New York Jets: Flight Cancelled At The Gate

From the desk of:   A BLUE BLOODED GIANTS FAN

 

NEW YORK JETS:  Half Way Through The Regular Season, D-Generation Rex Is Caught In A Downward Spiral.  With The Bye Coming Next Week, The Jets Have Two Weeks Of Decision Making Ahead.


The storm of all perfect storms descended upon Met-Life Stadium Sunday afternoon.  Tried as they might to fly through adverse conditions, the Jets never had a chance.  Sunday's flight was doomed from go.  The plane never even made the tarmac.  The pilot never made it to the plane.  Marc Sanchez was stopped at the gate.  Fans are starting to suspect their fly boy is playing under the influence of Performance Depleting Drugs.  Maybe Tim Tebow is diabolically flaking Marc's food at the buffet table?  That's called not-so-very-creative fiction and a poor attempt at humor people!  But the reality of the Jets condition is the quarterback is playing as if he was on dope none the less.


In an ever downward spiraling season filled with worse upon worse efforts, Sunday's was the worst performance by Marc Sanchez of perhaps both his entire college and professional career.  Aiding and abetting in four sacks-against due to horrible presence in the pocket, an interception, a fumble, were only what the box score show.  To watch him Sunday, made Jets fans eyes bleed.


Before we get to all the other inclement elements of Sunday's humiliating loss to the Miami Hurricanes Dolphins, first let me give credit to Head Coach Rex Ryan.  He stuck with Marc Sanchez all game long.  This was Marc Sanchez' game, and Marc Sanchez' failure at quarterback alone.  Waiting on the sidelines was Tim Tebow.  If there was a game which needed handing off to the next guy, it was this one.  But Rex denied Tim Tebow the opportunity of stepping into, on, or over, Marc Sanchez' downfall - not with the Bye Week coming.  That was a great move by Rex.  One, Rex's decision kept the situation very clear cut, and unpolluted.  It leaves the team with two weeks to deliberate over what to do next.  Any decision they make going forward should now be met with very little resistance.  For nothing else has worked.


Make no mistake, this was a perfect storm.  They are now 3-5 this season, with a 2-2 division record.  They barley defeated the Dolphins in overtime in the first match-up.  The Jets opening week game against the Bills stands as their best season effort so far.  Then their win over the Colts was just that, against the Colts.  But the Jets are now thoroughly exposed.


If you take away Shonn Greene's thirty six yard romp, the Jets rushed twenty times for only sixty nine yards.  Marc Sanchez was forced to attempt fifty four passes, and wound up throwing twenty six incompletions.  But should any offense they generated in the 4th quarter really count considering this game was effectively lost in the first quarter?  If you're going by the actual score, the Jets lost the game within the first eleven minutes of the game.


Part of this overall ineptness must fall on the offensive coordinator.  Here's a question - what is he doing?  Marc's worst season is coinciding with the coordinator's first season.  Sparano waited until he faced his former team in Week Three to inaugurate the first hints it might be Tebow Time.  Since then, many fans have gotten lost with how seemingly Coach Sparano incoherently implements the Jets weapon of mass disruption.  The plan has done more to interrupt Marc Sanchez' flow and promising drives, than anything except for their poor offensive line play.  But not Sunday.  Sunday was all Marc, all day.  He didn't take care of the ball.  He had no feel for the pocket.  He couldn't even complete a simple screen pass.


Defensively, the Jets still can't stop Reggie Bush.  He and Daniel Thomas combined to rush twenty nine times for 101 yards.  It was enough.  The real defensive blow to the ego was losing to back-up quarterback Matt Moore.  Miami's starter, Ryan Tannehill's day didn't start out too promising.  But after he pulled a quad muscle via an actual Jets sack, the game took a not so funny football bounce against the Jets.  Their special teams, and everything else, feel apart like wet toilet paper.


How bad was New York's start against Miami?  Mike Westhoff is known for coaching superior special teams units.  Sunday, his teams were repeatedly embarrassed all game long.  All players have one bad day at work they would prefer to forget.  When one suffers, the others cover.  We all get that.  Against Miami, all special teams players shared in having their worst day together.  That spells doom.  An on-side kick and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first quarter alone were  the start of a miserable afternoon for Jets fans.  Yet another blocked field goal attempt before the half just about disenfranchised everyone in attendance of their pursuit of happiness.


How did they start the 3rd quarter? - By allowing a fifty seven yard kick-off return.  By then, the score was howling in the Jets faces with 27-0 winds.  Then came a near Marc Sanchez pick, followed by an actual Sanchez pick.  Then another sack.  Then more and more and more....


The 30-9 final score is hardly indicative of the damage.  The Jets played far worse.  They suffered poor special teams play, which to be fair, will no doubt be corrected.  The Jets defense are having their troubles.  They are still a good defense.  But they are being asked to do too much now.  To be fair, they are without Derrelle Revis, and were without Bart Scott, and so on.  But despite injuries, the defense was already proving to be somewhat suspect.  And then there was the offense.  There was none.  With one or two exceptions, the offensive line is inferior.  Shonn Greene is trying, but the running game is sub-standard.  Additionally, with Santonio Holmes out, and even with Dustin Keller in, there are no game changing receivers to speak of.


All this ultimately brings us to Marc Sanchez and Tim Tebow.  The Jets have given Marc Sanchez a fair shot at securing the job without having to look over his shoulder, except for stupid conceptual plays here and there.  The job has been his.  Tim Tebow has not had the pleasure of starting at quarterback yet.  I believe he was afforded one partial drive all season under center.


I do not believe, at all, Tim Tebow will change the Jets fortunes.  Not in a box, not with a fox.  Not here, nor there, not anywhere.  However, at this point, asking why not give the offense to Tebow after one half of a season spent spiraling out of control, is the most valid question in the NFL right now.  An independent, yet relative question is, why is he here?  There is one fact towards that end which justifies everything.  The Dolphins dominated.


All is not lost.  Not by a long stretch.  The season is ONLY half over.  The Jets have two weeks to get back in the lab and conjure a solution.





Mike.BTB

New York Jets: Return Mission to Pittsburgh

From the desk of:   A BLUE BLOODED GIANTS FAN

 

Rex Ryan's War:

 

 

NEW YORK JETS: BACK TO PITTSBURGH

 

Battles Of 2010 Still Fresh In Both Team's Memory

 

Week Two Picks

 

Since the AFL/NFL merger, the Jets have faced the Pittsburgh Steelers twenty-one times overall.  Prior to 2010, the Jets managed a mere three regular season victories over one of the eldest franchises in football history.  All three wins came at home.  Back in 1998, the Jets were 24-20 victors. In 2003, the Jets pitched a 6-0 shutout.  And in 2007, Gang Green squeezed out a 19-16 win.


Gang Green's fourth and last victory over the Black and Gold came in December of 2011, when D-Generation Rex defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the first time in Jets franchise history.  To the chagrin of many, the Jets achieved an improbable 22-17 victory.  The 2010 Jets would eventually play their way into the AFC Championship Game.  Similar to the way the Jets season series played out against New England, perhaps a second encounter against Pittsburgh was in the cards.  For the Steelers also managed to play their way into the AFC title game.


For the second time in just a little over a month's time, the Jets flew back to Pittsburgh to play in the final American Football Conference match-up of the season.  The winner would go on to play in Super Bowl XLV.  Back in 2004, the Steelers defeated the Jets in the AFC Divisional round.  In this, their second ever playoff match-up, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Jets once again, this time by a heart crushing 24-19 margin.


The Jets flew back to New York a broken team.  Repairs to Rex's Jets squadron lasted throughout the 2011 season while Pittsburgh went on to lose Super Bowl XLV 31-25 to Aaron Rodgers the Green Bay Packers.


This coming Sunday, the two teams will meet again in Pittsburgh.  For the Jets, the team's futility in Steel City should be a non-issue.  That December 2010 win should still be fresh in many Green minds. But so should that AFC title game loss.  After all, it was D-Generation Rex's second consecutive championship game loss.


Losing Super Bowl XLV wasn't too catastrophic to Steel City's collective mental health; I don't think. They have a whole display cabinet filled with Lombardi trophies. Their Sunday opponents however, only have one trophy, obtained in upset fashion, going on what will soon be forty-three years ago.  The head coach of today's Jets, in word at least, has practically guaranteed a second.  But his time to get it done is running short.  Presently, Pittsburgh is no better off.  They are a rapidly aging team.  And after dropping this season's opening game to the Denver Broncos, and after last season's incredulous loss to Tim Tebow and those same Denver Broncos, the Steelers are as desperate as any team in the league, which includes the Jets.


Both teams are up against the proverbial wall.  But while time might be running out for each team, consider only one coach's job may wind up in peril.  Say Pittsburgh and the Jets both have miserable seasons, odds are the Steelers stick with Mike Tomlin, while Rex Ryan's future in New York becomes far more doubtful, or precarious at best.


D-Generation Rex is on a mission.  Coach Ryan is the first to admit sometimes there are setbacks and sometimes there are unexpected victories.  Rex and a few others have been on both ends.  But outside of Rex, Marc Sanchez, Bart Scott, Mangold, and a select few, I don't know how many Jets share the same level of understanding into the immediacy of their situation.  Somehow, Week Two doesn't seem to carry with it the sense of desperation Gang Green's overall season does.


In Week Two, I think the Steelers are (collectively) the more desperate team and will respond in kind.  For one day at least, I feel they will play with a greater togetherness.  Many current Steelers have been together for a very long time.  So many of their players march to one beat.  Rex Ryan historically has received that kind of unyielding support from his players.  This season's dynamic still needs to prove to what degree.  But that's just my impression as an outside observer.  The Steelers are desperate to keep themselves from starting 0-2, while the Jets are trying to win their second game.  So which team's edge is sharper coming into Sunday?


Make no mistake, Big Ben has the rings Marc Sanchez is still hopeful of being fitted for one season.  Therefore this is Marc's game.  This is his season.  However, even should Marc Sanchez and the Jets play a near perfect game Sunday, history shows us the Jets do not score more than twenty or so points against the Steelers.


What ever the Jets plans for Tim Tebow, if Marc Sanchez plays like he did last week, he will force the Jets to limit Tebow Time, and continue playing the hot hand.  BOOM!  There it is.  This is all in Marc Sanchez' hands.  The Jets road record in Pittsburgh, and Tim Tebow's last second playoff victory last season with Denver be damned.  Marc Sanchez won in Steel City before.  And Pittsburgh's defense is compromised enough to allow him to do it again.  He may have to.  Marc may be forced to out-score the Steelers. However, he will have to do it without Dustin Keller.  That means without his safety net Marc Sanchez will be forced to make better initial reads.  Last week Marc Sanchez masterfully incorporated a head fake and pump into his game and threw touchdowns.  That's what quarterbacks get paid to do - not what Tim Tebow brings.


The Steelers are currently injured at their strengths; linebacker and safety.  Two of Pittsburgh's biggest defensive guns will be missing from Sunday's game.  Word is, Safety Troy Polamalu and Linebacker James Harrison are highly questionable; doubtful; or just plain - out.  Any way you dress it, they are compromised.  As such, Pittsburgh's situation on defense is an invitation for Marc Sanchez to repeat his Week One performance against Buffalo.


Of course surrendering twenty-eight points to the Bills raises its own set of questions.  But lets assume the Jets defense plays this Sunday, and throughout the season, as well as they are projected to be. Consider this about Week One.   Buffalo never blitzed Sanchez, and Mario Williams never got his hands on Sanchez.  No Buffalo Bill ever touched Sanchez.  It is safe to assume, that will not be the case against Pittsburgh.  On defense, the Steelers still field a formidable front seven.  The Jets O-Line had a good week against the Bills.  The Black and Gold are a different animal though.  Marc Sanchez and the O-Line both will most likely have to repeat their efforts, and outscore the Steelers.


Here is the biggest problem facing the Jets this Sunday - Ben Roethlisberger and the absence of Derrelle Revis.  Without Derrelle Revis, there goes whatever pass rush the Jets had.  It's well known Rex relies on his corners to indirectly get pressure on the QB.  Still without a legitimate individual pass rusher, Rex relies on coverage and a bevy of blitz packages to pressure the passer.  That's where Big Ben comes in.  He always seems to bust loose from the pocket.  Just ask Santonio Holmes.  He's the baby Huey of the NFL.  I mean that in a good way.  He's so big, he is hard to bring down.  But what this stumblin', bumblin', rumblin' steel worker does best is thrive on busted plays.  That's why these recent games between the two teams are always close.  And that's why the Steelers usually come out on top.  The Jets defense is already compromised heading into Sunday, but even when healthy, Big Ben still does just enough to foul the Jets best laid defensive plans.  Pittsburgh it seems, is always only a late 4th quarter possession and a busted play away from potential victory.  This Sunday, I think the Steelers sneak by.


I think it is going to be a great game.  Can the Jets win with some turnovers or breaks?  Yes, and don't rule it out.  A win would also work particularly well considering the Jets play Miami the following week.  Losing great games however are no consolation...; as if there were such a thing in the National Football League.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Jets ~ 2012 Guaranteed to be a Memorable Season

NEW YORK JETS:  Write This In Stone; The 2012 Jets' Season Will Be One of the Most Tumultuous Campaigns in Team History.



Jet Fans, let's get right to the heart of the matter.  The triumvirate of Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum, and Woody Johnson, are turning your team into a circus.



Let's lead off with the Head Coach, shall we?  In just speaking of this last season alone, Rex Ryan remained disconnected from the offensive side of the ball.  He antagonized his "little Brother" and paid a Big Blue price for it late in the season.  Then on the heals of back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, Rex's team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since taking over.  Once the season ended, certain players started airing out their dirty laundry to the Media.  And when questioned about his team's alleged grievances, Rex Ryan denied knowing problems existed amongst his players and pleaded ignorance to any simmering locker room animosities.  It just never occurred to him that his locker room was in dire need of an attitude adjustment.  And to me, that's a failure to capture the pulse of the team.  But how could he, when he himself was involved in a falling out with his offensive coordinator and was constantly jostling with the Media and creating his own controversies?



He remains unaccountable for a team that continues to lose it's identity - an identity (see Ground and Pound) that he never truly established, or, committed to, in the first place.  Over all, what the Jets have achieved so far under Rex has been arrived at more so through his words, than through deeds.



That's the outsiders view.  But I'm a local.  I get Rex Ryan and I like Rex Ryan, even though you folks know I'm a Giants Fan.  None of this should come off as hatin' either.  I understand Rex's in-game, and his methods.  He's cool with me.  But the record speaks for itself, and sometimes you need to be called on the carpet just to keep you honest.  I will say this though - his style has a short life span.  And a General Manager can only exasperate the situation by continually bringing in the wrong kind of players.



Mike Tannenbaum deserves his third-share of blame; if not more.  I believe Mike Tannenbaum bears the most responsibility for last season's disappointment.  And it is precisely because there has been no philosophical consistency from him.  I get no sense he has a coherent plan.  What I see is more of a Fantasy Football approach these last two seasons.  He also strikes me as a swinger.  When Eric Mangini was still coach, Tannenbaum operated with a more conservative and business like tact.  With Rex, Tannenbaum has again taken on his Head Coach's persona; if not in similar fashion to Rex's overt brashness, but through his splashy, risky, yet fearless transactions.



He put together a fine team in 2009, but has literally spent the last two seasons sabotaging it.  More and more he's proving himself to be exactly who Bill Parcells thought he was bringing to the Jets; a CAPologist - and nothing more.  He is nifty with numbers, and is extremely well spoken.  But with each passing season as GM, he's proving himself to be an inadequate team builder.  I say that because I feel he caused this team to take a series of backwards steps.



Somewhere in between Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum lies the curious case of Braylon Edwards. By the time of initial his signing, Tannenbaum was already committed to taking chances on players with a checkered past.  As things worked out, Braylon would have run through walls for Rex in addition to working well with Mark Sanchez.  The Jets then decided Santonio Holmes was who they really wanted.  But with Santonio in, and Braylon, and Jerricho Cotchery out, Peace; Love; and Harmony; left the building.  That, if anything, seems representative of Mike Tannenbaum's plan.  And well, in two short seasons, his transactions have polluted the locker room.  And now the Jets are considering a return of Braylon Edwards again.  That's what you call a circle folks.



Look what the decent from 2009 has done to your quarterback.  Mark Sanchez took major strides backwards last season.  But if you dig a little deeper than just the prevailing opinions about him, you would know so many things around him failed or broke down; to include his offensive coordinator.  But only QB's get blamed.  While everyone is busy dumping on Mark Sanchez, a sub-par offensive line goes largely unspoken about.  And now through their actions, the head Coach and the GM have given every indication they are about to turn on their quarterback.  In football terms, the contract extension the Jets gave Sanchez was more like a kiss of death.  The organization can spin this any way they want.  Mark Sanchez is now walking a tight rope without a net.



Sometimes locker rooms get polluted because you populate them with the wrong kind of people for the wrong reasons.  There's always the business side of Football to contend with.  And that's where the owner comes in.  Many believe Woody Johnson is the instigator of some questionable moves made by the Jets.  After all, he has a brand to sell.  And many think he encourages his organization to conduct it's business in a manner that strikes me as more flamboyant, than fundamental.  Overt attention grabbers and trying to win the back pages of the tabloids are not what winning football teams are made of.  But this is exactly what the Jets are being accused of.  Starved for attention in the shadow of the N.Y. Giants, many accuse Woody Johnson himself for taking the team down this path.



THIS IS THE WORLD....  Tim Tebow is now a part of.  And the fact Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum, nor Woody Johnson were on hand at Tebow's press conference was plainly and simply - negligent; if not laughable.



What starts now is something of a completely different matter.  What dynamics Tim Tebow will, or will not bring to the Jets' offense, remains to be seen.  It is only March, and what we already know is that the Jets' 2012 season will be one of the most tumultuous campaigns in the organization's history.






Mike.BTB

PIGSKIN ~ WEEK 6

I went 7-6 last week on the Sunday docket.  I also hit my Shmear of the Week.  By the way, I'm a perfect 4-0 on the Shmear with one week where I did not make a selection. I finally punched through into the Positive Zone.  I've been struggling on the Sunday docket because many of the picks I've been making have been blowing games in the 4th quarter.  I've managed to stay at break-even on the strength of my Shmear of the Week picks which is a three bagel deal.  So alas, heading into WEEK 6,  I am at Plus Four bagels for the season.

Live it up!



The WEEK 6 Bagel Roll:
(Friday NYDN Line)
NYGIANTS -10 (Lions) LOSS 28-20 NYG
NYJets -3 (BRONCOS) WIN 24-20 NYJ
Chargers -8 1/2 (RAMS) LOSS 20-17 St.L.
Chiefs +4 1/2 (TEXANS) WIN 35-31 HOU
Ravens +2 1/2 (PATRIOTS) LOSS 23-20 N.E. o.t.
Saints -4 (BUCS) WIN 31-6 N.O.
Falcons +3 (EAGLES) LOSS 31-17 PHI
Seahawks +6 1/2 (BEARS) WIN 23-20 SEA
PACKERS -3 (Dolphins) LOSS 23-20 MIA
STEELERS -13 (Browns) WIN 28-10 PITT
Raiders +6 1/2 (49ERS) LOSS 17-9 S.F.
VIKINGS -1 1/2 (Cowboys) WIN 24-21 MINN
Colts -3 (REDSKINS) PUSH 27-24 IND

Record on the week  6-6-1

 13 bagels into the oven.  (+4 on the season)
Broke even on the Sunday docket but hit the SHMEAR.  That makes me +7 bagels going into WEEK 7


SHMEAR of the WEEK:  (season 4-0)
Saints -4 (BUCS)  WIN  ...makes me 5-0 on the season.

New York JETS ~ Flyin' High:

Ladies and Gentlemen, Coach Ryan and D-Generation REX, welcome you aboard WOODY's JET.
You've achieved cruising altitude and The Head Coach has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign; You are free to party-on about the cabin.

J - E - T - S    Just  Enjoying  The  Season


OK Jet fans, - You're feeling really good about yourselves and your team; rightfully so.  Being 4-1 after 5 weeks speaks to me.  Mark Sanchez is growing into his own.  The Defense has been stellar.  LT (I cringe doing that, even if Lawrence Taylor is in deep doo-doo) has discovered the fountain of HEALTH.  Dustin Keller is rapidly becoming a stand-out Tight End in this league.  Santonio Holmes returns from suspension to give Mark Sanchez another weapon.  Antonio Cromartie showed he can play big.  Calvin Pace is also back in action, even though he's still listed as probable for Sunday's game.

Speaking of probable, or most unlikely, is Derrelle Revis.  It would be easy to pick on him right now.  I'm a Giants fan but not a Jets Hater.  I'm very entertained by the Jets this year and have always thought of them well.

BUT....  The hold-out was ill advised and now he's paying the price for it.  Practice and Camp get your legs acclimated to the short bursts, cuts, stops and starts a corner-back makes, running backwards and transitioning forward.  Me missed that and his legs were being asked to flick on a switch and show up game ready.  This morning he got pulled over for speeding/reckless driving...blah blah..   So...

If I'm the Jets , I just keep Revis out of action this weekend and he'll have a whole two weeks off because next week is the Jets' buy-week.  He can rest up that "hammie" because they just don't go away and get better by taxing them.  Two weeks off would do him and the Jets a lot of good down the road.  Do you want this injury to linger and really haunt you in December?

The Jets have already inflicted heavy damage within their division; beating the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills.  I get having to coach and plan for the next game, but you also have to manage a season and it would be wise to keep Revis inactive.

There's little to debate without getting too nit-picky so I would suggest this ~ Don't get too cocky.  This is the easiest time to slip and not because your flying to Denver to take on the Broncos in the thin air..  Traveling west of the Mississippi River has presented it's own problems for the Jets over the last couple of years.  For a little while there, going west meant ~

J - E - T - S    Just  Empty  The  Suitcase

Sunday is going to start a whole new conversation about this team one way or another.  Another win and the hype machine is really going to start getting loopy.  A loss just means it's not a party until something breaks.



Mike.BTB