’t know if anybody else mentioned this (I’m not going to read through 60 comments, thank you), but the Jets could have 1st place by this time two weeks from now.
If the Jets beat Jacksonville (not impossible) and the Colts beat New England (definitely within the realm of possibility), then the week 11 matchup will feature a 5-4 Jets team versus a 6-3 Pats team.
With the Jets already ahead in the season series, it would basically turn into a game for first: the winner sitting alone atop the AFC East.
J=M,
Yes, it has been brought up, but it doesn’t hurt to say it again for people who think this season is over. Yes, in two weeks the Jets could be atop the AFC East.
fonzie,
Your analysis is just wrong. First, Sanchez has shown that he isn’t intimidated. He has a 2-2 record on the road and he only played badly against the Saints, but (if anything) he was too relaxed against the Saints. He actually has slightly better stats on the road (better completion pct., YPA and QBR)…not usually the profile for an intimidated QB. Second, the Jets have played really tough in all their games. The Jets were out-muscled in their 1st game against the Fins, but the defense played very well the 2nd time around…it’s hard to overcome 3 return TDs…ask the Pack about giving up easy TDs. Third, you do know that because of injuries and trades Sanchez hasn’t had his entire WR corps healthy since Edwards showed up. IMO, a healthy Jericho poses a very difficult problem for opposing defenses. The D has to rotate to Edwards, that leaves Jericho in single coverage and Keller covered by an LB (who isn’t fast enough) or S (who isn’t big enough). Yesterday, Chambers killed the Jags as did their entire WR corps. If a USC backup with inferior WRs, running game and OL torched the Jags, then let’s see what a starter with real weapons can do. Oh, and by FO’s metrics, the Jags have the worst pass D in the NFL. So, if the Jets play to “take what the defense gives you” then we should see the Jets pass a little bit…I just hope they run more in the redzone and on 2nd down.
one game at a time????
nothing else really matters if they don’t beat jacksonville. players are human, they have the same thoughts we do. play the rest the rest of the schedule in your mind before playing sunday and…… ugh.
lets talk jacksonville.
Fonzie, relax man I wasn’t calling you out in life in general – just your fandom of the Jets. You seem to only be able to see negatives in the team at this point and don’t get me wrong they’ve given us a lot of negatives again. But you seem to be going out of your way to give them no credit at all while showing the ability to find positives in other teams. Why be a fan at this point if you can only find positives elsewhere?
As far as the “media kool-aid”, have you ever read Rich Cimini? He is by no means a Jets homer. What media are you reading?
Brendan,
Opposing defenses are not giving Sanchez the benefit of the doubt any more. They are taking away his comfort zone (this includes short 5+ passes by playing more man to man). They are forcing him to go deep and when he does its either an incompletion or an interception. I was never a fan of the long ball. Opposing defenses are forcing the jets to run. This was how they played the jets towards the end of last year. The only difference was FARVE was too dumb to care and kept throwing. Sanchez is actually intimidated about this and his mistakes get to his head. FARVE like Sanchez wanted to pass but never read the defense properly. He forced the ball. Sanchez sees himself forcing his game on opponents whether its rushing for touchdowns or trying to throw bullets. It doesn’t matter because eventually he will be faced with a third and long and turn the ball over.
JPM,
I am ONLY BEING NEGATIVE ON THE MISTAKES THAT REX AND SANCHEZ MAKE!!!!
Fonzie, you’re critiquing them as if they’re seasoned veterans though. This was a growth season from the very beginning. You can’t honestly look at Sanchez and say the mistakes he makes are who he is and that he wont improve. Look at how many very good quarterbacks have struggled early in their careers.
SackDance99,
Keep adding the stats man. It only shows that you are lost in them. For whatever reason (injuries, bad communication, etc) Sanchez has shown he is a lost pup in the woods when things go wrong. Put the records and stats in front of you but Sanchez will continue to be intimidated when the opposing defenses force him to make the right decisions.
Simply stunning, fonzie.
I don’t know why you keep harping on this, but Sanchez isn’t intimidated. He certainly isn’t going to be intimidated by the 26th ranked defense in the league. He has one of the elite O-lines in football, a two headed monster in the backfield, and weapons on the outside. As long as he stays within the gameplan, and Schotty is smart enough to keep him in manageable down & distance, I see him being very effective. And one of the major, repeat: MAJOR, complaints against the Jets offense in the past decade has been the absence of a deep ball threat. Well, now they have two (Clown & Braylon) and use it to open up the intermediate passing game, and you’re not a big fan. I guess you were a big fan of the Paul Hackett ‘3 yard out or draw’ calls on 3rd and 10.
Why would defenses want to force the top rushing team in the nfl to run rather than force a rookie qb to throw?
JPM,
correction: I AM ONLY BEING NEGATIVE ON THE MISTAKES REX AND SANCHEZ CONTINUE TO MAKE!!!
2g,
Which is why I can’t understand Sanchez. He can’t seem to relax. He needs to throw the ball. Its like his play toy. Give it to the guys that can DO something with it. It doesn’t have to be pretty. The jets should be running a lot more if the defense forces them to run right?
fonzie,
I don’t twist anything. It may just seem that way because I’m trying to respond to your pretzel logic. You said that the Fins were younger and, if I understand your subtext, that the Fins are building for the future, while the Jets are a “win now” team. Now, if that’s your argument, my “core” player analysis was valid because the Fins have age at key positions, too. Now, apparently, you want to focus just on the Jets v. the Fins OL (and, can we forget contract dollar amounts? They’re a fiction in the NFL because contracts are not guaranteed. The real issue is cap management and the Jets have been very astute at that).
Now, Brick, Mangold and Moore are all under 30. The old and expensive guys are Faneca and Woody. IMO, Turner has already shown that he can ably replace Faneca when the time comes. That leaves RT, which is not exactly a difficult position to fill. Besides those 2 positions, the Jets offense is all under 30, except for Jones (but Greene is waiting in the wings) and T-Rich, who plays a position that is not exactly difficult to replace either.
You glossed over the Fins lack of talent in the receiving corps. You do know that WR is probably the position that has the highest first round “bust” potential. Despite his success against the Jets, Ginn is a bust at WR and Davone Bess, who I like, is just a 3rd WR. The other guys are all mediocre. The Fins have to upgrade at WR and, to do that, you can bet some of that J-Lo and Gloria Estefan money will have to be spent, as WR is also one of the most expensive positions in football, besides CB (another Fin weakness) and QB. It could take several years before the Fins have a receiving corps that can lift the Fins’ offense. Yet, they will also have to replace very soon NT and WILL…the 2 pivotal positions in the 3-4.
In short, IMO, the Fins are much further away from legitimate Super Bowl contention than the Jets. They had a great 2008 behind a veteran QB, with veteran RBs and key (and healthy) veterans on defense. But, they were exposed in the playoffs and, now, their key defensive players and RBs are a year older, while they still have a lack of talent in the receiving corps.
But, if you want a bone, the Fins have been better coached. Rex has to up his game and Sanchez has to play smarter because talent-wise the Jets have a superior team and should have a more-talented team for the forseeable future.
The second half….6-2, 5-3, 4-4. It’s all BULL! The Jets need to go on a one game winning streak, and that is against the Jags. All the other crap is meaningless,
just beat Jacksonville,
You can’t go 6-4 or 7-4 or 8-4 until you go 5-4. Right now the only thing standing in front a possible playoff spot for our team is the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Focus people….
2g;
It’s realy not that hard to understand.
By taking away Franchez short passing game, they are forcing him to make the hard reads and go long, and he can’t!!
In essence, by shutting Franchez down, that forces the Jets to run. However, Fonzie is saying exactly that , plus the fact that the Jets should be doing LOTS MORE in your face running and depending MUCH LESS on Franchez !!
fonzie,
You just have it wrong. Your speculative rantings about Sanchez just have no statistical basis. Basically, you’re saying that in losses Sanchez plays poorly and in wins he plays well. Sounds like Eli Manning or Kurt Warner. I think if you look at his game logs you will see that he had 2 horrendous games in losses to the Saints and Bills, but in the rest of his games he has been fairly consistent…it’s just that his average play has to be at a higher level. He has to complete over 60% of his passes and toss fewer INTs than TDs every game. He finished the first half with two solid, if unspectacular, performances against the Raiders and Fins. He’s a rookie, he’ll get better. Unless, you don’t believe he has the talent.
hank,
The problem is that Sanchez has to pass for the Jets to score. He’s a rookie, so he’ll make mistakes. But, I hope the Jets continue to challenge him. Babying him may yield an extra win, but at this point Sanchez needs game experience and that includes making mistakes and learning from them. Now, he has the weapons to make defenses pay for 8 men in the box. I just want a smarter run-pass mix. Also, everyone around Sanchez has to play error-free…even with Sanchez’s rookie issues, they’re a Hartsock hold and Izzo tackle from being 6-2.
IMO, Sanchez has to pass against the Jags (and Pats) for the Jets to win, so Sunday should be a good test.
Fonzie,
In the two horrible games (Saints/Bills) Sanchez had like a 0.0 QB Rating, and in all the other games it’s somewhere around 95. So his rookie growing pains have weighed down his season stats (7 of those 10 INT’s came in those two games), but overall he has been pretty solid and has shown he can make big plays (TD pass in the Pats game?)
SackDance:
You’re write as if it’s for Wikipedia.
I’ll make it short. The Jets last year spent $200 million on 4 players, threw a loyal, core team player under the bus and traded and spent $13 million for a retread QB, for what? Not to win now, right SD?
On the other hand, the “Phins last year, comming of a 1-15 season and COMPLETELY re-built the team FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, I believe the last count last year was TWENTY SIX (26) new players on the roster (the most by far in the NFL).
So now you have selective memory, AGAIN, and try to tell us that the Jets are on par, a team rebuilding, like the Dolphins?
I guess if they turn arround next year you’ll be saying that Mangini also built the Browns to win now. It is soo ridiculous is funny !!!
SD:
If the Jets have to hope for Franchez to win, then JCo, Keller and Smith better have carrer days. Because the Jags will stack the box against Franchez (Pennington anyone) and Braylon will not save him on short routes.
The NFL knows that now !!
Run, baby, Run!!!!
I finally agree with hank…
Run, baby, run
Hank,
You do realize that Sanchez has yet to have a game with an intact WR corps., right? With Brad Smith hopefully back this week, that means Sanchez will have Braylon, Cotch, Smith, Clown & Keller. All weapons. Not to mention the bulls in the backfield. This game is tailor made for Sanchez to have a big game, if they even need him to (as the Jags give up 120 on the ground this season).
*intact since we got Edwards.
I think the Jets win this week for one simple reason – they’re coming off the bye and Jacksonville is not. Jets will have fresh legs and though Rex gave the team the week off you know he’s got an excellent game plan prepared.
The recipe this week is to definitely run until the Jaguars vomit…hank was right about teams stacking the box , and weather also concerns me..but we’ll see, i want to see J-Co, Braylon and the other WR’s working at full strength after a Bye week. Hopefully Schotty doesnt out-call himself!
Brendan:
I agree that not having a complete receiving corps can dominate your game. At the same time, Franchez has to be competent enough to be somewhat successfull with what he has because injuries ARE part of the game. I mean take a look at Pennington, he WAS the most prolific passer in the NFL eventhough they always stacked the box against him. It didn’t really matter who his receceiver swere.
JPM:
You really mean you HOPE he has a exellent game plan for the Jags game.
hank,
Every team the Jets face have stacked the box against Sanchez. You make it sound like it hasn’t been done 8 times before. Also, Edwards cannot be covered 1-on-1, so let them try to cover him short, maybe he’ll just do a double move and get a long TD. I want the Jets to run, but like Buttle says: “you pass to score; you run to win.” And, I thought the expression was “Just win, baby.”
As for the Fins/Jets “rebuilding” debate. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a new coach, new philosophy and a new bunch of players. The Jets have a rookie QB…that’s the essence of rebuilding (the Jets just have a different rebuilding philosophy with more of a vet/younger player mix). The Fins opted last season to let an oft-injured, vet re-tread QB their team instead of allowing their promising rookie to get reps. Like with the Jets in 2006, their vet QB re-tread delayed the maturation of their rookie (now 2nd year) QB and is now injured, again. So, the Fins have to determine whether they have the right guy AND they have to give him weapons. By the way, the past 2 seasons the Jets have added 28 new players who are now on their roster (15 new players signed in 2009)…but, whose counting?
Again, I’ll keep it short, your facts are WRONG!!!!!!!!!
Hank,
1- Pennington was the most accurate, not the most prolific.
2- Sanchez has been competent, and somewhat successful, despite injuries to his receivers. Aside from his two stinkers, his QB rating is around 95.
When was Chad ever “the most prolific passer” in the NFL? In a full season, he never led the NFL in any of the 3 major QB categories: Yards, TDs or QBR. In 2002, in 12 starts, he led the NFL in completion percentage and QBR…too bad 2 shoulder surgeries ruined any chance for true greatness that he once had.
My heart says 6-2 and grabbing the last spot on the last day as some other team’s kicker screws up, but my long suffering Jets’ head says another 4-4, which seems about right for this “learning” season. I hope I am wrong….
Hank, Rex’s game plans haven’t worried me (with the exception of the Miami game). It’s been minimizing the mistakes in implementing the game plan that has been the problem.
I think the terms “win now” and “rebuilding” are often overstated and based on an anachronistic view of the NFL.
Teams that are truly trying to “win now” tend to believe they are a couple of pieces away, give away multiple high picks and mangle the cap for several future years to try to win it all in one particular season. Virtually no one does this in the NFL anymore. It’s too catastrophic to the cap, particularly with modern player salaries. Alternatively, teams that are in a true rebuilding phase generally exchange multiple aging stars for bundles of picks, clear the cap and are fine with 1 or 2 win seasons for multiple years, while rookies learn the game. Not many teams do this anymore, either. Particularly with so many expensive new stadiums to fill and the cost of doing business in the 21st century NFL.
Most teams have adopted the Parcells short, 2-3 year rebuild while still attempting to compete strategy. I’d say the Jets and Dolphins are both doing this but the Jets are a year or two ahead and have collected a more big ticket free agents. Wouldn’t surprise me if the the Dolphins did the same next year, depending on who’s available. Both the young QBs have shown promise and I expect both teams to compete for the division over the next few years.
The way to win consistently in the NFL is to have a good mix of young talent and veterans, while effectively managing the cap. Since the end of the Herm/Bradway era, which left the roster and cap in shambles, the Jets have done a pretty good job of this. They can be criticized for going a little heavy in the FA market and might have held onto a few more picks, but by no means have they mortgaged the future. The cap is in decent shape and If they trade out of the first round next year they could wind up with six picks or more.
Starting a rookie QB is as a fairly good indication the Jets are not in full on, go for broke, win now mode for this year. Matt Ryan and Flaco might have changed the thinking on starting rookie passers but neither ended up with a Lombardi Trophy. I don’t mind that the mind set is that anything is possible and that they are going out onto the field with the attitude that they can win the SB. A “gotta believe,” change of perspective couldn’t hurt after the demoralizing death spiral at the end of last year. The playoffs would be great, but I think that if the team – and Sanchez – finishes the season on a good streak, everyone will feel pretty good about the year and hopeful for the future.
this scheduale SCREAMS 8-8, We will win some we are not supposed to win and then of course we will follow that with crushing losses to teams we should beat. It is the jets way……
I dont see the Jets losing their games to Tampa Bay, Carolina, Buffalo or Jacksonville. So if they can split the 4 games with New England, Cincinatti, Indianapolis and Atlanta, then I think we have a shot at the playoffs.
See, the Jets love to lose those games that “You don’t see them losing” haha
“Until we prove we can play consistent football no game can be handicapped…. as a win or loss.”
As usual, Drew is right on the money. As tempting as it is to look at the schedule and mark off expected W’s and L’s, this team is a mixed bag right now. I’ve rooted for some fluctuating Jet teams, but this group is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. They literally are good enough to beat any team in the league and bad enough to lose to any team in the league.
They could go anywhere from 6-10 to 11-5 and I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re just too unpredictable to handicap at this point. Hopefully that changes, but for now, all I can do is root for the Pats and our fellow WC contenders to lose.
Where were Hank and Fonzie QB coaches or OC’s again?
All Im going to say is all the accusations about Sanchez cannot be made unless you watch the game on film and break it down like Jaworski does on Edge NFL Matchup.
You cant tell whats going on downfield during the game on regular TV.
So our experts Hank and Fonzie have succeeded again in throwing out baseless and outlandish statements knocking anything Jets and non-Pennington.
Hank, Kool-Aid or no Kool-Aid, your knowledge of football is slightly better than that of my 8 year old nephew and it shows because you son is even more ignorant than you are
I would not be surprised if the Jets go 4-1, then loose their last 3.
The best we can hope for is 5-2, but a 10-6 team with a 2-4 division record isn’t making the playoffs.
If this team can finish this season at 10-6 or even 9-7 that is a great season with a rookie HC and QB, with the inconsistant start either record would be a sucess despite a horrible division record…..sighhhh
I’m excited about the 2010 season – The Jets will only improve their team in the off season and with a year under Rex and Franchize’s belt the team will know how to pull out the tough games. I’m not going to cry about missing the playoffs this season – I cried about last season when we were supposed to have a shot at the super bowl and sucked a big one the last part of the season.
Fonzie:
“They have a 150 plus million dollar offensive line”
How did you work that out? The entire value of the contracts of every offensive lineman on the roster (even if you include guys like Dearth and Hartsock) only totals about $130m.
Not to mention the fact that Faneca and Woody are unlikely to earn anywhere near the total value of their contracts, plus Ferguson’s will probably be restructured before 2011. The reality is therefore somewhere around $100m.
Hank:
“The Jets last year spent $200 million on 4 players”
How did you work that out? I can only imagine you are talking about Pace (42m), Gholston (50m), Faneca (40m) and Jenkins (30m). I make that $162m.
Again, that is total contract value, which will only be attained if all incentives are met (which isn’t happening, but if it was then the money would be well spent). For example, the base value of VG’s contract is only 32.5m. The reality is probably therefore again somewhere around $100m.