In 2010, Santonio Holmes was suspended for the first 4 games of the season. He sure made up for that:
@Detroit Lions- Overtime, Sanchez fires a slant to Holmes and he runs through the defense which sets up the game winning field goal.
@Cleveland Browns- Around 30 seconds left in overtime a slant pass to Holmes who makes an unbelievable move after the catch, beats the defense and runs in for the dramatic game ending touchdown.
VS. Houston Texans- After the Jets dramatically get down the field in the last 1 minute and 30 seconds of the game, Sanchez lobs the ball into the corner of the end zone and it's Santonio Holmes who reels it in.
@ New England Patriots- A playoff game, 3rd down inside the Patriots 20 in the 4th quarter...Sanchez fades it over the corner back and Santonio makes an amazing catch managing to get his feet inbounds for the game clinching touchdown.
And now, Santonio Holmes watching his quarterback Mark Sanchez scramble out to the right comes through once again with a nice move and runs towards the sideline where Sanchez darts it in- Holmes grabs it and drags his feet in to complete what can end up being the season saving touchdown.
Now, that wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for Plaxico Burress. on 3rd and 11 Sanchez steps into a hit and throws it over Drayton Florence but it was a little off. That didn't matter as Burress extended his arm as far as it could go reeled the ball in with that one hand and kept his feet in bounds for about a 17 yard gain. This set up the dramatic game winning touchdown, a play that if the Jets make the playoffs will be looked back on as the drive that led the Jets to the playoffs.
Shout out to Sanchez- Boy, this kid has guts. I'll tell ya, he does start a lot of games on the bad side but he legitimately has the clutch factor. Time after time last season, Sanchez led stellar game winning 4th quarter drives. In the playoffs the last 2 seasons he has played great football, making big plays. Going into this game, he was taking a lot of slack for his mistakes. By the end of the first half, the crowd was restless. But, once again when he needed to step up he did. In the second half he had a 123 quarterback rating, and that final drive was just greatly managed. He was smart with his passes, and it led to him proving that this is our franchise quarterback. Not even 3 full seasons in, and he has countless numbers of come back wins. As he gets older, as he plays more the consistency will come, that needs to be waited for. I will take any quarterback that performs his best in the 4th quarter and in the playoffs. If that is his strong suit which it is for Sanchez then every other inconsistency will begin to work itself out. Not even 3 years in, and he knows how to win games even when the odds are against him.
Is this the type of win that catapults the Jets on a winning streak? Do they have at least 4 more wins in them and maybe even 5 to finish the season 6-0? It will be difficult to make the playoffs as the competition is tough to get in but 4 more wins gives us a solid chance. 5 wins almost guarantees it, but this almost loss vs Buffalo would've killed any hope.
My last article was about how this is a second half team, a team that plays it's best when it needs to. A team that when there on the ropes they bounce right off. Yesterday was more support for my argument because that drive took every ounce of heart out of that offense. That defensive stop to solidify the win also took heart maybe even more heart. This team stepped up- the season was on the line, it was hanging in the balance, and how they responded is why today Jets fans still have hope.
Of all the games I have been to that may have been the most suspenseful last 5 minutes just because I was in shock. A couple of bonehead turnovers kept that Buffalo team in the game and eventually let them have the lead in the end. I sat there in utter disbelief that the season could be over any minute. But, it was when Plaxico made that catch where I lost it with excitement dripping off of me. That catch was just incredible, I knew that catch meant something, I knew it was going to lead to a win. Then seeing my favorite player Santonio Holmes catch the eventual winning touchdown made me jump up and down for minutes. The defense after this though had so much support. I will say that Met Life stadium was as loud as it ever has been when the Bills had the ball for one last shot. I proudly can say I was apart of that, but more importantly I proudly can say that my team has all the heart in the world and that the playoffs are still there for the taking.
Once again, I just have to ask one question:
Why not us?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Why The Jets Will Make The Playoffs
It's the same story every year with this team. They win a couple, lose a couple, win a couple, then when they have a chance to separate themselves from everyone else they go down in a bad way. Two seasons ago after losing to Atlanta and Jacksonville at home the playoffs looked long gone. The team though, rebounded winning its last few games and even got help from other teams in the league. They went into the playoffs hot and this led them to a road win vs the Bengals, followed by a win in San Diego vs at the time the best team in the NFL and then a halftime lead over Peyton Manning in the A.F.C Championship game. Last season, at 9-2 they were going into New England on a Monday night vs the 9-2 Patriots. A win would give them a sweep of the season series and probably the A.F.C East title. Boy did that night go wrong- losing 45-3 every Jet and Jet fan was brought down to reality. At 9-3 they looked fine though but then the very next week they lost a home game vs an inferior Miami Dolphins team. All of the sudden they looked like pretenders. Going into a hostile Heinz Field to face the steelers everyone counted them out. During the week Sanchez lost reps at practice but in the end that led to what would come next. The Jets went in and upset the Steelers giving them their 10th win. They finished that season 11-5 and on the hotter side of the scale once again leading them to another AFC Championship game.
This year, it all looks the same. They started out 2 and 0, lost their next 3, won their next 3 going into a game for first place vs the Patriots but this time at home. This time they had all of the advantages and they were considered the favorites. A pathetic showing on the field brought them yet another prime time loss vs Tom Brady's crew and once again the Patriots took over the division. To make matters worse just 4 days later in Denver they let Tim Tebow go 95 yards in the final 5 minutes to win the game. Now sitting at 5-5 the playoff race is tighter then ever. The media is all over this team calling them frauds and phonies. Many believe Mark Sanchez is a bust and doesn't deserve to start anymore. The offensive line is being called out and the defense "can't make the final stop." In my mind everything is being blown out of proportion. The Jets are one game out of a playoff spot with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NFL. They should very well win there next 3 games vs Buffalo, at Washington, and home vs the Chiefs. This leads them to a trip to Philadelphia, then a "home" game vs the Giants. The Jets should at least split those two games, they could even sweep those. They end the season at Miami which will be tough but very winnable. This team has proved they get hot at the end of the year. They are built to play there best football as the season winds down because of the schedule Rex Ryan puts them on throughout the season. Mark Sanchez plays his best with his back against the wall. Just by listening to the radio, you get the feeling he's tied to the wall. Rex is at his best when everyone says his team is out of it. When everyone starts calling him a fake he turns it up. When Mark is hearing rumblings of being benched he shuts up that question the very next week. The defense is one of the best in the league and keeps the team in every game. The ground and pound really starts to make it's mark in December because this is the prime running month. This Jet team the last 2 years has entered the last few weeks with a lot of doubts. This is a team that is known for it's come from behind wins but also it's end of the season heroics. I have a great amount of confidence that this team, and this coaching staff can go on a run to end this season. They need to finish at least 5-1 to have a chance as I do believe the likes of the Bengals, Broncos, and Titans will lose at least 2 more games. This Jets team may have had a tough week losing 2 games in 5 nights but that's in the past. This team now can see they are not unbeatable. They see that they simply aren't dominant. What they know is that they can be dominant. They know they can be unbeatable. They know time is running up. We saw them win improbable games to claw their ways into the playoffs the last 2 seasons. We've seen this team go on the road and play their best football when they need to- not only in the regular season but also bringing it into the playoffs. They have a quarterback who has played his best when the season depends on it. Whenever you have a defense led by Rex Ryan playing in the grueling month of December, the team always has a chance. This team doesn't go away no matter how much every other fan in the league wants it too. The Jets for the third straight season will go on a December run that catapults them into the playoffs. For the third straight season, the NFL will see a team playing it's best football heading into the playoffs. The Jets are ready to make another playoff push.
To all of the NFL analysts making their playoff/SuperBowl picks I ask one question:
Why Not Us?
This year, it all looks the same. They started out 2 and 0, lost their next 3, won their next 3 going into a game for first place vs the Patriots but this time at home. This time they had all of the advantages and they were considered the favorites. A pathetic showing on the field brought them yet another prime time loss vs Tom Brady's crew and once again the Patriots took over the division. To make matters worse just 4 days later in Denver they let Tim Tebow go 95 yards in the final 5 minutes to win the game. Now sitting at 5-5 the playoff race is tighter then ever. The media is all over this team calling them frauds and phonies. Many believe Mark Sanchez is a bust and doesn't deserve to start anymore. The offensive line is being called out and the defense "can't make the final stop." In my mind everything is being blown out of proportion. The Jets are one game out of a playoff spot with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NFL. They should very well win there next 3 games vs Buffalo, at Washington, and home vs the Chiefs. This leads them to a trip to Philadelphia, then a "home" game vs the Giants. The Jets should at least split those two games, they could even sweep those. They end the season at Miami which will be tough but very winnable. This team has proved they get hot at the end of the year. They are built to play there best football as the season winds down because of the schedule Rex Ryan puts them on throughout the season. Mark Sanchez plays his best with his back against the wall. Just by listening to the radio, you get the feeling he's tied to the wall. Rex is at his best when everyone says his team is out of it. When everyone starts calling him a fake he turns it up. When Mark is hearing rumblings of being benched he shuts up that question the very next week. The defense is one of the best in the league and keeps the team in every game. The ground and pound really starts to make it's mark in December because this is the prime running month. This Jet team the last 2 years has entered the last few weeks with a lot of doubts. This is a team that is known for it's come from behind wins but also it's end of the season heroics. I have a great amount of confidence that this team, and this coaching staff can go on a run to end this season. They need to finish at least 5-1 to have a chance as I do believe the likes of the Bengals, Broncos, and Titans will lose at least 2 more games. This Jets team may have had a tough week losing 2 games in 5 nights but that's in the past. This team now can see they are not unbeatable. They see that they simply aren't dominant. What they know is that they can be dominant. They know they can be unbeatable. They know time is running up. We saw them win improbable games to claw their ways into the playoffs the last 2 seasons. We've seen this team go on the road and play their best football when they need to- not only in the regular season but also bringing it into the playoffs. They have a quarterback who has played his best when the season depends on it. Whenever you have a defense led by Rex Ryan playing in the grueling month of December, the team always has a chance. This team doesn't go away no matter how much every other fan in the league wants it too. The Jets for the third straight season will go on a December run that catapults them into the playoffs. For the third straight season, the NFL will see a team playing it's best football heading into the playoffs. The Jets are ready to make another playoff push.
To all of the NFL analysts making their playoff/SuperBowl picks I ask one question:
Why Not Us?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The AFC Playoff Picture Heading Into Tonight's Game vs The Broncos
I've been busy with school the last couple of days, and this whole Thursday night game is throwing off my schedule of when to post and all. I won't get into my normal preview post since the game is in under 5 hours. The short preview is just that the Jets defense needs to be ready for whatever Denver's offense throws at them. Tim Tebow loves the option so expect A LOT of that but I do think he will throw more then we expect. This is why the Jets defense needs to stay alert and not fall asleep like Darrelle Revis is jokingly "worried" about. We are 5-4 and just a few days ago we lost a huge game that now puts us in a dogfight to reach the playoffs. A loss tonight and playoff hopes are severely damaged. As long as the D stays alert and Sanchez doesn't turn the ball over, the Jets win. My prediction: Jets 27 Broncos 7
The AFC playoff picture heading into this week of football looks like this:
Division Leaders (overall record first followed by their conference record)
1. Houston Texans- 7-3, 6-2
2. Pittsburgh Steelers- 7-3, 5-3
3. New England Patriots- 6-3, 5-2
4. Oakland Raiders- 5-4, 5-4
The Wild Card
5. Baltimore Ravens- 6-3, 4-2
6. Cincinnati Bengals- 6-3, 5-2
Teams In The Hunt
7. New York Jets- 5-4, 4-4
8. Buffalo Bills- 5-4, 3-2
9. Tennessee Titans- 5-4, 4-4
10. San Diego Chargers- 4-5, 3-4
11. Denver Broncos- 4-5, 4-3
12. Kansas City Chiefs- 4-5, 3-4
13. Jacksonville Jaguars- 3-6, 3-4
14. Cleveland Browns- 3-6, 2-4
Who Jet Fans Need To Root For This Weekend:
Obviously, the Jets as all my scenarios down here are based on if they beat Denver.
Ravens/Bengals- The play each other so the Jets would be tied for the final wild card spot no matter what.
Miami vs Buffalo- Root for the Dolphins as they are way far behind, drops the Bills to 5-5.
Titans vs Atlanta- Root for Atlanta to knock another wild card contender to 5-5.
SD vs Chicago- Root for Chicago to knock the chargers to 6 losses.
Oak vs Min- Root for Oakland, would rather them win that division instead of the Chargers. Also don't want Oakland in the wild card race, because they have the tiebreaker over the Jets.
KC vs NE- Root for the Chiefs as Jets slim hopes for winning the division depend on them losing at least 2 more games.
Boy, it's frustrating not being able to do scenarios for having a first round bye and/or home field advantage throughout the playoffs thanks to the clunker 4 nights ago.....
One more reason why Jets must beat Broncos- By beating the Broncos the Jets will hold the tiebreaker over them, and the Chargers who are two teams that could be contending with them at the end of the season for a playoff spot. The Jets also have games left vs the Bills, and Chiefs. Winning these games gives us the wild card tiebreaker on almost all of the contenders including the Chargers who we beat earlier in the season. We lost to Oakland and Baltimore so we can't finish the season tied with them as they would make the playoffs over us due to the tiebreaker unless one of them wins their division making us not worry about them.
The AFC playoff picture heading into this week of football looks like this:
Division Leaders (overall record first followed by their conference record)
1. Houston Texans- 7-3, 6-2
2. Pittsburgh Steelers- 7-3, 5-3
3. New England Patriots- 6-3, 5-2
4. Oakland Raiders- 5-4, 5-4
The Wild Card
5. Baltimore Ravens- 6-3, 4-2
6. Cincinnati Bengals- 6-3, 5-2
Teams In The Hunt
7. New York Jets- 5-4, 4-4
8. Buffalo Bills- 5-4, 3-2
9. Tennessee Titans- 5-4, 4-4
10. San Diego Chargers- 4-5, 3-4
11. Denver Broncos- 4-5, 4-3
12. Kansas City Chiefs- 4-5, 3-4
13. Jacksonville Jaguars- 3-6, 3-4
14. Cleveland Browns- 3-6, 2-4
Who Jet Fans Need To Root For This Weekend:
Obviously, the Jets as all my scenarios down here are based on if they beat Denver.
Ravens/Bengals- The play each other so the Jets would be tied for the final wild card spot no matter what.
Miami vs Buffalo- Root for the Dolphins as they are way far behind, drops the Bills to 5-5.
Titans vs Atlanta- Root for Atlanta to knock another wild card contender to 5-5.
SD vs Chicago- Root for Chicago to knock the chargers to 6 losses.
Oak vs Min- Root for Oakland, would rather them win that division instead of the Chargers. Also don't want Oakland in the wild card race, because they have the tiebreaker over the Jets.
KC vs NE- Root for the Chiefs as Jets slim hopes for winning the division depend on them losing at least 2 more games.
Boy, it's frustrating not being able to do scenarios for having a first round bye and/or home field advantage throughout the playoffs thanks to the clunker 4 nights ago.....
One more reason why Jets must beat Broncos- By beating the Broncos the Jets will hold the tiebreaker over them, and the Chargers who are two teams that could be contending with them at the end of the season for a playoff spot. The Jets also have games left vs the Bills, and Chiefs. Winning these games gives us the wild card tiebreaker on almost all of the contenders including the Chargers who we beat earlier in the season. We lost to Oakland and Baltimore so we can't finish the season tied with them as they would make the playoffs over us due to the tiebreaker unless one of them wins their division making us not worry about them.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Jets - Patriots: My Thoughts and Reactions
I had no intention of writing this today, because I am simply disheartened by last night. This morning was supposed to be filled with joy thanks to our "first place Jets." Unfortunately that line can't be used and won't be used until next season. The rapid reaction to this loss is that the Patriots now have full control of the AFC East. With a one game lead plus the tiebreaker over the Jets along with the Bills losing 3 of 5 they control their own destiny. They own the easiest end of the season schedule of any team in the league and would need to lose at least 2 games to have a chance of not clinching the division. The reality of that is just not likely and that is why on this morning I am hurt. The idea of winning the division and having a home playoff game with potentially a first round bye ran through my head all week leading up to this game. My team had a chance to finally knock the Patriots off their 10 year podium of dominance. The analysts were all on the Jets side as it seemed everyone had us winning the game. The talk of how the Patriots simply aren't as good anymore ran through the media every hour on the hour. The Jets on the other hand didn't get the memo because we made them look like the most dominant team in the league. The amount of mistakes I saw my beloved team make in person was flat out sickening. On the very first drive we moved the ball fast and efficient all the way into the Patriots 30 yard line. This set up a beautiful pass to Santonio Holmes slanting up the middle of the field and making the grab. As he broke away with a move, it looked like a touchdown but he simply tripped over his own feet falling to the ground. That was the closest we would get to a touchdown for a very long time as we were forced to attempt a chip shot field goal. Nick Folk did something he had only done once the entire season- he missed the kick. If that wasn't a foreshadow of how the night would go, then I don't know what foreshadowing means. The Patriots first drive, they moved the ball well but on a third down Brady threw an errant pass and Kyle Wilson dropped what easily would've been a pick 6 interception. This resulted in a field goal. On their very next drive Brady moved the ball into our 20 once again after one pass got tipped by two Jets defenders we failed to get another interception resulting in another field goal. Tom Brady not too much later then threw a pass into the end zone to Deion Branch in triple coverage that led to an Antonio Cromartie dropped interception. When you have a chance to pick off Brady in one half and fail to do so each time then your defense needs a wake up call. It also doesn't help when as the game goes on your offense turns the ball over twice along with one special teams mistake that should NEVER happen. Joe Mcknight muffed a punt and not one, not two, but 3 Jets failed to recover it. Watching all 3 Jets get their hands on the ball at some point but to not come up with it was pathetic. Especially Donald Strickland, a veteran who litteraly fell on the ball and still managed to not gain possession. Those are just some big things that I vividly remember from the game but now I will just into each side of the ball.
Defense:
Pretty solid first half up until the last 1 minute 20 when we let the patriots go 80 yards in a blink of an eye taking away all momentum we had after giving Tom Brady a safety followed by a touchdown on the very next drive. Mark, right before that why did you call a timeout with 17 seconds left on the play clock? I hated that timeout as I kept wondering "why didn't he run it down before taking it?" That 1 minute and 20 could've been 17 seconds less and who knows if the Patriots still score with that time. Held the Patriots to under 100 rushing yards which was the only bright spot.
As I mentioned before- the dropped interceptions were absolute killers as even just one could've changed the whole game.
The Fourth Quarter- Where was the defense? We went into it down only 23-16 after Sanchez hit Plaxico Burress on a beautiful fade in the corner of the end zone. But that all went to waste when Tom Brady held the ball for the next 7 minutes getting first down after first down and ending it with a touchdown that just sucked any chance of winning away. The defense needs to make those kind of stops. There is no excuse for letting the Patriots control that drive to start the fourth quarter like they did.
Not one sack- when you don't sack Brady, you're not rushing his throws, which means you're not beating him.
Rob Gronkowski- Boy did this monster go absolutely off, and make Eric Smith look like the worst safety in the NFL. A re-occurring theme with this defense is that their biggest weakness is covering the tight end. When the Patriots have 2 really good ones, then well we're toast every time.
The Offense:
Boy that first drive looked perfect. Even though it ended on a missed field goal, it looked like we would have great drives all game. Turns out we had about only 2 more in the last 55 minutes.
The line- Embarrassing performance. When you let Andre Carter get 4.5 sacks, and give up 5 to the team as a whole then you can't expect to win. Sanchez was constantly under pressure which just rattles his young football mind and affects his vision even more.
Sanchez- He was rushing passes all night, and that wasn't working out. The times he did have time to throw he made some good ones like the 30 yard play action streak to Keller which set up the touchdown 5 seconds into the fourth quarter. The inconsistency was the biggest problem though because even though he had a handful of nice passes, he had way to many bad decisions and missed opportunities.
Shonn Greene(the receiver part of him)- We're driving down the field to tie it up and Sanchez checks down to Greene because nothing down field was open. The ball litterly goes off his hands and it's intercepted by Rob Ninkovich. This turnover led to a Patriots touchdown which really put us in a hole. Greene, you need to catch that ball at all costs.
The Running Game- We ran for over 100 yards yet again but we had to get away from it in the second half because we were down.
Special Teams:
Joe Mcknight had a couple of nice kick returns like he always does but that muffed punt was just terrible. Sorry, but muffing a punt and then having three guys fail to recover it before a Patriot does is just absurd. I hope Westhoff goes off on this unit for those series of events and never let's that happen again.
Keep Mcknight off punt returns, I understand we were forced to because Jeremy Kerley was playing hurt most of the game but I'd rather have Jim Leohnard back there. Yes he is a very valuable safety so that's why when Kerley is hurt you tell Jimmy to fair catch them all and know he won't drop it because he has some of the best hands on the team. Nick Folk, never miss a kick inside 30 yards ever again.
The Coaching:
Outcoached by a mile. How many times did you see our defense confused before a play? I feel like every drive our secondary was lost in coverage because of the hurry up offense led by Brady. 3 or 4 times he rushed to the line, called hike, and passed it to a wide open receiver because the defense couldn't line up correctly. We never adjusted to keeping Gronkowski out of the game, and the amount of blitzes that we got burned on never got corrected. Rex simply was out matched in this one. Brian Schottenheimer, this wasn't your best offensive coaching game of the year. Too many, short passes not enough long ones. Good run plays, not followed up on when we needed to keep the defense from focusing on the pass. Bill Callahan, your offensive line was invisible giving up 5 sacks, and letting Sanchez take hits.
The fans:
Boy, were we ready to go. MetLife Stadium was loud all game and the fans truly performed well but unfortunately the team couldn't back us up. Big play after big play the defense couldn't get stops and we kept being loud and proud but that Sanchez pick 6 to end the game with about 7 minutes left is what forced Jets nation to give up. We came into this game expecting to leave a first place team. We came in wanting a home playoff game. We came in wanting to affect Brady. We came in wanting to rally our defense all game. In the end, we performed better then the team did and probably affected Brady more then Rex's coaching did. I'm glad Rex apologized to the fans afterwards, because we deserved that.
The Refs- Some calls I didn't like...
On 3rd and 14, Sanchez delievered a great pass to Burress and he made a move to get open to convert the first down. It was nullified though because of offensive interference on Plax. Seeing the replay 3 times, it was not offensive pass interference.
On a fade to Holmes in the endzone, the defender was all over him and I am still shocked they didn't call defensive pass interference. Holmes was furious and rightfully so. Luckily, we did score on the very next play.
Overall though, a decent game by the refs. Pretty fair game called, there were other debatable calls but I obviously am not going to critique them all. No call in this game affected the outcome or momentum, which is always good.
My reaction:
By the end of it all, the life was taken out of me. A very quiet walk out of the stadium, followed by a quiet ride home wasn't what I wanted. Knowing I most likely won't be getting home playoff game really hurt because this was our chance. This was the time to take over that division. Knowing we are just another wild card contender is tough, but I will take a playoff entrance in any way possible. If that means getting the 6 seed and needing to go on the road 3 straight times then so be it. This team plays very well as underdogs on the road in the playoffs so I do have confidence this team can still reach their ultimate goal.
I will have a post in the next day or 2 about the playoff picture but a quick preview is that we are very much right there in winning a wild card and that even though this loss stings, Jets nation needs to realize we can still be playing games in January. This loss isn't the end of the world!
Next game:
at Denver on Thursday night. At least we can turn the page quickly and go out to play another game. This team needs to forget this loss and have a solid performance vs the Tim Tebow led Broncos. We need to get rested fast because 2 losses in one week will not sit well with me or any other Jets fan. I will have a preview for this game in the next day or 2 as well.
-RP
Defense:
Pretty solid first half up until the last 1 minute 20 when we let the patriots go 80 yards in a blink of an eye taking away all momentum we had after giving Tom Brady a safety followed by a touchdown on the very next drive. Mark, right before that why did you call a timeout with 17 seconds left on the play clock? I hated that timeout as I kept wondering "why didn't he run it down before taking it?" That 1 minute and 20 could've been 17 seconds less and who knows if the Patriots still score with that time. Held the Patriots to under 100 rushing yards which was the only bright spot.
As I mentioned before- the dropped interceptions were absolute killers as even just one could've changed the whole game.
The Fourth Quarter- Where was the defense? We went into it down only 23-16 after Sanchez hit Plaxico Burress on a beautiful fade in the corner of the end zone. But that all went to waste when Tom Brady held the ball for the next 7 minutes getting first down after first down and ending it with a touchdown that just sucked any chance of winning away. The defense needs to make those kind of stops. There is no excuse for letting the Patriots control that drive to start the fourth quarter like they did.
Not one sack- when you don't sack Brady, you're not rushing his throws, which means you're not beating him.
Rob Gronkowski- Boy did this monster go absolutely off, and make Eric Smith look like the worst safety in the NFL. A re-occurring theme with this defense is that their biggest weakness is covering the tight end. When the Patriots have 2 really good ones, then well we're toast every time.
The Offense:
Boy that first drive looked perfect. Even though it ended on a missed field goal, it looked like we would have great drives all game. Turns out we had about only 2 more in the last 55 minutes.
The line- Embarrassing performance. When you let Andre Carter get 4.5 sacks, and give up 5 to the team as a whole then you can't expect to win. Sanchez was constantly under pressure which just rattles his young football mind and affects his vision even more.
Sanchez- He was rushing passes all night, and that wasn't working out. The times he did have time to throw he made some good ones like the 30 yard play action streak to Keller which set up the touchdown 5 seconds into the fourth quarter. The inconsistency was the biggest problem though because even though he had a handful of nice passes, he had way to many bad decisions and missed opportunities.
Shonn Greene(the receiver part of him)- We're driving down the field to tie it up and Sanchez checks down to Greene because nothing down field was open. The ball litterly goes off his hands and it's intercepted by Rob Ninkovich. This turnover led to a Patriots touchdown which really put us in a hole. Greene, you need to catch that ball at all costs.
The Running Game- We ran for over 100 yards yet again but we had to get away from it in the second half because we were down.
Special Teams:
Joe Mcknight had a couple of nice kick returns like he always does but that muffed punt was just terrible. Sorry, but muffing a punt and then having three guys fail to recover it before a Patriot does is just absurd. I hope Westhoff goes off on this unit for those series of events and never let's that happen again.
Keep Mcknight off punt returns, I understand we were forced to because Jeremy Kerley was playing hurt most of the game but I'd rather have Jim Leohnard back there. Yes he is a very valuable safety so that's why when Kerley is hurt you tell Jimmy to fair catch them all and know he won't drop it because he has some of the best hands on the team. Nick Folk, never miss a kick inside 30 yards ever again.
The Coaching:
Outcoached by a mile. How many times did you see our defense confused before a play? I feel like every drive our secondary was lost in coverage because of the hurry up offense led by Brady. 3 or 4 times he rushed to the line, called hike, and passed it to a wide open receiver because the defense couldn't line up correctly. We never adjusted to keeping Gronkowski out of the game, and the amount of blitzes that we got burned on never got corrected. Rex simply was out matched in this one. Brian Schottenheimer, this wasn't your best offensive coaching game of the year. Too many, short passes not enough long ones. Good run plays, not followed up on when we needed to keep the defense from focusing on the pass. Bill Callahan, your offensive line was invisible giving up 5 sacks, and letting Sanchez take hits.
The fans:
Boy, were we ready to go. MetLife Stadium was loud all game and the fans truly performed well but unfortunately the team couldn't back us up. Big play after big play the defense couldn't get stops and we kept being loud and proud but that Sanchez pick 6 to end the game with about 7 minutes left is what forced Jets nation to give up. We came into this game expecting to leave a first place team. We came in wanting a home playoff game. We came in wanting to affect Brady. We came in wanting to rally our defense all game. In the end, we performed better then the team did and probably affected Brady more then Rex's coaching did. I'm glad Rex apologized to the fans afterwards, because we deserved that.
The Refs- Some calls I didn't like...
On 3rd and 14, Sanchez delievered a great pass to Burress and he made a move to get open to convert the first down. It was nullified though because of offensive interference on Plax. Seeing the replay 3 times, it was not offensive pass interference.
On a fade to Holmes in the endzone, the defender was all over him and I am still shocked they didn't call defensive pass interference. Holmes was furious and rightfully so. Luckily, we did score on the very next play.
Overall though, a decent game by the refs. Pretty fair game called, there were other debatable calls but I obviously am not going to critique them all. No call in this game affected the outcome or momentum, which is always good.
My reaction:
By the end of it all, the life was taken out of me. A very quiet walk out of the stadium, followed by a quiet ride home wasn't what I wanted. Knowing I most likely won't be getting home playoff game really hurt because this was our chance. This was the time to take over that division. Knowing we are just another wild card contender is tough, but I will take a playoff entrance in any way possible. If that means getting the 6 seed and needing to go on the road 3 straight times then so be it. This team plays very well as underdogs on the road in the playoffs so I do have confidence this team can still reach their ultimate goal.
I will have a post in the next day or 2 about the playoff picture but a quick preview is that we are very much right there in winning a wild card and that even though this loss stings, Jets nation needs to realize we can still be playing games in January. This loss isn't the end of the world!
Next game:
at Denver on Thursday night. At least we can turn the page quickly and go out to play another game. This team needs to forget this loss and have a solid performance vs the Tim Tebow led Broncos. We need to get rested fast because 2 losses in one week will not sit well with me or any other Jets fan. I will have a preview for this game in the next day or 2 as well.
-RP
Saturday, November 12, 2011
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots- Sunday Night Football
Tomorrow night. Tell any Jets fan that today, and they will immediately know what you are talking about. Tomorrow night is the biggest home game in the new MetLife Stadium confine. The 5-3 New England Patriots who are losers of 2 straight will challenge my New York Jets who come in at 5-3 but with 3 consecutive wins. Both are tied for first in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills who travel to Dallas for a 1pm. game. Year in and year out the Patriots have owned this division, and after the first few games this year it looked like it wouldn't change. Not only did the Patriots look unstoppable but the Jets lost 3 in a row after winning their first 2. Everyone knocked the Jets after losing 3 straight road games, the last being in New England. Those losses, though inspired change. Rex Ryan has gone back to his ground and pound ways which has taken a lot of pressure off of Mark Sanchez. In the last 4 games Sanchez has 7 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions. Shonn Greene has ran for 180 yards in the last 2 games and this all due to the offensive line being who we thought they were going to be. Greene is a runner who gets hot as the year goes on and it looks like that is happening again. Sanchez, due to the run game now can succeed on play action passes, something he excels at. The patriots defense as we all know are ranked last in the NFL against the pass. Sanchez, must exploit this if the Jets plan to win. By running early and often I believe the passing game will open up as the game goes on which in my mind will lead to a lot of points as the night wears on. Our offense has found their identity and I expect no road bumps tomorrow night. We will run, and run with ease which will let Sanchez make the throws he needs to make. That with this defense is the formula to win. The Jets defense, ranked 7th in the NFL is living up to expectations. They held the Chargers to just two touchdowns(their third was a defensive score) and shut them out in the second half. They kept the dolphins to just two field goals, while keeping the bills at 11 points with 8 coming in garbage time. Coming into the game, the Bills had the most points scored in the AFC. Now we look to continue this success for Brady and co. The steelers and giants seem to have found the formula to beating the patriots offense. By letting the corners be physical at the line, it causes disruptions in the routes which lets pressure get to Tom. This season he can't handle the pressure as he is throwing the ball errantly. He has 10 interceptions this season, yes more then Mark Sanchez. The patriots offense hasn't scored more then 20 points in 3 games. They have lost 2 in a row, something they never do. They are vulnerable right now and if the Jets can beat them they will take over first place in the division with not only a one game lead but also the division record tiebreaker. The winner of this game will go a long way to determining the winner of the division who most likely will get a first round bye in the playoffs. Rex Ryan before the season begged teams to beat the patriots, and he has gotten what he wished for (thank you Jake Ballard). If he can't go out and beat New England tomorrow night, he will look foolish. For the Jets to finally turn the tide they need to give the pats something they haven't had since 2002- a 3 game losing streak. I feel the Jets will indeed shutdown the Patriots offense as I feel we will get turnovers and contain Wes Welker. Revis will most likely cover him all night and the last time they played he held Welker to 1 catch for 4 yards. Mike Devito, our best run stopper is healthy and ready to return. The Jets have hit their stride, they are playing as good of football as anyone else in the AFC. This defense is showing why they are constantly the most feared D in the NFL while the offense is finally starting to wake up thanks to the running game. More and more each week Holmes and Burress are making more plays while Keller continues to make the big catches. Don't forget about the special teams. Again Mike Westhoff is showing why he is the best at coaching this aspect of the game as Joe Mcknight had another great return last week in Buffalo. Mcknight is Mr. Sunday Night referring to his game changing plays in the last 2 sunday night Jets games and as long as his toe holds up he will be in this game. If he can't go expect to see Antonio Cromartie back there, which as we all saw last season is another kick returner to be excited about. For the Jets recent success to be legit they need to beat the patriots tomorrow night. A loss will really hurt our chances and not only the division but also a wild card. It is a home game, a game where the fans will be absolutely crazy in rattling Brady's mind before each and every snap. This is the time to finally knock the Patriots off their pedestal. The Jets will prove why it is now their time. I will be in attendance, my 7th game attended this season. I plan on being as loud as I ever have been at a football game. The atmosphere will be amazing and I simply CAN'T WAIT! Jets 24 Patriots 20
The New York Jets are Ready For Takeoff!
My week 10 NFL predictions: Current record on the year 0-0
Raiders OVER Chargers
Cowboys OVER Bills
Titans OVER Panthers
Bucs OVER Texans
Saints OVER Falcons
Browns OVER Rams
Dolphins OVER Redskins
Steelers OVER Bengals
Jaguars OVER Colts
Broncos OVER Chiefs
Eagles OVER Cardinals
Ravens OVER Seahawks
Bears OVER Lions
49ers OVER Giants
Jets OVER Patriots
Packers OVER Vikings
-RP
The New York Jets are Ready For Takeoff!
My week 10 NFL predictions: Current record on the year 0-0
Raiders OVER Chargers
Cowboys OVER Bills
Titans OVER Panthers
Bucs OVER Texans
Saints OVER Falcons
Browns OVER Rams
Dolphins OVER Redskins
Steelers OVER Bengals
Jaguars OVER Colts
Broncos OVER Chiefs
Eagles OVER Cardinals
Ravens OVER Seahawks
Bears OVER Lions
49ers OVER Giants
Jets OVER Patriots
Packers OVER Vikings
-RP
What you need to know about my fanhood
Hey everyone! I'm Ryan Pavlicek a senior in high school and am 17 years old. My dad has been a New York Jets season ticket holder since 1985, and as you can imagine that is why I became a fan of gang green. I went to my first Jets game at 4 years old, it was a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. Ever since then I have been sucked in by this team that plays in MetLife Stadium. I consider myself the biggest Jets fan in my town, and my school. I go to every home game, one away game, and then I also take trips to away playoff games. I am sure fans of other home teams remember me as the annoying Jets fan because at games I put so much energy into cheering my team on. The same goes for watching at home, because they have a place in my heart so when things go wrong I genuinely am hurt but when things go well I couldn't be happier. I know a lot about this team and am a really knowledgeable source when talking Jets football. I have met the likes of Darrelle Revis, Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, and many others. I have been on the field before games, have gone to Jets practices, and have stayed in the same hotel as the team many times. The last 2 seasons as a Jets fan has definitely made this the greatest time period I have experienced in my sports world. This team has shown so much heart and I respect it so much. 2 years ago with rookie head coach Rex Ryan and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, we improbably went 9-7 but got all the way to the AFC Championship vs the 16-1 Colts. The following year with high expectations we won 11 games but many by last minute comebacks that raised my blood pressure through the roof. Again we got to the AFC championship this time by beating Tom Brady on the road, that by the way is the greatest Jets game I have ever been too. Unfortunately both seasons ended sadly, but this new era of Jets football looks promising with such a young core of great players, a quarterback that is developing ahead of schedule and in my mind a great head coach with an excellent coaching staff behind him. This blog will mainly be dedicated to the Jets with predictions, news, and feelings after each game. I will also write NFL related articles about other teams, or big news in general with predictions each week of all the upcoming games. I have a love for watching the NFL and you will be able to tell that I know what I am talking about. But my greatest love is the New York Jets and you undoubtedly will see that but in an un-biased ways. This is Ready For Takeoff, and I am Ryan Pavlicek- die hard New York Jets fan.
I am also a season ticket holder of the New York Islanders. I used to live 20 minutes from the coliseum but the last 4 years I have lived an hour and a half away yet still have season tickets and make about 25 home games a season. Hockey is truly one of my favorite sports to watch due to the fast paced dramatics. They haven't been a contender in a really long time which is frustrating but I love the core guys they have. I think our team is built to be a contender for a lot of years and I do expect a playoff birth this season. As our players continue to mature I think we can be just like the Chicago Blackhawks who are now bonafide contenders year in and year out. John Tavares is the only big name autograph I don't have out of all my favorite teams so I plan to change that. I have met other Islanders though like Blake Comeau, Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo and former Islanders like Shawn Bates, and Ryan Smyth.
I am a fan of the New York Yankees. I don't make many home games but I always travel to a city like Boston or Baltimore for the weekend to see them play 2 of the 3 series games on the road. I stay in the same hotel as the Yankees so I have met Jeter, Arod, CC, Hughes, Joba, Cano, Melky, Posada, and many others. It is always an amazing experience!
I am very excited about this new era of Knicks basketball. A new Knicks team and a newly renovated Madison Square Garden will hopefully lead to a new championship banner!
I am also a season ticket holder of the New York Islanders. I used to live 20 minutes from the coliseum but the last 4 years I have lived an hour and a half away yet still have season tickets and make about 25 home games a season. Hockey is truly one of my favorite sports to watch due to the fast paced dramatics. They haven't been a contender in a really long time which is frustrating but I love the core guys they have. I think our team is built to be a contender for a lot of years and I do expect a playoff birth this season. As our players continue to mature I think we can be just like the Chicago Blackhawks who are now bonafide contenders year in and year out. John Tavares is the only big name autograph I don't have out of all my favorite teams so I plan to change that. I have met other Islanders though like Blake Comeau, Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo and former Islanders like Shawn Bates, and Ryan Smyth.
I am a fan of the New York Yankees. I don't make many home games but I always travel to a city like Boston or Baltimore for the weekend to see them play 2 of the 3 series games on the road. I stay in the same hotel as the Yankees so I have met Jeter, Arod, CC, Hughes, Joba, Cano, Melky, Posada, and many others. It is always an amazing experience!
I am very excited about this new era of Knicks basketball. A new Knicks team and a newly renovated Madison Square Garden will hopefully lead to a new championship banner!
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