The New York Jets had a great run in 2009 with a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach (although Rex’s defensive scheme says nothing “rookie” about it) and it ended a win short of the Super Bowl. Gang Green has a bunch of young players to build around, but they also have some holes to fill. Look for them to add depth or upgrade at the following positions:
Post By Rich Santonocito
Although the Jets didn’t want to lose Mark Sanchez for any game this season, their week 14 game against the Buccaneers may be the best game to lose him for. The 1-11 Bucs have a rookie quarterback, Josh Freeman, who, similar to the Jets rookie signal caller, has been inconsistent this year. Freeman doesn’t have a number one rated defense to back him up like the Jets do for Sanchez. In fact, the Buccaneers’ defense ranks in the bottom five in most categories.
Arguably the NFL’s worst team, the Bucs host a Jets team that has won two in a row and have given up just one touchdown in those two games combined. The Jets defense will be able to hold down the Bucs. It’s the Jets offense and more specificly, Kellen Clemens, that has some people worried.
Kellen Clemens is set to start his first game since 2007. The Jets should be able to run the ball all over the Bucs allowing Clemens to not have to drop back more than 20 times. The Buccaneers have one of the worst run defenses in the league. Clemens hasn’t worked with the first team since training camp and this is the first week of practice he’s been throwing to Braylon Edwards, who was acquired from Cleveland during the season.
Jet fans will worry until the final whistle blows Sunday afternoon, but they should be confident the Jets can win this one. The offensive line will make holes for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to run through and Clemens will make plays when he has to. Jet fans can start worrying again on Monday if Rex Ryan says Sanchez can’t play in week 15 forcing Clemens to be the starter against the Falcons.
Post By Rich SantonocitoDarrelle Revis is the best cornerback in the National Football League. The Jets played another game and Revis shutdown another star receiver. Revis is asked to cover the top receivers in the league every week mainly by himself and he never disappoints. Thursday night was no different as Revis held Bills receiver Terrell Owens to 31 yards on three catches. Revis cemented the Jets 19-13 win with an interception late in the fourth quarter.
The Jets missed some opportunities to put points on the board in the first quarter but luckily it didn’t come back to haunt them. Mark Sanchez missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone and a wide-open Braylon Edwards dropped a perfect pass from Sanchez that would have been an 84-yard touchdown. Instead of being up 14-3, the Jets and Bills were tied 3-3 after the first quarter. The way the Jets defense was playing all the offense needed to do was not turn the ball over and put Jay Feely in field goal range every time they got the ball. Feely converted four of four field goals and the Jets only touchdown came when Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards for a 13-yard touchdown with 0:44 seconds remaining in the first half.
Sanchez left the game in the third quarter with a right knee injury. Sanchez tweaked his knee while diving for a first down. He did not return to the game. Kellen Clemens replaced Sanchez and wasn’t asked to do much, although he made it interesting when he fumbled deep in the Jets’ territory but D’Brickashaw Ferguson jumped on the ball. The Jets kept the ball on the ground for the most part after Sanchez limped off. Thomas Jones ran for 109 yards on 23 carries and Shonn Greene ran for 59 yards on 11 carries. The Jets ran for 249 yards as a team.
Defensively, on the opposite side of Revis, Lito Sheppard looked good shutting down whoever he was covering. Other than giving up a 38-yard catch to Lee Evans in the first quarter, Sheppard played just as good as Revis. The Bills threw for just 98 yards in the game and Ryan Fitzpatrick only completed 39.1% of his passes.
The Jets are 6-6 and need the Dolphins to beat the Patriots this weekend to be one game out of the division lead. The Jets have an extended week and travel to Tampa Bay to play the 1-10 Bucs next Sunday.
Post By Rich SantonocitoJets fans were so quick to become believers after a 3-0 start that the each loss since then has hurt more and more. Even at 4-4 Jets fans still believed a playoff birth was possible. It’s over now. Jets fans won’t be disappointed for the rest of the season now that the Jets lost to the Jaguars and their playoff chances are shot. Expectations have been lowered.
All the talk, all the hype, all the hoopla is over. Rex Ryan and his players won’t be doing much barking anymore. Kerry Rhodes isn’t going to tell the media the Jets are going to “embarrass” the Patriots this week. It’s doubtful Rex Ryan is going to ask the Jets fans to be “prideful” and cheer louder anymore this season knowing the product on the field isn’t giving fans anything to be prideful or cheer about.
“Maybe we’re not one of the best defenses in the league,” Bart Scott said.
The defense hasn’t been able to finish games. The Jets have had some leads in the fourth quarter during this 1-6 skid but have given up late scores to lose. The defense hasn’t been tackling well either. The Jets just find ways to lose games. If it’s not their offense, it’s their defense. If it’s not their defense, it’s their special teams. It’s always something and it goes full circle.
“Now we’re 4-5 and we’re not impressive. We’re not scaring anybody. We’re not intimidating anybody coming onto the field, so that 3-0 start is a wash. That’s over with.” Braylon Edwards said.
The Jets know how to talk. We know that. What they don’t know how to do is play sound football over a long stretch of games. They played good for three consecutive games to start the season and got Jets fans excited. Optimistic about the new coach, new defensive scheme, anti-Mangini attitude, stud rookie quarterback out of USC, and vocalness of the team, Jets fans jumped the gun. A long Super Bowl drought will do that.
Hopefully Rex Ryan has learned a lot through the first 10 weeks of his coaching career. Hopefully Ryan and the Jets learned there’s a difference between talking a big game and playing a big game. Ryan is also going to rethink his decision to give his players six days off during a bye week and take a look at his clock and timeout management. I know Jets fans have learned not to get overexcited about a 3-0 start and all the hype that came with it, no matter if a win against the Patriots is included in the three wins. 3-0 doesn’t equate to 11-5. The Jets and Jets fans have learned a lot from 2009. Rex Ryan is going to be a better coach because of this experience.
The must win game against the Jaguars to start the second half of the season was lost by the Jets, 24-22. Jags kicker Josh Scobee hit a chip shot 21-yard field goal as time expired to give the Jaguars the win. This most likely puts an early end to the Jets playoff chances. The Jaguars did enough in the first half that they only needed three points in the second half to win the game.
The Jets should have known the game wasn’t going to go there way when Mark Sanchez was picked off on the first play of the game. Jacksonville went 55 yards into the end zone off of the Sanchez interception. All 55 yards were by Maurince Jones-Drew including a 33-yard touchdown run.
Jones-Drew ran all over the Jets defense in the first half but was held in check during the second half. The Jets defense took control in the second half until the final drive of the game that led to the game winning field goal. A stop in that drive would have sealed a Jets win.
The Jets spoke about Maurice Jones-Drew all week and praised how good of a player he is. They saw first hand how good he is. He rushed for over 90 yards in the first half 123 yards rushing in the game. Jones-Drew is the Jaguars’ best offensive weapon, you would think the Jets would have forced a different player to beat them.
Missed opportunities have plagued the Jets all season and today was no different. The Jets missed several chances, most notable in the first quarter when Sanchez and Thomas Jones couldn’t connect on a screen in the red zone would have been an easy touchdown. The Jets had to settle for a field goal. They turned the ball over three times including two interceptions by Sanchez and a fumble by Braylon Edwards on a 41-yard catch.
The Jets couldn’t get the job done once again and at 4-5, their playoff chances are just about out the window. They haven’t been able to put a complete game together since the early weeks of the season. They have been making mistakes in all three phases of the game and their 4-5 record is a product of a rookie head coach, rookie quarterback, injured playmakers, and inability to play fundamental football.
For more on the “Same Old Jets” read this article.
Post By Rich SantonocitoThe Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards has been charged with misdemeanor assault in the incident that occurred outside a night club in Cleveland. Edwards allegedly punched promoter Edward Givens in the face in the early morning hours outside the club. Givens is a friend of LeBron James.
Most sources say Edwards punched Givens but a couple of sources suggest a friend of Edwards punched him
Edwards could serve up to six months in jail and be hit with a $1,000 fine, if convicted.
If this claim is true then expect Roger Goodell and the NFL to hand Edwards a fine and/or a suspension. Goodell has been extremely stern with NFL players who get in trouble with the law. This is the last thing Edwards and the Jets need. The Jets have been thin at wide receiver because of some injuries.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted, “NFL is aware of the charges against Jets WR Braylon Edwards and plans to be reviewing them to see if they warrant any discipline.”
The Jets acquired Edwards from the Browns before week 5.
Post By Rich SantonocitoJets wide receivers Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith will miss their second straight games due to injury. The Jets remain thin at the receiver position. Cotchery is out with a hamstring and Smith is out with a quad. The Jets will rely on Braylon Edwards once again.
The Jets haven’t had luck with injuries and haven’t had Edwards and Cotchery on the field at the same time much since acquiring Edwards from the Browns a few weeks ago. Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins is out of the year with a torn ACL and the Jets have had injuries to cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland.
Post By Rich SantonocitoJets receivers Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) and Brad Smith (quadriceps) are both doubtful for the Jets week six game against the Bills at the Meadowlands. They have not been ruled out yet but it seems unlikely they will play. David Clowney becomes the number two receiver and the Jets have signed former NCAA rushing record holder Danny Woodhead to the active roster as a receiver. Woodhead has been practicing with the offense all week out of the slot. The Jets are thin at receiver without Cotchery and Smith.
In other news, the FBI is investigating threats made to Braylon Edwards after he allegedly punched a man outside a Cleveland night club.
The Jets started the season 3-0 but have lost two straight since and are tied with New England for first place in the AFC East. Their offense and defense have taken turns having poor games the last two weeks. In their loss to New Orleans two weeks ago, the Jets offense looked horrible while their defense looked like one of the best in the NFL. Last week in the Jets loss to Miami, their defense was pushed around and beat by the wildcat but their offense played well. The Jets look to put it all together against the Bills on Sunday.
Braylon Edwards made an impact during his debut with the Jets in Miami on Monday night football. The Jets are hoping this is just the beginning. Edwards’ first reception as a New York Jet was a 3-yard touchdown from Mark Sanchez. He caught five passes for 64 yards in the game.
Looking at the box score, Edwards’ debut doesn’t seem too impressive. Five catches for 64 yards and one touchdown isn’t a great feat. It’s not an Austin Miles 250+ yard day with the Cowboys. You had to watch the game to know how impressive Edwards was in his Jets debut. The second pass he hauled in was a high throw from Sanchez that Edwards’ went up to get and made a sensational 17-yard grab. His fourth catch was diving grab down the left sideline for 34 yards that was originally called a touchdown but was, in my opinion, wrongly overturned.
With the Jets next best receiver, Jerricho Cotchery, being hampered by a hamstring injury, Braylon Edwards will have an even bigger impact on the Jets in weeks to come. He seems fresh and looks like he is out to prove everyone wrong. He has a big chip on his shoulder. With 11 games remaining in the season, I could see him ending the season with over 1,000 yards.
Braylon told the NJ Star Ledger, “I think we’re (Sanchez and Edwards) already comfortable with each other. Now the thing is moving forward and getting better and getting to where we can do it at a Peyton Manning-Reggie Wayne level. Right now, we’re comfortable with each other. But it’s just a start.”
Braylon has been shaking heads at practice, making great catches play after play. He’ll earn a nice new contract from the Jets if he shakes heads on Sundays. I see a big contract in his future.
Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images
Post By Rich SantonocitoRex Ryan and the Jets defense had absolutely no answer for Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and the Dolphins wildcat on Monday night. Ronnie Brown scored from 2-yards out in the wildcat formation with 10 seconds left in the game to lift the Dolphins over the Jets 31-27.
The offense wasn’t the problem for the Jets. Mark Sanchez played well and Braylon Edwards played like he had been with the team for years. The defense, which has been the Jets strength, lost the game.
The Jets defense let Chad Henne, in his second career start, complete 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins were 9-14 on third downs. The Jets also let speedster Ted Ginn Jr. get behind the secondary for a 53-yard touchdown.
“We made him look like Dan Marino,” Calvin Pace said referring to Henne. “They did what they want, and they did it at will.”
Last week it was the offense that bit the bullet, this week it was the defense. The Jets are tied with New England for first in the AFC with a 3-2 record and host the Bills on Sunday.
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