The right place @ the right time... Jets vs. Colts

I have a few opinions about yesterdays game:

• The play calling on both sides of the ball was horrible. Rushing 3 players and playing zone defense against Peyton on 3rd and long is suicide. That reverse call by Shotty in the first quarter was criminal.

• If the play calling was horrible, then the penalty calls and non-calls were sickening.

• I think Sanchez is a bit shell shocked right now and he needs a little more swagger, thats something I didn't think I would say about any Jets player this year.

• Braylon Edwards is not at all inspired to play football. I would re-sign him in the offseason, but he needs a contract that has a very moderate base salary and a lot of incentives. If we give him a big deal after his half ass performance this season (half with the Browns and the other half with us) we are pretty much guaranteeing that he will continue to be just average.

• Bart Scott was our top free agent priority and he has been a bust, no matter how you measure it. I can only hope he turns it up in the playoffs and stops all of the ridiculous penalties.

• I like Shonn Greene. Thats all, I just like him.

• I don't agree with the Colts decision to bench their players, I fully expected them to go for it. That being said, if the Colts were nursing a 5 or 10 point lead in the 4th quarter and Peyton suffered a torn ACL on an accidental play, everyone on the face of the earth would have attacked that coach and GM for leaving him in.

• I would love to see a big shake up in Washington this offseason. I would trade Edwards for Moss in a second. It would essentially be the same as the trade that sent Moss to Washington so we could get back Coles, who was ours to begin with. Moss and Cotchery would be a wicked one/two punch, and Jets fans would embrace Moss like a favorite son. I don't know where that came from, but I just wanted to get it off my chest.

Here are some facts:

• The Jets are in control of their own destiny going into week 16 because they have won more games than any of the other teams who are still in contention.

• The Steelers in 05', the Giants in 07', and the Cardinals in 08' all had lack luster regular seasons and got hot in the post season. All 3 teams made it to the Superbowl and two won it all.

• Teams who lead the league in rushing and defense usually fair very well in the playoffs.

• The Colts have won 14 straight games, and they earned the right to do whatever they feel is best for their ultimate goal... winning the big game.

• And finally, the Giants are mathematically eliminated from the post season, and no matter how much their fans cry and point the finger at the Christmas gift the Colts gave us... your season is over.

The playoffs have started for the Jets, it's win or go home from here on out. The Bengals have a very interesting call to make this week. If they give us the game like Indy did, they will most likely have to play us again the following week in the wildcard round. If they don't play their starters they are basically saying that they want us and our rookie QB in the post season. That would probably be a good strategy.

If we win and get an invite to the dance, the gameplan vs. our offense will be very simple. Teams will put 8 in the box and challenge us to beat them with our inconsistent QB. Players like Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards are going to have to exploit singe coverage. We know Cotchery will show up, but the rest of our offense is one big question mark.

All I know is it's week 17, and if we win we are in. Are we lucky that are schedule worked out the way it did? Hell Yes! Should we apologize for it? No Way! Any team who has ever won a Superbowl has had luck on their side. Sometimes you need to be in the right place at the right time.

Will any team be scared to play us in the post season? No. If I was an NFL headcoach I would love to face the Jets. Our QB is as green (no pun intended) as can be, and our #1 defense has made it a habit of laying down when the game is on the line. Our rookie headcoach has also shown his lack of experience. So, we are probably any teams MOST desirable opponent.

That being said, when the playoffs started last year I would have said the same thing about the Arizona Cardinals... and they chewed up the NFC and spit them out. They looked like the most balanced team in football in January, and they were about one minute away from winning it all.

14 wins, zero losses, and counting.

In about 2 hours the NY Jets will face the Indianapolis Colts. Manning and is squad have had their ups and down in 2009. Some weeks they have looked dominate, and they have looked very average in others. They are 14-0 because they find a way to win. The Jets, on the other hand, have found different and creative ways to lose. The Colts have won multiple games on the final play and we have done the opposite. Thats why they are preparing for the post season, and our players will be watching from home.

Rex and Mark are in a very advantageous position this week. They are playing an elite team in their house. Indy has everything to lose, and we have very little to lose. We are huge underdogs and we have one of the least experienced QB's going head to head with the very best QB of his generation. Peyton needs 148 yards passing to break the 50K mark... a real milestone. I am only guessing here, but I am confident that there is only one record on his mind today... 19-0. With a real shot at going undefeated and making even more history, #18 and his teammates will be playing their hearts out this week.

All of these reasons are why the Jets are in a great position to save their season. The playoffs are out of our reach, but a win this week would validate Rex's entire rookie champaign as a head coach. If we beat the Colts it would give us real momentum going into 2010. It would also guarantee 8 wins and we would avoid a losing season... we would even have a shot at 9-7. To take this concept a little further, if Sanchez could put up a high quality performance, his overall public image would get a much needed facelift.

The keys to victory are simple. #1) No turnovers by the offense or special teams. #2) We need to convert on 3rd down. Quick "three and out" drives are fatal against an explosive offense like Indy. #3) Our defense and special teams need to score points and cause turn overs. #4) Peyton needs to be on his back... early and often. The Colts are a finesse team in all three phases, we need to manhandle them and take them out of their comfort zone.

I feel confident that the Colts will win this game, but if the Jets have a chance it will come down to making plays at the end of the game, something we have failed at this year and the Colts have specialized in. A game winning play by #6 at the buzzer would have some real long term ramifications.

Playoff predictions including my Superbowl picks...

In the AFC the Colts and Chargers should be the two top seeds. The Pats should win the East. I am not convinced the Bengals have the North locked up. The Ravens have a harder schedule, but they are very dangerous. I have a feeling they will steal the division, and the Bengals will be the wildcard. As for the other wildcard, I would watch out for Jacksonville.

In the NFC the Saints, Cards and Vikings have all clinched their division. The first wildcard should be Green Bay, no question. As for the winner of the NFC East and which team will take the other wildcard... thats a tough question. I see the Eagles winning the division and Dallas as the final playoff team from the NFC.

My final four would be Green Bay and the Saints on the NFC side and the Colts and Chargers from the AFC.

And finally: I predict a Saints/ Chargers Superbowl with Brees getting revenge against the team that dumped him after a minor shoulder injury. This is a the Saints year, but for me the real story would be how A.J. Smith, the Chargers GM, drafted both of the starting QB's in the same Superbowl. That would be a hell of a thing to put on ones resume.

The great thing about the NFL is that there is only two weeks left in the season, and I could be wrong about the teams who actually make the postseason, not to mention the Superbowl teams. One of the real variables in Pro Football is how quickly a teams fate can be altered by one play. All of my top four teams have elite QB's, and a significant injury can happen at any time.

December Deja-vu... Jets vs. Falcons week 15

I'm going to keep this as streamlined and simple as possible. We aren't losing games because of Mark Sanchez. Our defense and their lack of conditioning is to blame. Sanchez, Schottenheimer, and our offense are the strength of our team and will be the key to our future. I'm done with complaining about the decision to start the rookie, and all of the other miscues I have warned about since before the draft in April. If you are interested in reading about that, feel free to go to the archive. I want to talk about today... and tomorrow.

Our "#1 defense" is a complete fraud. We are on track to make history this season. We will most likely end up as the first team to have the #1 ranked defense and not make the playoffs... sickening. We have some excellent young players on the defensive side of the ball, but we also have some overpaid underachievers. Guys like Bryan Thomas, Kerry Rhodes, and Sean Ellis have huge contracts. They have all been inconstant over the past few years. The Jets response, or lack there of, is what's wrong with this team today.

A few weeks ago I suggested the termination of or GM Mike Tannenaum. Mr T has done some very good things as our top guy, but we are facing our 3rd straight year with out a playoff birth, that would be 3 out of four years if you are counting. As an organization we need to hold every member to a high standard based on performance. For me, the Favre debacle, coupled with 3 straight years without even a sniff at the postseason, is enough for me to say goodbye with no regrets.

We need to send a clear message to players, coaches, and even those in the front office that your pay check is based on delivering when it counts. That would eliminate slacking players like the trio I just mentioned, and it would also help to prevent losses like the one this past week against the Falcons. Our defense continues to let us down at key moments. They aren't opportunistic, and no matter what the stats say, they may not even be a top 10 squad right now... not to mention "#1".

We have to dump the dead weight on this team, and Rex needs to run a tighter ship. Sloppy special teams mistakes like 3 missed field goals this week or two back to back TD returns against Miami are the result of a lack of preparation. The 'swagger' is great, but in 2010 Rex needs to incorporate a lot more discipline.

3 games to go...

We have three games left and all three opponents are balanced, dynamic squads who are coached well. We don't have a realistic shot at the playoffs, but we do have a shot at the two top seeded teams in our conference thanks to the scheduling Gods.

In reality the Colts and Bengals will probably rest a lot of their starters. It is so important that we finish the 2009 champaign playing solid football. Right now the heat is off of Rex and Mark and thats because of one simple reason... we are winning games. In NY there is only one thing that matters... WINS. If we drop these final few games, and Greene and Sanchez continue to struggle, the offseason will be full of distractions.

As fans we need to prepare ourselves for a few things in 2010. First of all Mark Sanchez will not look like Peyton Manning next year. He will still be learning and still making mistakes. It doesn't take 1 season to learn how to play QB in the NFL. Luckily he is surrounded by a pretty solid team, so it should help expedite the learning process.

Secondly, Thomas Jones has done an amazing job this year, but he will probably hit the wall very soon. RB's in the NFL don't decline gradually, they fall off a cliff. Expect to see some new faces in our backfield. I hope to see a lot more touches for Shonn Greene in 2010, and it's hard to say if Neon Leon Washington will be able to perform at the same level. I feel confident that the Jets will extend him with a contract that is loaded with performance based incentives, but will he still have his burst and elite agility?

3rd: I would also expect some big changes on the D-line. We are currently ranked as the number one defense in the NFL, and we are top 10 in every important category except for one. We are ranked 17th in total sacks... we need to improve our pass rush. Sean Ellis has his best days behind him. He has overachieved a little this year, but it time to get some youth at the DE position. We haven't had solid, 'bookend' DE's since the heyday of Ellis/Abraham. Richard Seymour is miserable in Oakland and will do anything to get out of the Bay area.

He will be a free agent after the season, but Oakland has the right to franchise him. They won't let him leave without any compensation. I'd offer Ellis and maybe even Thomas Jones as bait for a game changer like Seymour. I'm sure he would love to be back in the AFC East and have a shot at sticking it to Belichick twice a year. He has at least 3 more solid seasons in him, and a veteran on the weak side of the line and another at DT (Jenkins) would be nicely complimented by a young (possibly a rookie) DE on the strong side.

There are a few guys who could end up elsewhere in 2010 who may be considered expendable. Some of these players have shown me flashes of greatness. For many years I felt Brad Smith was a waste of a roster spot. I am starting to feel he can become an important part of our offense in 2010 if he can get some consistent touches, and if he is also allowed to throw the ball once in a while. He is a true triple threat, I wouldn't make him the centerpiece of the offense, but I would target him at least 2 or 3 times as a receiver, and let him take a minimum of 4-5 snaps as a wildcat QB. With 6-8 touches, including some option plays where he can run or throw the ball, he can make an impact.

Another player who is finally on my radar is Danny Woodhead. I wasn't very impressed with him as a preseason RB, but now that I have had the chance to see him as a slot receiver who can also play out of the backfield, I am starting to see what everyone else has been excited about. This guy is elusive and has excellent burst. A wildcat package with Smith, Woodhead and Washington could be pretty damn scary next year if used effectively.

One more guy who may get his walking papers at season end is Brian Schottenheimer. He has been criticized very heavily this season, and he has had a handful of questionable calls. I felt that our first game vs. Buffalo was his only 'bad' game. He was way too aggressive with his game plan, but I do understand why he was trying to spark our offense. Other than that game I would grade his play calling as an A+. The passing game has looked sloppy and out of sync... that has a little to do with a rookie QB, but it's not all #6's fault. I don't think this team is getting enough reps in practice and either Schotty or Rex are to blame for that. Even though we are a bit to 'player friendly' in the coaching department, I'd like to see us hold on to our entire coaching staff.

One final note. I would like to see Kellen Clemens move on. It' not because I don't like him, it's because he is young and it's not fair for him to simply waste away on the bench. He deserves a chance to compete for a starting job, and thats not going to happen here. Some potential teams that could use his services would be the Raiders, the Seahawks, the Panthers and the Rams. I really like his arm and skill set... he just needs more playing time so he can develop the confidence to navigate the pocket a little better.

With all this being said, we still have 3 games left in 2009, as I mentioned before. We may be out of the playoffs, but these next few weeks will have long lasting ramifications.

ZZZZZZZZZ... Jets vs. Bucs week 14

Wow, the NY Jets beat the worst team in football and their rookie QB. I wish I could say I am impressed. In reality I am much more impressed with Tampa's flamboyantly gay 'old-school' logo featured above. Back in those days they were the cream-cycle, homosexual Raiders from florida... there's no other way to explain it. Anyways, back to the present day.

Our defense looked pretty good, most especially our elite duo of David harris and Darrelle Revis. #24 had a play late in the 3rd quarter defending a 'back shoulder' pass to Antonio Bryant. When running a route like this, a WR will take off at full speed straight down the the sideline. The QB will throw the ball behind the receiver to his back shoulder. The WR will stop and let the defensive back pass him and catch the ball. When the timing is perfect this is almost impossible to defend, except when you try it on Revis Island.

In anticipation Revis felt the receiver coming to a dead stop and reached back with his left hand, deflecting the pass with his finger tips. Darrelle has 6 INT's this year, but it's the little things he does that make him this years defensive MVP. He may not receive this great honor, but he certainly has earned it.

Thomas Jones continues to look like a 25 year old back instead of an old man in his 30's. I want to go on record as saying that there is no question that Jones takes steroids. His physical transformation over the past 5 years is only rivaled by Mark McGwire's mutation in the 90's. The NFL generally gets a pass on any legitimate roid' investigations, but if Jones keeps this up this kinda' play for another few years, questions may start to spring up. That was an attempt at humor.

On a much less funny note, Kerry Rhodes obviously spent all of his energy 'twittering' like a spoiled child and had very little left for the game on Sunday. I was as disgusted by his comments this past week about playing elsewhere next year. The only reason Rhodes wasn't suspended by the coach was because it would be a huge story and a possible distraction. I am convinced now that the Jets are done with Kerry and he will be gone soon enough. I, for one, am counting the days.

I am very encouraged by Shonn Greene. He has had ball control issues and is very obviously a rookie. He had a huge fumble in this game on the tail end of a long run. It's frustrating to watch, but it's par for the course... they call them rookies for a reason. However, he is a powerful 'north/south' runner who has excellent acceleration and impressive vision. He just needs to be coached up on how to hold that pigskin with 3 contact points at all times.

Bart Scott officially made the most bone headed move of the Jets 2009 season by getting into a fight with one of the Bucs special teams players ad proceeded to rip off his helmet and throw it. Instead of a punt, the Bucs were given a 1st down and the defense had to go back to work. FAIL.

We are 7-6 and have a real shot at 8-8. I would be very satisfied with a .500 season all things considered. The playoffs are out of reach, maybe not mathematically, but realistically we are done. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Mike Tannenbam should be terminated. He has been our GM for 4 seasons. We have missed the playoffs 3 times during that stretch. A message should be sent that results are all that matter in this organization.

Mr. T has made some moves that have worked out well, and he has also botched a few things. I like his drafts overall, but I hate the way he trades away draft picks. The team he inherited in 2006 was a real mess, and the NY Jets are much more talented today. But, in the end, he is 1 for 3... and thats 3 years in a row without a playoff birth.

Vernon Gholston... and other off-season questions

#50 Vernon Gholston was the #6 overall pick in the 2008 draft. The NY Jets fans suffered through a disastrous 2007 champaign, and the one bright spot was the fact that we had a top 10 draft pick as a result. The whole idea behind drafting a player in the first round, as apposed to the 7th round, is the players ability to make an impact... in the long term. If you look at LB's who have been drafted highly in the past decade, very few make a significant impact from day one. Guys like Merriman and Vilma are exceptions to the rule.

That being said, Gholston has yet to record any real stats (zero sacks, zero FF, zero INT, and a handful of tackles) because he has yet to win the starting job. His playing time has been limited because he is fat and happy right now. He's a guy who got a scholarship to a big name college and played his heart out. Next thing he knew, the NFL was knocking on his door with a truckload of cash. He's going through the motions, but at this point of his life he doesn't realize how quickly this whole wild ride can come to an end.

In this case I trust that the powers that be will do the right thing regarding this player. If they keep him it will only be because he has shown that he is ready to start giving 100%. The Jets can easily dump him this offseason and they won't need to deal with any salary cap ramifications. Fans are completely outraged by his huge salary and lack of production, but luckily the experts make the decisions.

When draft choices like Gholston don't pan out... "the experts" end up going back to whatever it was they did before they we team architects. Make no mistake, Mr. T's job will be in real jeopardy if we miss the playoffs again (3 out of his 4 years as GM) and our coaches decide #50 is a waste of space.

There are some other players who may or may not be wearing the green and white in 2010.

Lito Sheppard has struggled with nagging injuries and has been outplayed by our nickel back Dwight Lowery. Rumors have already started regarding the Jets dumping the former Eagle after only one season. Braylon Edwards has also been a non-factor and there is talk about him being released. There is no chance either one of these players are let go. If, hypothetically, we did release these two players, that would make it 3 trades in two years (including Favre) that have cost us multiple draft picks and yielded only one season of service (and in Edwards case it would only be a partial season). That would be unprecedented In the NFL, and also absurd.

Not all of our players have been a disappointment. Players like Sean Ellis and Thomas Jones have been stand-outs and conventional thinking seems to dictate extending both of them into 2010 and beyond. Ellis is a pass rusher and Jones plays the most personally destructive position in all of football. DE's and RB's hit the wall very abruptly and the clock is ticking very loudly for both of these Jets.

As I have stated in previous posts I feel we should address the pass rushing DE, running back and right tackle spots in this years draft. If we could get some trade value for players like Ellis or Jones I would be all for it. We need to get younger at key positions and there are some interesting players available in this draft.

Jets vs. Bills.... Lucky week 13

The Jets beat the Bills in Toronto on Thursday night. For the second week in a row we squeaked out a win against one of the leagues poorest teams. They have an interim head coach, a back up QB from Harvard, and their "home field" for this weeks game is about 100 miles from their real home. With the chips stacked in our favor we still made it look hard.

The story of the game revolved around two missed TD opportunities and a minor injury to #6's knee. Sanchez grossly overthrew Cotchery on a simple post route and on the following drive he delivered a perfect strike to Edwards who was wide open thanks to a blown coverage. Edwards dropped the pass, and a 'go-ahead' 84 yard TD never happened.

We had a bunch of close calls on offense, and our best overall player, Darrelle Revis, also had some missed INT's on defense. #24 played an excellent game by pretty much making T.O. a non-factor for the second time this season. That being said, he dropped at least 3 easy picks, and Lito Sheppard also let an easy one slip away which would have been a sure TD. We could have easily put up 40 plus points on the Bills, but pro football is all about inches and fractions of seconds.

Miami beat the Pats on Sunday and as a result the Jets are still a contender in the AFC East. Let me be 100% clear, we have NO CHANCE of making it to the playoffs. It's not because we have a rookie QB... it's not because we have a rookie head coach.... it's because we have lost to too many AFC teams. Our division record and conference record are horrible. We would need to somehow end up with the best record in our division. Miami and New England simply have easier schedules down the stretch. We still have the Colts and Bengals in our future, and they are currently the two top seeds in the AFC. Sorry Jets fans, but it isn't happening this year.

On the bright side, we are still technically alive after 12 games and thats very important. This is our first year with a new regime, if we end up at .500 and the players still have something to play for up until the end... that would make this season a success in my eyes. Of coarse, we still have 4 games to play. If we drop the next 4 and Mark puts up another 10 INT's to top of 2009... well, I guess it's safe to say 09' can still have a crash landing.

Looking to next year I see our defensive line as our #1 priority. I would list our area's on need as follows: #1 RE... #2 RT... #3 DT... #4 RB... #5 TE... #6 ROLB. We have really neglected our defensive line in the draft for quite a while. There is one player who is currently on the roster that I am concerned about moving forward. I see him as the key to our offense and he is our most talented overall player next to Revis.

His wears #17 and he is currently one big question mark. Edwards is a rare talent, and he can change a game in one play. The main knock on him from day one has been his dedication to his craft. He is currently in an ideal situation. 2010 will define Edwards career. He will either use this offseason as a chance to finally focus himself on becoming an elite WR once and for all... or... he will half-ass his way through the OTA's and training camp and his career will start to fade into irrelevance for good. Someone needs to get in this players face and make him realize he is at the crossroads of his football life.

I would love to see us evolve into a spread offense with Edwards and Clowney out wide, Cotchery in the slot and Keller at TE. A single back formation with our current O-line up front would be pretty scary. We still need a big TE to compliment Keller and another young RB, but the offense is pretty well stacked.

Sanchez needs to finish well, and the powers that be need to do a complete evaluation of our current roster over the next 4 weeks. Players like Rhodes need to be purged from this squad and a few more hungry, young pieces to the puzzle have to be added.

Week 12: Jets vs. Panthers

I'm going to be a little bit of a Debbie Downer here, but 4 INT's vs. Jake Delhomme is nothing to brag about. Obviously Jake has lost his mojo. He's 34, has 8 TD's and 18INT's and a 59 QB rating. My grandmother could have snagged one of those lame duck passes. The Panthers offense is ranked in the bottom percentile in points scored, passing, and total yards. Their defense is equally as bad in points allowed and rushing defense. They are a horrible team, plain and simple.

With the aid of a whole bunch of turnovers, we only managed to squeak out a 6-17 win... in our house. That is nothing to be excited about, but it is sure better than another loss. What is there to be excited about? Rhodes showed some life. I have been a fan of him since his rookie season, and I started calling for his benching in September. He simply has played with no fire, and it has been sickening to watch. This week he showed some heart, maybe this benching will help him re-emerge as a playmaker on our defense.

Revis was amazing, and I really think that if our team had a more respectable record and was a legitimate playoff contender, Revis would be in-line for more than a probowl. He had a real shot at being the first defensive player in years to be considered for league MVP.

Again, Carolinas run defense is one of the worst in the league. Thomas Jones is having another excellent season. He only carried the ball 25 times, and only 10 touches for Greene. I really don't get it, I would have run the ball at least 40 to 50 times.

This lackluster win is behind us and in 4 days we face the Bills in Canada. It's very hard to be excited about a 5-6 team facing two teams who are also below .500 in the same week. I hope these next 5 weeks will be about evaluating who wee need to keep around and who needs to be given their walking papers during the offseason.

The Vince Young Bandwagon...

All aboard!!!!!!!!

The dynamic, game changing QB from the Tennessee Titans is setting the football world on fire..... again. This talented young player was holding a clipboard for over a year while Jeff Fisher kept endorsing Kerry Collins as the Titans 'best chance to win'.

He wouldn't let Young compete for the starting job this offseason and let his team drop the first 6 games of the season until pressure from his owner forced him to play Young... yes I said FORCED him to make the move.

Now, after a 5 game winning streak everyone and their mother is saying Young should have been the starter from day one. NBC's Football Night in America even bragged about how Tony Dungy started calling for Vince to play after the Titans were 0-4... three weeks before the change was made.

Well, not to toot my own horn, but I was calling for Young to be the starter for Tennessee or for him to be traded back on June 2nd: Vince Young Post . I documented that Fisher was not only doing a disservice to his team, but to the whole league by letting #10 waste away on the bench. Note to self: you know your stuff!

My first annual "ALL-Wagner Team"

Copyright- Main Entry: copy-right The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the form and matter of something.

I am sure John Madden is much too busy counting video game royalties to check my blog and prosecute me for stealing his intellectual property. So, without further adieu... heres my list of players who best exemplify how the game of football should be played. If I could choose any players for my own NFL Franchise, this would be the squad. (Don't expect a lot of Jets).

QB- Eli Manning: I love his ultra stable, level headed approach to the game. He has a big arm, can perform under pressure, runs a great 2min offense, and has yet to miss a game with injury.

RB- Chris Johnson: He is the only back in the NFL today that plays his position like the RB's I grew up watching as a kid. He is not just a little guy with a fast 4o yard dash time. He is a complete player. Joseph Addai gets an honorable mention here, but he is simply injured too often.

FB- Vonta Leach (Houston Texans): He has 388 yards receiving and 3 yards rushing in his 8 year career. Not a real threat to make the H.OF., however he is big, strong and know how to lead block. I also like my FB's with a scary headhunter name like 'VONTA'.

WR1- Calvin Johnson: 6'5" 240lbs, and a nickname like 'Megatron'. My kinda player... He may very well be the best overall player in the entire NFL at any position. If I was starting a franchise he would be player #1... and I have never felt that way about a WR.

WR2- Donald Driver: 34 years young. He can't have more than one or two good years left, but he is such a pleasure to watch. 100% on every play... every week.

TE- Vernon Davis: He owes his soul to Mike Singeltary. Not only has he become disciplined and focused, but he is starting to shine like a superstar. He is fast, has amazing hands and makes plays when it counts.

LT- Joe Thomas: If you need someone to guard your blindside... this is the man.

LG- Chris Kemoeatu: He took Alan Faneca's job... thats all I have to say.

C- Nick Mangold: A NY Jet sighting on my list... finally.

RG- Chris Snee: Great run blocker, very durable.

RT- Michael Oher: His story was enough to earn him a spot here.

DT1- Kevin Williams: my first player from the Vikings D-line. Best DT I have ever seen in football.

DT2- Pat Williams: Here's #2.

LE- Jared Allen: and #3... best pass rusher in the game today.

RE- Justin Tuck: He is the scariest looking guy next to Calvin Pace in the league. If I was a blocker who had to line up across from #91... I think I would just weep, I wouldn't even be able to fake being tough.

LOLB- Manny Lawson: 6'5" and 240lbs of pure terror. He is starting to come into his own and if he truly develops he will be unstoppable.

ILB- Ray Lewis: I usually like younger players, and I hate old men that hang around the NFL past their prime. This may very well be Ray-Ray's last effective season, but he is playing his heart out. His energy is infectious. Closest thing I have seen to Singeltary's ferocity in his prime.

ILB2- Paul Posluszny: One of the most underrated LB's in the NFL. He can do it all. He has struggled with injuries. If he can stay healthy for a stretch he can lift the Bills defense to the next level.

ROLB- James Harrison: He's 6'0" tall and 242lbs. Watching him play I would have said he is at least 6'4" and 260. I like DeMarcus Ware more as an all around athlete, but Harrison is a savvy street fighter on Sundays. He doesn't have Ware's natural physical gifts but he makes up for it with one massive chip on his shoulder.

CB1- Darrelle Revis: Our bright spot during a dark season. He's the one player that Jets fans can be proud of week in and week out. Thank you Darrelle. His domination of Moss, Andre Johnson, Colston, and T.O. has been a spectacle to behold in 2009.

CB2- Asante Samuel: He may be better than Revis, but I can't give a former Patriot that much credit. Call it a personality flaw. He's lucky he plays in Philly... or he wouldn't have made this list.

SS- Chris Hope: One of the most solid safteys in the NFL for almost a decade. If you don't know his name, shame on you!

FS- Darren Sharper: 7 INT's, 317 return yards and 3 defensive TD's... in only 10 games... at 34 years of age. Sharper, Vilma and those outstanding defensive ends have made the Saints squad one of the most complete this league has to offer.

Happy Thanx Givin'... I'm off to eat my Turduckin'... and then a little Madden 10 (There's a free plug John, now we are even!)

Sanchez... the truth and the facts.

OK, lets breakdown Sanchez's first 10 games in an honest unemotional way. He's got 1800 yards 10 TD's and 16 INT's. If we compare him to a guys like Dan Marino or Peyton Manning that would probably be a bit unfair. Lets compare him to Ben Roethisberger and Eli Manning.

Big Ben played 14 games and put up 2600 yards 17TD's and 11INT's. He also had a 66.4 completion percentage compared to Mark's 55%. Better stats overall, no question. How about we use Ben's stats from 2006, his third year as a starter. He played 15 games... 3500 yards, 18TD's and 23 INT's. Oh, and his completion percentage was 59.7. Thats after all the rookie growing pains. So, if Mark can match those numbers(and he very well may) does that mean he should get a 100 million dollar contract? I know that in 05' the Steelers won the Superbowl, but Big Ben had about as much to do with that win as I did (9of 21, 123yrds 0TD's 2INT's).

Eli Manning played 9 games during his rookie season. He had 1,043 yards 6TD's 9INT's and a 48.9 completion percentage. At the end of 2004, Giants fans everywhere were very nervous that they had a colossal bust on their hands. The reason Eli survived his lack luster rookie season was because he was 'handled' properly by his team.

Eli cost the Giants a hell of a lot more than Mark cost us. They gave up multiple picks as well as Philip Rivers. We gave up a low 1st round pick and Bret Ratliff, and some other bench players... not exactly the same price. In Eli's case he sat on the bench for the first half of the season. When he finally got on the field he struggled, but the playoffs were already out of reach. So, Eli wasn't blamed for ruining anything, he just looked like normal rookie.

Rex and Mr. T have put #6 in a horrible spot. The basic percentages dictate that a young signal caller is going to make some mistakes that can only be classified as stupid. Thats because rookie QB's are stupid. Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan and Roethisberger aren't prodigy's, they just played on teams that were very hungry and opportunistic. Mark Sanchez doesn't have that luxury, he has had to put the team on his shoulders way too many times. He starts to force things and thats never good, no matter how much experience you have as a QB.

At this point benching Sanchez will only give a ready made headline to the newspapers, television and talk radio. If I were Rex I would leave him in there. Ultimately it comes down to a simple reality... 'sink or swim'. The Jets decided, with very little strategy, to throw him in the water and see what happens. Well Rex, your #1 draft pick is drowning and you better find a way to help him keep his head above water.

I believe that Mark has what it takes to be an NFL QB. He has some nice mechanics and footwork, he also has much better accuracy and arm strength than I thought when I watched him in college. He's pretty good with the press and is a good face of the franchise. I think Jets fans are a bit spoiled in that regard because we had a guy like Pennington as our starter for so long. QB's like Vince Young, Alex Smith, and Jay Cutler are horrible when dealing with the media. Mark actually has personality and knows the right thing to say... most of the time.

I can see why the Jets were so high on Sanchez and why they wanted to draft him. To be completely honest, if I were the Jets GM I may have tried to trade up to #1 just to ensure the USC QB would be a Jet. That how much upside he has and how well I think he fits our team. However, I would have insulated him and tried to use a little strategy.

The best QB prospect coming out of college that I have seen in the past 20 years was Carson Palmer. He was the most complete package. Even Palmer sat on the bench during his rookie season. It paid huge dividends and most football experts would say he compares very well to guys like Brady and Peyton Manning. For anyone who wants to compare Troy Aikman to our struggling rookie. I don't even know where to start. Troy was 7-19 over his first two seasons with 20 TD's 36 INT's and 55 completion percentage. Any rookie QB will compare favorably to Aikman.

All we can hope for is a little bit of success and maybe some luck during the remainder of this season. Dirty Sanchez has six games left in 09'. If he can win 3 of those six, and tightens up his game a bit the press will probably allow him to live to see another season. At this point it's not mistake to keep him in as the starter. The mistake was starting him in the first place.

The winners and the losers...

... the movers and shakers... the players who should have zigged when they zagged. Players and teams make important decisions during the offseason regarding those who will jump ship. Sometimes it works out for the better and sometimes... well, sometimes... not so much.

One guy who must be pretty peeved is none other than Mr. T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Seattle Seahawks. He was stuck in Cincinnati for years. He was surrounded by a bunch of selfish thugs who made winning football games very low on their priority lists. All he did was play hard and produce... week in and week out. He played his contract out and became a free agent. He's was moderately sought after on the market and scored a nice contract with a good team. After 10 games his new team is 3-7 and the nightmare he left behind in Ohio has become a dream no one foresaw. LOSER

One the same note, Laveranues Coles begged to be released from the Jets and defected to Cincinnati. The up and coming team he left behind is in complete chaos and his new home is feeling pretty cozy right about now. WINNER

Jason Taylor was unceremoniously dumped by the Redskins, and for a while it looked like no one was going to touch him. He landed back in Miami and the Dolphins are now back in the playoff race after a 0-4 start. As for the Redskins... well things could be better in the nations capital. I'll leave it at that. WINNER

Jonathan Vilma was traded to the New Orleans Saints for very little compensation. He was coming off a knee injury and his stock had dropped dramatically. A year later he is the centerpiece for a new look defense and on his way to another Prowbowl. His team is 10-0 and if they play their cards right there may be another 'bowl' in their future even better than the Probowl. He's a special player and we really made a huge mistake letting him go. WINNER

Jay Cutler demanded to be traded and this may sound just a bit cliche, but be careful what you ask for. Chicago is the worst possible place to play QB in the NFL. Rex Grossman led the Bears to the Superbowl, and half way through the following season was sent to the bench... forever. Cutlers fragile ego and Chicago's blunt force trauma treatment of their QB's is a volatile mix... to say the least. LOSER

The two moves that really perplexed me this offseason were made by players who were 100% free agents and had complete control where they signed. Torry Holy and Terrell Owens made horrible choices electing to play for The Jags and The Bills respectively. Both teams don't have elite QB's and have struggled this year (they also have one other thing in common... they beat the Jets). I am not clear why Holt signed before the draft. I really think his stock would have gone up after WR needy teams who didn't score the players they targeted in the draft began searching the market to fill holes.

I am also curious about the advice T.O. is receiving. He couldn't have found a better deal than playing for the Bills, a horrible team (again... who we lost to) without an established QB? They play in one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL, their owner is nuts, their coach is.... well he's unemployed now, and their is also a bit of an issue regarding the weather in Buffalo this time of year. He signed for a 1 year million dollar contract. If that was his only option he should have just sat out and waited for a big injury. Imagine if Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, or Reggie Wayne were to go down this week. If Owens was still available, he could write his own pay check and coast into the playoffs. LOSER

Our two big additions this offseason were Bart Scott(FA) and Lito Sheppard(trade). Both have had very little impact. Our two big draft picks were Sanchez and Greene. Again, very little impact from the rookies. So I guess I would have to grade the Jets offseason as an 'F'. LOSERS

Rhodes will ride the bench....

I began my harsh criticism of #25 very early this season. He has simply been playing with no passion. He has not been hitting, is consistently out of position on tackles and is always a few steps late in pass coverage. Rhodes does have the talent to be a premiere DB in this league... there is no question.

He is totally caught up in all of the worst trappings of being a successful pro athlete in NYC. He is pursuing a modeling career in the offseason, dating singers and actresses and spends more time on the red carpet than in the weight room. He believes the hype 100% and thinks his natural talent is enough to get the job done. When the RB's and WR's you are charged with covering are faster and more gifted that you, and they are also working twice as hard, the only logical outcome is the bench becoming your BFF.

The straw that broke the camels back seemed to be a half-ass tackle on Welker over the middle in the Patriots game. He had a chance to inflict some serious pain on the little shifty WR. Instead he just brushed him with his shoulder. I have seen plays like that all season from Kerry, so I was not as shocked as some other fans. For me, the final outrageous Rhodes moment was when he asked fans, via his twitter page, to vote for him for the Probowl. That was simply disgusting. He really thinks he has been the same player, and at that point I knew he needed a wake up call.

Reports from around the league say that because of his benching the Jets will almost certainly release or trade Rhodes in the offseason. What they fail to realize is the player who is stepping in for #25 is not an all-pro prospect. Eric Smith is an OK back up, but I don't expect him to set the world on fire.

If the Jets are going to move Rhodes they would need a big offer from another team, or someone to step up in the remainder of the 09' season. If we don't have a solid player in Rhodes spot, he will hang around longer than most fans would like. On the brighter side of this whole disappointing ordeal, we know Rhodes has the talent... maybe this situation will help him to get refocused, and he can return to his previous form. He is still young. As much as I have been hard on him I still have a little faith left that he can pull it together.

2010.... where ya at? Jets vs. Patriots... week 11

Just End The Season... J- E- T- S-.... how many times have I heard that in my 20+ years as a Jets fan? Too many is the answer. Am I concerned about Mark Sanchez? Another 5+ turnover game is sickening to watch. Rookie QB's all struggle and #6 is no exception to the rule. What I am concerned about is the rabid, wild dogs, better know as the NY media, who are barking and howling regarding this struggling young player.

I feel very confident that Sanchez's confidence is holding on by a string. Trying to lead this team down the stretch... with no chance of making the post season, is going to rattle and possibly destroy his long term future as an NFL QB. I was very vocal about the dangers of starting him from day one, and my disdain for all of the 'swagerlishous' trash talking that started the day Rex Ryan came to town. Rex has dug his own grave and he would probably find the thought of a nice, cozy, 6ft deep hole to hide in pretty inviting right about now.

So, here are two key facts as we find ourselves 4-6 and out of playoff contention.

Mark is going to be our QB for at least the next two seasons. He will progress eventually, provided he doesn't catch 'Ryan Leaf-itis' and loses his mojo for good.

Rex will be our coach until at least the end of next season. I think there is little chance he will get fired this year, but if his QB doesn't catch on and his team keeps losing games they should win... 2010 could be his last season.

Rex and Mark aren't going anywhere... so what changes should we make to improve in 2010?

This team does have talent. Mike Tannenbaum inherited a pretty bad team in 2006 and the team has better overall players today. That being said, he has made some huge, unacceptable blunders. If I am Woody Johnson, I would fire Mr. T this week. Send a definitive message to your team and the league that this organization is committed to holding everyone involved accountable for their performance.

Woody would have 5-7 weeks to put together an aggressive champaign to find our new GM. There are a lot of reasons why this job would be one of the most desirable jobs in all of football. The HUGE salary certainly doesn't hurt as bait, but there is a lot more to this position than money. Any one that knows football would have to see that this is a bad team with some pretty good players. Not many NFL teams with a 'help wanted' sign on the GM's office door can say that. I see 4 men who are the best overall minds in football today.

#1 is Ozzie Newsome of the Baltimore Ravens. He is obviously not available and he also passed on Rex in the past, so I doubt he would be interested anyway.

#2 is Bill Polian of the Colts. He has been doing it for a long time and knows what it takes to build an winning NFL team. Also, no chance he's going anywhere.

#3 is Bill Parcells of the Miami Dolphins. We could have had him when he was a free agent after he left the Cowboys. I can guarantee you that Favre debacle would have never happened on his watch, and I can also say, with confidence, that we would have a veteran QB (like Jeff Garcia) starting for us and Sanchez would be learning and watching in 2009. He's never 'un-available', but I don't see him coming here.

#4 is A.J. Smith of the Chargers. This guy knows how to build a team through the draft. He is not about taking short cuts or trying to make flashy moves in order to get his picture in the paper. I believe with all my heart that he could tweek our coaching staff and roster and eliminate whatever, or whomever is holding this team back from taking the next step.

Is he available? Well, no he is not. However, he has had an amazing 10 year run on the west coast, and frankly his Chargers are getting old. If they can't make it happen this year, there will be a lot of rebuilding to do. The team is also seriously considering moving to Los Angeles. With all of these big changes facing him, he may be seriously thinking about making a move. If I could score one of the best football minds and team architects in all of football... I would make it happen, no matter what it takes.

As for the game... I'll make it quick. 15 receptions... 192 yards. That pretty much says it all. Welker was covered all day by linebackers. Thats a receipt for disaster and is completely unacceptable. Why does Thomas Jones touch the ball only 21 times? Why does Brady have 5+ seconds to throw the ball on every snap? I have a lot of questions, but it's up to our coaches to figure out the answers. It's funny to me how all of sudden everyone and their mother has noticed that Kerry Rhodes has lost his fire and is useless on the Sundays. I have been saying it since week one so I'll stop beating a dead horse.

A few players did stand out in a good way this week. David Harris was a beast, like usual. He was beat a few times by Welker, but no middle LB in the history of the NFL could cover Welker consistently. Sean Ellis also played one hell of game. Revis did his job, and thats no small task. He held Moss to approximately 50 yards in TWO games this season. Wow. And of coarse, Mr. Cotchery delivered... but thats a given.

A team with an elite CB and ILB... some dangerous, young offensive weapons, a dominate offensive line, and a QB that has a lot of upside shouldn't be a hard sell to our next GM. As Jets fans we have one bright spot in our future... opening day, 2010.

Fevered Dreams: Hindsight being 20/20

I was thinking about how close we were to scoring Daren McFadden in the 2008 draft. Instead the Raiders stole him, and we got stuck with one of the laziest soon-to-be draft busts in our illustrious drafting history (Gholston). So I was thinking, why not go back to the 2005 draft and do some back seat driving... after the fact. Hindsight is always 20/20.

It's April 2005, the Jets are coming off one of their most complete seasons, which ended in a heartbreaking OT loss to Pittsburgh. We had an aging RB and O-line, a solid Defensive line and we desperately needed to start rebuilding our secondary. In that draft we chose Mike Nugent with our top pick. This was a horrible pick to say the least. It ranks up there with picking Blair Thomas over Junior Seau and Emmitt Smith in 1990. In 05' we took Nugent and Justin Miller in the second round and left guys like Vincent Jackson, Frank Gore, and Justin Tuck on the board. Imagine Ellis, Jenkins and Tuck on our D-line. Wow! We did score a good value in the 4th round with the selection of Kerry Rhodes. His best days seem to be behind him, but he was looking like a real steal until we gave him a big contract. We also picked up Pouha in that draft, and he his finally making a contribution, 5 years later.

In 06' Mr Tannenbaum took the reigns and he had a lot of holes to fill. He landed Ferguson and Mangold in the first round. I love our center, who may be the best in football today. As for the D'Brick pick... in that draft I had two players targeted with the #4 overall pick: Haloti Ngata and Reggie Bush. I knew there was little chance Bush would slip to us, but there was little doubt Ngata would not be available when our pick was up. D'Brick has started every game since his rookie season. He's done a satisfactory job. Considering the value of that #4 overall pick, and the season Jets fans had to suffer through to earn that pick, I feel it was wasted on Ferguson. Ngata would have had much more of an impact for our team, no question.

In round two we took Kellen Clemens from Oregon. I liked the pick, and I wish he would have had a chance to start this year and get a crack at playing with our current O-line and offensive weapons. The powers that be didn't have faith in Kellen and now he holds a clipboard for a living. Considering the way things worked out I think that second round pick would have been better used on Greg Jennings or Maurice Jones-Drew. We did score Neon Leon later in the fourth round. There wasn't a ton of talent in that draft in later rounds, and we did pick up 3 impactful players.

In 2007 I was livid about how MR.T traded away a bunch of draft picks for a young CB out of Pitt and an ILB, especially considering that we already had Vilma on the roster. The 07' draft was very similar to the 09' draft where we mainly scored two players. For that to work, both players need to grow into probowlers, which is very unlikely. Well, in this case it worked out and Harris and Revis are the to most impactful members of our defense. We also picked up Stuckey, who was a big part of the trade that landed us Braylon Edwards. Can't really attack this draft.

In 2008 everyone could see how perfectly the Arkansas RB Darren McFadden would fit the NY Jets. We had the #6 overall pick and the only team that looked like a threat to snatch up McFadden before us was the Oakland Raiders at the #4 spot. As the commissioner announced Oakland's pick my heart dropped. Can you imagine our O-line opening up holes for this explosive young back, and players like Edwards, Keller, Cotchery, Washington and Sanchez filling out the line up on offense? Not only would we have the most exciting young offense this league has seen in years, we would also not have #50 Vernon Gholston on our roster.

My fantasy line up (using a little thing called the rear view mirror) would have a D-line made up of Justin Tuck, Jenkins, Ngata, and Ellis... and an offense with MJD and McFadden in the backfield and Greg Jennings complimenting Edwards and Cotchery. Sometimes it's easier to live in your own fantasy world as a Jets fan then in the real, 4-5 world. =)

"Absolut Bullshit"... behavior on gameday

This past Sunday Titans owner Bud Adams made some obscene gestures directed towards the fans in attendance at the Buffalo Bills game. As much as I agree with Mr. Adams assessment of the fans in Orchard Park NY, his behavior was sickening. The very rich and slightly deranged owner of the Titans has made a portion of his personal fortune from dollars that come from NFL fans.

There is a thing know as 'shared revenue'. It simply means that teams, like the Titans, that play in small markets and don't find themselves playing in the Superbowl very often, still get to participate in the millions of dollars that the NFL rakes in every year. So, I would think Mr. Adams would have the utmost respect and maybe even some love for NFL fans (who provide those dollars), even those of rival teams. If his heart is not overflowing with gratitude for all the greenbacks the fans have sent his way, I would hope he would at least have enough respect for his fellow man, as well as himself, to not wave his middle fingers at those sitting in the stands from his comfortable luxury box.

This spoiled, pompous, old man is not the first person to behave in a disgusting manner at an NFL game. Drunken, obnoxious, loud mouth behavior has become the rule and not the exception. I personally have encountered countless debaucherous and immature fans. The worst memory I have, the one that stands out the most, happened at the Giants season opener in September of 2005.

A few quick notes: it was Brandon Jacobs first game as a rookie, also Kurt Warners first game as a Cardinal... and his return to Giants stadium a year after playing for the Giants. Sitting in the seat directly behind me was a highly intoxicated man who was probably in his mid 30's, and was acting like he was 5 years old. To be perfectly honest, this was not one of the NFL's most dramatic games. The crowd was loud and enjoying the game, but this man was taking it to a whole new level.

He kept yelling and bragging to everyone around him about how much cocaine he had done while he was tailgating, and even gave me a personal invite to "do a few lines" with him after the game. The most sickening part of the game came during the 3rd quarter when this foul mouthed hooligan started to refer to every Giant player using the "N" word. He started throwing the N word around with some-sort-of evil glee and I think his amusement was coming from the fact there was a african american family of 5 sitting only 3 or 4 rows ahead of us. A mom and dad with their 3 young children we forced to listen to this low life, and the reason it still eats at me is because I did nothing to stop it.

The drunkenness and foul language that is now commonplace on any given Sunday has not only made the game day experience not suitable for children, but it's not bearable by decent adults either.

I was recently reading a shocking article online ( nfl.fanhouse.com ) about a Steelers fan who allegedly was poisoned at a Chicago bar after an altercation with some Bears fans. He was being persecuted for wearing his black and gold jersey and the Bears fans later offered him a drink to make amends. Shortly after consuming the mystery beverage the man passed out and was rushed to the hospital. When he regained consciousness he was temporarily blind. He may have been given a drink spiked with antifreeze, and even if those who did this didn't intend to kill him, they almost did.

There is something very primal and territorial about pro sports teams and the rival city's that they represent. The NFL was built on the electrifying and exciting game day experience and the hatred of the "other team" and their fans. However, when fans are getting attacked at games, things have gone to far.

It's fascinating to me how fans and society as a whole has regressed in their overall respect for other human beings. A lot of adult NFL fans discovered their passion for the game by going to the games when they were children. Don't we have an obligation to todays children to make sure the game day experience is suitable for them? If we can't do it for each other, maybe we can try to act like decent human beings for the children's sake.

I would like to hear Mr. Adams explain his behavior to his grandchildren.

Week 11 preview: What's worse... playing badly, or giving up?

Obviously the Jets aren't doing very well after 9 games. My original prediction regarding our record back in April was 8-8, and that was before we drafted Sanchez, and way before he was named the starter. With a rookie headcoach and QB making the playoffs is usually a pipe dream. Mike Smith and Jim Harbaugh really messed up the curve for Rex Ryan and his fellow freshman coaches around the league.

What we are seeing from this team is not 'A' typical. A smooth playoff run was not what I envisioned even before we decided to make #6 our starter. Here are the facts:

#1) We started the season strong, and during the first four weeks we won two games we were suppose to win, and beat our division rival in an upset. During that stretch we only lost to the Saints, who are arguably the best team in the NFL right now. That 3-1 start skewed some fans perception of this team.

#2) Since the Saints game we have dropped 4 of 5, and our only win was against the Raiders who are arguably the worst team in football. We got swept by Miami and our worst loss was by only 5 points.

#3) After all of the ups and downs, a win against the Pats this weeks leaves us one game back in our division and back to an even 5-5.

Watching poor inconsistent play is frustrating for fans, but the bigger issue is the overall direction of our beloved Jets. We need to stay in the playoff hunt. I don't feel there is any real chance we will make it, but the players need something to play for. This group gave up down the stretch last season and we all blamed Mangini and his heartless coaching style.

If they pack it in and give up at this point in the season... again... we are in for some long term trouble. A win this week won't change my opinion about our playoff hopes, but it could have some long term ramifications.

So, how do we beat the Brady bunch in their house? We have to make plays early in the game. A frustrated home crowd inevitably is a quiet crowd. We need to take all of those chowder swilling Pats fans out of the equation first. Our top paid 'superstars' like Revis, Rhodes, Ellis, Scott, Edwards, Cotchery and Thomas Jones need to take this game on their shoulders. These guys are suppose to be our leaders. Obviously we can only win if all of our players step up, but the 'star' players need to spark this team and lead by example.

The Pats have been playing well. They outplayed the Colts, who very well may be the best team in the AFC. If it wasn't for Belichick's arrogant call at the end of the game they would have won. All that being said, they are not perfect.

First off, their running game sucks. Maroney is a fraud. They substitute an efficient screen game for a ground attack, and it can be equally effective. Their passing game is one of the best in the league. Our secondary is healthy except for Jim Leonhard. Jim calls the plays on defense, and now that he's out David Harris will take over that job. The #1 ILB should be the guy communicating the calls and also changing the coverages. I believe in him. Our LB's are a big powerful squad, they need to be prepared to play. If they sit back and react they will get beat all day.

Our offense should be able to out play their slow one dimensional LB's and 'Seymourless' defensive line. Richard Seymour was the bain of my existence for the better part of this decade, and by some act of God the Pat's sent him off to football purgatory in Oakland.

I know we are huge underdogs, but I believe we matchup very well against this team. All that matters is that this team plays hard and shows some fire.

Our sloppiest game yet. The NY Jets vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars

I would like to focus my blame and disgust. I don't want to spread it around in an unorganized sloppy way. I don't want my blame to look like the NY Jets football team. I want it centered, crisp and clean... so I will aim it at one man: Head coach Rex Ryan.

Rex gave his team a weeks vacation immediately after they dropped 4 of 5 games. Well, now it's 5 of 6 and the big man has a lot of explaining to do. "Lucy, you got some splainin to do....".

The game opened up with a long pass down the field that was picked off. I have no problem with the play call or the actual pass (it was a bit under-thrown). The interception was simply an amazing play. I think there was a little luck involved also, it seemed to fall right into the DB's hands. I was shocked by what little effort Cotchery put into knocking it down. Jericho had a great game (like usual) and I guess every player can have a bad play from time to time.

What bothered me about this game was how some of our most reliable players didn't show up today. Most notably #52 David Harris. He has had a solid pro-bowl effort during the first 8 games of the season. I am confident he will finish the season strong as well. That being said, he was out of position all day. In my opinion this all goes back to preparation and our head coach.

I started to notice the rust in the first quarter when Mark threw a simple screen pass to Thomas Jones in the red zone. TJ had two linemen ahead of him and a clear path to the six points. Mark overthrew him and the ball slipped from his finger tips.

Another player who had a sloppy game was Braylon Edwards. He had a fumble that completely sucked the energy from our home crowd, and destroyed our momentum. He also dropped the two point conversion, and frankly thats a ball a #1 WR needs to hold on to. #6 was the most inaccurate he has been all year. He missed the screen to Jones, overthrew Edwards in the endzone in the second half, and threw nearly a half dozen balls into the ground. Again, preparation, preparation, preparation.

I won't spend much time on Kerry Rhodes, like usual he phoned it in this week. His lowlights included one of his patented half ass tackles on the 5 yard line that ended up as a TD (yes, a WR carried #25 12ft over the goal line). And of coarse, the classic blown coverage on the Jag's TE that was the play that broke our neck as a team and effectively cost us the game. Just for good measure, our classy safety finished off that blown coverage by getting to his feet and blaming his teammate by pointing and waving his arms. It sucks to be 4-5 after a 3-0 start, but if we had 10 more guys like Kerry Rhodes we could very well be 0-9 and making a run for Detroit's record of 0-16.

So, what does this loss mean? First off our post season hopes are fading very quickly. Second, our home field advantage is going to be non-existent for the rest of the regular season. Our fans won't be wasting their time showing up to games down the stretch now that the playoffs look like a long shot. Those who do show up will probably spend more time voicing their collective dissatisfaction than their approval. Third, our rookie QB will be officially branded a loser after his first season. That's always a receipt for success in NYC (that was meant to be verrrrrry sarcastic).

I have said, from the day Sanchez was drafted, that starting Clemens was the only thing that made sense. On August 9th I was very clear in my post ( Clemens should start ). Starting Clemens would have required strategy and thinking a few steps ahead of the game. I am not sure Rex Ryan is familiar with that process. If you start #11 and we go 4-5, you can call #6 off the bench and let him start the "Sanchez" era the right way. This 'all or nothing' approach is ignorant and my main problem with it is there is no plan B. Rex has no choice but to hang Sanchez out to dry, because if he benches him it will send a message that #6 has failed. The NY media doesn't treat failures with 50 million dollar contracts very nicely.

I am not trying to say I told ya so... but I told ya so. I know that Sanchez has had his ups and downs, but I have seen enough already to say that he is the real thing. He can play QB in this league and he even shows flashes of greatness. The question now is: will a losing season, some ugly rookie stats and the firestorm that is building from the NY media crush this young signal callers spirit? If we would have waited to start him that wouldn't be a concern.

I like the fact that Sanchez seems to be improving and learning as the season progresses (his two INT's today had no effect on the game). I also like the fact that with the game on the line he drove us down the field and we scored a TD. He even delivered the two point conversion pass on target, too bad #17 dropped it. This offense has unlimited potential in 2010, I just hope Rex Ryan starts to show some signs of growth and learns from all of his mistakes in 2009.

Week 10: Jets Jags preview...

On paper it's very hard to see how the Jets can lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars. We have been waiting to see our beloved Jets deliver in all three phases, all in the same week. Our offense, defense and special teams have all had stand out games this season, but they haven't made it happen all at the same time. We have dropped 4 of the last 5 games, and because of that we need to go 4-0 over the next 4 weeks. The Jaguars are not the most complete team we will face during the second half of the season. If we aren't clicking on all cylinders by the midway point of the season it's going to be very hard to have much hope as the season progresses.

Jacksonville's game plan each week is no secret. They have one of the most non-impactful QB's in the history of the league. He isn't putting up 300 plus yards and 4 TD's on you. They are going to attack our patch work D-line with their elite RB. I will be watching to see if our leaders on defense will set the tempo. Scott, Harris, Ellis, and Revis need to make plays early and often.

This is our house, if we can't dominate this team and fix our special teams issues now, I have a hard time feeling optimistic about next weeks game in New England. On the offensive side of the ball I would love to see Mr. Sanchez break the 300 yard mark and put up 3 passing TD's. He has all of the weapons any QB could ask for.

I believe in the talent thats on this team, frankly our biggest question mark is not our rookie signal caller, it's our rookie head coach. Rex is very aware that this weeks game can sink his reputation as a first year coach. His team has lost quite a few games in recent weeks, mostly because of sloppy play and penalties. His response heading into the bye week was to send the team off on vacation instead of trying to dot the I's and cross the T's. This may very well pay off, or it may blow up in Rex's face. If we lose this weeks game at home, I see very little chance that we will go up to New England and beat the Brady bunch.

4-6 after a 3-0 start will be like throwing a 300 pound rabbit into a lions den. The NY media will eat Rex alive and leave nothing but bones behind.

Where have all the great running backs gone?

I remember an explosive young player named Christian Okoye, the 'Nigerian Nightmare'. #35 played for the Kansas City Chiefs, and as a young boy I was awed by his punishing running style. He was a shooting star who was a second round draft pick in 1987, won the rushing title in 1989, and was out of football after the 1992 season. He had a short but impactful career like Terrell Davis after him.

All of the great backs from my childhood had one thing in common: they fought for every yard. Guys like Roger Craig, who's signature move was his brutal high stepping, churning running style. He used his knees as weapons, ferociously inflicting pain and regret on any defender who foolishly tried to tackle him low.

How about "Little" Joe Morris, the 5'7" RB from the NY Giants? All this undersized back did was play a key role on the 86' Giants Superbowl champion squad, and open the door for a pair of vertically challenged runners named Smith and Sanders who came after him. Emmitt and Barry are two of the best who have ever played the game, and Morris helped to change conventional thinking regarding what height a RB needed to be.

Runners like Dickerson, Bo Jackson and Jerome Bettis took great pride in their profession. Their business was abusing as many defenders as they could, and in the good old days, business was good. They looked for contact, and it was an unwritten rule that any RB worth his salt would drop his shoulder when running near the sidelines and put a physical exclamation point on the end of every run.

So what do we see from todays crop of young runners? First off, running like a rabbit for the sidelines has become commonplace. You won't find a back in this league that will try and wear down the defender and fight for that two or three extra yards. I was inspired to share this on the day Larry Johnson was finally released by the Chiefs. It made me think of the Nigerian Nightmare and what a superior player he was... on the field, off the field, and in the locker room.

I am also watching Rashard Mendenhall playing against the Broncos on MNF as I write this. He has put together a solid overall game as a young, up and coming player. I have admired his vision and burst. I have also watched him getting tackled, one on one, by small DB's who have no business de-cleating a 225lb runner.

He had a beautiful counter play late in the fourth quarter that went for a huge gain. At the end of the run he turned sharply for the sideline in order to avoid contact with the big bad... Champ Bailey. Yes, all 190 pounds of Bailey was heading for the Steelers RB, who out weighs him by over 30lbs, and he scared Mendenhall off the field. That sickens me, especially considering Pittsburgh was nursing an 11 point lead with 5 minutes on the clock. He should have stayed in bounds, no only for prides sake, but because thats what basic strategy dictates. Someone should have sent him a memo that his team was trying to run the clock out.

The hope of this generation seemed to be Marion Barber of the Dallas Cowboys. That was until he got his big multi-million dollar deal. Now he looks like most other backs, which is in no way a compliment.

My Mid-season stand out's, and burn out's...

As a team we are .500 after 8 games and have had some high lights and low lights. We came out of the gate as overachievers and have played down to our competition for the past few weeks. The Jets spent the offseason, and the first 25% of the regular season, raising expectations. Since then they have done their best to shatter them. Here's a few players and coaches that I have been impressed by, and a few that have really been a disappointment.

I'll start with Sanchez and Shotty. Our offensive coordinator has been brilliant this year. Try starting a guy with #6's limited experience and having any success. Thats no easy task, and Shotty has stepped up. A rookie QB is going to stumble from time to time. Those 5 INT games are part of the package when you start a rookie.

Shotty called one bad game IMO, and that was against Buffalo. He put together an aggressive game plan to try and give his offense a spark. The Bills are a pretty bad team, and we were playing at home. So he rolled the dice and came up snake eyes. It was a calculated risk that I'm sure Rex signed off on. For 7 out of 8 games Brian has protected his QB. He has done an outstanding job navigating this very rocky rookie champaign.

Bill Callahan made an excellent decision by taking a step back from head coaching and hooking up with an amazing group of O-linemen. His stock is rising, and he was able to pull this group together after a shaky start. They are playing as well, if not better than any other O-line in football. Speaking of our 'big ugly's' up front, lets mention the man who is reaping the benefits from their outstanding play the most: Mr. Thomas Jones.

I was outraged at Jones and his contract demands during this past offseason. I was thrilled when the Jets traded for him in 07'. He is a very solid overall back, probably a bit underrated. That being said, he's over 30 and even the great Curtis Martin started to decline once he was out of his 20's. I proposed a number of different trade scenarios with Jones as bait, and even said we should release him if he tried any type of hold-out or caused a distraction.

I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong, and thats a good thing, because it seems to happen more and more often these days. TJ has played like a man possessed. His stats are solid, and they have been for the last 5 seasons. It's been mentioned many times that Jones is #2 in total rushing yards over the past 5 years, behind only Ladanian Tomlinson. His stats aren't what has been impressing me this season, it's his vision, agility, and the ferocity with which he has been hitting the hole. All of these things are suppose to be declining at this point of his career. Jones seems to be getting better with age. He is our MVP at the half-way point of the season, no question.

Cotchery continues to produce. He has a knack for developing chemistry with who ever is behind center. Pennington, Favre, or Sanchez... it makes little difference to 'Cotch Diesel'. All he does is catch passes, move the chains and irritate defensive coordinators around the NFL. Clowney has also contributed. He has been our leading receiver twice already this season. Obviously he can stretch the field, but he needs to improve when it comes to running short screens. Stuckey (now with Cleveland) was outstanding in this department as is Cotchery. Clowney needs to add some skills to his overall resume, but he is developing nicely.

I would love to see Brad Smith and Wallace Wright involved a little more in our offense. Smith is a very underused resource. He could be deadly in the wildcat and Wright has made the most of his limited targets. Danny Woodhead seems to get a lot of attention, but I feel #15 and #16 are much superior athletes. I'l also give an honorable mention to Braylon Edwards, he has been exactly what we hoped he would be... a mismatch who draws double coverage and frees things up for the other WR's and the ground game. I just hope he doesn't get suspended.

I have been impressed with Shaun Ellis's overall effort and impact. He was devastated that he was the player who fell on Jenkins and ended his season. Since that fateful accident Ellis has been playing much more aggressively. He is the elder statesmen of the defense, and I hope he understands that the entire squad is looking to him to set the tempo each week. Keep it up #92!

As for Revis, his name has been mentioned, not only as a probowler, but even as a player on the short list for MVP consideration after the first half of the season. Thats pretty amazing for any defensive player. He has shut down Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, T.O., and Colston from N'orlins. I think he has very little left to prove. It doesn't matter who you are, no WR wants to visit, not to mention get stranded, on 'Revis Island'!

Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Bryan Thomas, and Jim Leonhard have all been playing excellent football and are all underrated. There's only one player I have no real read on so far this season. That would be Litto Sheppard. He has missed some time with nagging injuries. I have heard rumors that the Jets are so happy with Lowery and so disappointed with Litto that they may very well dump the injured CB at the end of the season. If that was to happen, I would have to say our GM values draft picks less than any other executive that has ever run an NFL team. Sheppard wasn't a free agent, we traded for him. If he ends up as a 'one and done' player, Mr. T has thrown another draft pick in the trash can.

As for the players who have been disappointments. I'll start with the two biggest mouths in the history of the NY Jets: Bart Scott and Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes hasn't registered so much as one sack, INT, forced fumble.... NADA. Safteys that are being paid over 20 million dollars are expected to produce at a much more impactful level. He would be our #1 overpaid player if it wasn't for Vernon Gholston. I'll get to Vern in a minute.

As for Scott, I love his intensity, unfortunately he just doesn't seem to have the ability to back it up. He is perpetually in a bad position to make a tackle. This usually ends up with him diving and missing a weak arm tackle. There have been countless plays this year where runners have broken big plays and #57 is left in the dust. Harris has outplayed him and is looking like a lock for the pro-bowl, while Scott is looking like he is ready sign up with ESPN and start doing what he does best for a living... talking.

Back to the Ghost... #50 Vernon Gholston. Wow, this guy just doesn't have any passion. I think thats what it comes down to. He is a physical beast and is very talented. But, if you don't care about your job, it's hard to be an outstanding burger flipper at McDonalds, not to mention a stand out LB in the NFL.

If there is no salary cap next year I say we take this once in a lifetime chance and dump him. I hate to say this because different players develop at different times. Calvin Pace was a very high draft pick who did very little during the first few years of his career. Vern may eventually start using all of his God given gifts to benefit his team, the question is what team will he be playing for if and when the light bulb goes off?

My last 'dis-honorable' mention is... and I can't believe I am saying this... Dustin Keller. I know that Sanchez is partly to blame for missing our young TE on a bunch of plays when he has been WIDE open, but I have also seen way to many drops from Keller. If this past weeks game was any indication of what's to come in the second half, then hopefully Dustin will rebound and finish 09' strong.

If we have any outside shot at making the postseason Rhodes and Scott need to step up to the plate. We will also need players like Greene and Pohua to become playmakers now that they have been thrust into the spotlight.

All that being said, we will only go as far as our rookie QB can take us. He doesn't have to win every game, but he will be in the same position that he found himself in this past Sunday again as the season progresses. With 1 minute left, down by less than 7 in the redzone, he has to go for the win. In NYC you can only throw that ball out of bounds on the last play of the game so many times and get away with it. That was a cowardly play, I hope we don't see it again.

Remember Mark, you play to win the game!!!!!!!!! Miss ya' Herm!