I paid very close attention to two specific players in this game... Vernon Gholston and Mark Sanchez. A football team is made up of more than two key players, but frankly the future success of the NY Jets in the coming years hinges upon these two men. We have two very high draft picks and a ton of guaranteed money invested in these players.
Our other high draft picks have been pulling their weight... guys like Mangold, Ferguson, Revis, Harris and Keller have all panned out to be pretty productive. If Sanchez and Gholston end up as 'busts', the salary cap ramifications alone will bury this team.
Sanchez looked good and his 37 yard impromptu TD pass to Chansi Stuckey was impressive. Number 6 really seems to be driven. He willed that pass to Stuckey. He has a much better arm than I previously thought, and Chansi looked liked a man possessed on that play. Stuckey and Sanchez are hungry playmakers and Bart Scott made the defensive play of the preseason by diving into a gang tackle of Brandon Jacobs and stripping the ball from him.... all with no helmet. That dude is nuts and I love it!
On the other side of the fence stands Vernon Gholston. This guy is starting to get frustrating. He didn't do much of anything last season and Jets fans began rumbling and grumbling. I can give you a list of high draft picks who took time to develop. Calvin Pace is a perfect example. He was a 1st round pick for the Cardinals and showed little hope of becoming a productive LB for the first 3 years he was in the NFL.
As fans we need to have patience with number 50. That being said, he has shown absolutely nothing on the field so far this preseason. Rich Crimini wrote about Gholston's reaction when he found out (from Crimini) that he was starting this week:
"Gholston said he didn't know he was starting until I mentioned it to him in the locker room after practice. His reaction? He acted as if he had just learned the price of gas was going up a nickel a gallon; he showed absolutely no emotion."
It's time to start seeing some emotion from this player. He looks like he started playing football last week. He is cumbersome and seems to be afraid of contact. He takes plays off and when he finally had a clear shot at a sack in the third quarter he leveled David Carr. Awesome! finally a sack for the big lug... unfortunately he blatantly led with his helmet and the play cost us 15 yards. He is a work in progress, but if he turns in a sophomore season that resembles his rookie campaign, it may be time to start panicking.
A few other quick observations on this weeks game...
- Our 'questionable' WR corps outplayed the Giants group. I thought we had it bad... their wideouts are scary. On a positive note Hakeem Nicks has the best hands I have seen in a young WR since Fitzgerald was a rookie.
- David Harris is responding to the free agent signing of Bart Scott this offseason exactly how I thought he would. He has elevated his game and looks like a potential pro-bowler this year.
- Westerman continues to show flashes of greatness. He had a great sack in the 4th quarter, but I have noticed he struggles against the run.
- Our O-line didn't play perfect, but they looked REAL good. I was especially impressed with their play on the screen to Cotchery. Faneca and Ferguson are dynamic linemen, and they do a great job getting to the 2nd level.
- Ferguson did give up a sack to Kiwanuka, but he did a great job containing Osi. Number 72 is the best pass rusher in the NFL today and he was quite all night.
- Kiwanuka and Chris Canty are both better than any of our DE's, and they aren't even starters on the Giants D-line. WOW. How did we miss out on Canty? I don't get it.
- Revis had a brilliant one on one open field tackle of no other than Brandon Jacobs. He is going to be a household name by the end of 2009.
Overall I consider the 2009 NY Giants to be a much better all around team than our Jets. I am impressed that our starters outscored their starters and this win is as fulfilling as any preseason win can be.
One final note... Leon Washington has outplayed Thomas Jones in every possible way. No one is talking about it, but I think Neon Leon should be our official starter at RB. I would let players like Brad Smith (who is one hell of a special teamer) and the speedy David Clowney share reps in the kick return game. If players like Chris Johnson and Brian Westbrook can carry the load as starters so can number 29.
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