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!

Blood makes the grass grow...

I fell in love with the NFL as a young child in the very early 1980's. My passion came from three sources.

#1) I loved watching an underdog team know as the Jets. Those early 80's Jets uniforms were so blue-collar and so were their players. Guys like Klecko, Buttle, and Mehl looked like guys you would find in my north jersey neighborhood. Even at 6 and 7 years old I knew the Jets were for me.

#2) I really enjoyed playing football on the asphalt. We didn't have many wide open green acres where I grew up, so we simply played on the streets. It wasn't two hand touch either... we played tackle football, and I must admit that some of my fondest childhood memories are of being slammed against a Chrysler during a battle on the blacktop.

#3) NFL films is responsible for spreading the culture of pro-football across this country. When I was very young I was mesmerized by the way men like Jack Tatum and Ted Hendricks played the game. The first rule of the game is that there are no cowards on an NFL field. It is almost impossible to intimidate a player. However, it is possible to get in a players head by the use of pure brute force. Violence can be very persuasive.

The reason I held football on a higher level as compared to other sports was because of the contact, the hitting and punishment. It was much easier to tolerate the pretty boy, highly paid QB's when you knew that they were getting destroyed by LB's and D-linemen as a part of their job.

In a recent post I addressed the new defenseless receiver rule ( My post from October 14th ). I agree with a lot of the old school rules regarding grabbing face masks, clipping, and late hits out of bounds. No one wants to see anyone seriously injured, but unfortunately there is no way to avoid it completely. Sadly the NFL seems to think they can protect their big stars and control everything. The rules have become absurd, there is no way to sugar coat it.

I have to wonder if this is still my NFL. Defenders are totally handcuffed... fans are asked to pay ridiculous prices for PSL's, which are making the gameday experience an impossibility for the working man... and now the NFL is ready to award London their own personal franchise. American dollars built this league from nothing to a serious financial power. Now it's getting handed to the Europeans.

Blue-collar fans from places like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Chicago, Cleveland and Baltimore were sold on this league by a simple motto... 'blood makes the grass grow'. Pro football used to be very pure. Players were paid reasonable salaries and they were allowed to play the game. Fans loved the game because it was real. It's starting to become more of pageant that a competition.

The NFL will only start to roll back some of these rules and ridiculous ticket/merchandise prices if they start to see it effecting their bottom lines.

"Absolut Bullshit"... A study in douche-baggery

This one is for all of you oblivious so called Jets fans still walking around in your #4 NY Jets jerseys.

It's August 8th 2008. The Jets sign Mr. Favre and band-wagoners across the Tri-State run out to be the first on their block to own a #4 jersey. I had a near miss myself back in the 08' pre-season. My fiance had a plan to buy me a Favre jersey to wear for the introductions at our wedding reception. I caught wind of that plan and put the kibosh on it just in the nick of time.

I'm not a big jersey guy, I currently own a Revis jersey, a custom Jet jersey with my last name on it (was given as a gift) and a throw back, powder blue Warren Moon jersey (#1 baby). I'm 33 years old and rarely wear them in public. I told anyone that would listen that I would not only buy a Favre jersey, but I would wear it proudly... just as soon as #4 delivered a championship to the green and white.

Obviously that never happened. At the end of the day its a game, and it should be all about having fun. If you got pumped up when Brett came to town, good for you. You went out and got the jersey, and for the first half of 08' I will admit it was kinda' exciting.

But, after the way things went down... after he asked to be released and headed off to greener (no pun intended) pastures in Minnesota............ after he cost us a valuable 3rd round pick and all we got was one 9-7 season out of it......... after he threw our GM under the bus regarding his injury "cover-up" for no reason......... and even after he went on to make it very clear to the media that he feels his 09' team is far superior to his 08' squad........

After all of this... you are still walking around wearing that ridiculous #4. Dude, take it off and deal with the fact that your $74.99 is gone, and it's not coming back. Maybe if good old (and I do mean old) Brett spit in your mothers face you might consider retiring that abomination and having some pride.

On the same subject, I was having a talk with the beautiful women who is now my wife, and I made one request of her. I said 'Babe, when I die do one thing for me... please make sure I am not buried in a football jersey'.

The toughest 11 guys won the game. The NY Jets vs. The Miami Dolphins

Mark Sanchez had his best overall game as a pro... statistically. Unfortunately they don't give you a W in the NFL for putting up a QB rating of over 100 (which he has done two weeks in a row). It was nice to see #6 spreading the ball around and we got our first look at the offense with Cotchery, Edwards, Keller, and Jones all healthy. It didn't look half bad. The Offensive line is really starting to dominate. Our Defensive line also looked excellent. They played the wildcat solidly and our pass rush is finally getting to the QB. Thats a lot of good news... right? Well, in the end we lost the game and our chances at making the playoffs are looking slim to none.

The NFL is simply about winning the games you are suppose to win, and squeaking out a few of the close ones. The whole idea is to try and get to double digit wins and an invite to the tournament. When you drop a game to Buffalo, and get swept by Miami you have very little chance of making it to the post season. The rest off the season will consist of the Jets playing up to their competition and giving their fans false hope. Let me assure you... we will not make the post season, and if we somehow sneak in... we are not good enough to win a playoff game.

I was extremely disappointed by Mark Sanchez today. I already touched on his respectable stats, and he made some good decisions with the ball. There were a few erratic passes, but overall he "played well enough to win". In todays NFL, putting together 59 good minutes doesn't get it done very often. On the final two plays of the game he simply didn't show up. He had the weapons to win, but he couldn't pull the trigger.

On the second to last play he had ample time in the pocket and gave up a sack. On the final play he had Cotchery dead to rights on a simple post route and didn't deliver. He saw #89 open, cocked his arm back, and then choked up on the ball. He scrambled around and then threw the ball out of bounds. As a QB you need to be more motivated by the fear of losing then the fear of looking bad (I hate to admit it, but I got that from Favre).

On 4th down in that situation you make sure the ball is thrown into the endzone. He threw it where no one had a chance. My heart tells me he did that (consciously or unconsciously) because he didn't want the game to end on an INT. The 'blame' for this loss is now on the shoulders of the special teams. IMO it's #6's job at the end of the game to at least put the ball up and give one of our players a chance. A sack and a ball thrown way out of the back of the endzone are useless.

When you start a rookie in this league you run the risk of him becoming shell shocked. He needs to know when to play it safe and when to go all out. I am also getting really disgusted by the way Mark behaves on the sidelines. He is constantly being consoled by a teammate, he looks sad and sorry, and watching him drop his head on Edwards chest was revolting. During the final seconds of the game #17 was codling our poor QB and at one point he broke down and put his head on Braylon's chest. WTF is that all about???

This rookie needs to start carrying himself like a leader. He needs to get his ass off the bench in between drives and keep his team motivated. He is a 50 million dollar 1st round pick... if any coach or player tells him he "played well enough to win" this week they are doing him a disservice. You have played well enough to win when you have more points than the other team and the game clock reads 0:00.

There is no question, the tougher, hungrier, more focused team won todays game. As for Rex's comment about his team outplaying the Dolphins and still losing, or his sidekick Bart Scott sarcastically praising the Dolphins for being Superbowl contenders... I will only say this: Being a loser really sucks, but being a classless sore loser is just pathetic.

We have dropped 4 of the last 5 games. We are spiraling out of control, but we have shown signs of improvement in certain essential areas. So, where do we go from here? The rest of our season is simply about developing Sanchez and Greene. I hate to say it, but thats all that is left for the NY Jets in 09'. If we had scored a veteran QB like Jeff Garcia this past offseason I think we could easily be 6-2 and in a position to make a real run for the playoffs. Instead we have a massive payroll consisting of some veteran players who are not getting any younger.

We need to learn how to NOT play down to our competition, and how to win close games in the fourth quarter. Letting Miami put together two long, game winning drives in the same season is simply unacceptable. If we can achieve those two things and add some more quality players this offseason 2010 could be our year.