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!
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