We’re Going Streaking, 2009 Edition
Back in TJB’s dim and distant past (okay 2006), the Jets were in a similar position to where they are now, probably needing to win their last five games to improbably make it into the postseason. With Prince as our guide, we decided that it was time for the Jets to go streaking in a fondly-remembered series of weekly posts.
Sure enough, the Jets won 4 of 5 to make it to the postseason, no doubt inspired by the positive thoughts of TJB and it’s readers. As a shot of TJB nostalgia and hopefully good karma, we’ve invited Prince back. The plan is that we’re going streaking again! WHO’S WITH US?
It seems like we find ourselves (as Jets fans) here way too often. Tonight, shortly after 8PM, the NFL playoffs begins for one team. It’s been a few years since I wrote the “We’re Going Streaking” feature for TJB, so I wanted to take a minute to remind folks what its all about:
- There are no guarantees this year as the Jets have sadly saddled themselves with key losses to Miami (2x), Buffalo (1x), New England (1x), Jacksonville, and New Orleans. That said, win the next 5 games and finish at 10 and 6, and there’s clearly a good shot of postseason play. Lose any one, and we can start the mock drafts.
- Despite the title, we aren’t suggesting the team should or even can win all 5 games. Instead this is an objective look at which upcoming opponent is most likely to stand in the way of the streaking all the way to the finish line.
The “final five” represent a mix of dominant division leaders (Indy, Cincy), a bubble team (Atlanta), and two teams looking to play the role of spoiler (Buffalo, Tampa.) One of the challenges of how the schedule has played out is that there really isn’t any “damage” the Jets can do to the teams they will be competing for the final wild-card spot.
The tall order is to find a way to leap-frog all but one of Baltimore (6-5), Pittsburg (6-5), Jacksonville (6-5), Miami (5-6 but with key tie-breaker) and San Diego (8-3) / Denver (7-4), realizing one of these final two will be the division winner. I don’t consider the other two 5-6 teams (Houston, Tennessee) threats because we hold the key tie-breaker there. And, of course, because going streaking means winning out.
So which of the 5 presents the greatest challenge?
#1
Indianapolis Colts
@Indianapolis 12/27/2009 4:15PM Last week: N/A
This week: Rising
What can you say? These guys beat everyone. They can dominate early, they can play from behind. There are so many weapons that Revis alone can’t alter the effectiveness of their passing game. And yet I had a hard time putting them first because there is a possibility that they just might be playing for nothing. In fact, Indy represents the single biggest factor, in my mind, of whether the Jets can make the playoffs. Period.
Here’s why: There is precisely one scenario that gives the Jets everything they need from Indianapolis. Indy loses to Tennessee this weekend. Not out of the realm of possible, but a tall order to be sure. Indy then goes on to beat Denver and Jacksonville in the next two weeks, cementing home-field throughout the playoffs and with no winning streak intact. Peyton Manning and the entire starting defense play the first quarter against the Jets on 12/27 and then take a seat on the bench. That, my friends, is precisely what you should be rooting for since it also deals a needed loss to two of the teams we need to leapfrog.
Until Indy takes a loss, expect to see them at the top of this list.
#2
Buffalo
@Buffalo 12/3/2009 8:20PM
Last week: N/A
This week: Rising
OK, so I admit I didn’t have the chance to watch the game but from what I understand Ryan Fitzpatrick just might be doing what JP Losman and Trent Edwards have never been able to do: provide a spark that helps this team win football games.
This game is dangerous for many reasons, but here are the most important ones:
- Its Buffalo, and lately they’ve made a living making our lives hell. Particularly late in the season.
- The team seems to have “gelled” around Fitzpatrick. Even TO has had really nice things to say.
- Anything can happen in a short week.
- They’ve got nothing to lose and will throw caution to the wind (while not entirely eliminated from playoff contention, its a far, far cry.)
- Revis will do fine against TO (my prediction) but Lee Evans reminds me way too much of Wes Welker.
- I can’t help but remember the first game, and thinking about how this defense for whatever reason just got into Sanchez’s head. Unlike the Pats game week 2 where Sanchez looked awful in the first half and then stellar in the second, he never seemed to figure out what these guys were doing to him.
Can we win? Absolutely. Should we win? I would say so. Will we win? We’ll know soon enough.
#3
Cincinnati Bengals
Home 1/3/2009 1:00PM
Last week: N/A
This week: Falling
These guys belong in the playoffs. They have several marquee wins (Baltimore x2, Pittsburgh x2, Green Bay) and are perfect in their division. I just think they are potentially beatable. They took an ugly loss to Oakland (yes, that Oakland) and didn’t set the world on fire against Cleveland last week (yes, that Cleveland.)
How they play against Minnesota and San Diego in weeks 14 and 15 will determine whether they are a bigger threat than I perceive.
#4
Atlanta Falcons
Home 12/20/2009 1:00PM
Last week: N/A
This week: Falling
This is a nice little team, who like the Jets has had a very streaky season. They are dangerous because they are still very much in the hunt. This week will tell us little, with both Matt Ryan (turf toe) and Michael Turner (ankle) expected to sit out. What is more important in my mind is whether either of these two will return the following week. These are nagging injuries, so its hard to predict what they will look like by the time they come to the Meadowlands.
#5
Tampa Bay
@ Tampa 12/13/2009 1:00PM
Last week: N/A
This week: No movement
I really feel for this team, because we’ve been there. It’s been an ugly year. They’ve had significant injuries. They have a rookie quarterback. They have a rookie head coach who recently took over offensive play-calling. All of that sounds a lot like us until you look at the key difference: they’ve won 1 game. The question is: are they on auto-pilot or will they show up to try to play spoiler?
Any Jets fan will tell you that for all the reasons we should have no trouble beating them we will have all the trouble in the world. I don’t expect this to be a cake-walk, but I also just couldn’t put them higher than any of the other contenders.
What do you think?
21 Responses to We’re Going Streaking, 2009 Edition
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Spiegs311 says:
LET’S DO THIS! TIME TO HAVE SOME FAITH IN OUR FAVORITE TEAM AND WATCH THEM BRING HOME 5 MORE WINS THIS SEASON! J! E! T! S! JETS JETS JETS!!!
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greg sec 130 says:
Tell you what — when you just listed the losses I wondered who you were leaving out. I saw good teams, except Bills. Feels like we’ve lost to mostly bad teams. The reality is we lost to a 11-0 team on the road, last year’s AFC East Champs twice, the Jags and the Pats on the road. If we lose to Tampa, or the Bills a second time, THAT’s the game you point to. But even the Bills loss at home is acceptable if you split on the road later int he year. There really isn’t a totally AWFUL loss when you consider Miami and Jacksonville are tough teams.
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And the Bills only won with 6 INTs
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Bent — another reason to root for Tenn over Indy is that we beat Tenn and it would help us if they tie us at the end of the year — so they can knock out other teams within their division in a tie that we otherwise would lose tiebreakers to.
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Bent says:
Good point, greg. Prince wrote the article, not me.
In a similar vein, who have the Dolphins beaten? The Bucs (just), the Bills and the Panthers (just). Of course they’ve beaten the Jets twice, but according to their fans, the Jets suck! Other than those 5 easy games, they are 0-6!
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Well, let’s hope they get hot after this weekend (I’ll conceed to Pats the division if they bury Miami for good, then Miami can beat the rest of their sked for us)
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Davo says:
I guess the big question is who’s playing for what, when the game kicks off. Bills and Bucs are out of it, but still want to have a decent showing. Are the Colts in “rest up” mode (most likely), Bengals may be playing for 2nd place (and a bye) and the Falcons will be looking to make the playoffs.
I guess the problem is that there’s little room for error: 5-for-5, 1.000, you can’t have a bad day, or “learning experience”.
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Careful Davo — the Bills don’t think they are out of it any more than we do.
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/football/2009/12/02/12014446-sun.html
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jon in bk says:
Of course all these hypotheticals are silly and pointless, but hey- they’re fun. I do think people are misinterpreting one thing:
Everyone seems to think the Jets’ best chance is if the Bengals have it locked up by week 17. Jets would be better off, though, if Steelers ran the table (starting last week, where everyone was rooting for Baltimore but should’ve been pulling for the Steelers, imo).
Then week 17 could set up a game where the Jets could beat the Bengals to knock them out of the wildcard (I think they’ll probably have 5 losses thanks to the Vikings & Chargers) by tying up at 10-6 w/ the tiebreaker. Steelers win their division and Broncos/Chargers win the other WC, probably.
As is, if the Jets, Bengals, and Steelers all end up 10-6, does anyone know who gets in? Seems to me that Bengals win their division cuz of tiebreaker, and then Steelers get in over Jets based on conference record.
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JesusRevis says:
Revis has also been included in ESPN the magazines “Next”. If anyone has access to ESPN insider, can you please copy and paste the section on him. Thanks in advance.
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jon — thats why we need the Titans to run the table too. They would finish 10-6 and knock out the Steelers for us (3-way ties are decided intra-division first, then inter-division with who is left standing)
Same goes for Houston
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Prince says:
Greg and everyone, you are correct that the team you want to beat Indy is Tenn, not Houston or Jax.
Off to find a bar with NFLN!
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James in TN says:
Making homemade chili drinking brews ready for the game, lets go Jets!!!
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bleedsgreen&white says:
I think…….were going streaking!!!whoa my clothes just fell off!!
go jets….(in jim mora voice)PLAYOFFS!!! PLAYOFFS?!!! YOU KIDDING ME? PLAYOFF!!!! OH YEAH GO JETS I BELIEVE..DO YOU GUYS? and it all starts tonight with the lowly bills who are happy they won a few games…prediction JETs 24 BIlls 10….i called it again greg sec 130…….lol -
fattyboomboom says:
I’m just getting ready to streak round edinburgh if the Jets can put this one away
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greg sec 130 says:
lol bleeds — if you are right I will get off my high horse of getting on people who make predictions and bow down
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lol…no prob…just remember im too passionate these predictions arent based on any fack other than the fact that i love the jets….and you know what greg sec 130….WERE GOING STREAKING!!! i wasnt around for it last time…lol..you coming?….lol
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fact*
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it’s a bleeds and sec 130 lovefest
dont let us down jets
The schedule plays out perfectly for us to POSSIBLY run the table.
Had the schedule been like this
Indionapolis
Cincinati
Buffalo
Tamp Bay
Atlanta
I see us ending the season at 7-9 or 6-10
Indionapolis will bench every player that has even the slightest injury against us and there’s no way Manning will play more than 1 half.
Cincinati will be tricky depending on if they have a chance at the Bye or not. With SD on a roll, It could be that Cincinati will be playing the 1st week of the playoffs which will make them rest some players (Palmer probably will also just play the half).