Shockers and Hype...

After 3 weeks some teams are overachieving and making waves, while others are really stinking up the league. Who is legitimate... and who are the impostors?

The overachievers would be the Chiefs, Bears, Texans, Eagles, Buccaneers, and Seahawks.

The Chiefs are a flash in the pan. They are at least 2 years from being a significant contender. Their young exciting players make for good entertainment, but this circus act will be crash landing very shortly.

The Bears are also a joke. Cutler has thrown at least 10 to 12 passes that should have been intercepted. His luck will run out because he is simply not a leader. As soon as the Bears lose a few games he and Peppers will start sulking. Enjoy these first few weeks Bears fans.

The Texans are supremely talented, but do they have an uncontrollable inferno inside to win or is it simply a flickering tea light? Week 1 was a big step for them, but I will be a believer when they clinch a playoff spot.

Who predicted that Mike Vick would eventually step in this season??? This guy, thats who. I predicted a Wildcard playoff game between the Falcons and Eagles... in Atlanta... with Vick behind center. I also predicted the Falcons would win their division over the Saints. 4 weeks ago this whole scenario seemed like a pipe dream... now what?

The Bucs and Seahawks are also 99% hype and 1% substance. Their 'player coaches' are not geniuses, they have just been lucky. In 3 weeks these teams will be non-subjects again.

The underachievers are the Giants, Cowboys, Vikings, 49ers, and dare I say the Lions? Is it possible for Detroit to fall below expectations when there usually are none?

Lets start with the NY Va-Giants. Their collective pussy and ego are sore and it's time to pull yourself up by your boot straps Big Blue. They are a top 10 team talent wise. They have a legitimate QB, some exciting young wide outs, a solid O-line and what should be a perfect one two punch in the backfield. I love Kenny Phillips on the other side of the ball and they have some elite pass rushers and a very solid group of LB's. Rolle and Jacobs have become cancers and are dragging their team down. I hope someone steps up in this locker room and takes control before it's too late. I am sick of watching Coughlin take the blame every week in the post game presser.

The Cowboys will pull it together. Their running game will eventually get back on track and they will win the NFC East. I am not as confident in their chances in the post season, but they will earn a ticket to the dance. No reason to panic.

The Vikings deserve to lose. I also think they will get back on track and make the post season as a wildcard behind the Packers. Watching Favre suffer is pure entertainment. In some ways I hate this guy and in some ways I respect him. If he can weather this storm and make it to the playoffs I may see him as a little less of a douche. On second thought...

The 49ers are imploding and what should have been a breakout year for Singletary as a coach and Smith as a QB is quickly becoming a season to forget. This is the only team that I may have to change my preseason prediction on. One or two more losses and the Singletary era may come to an abrupt end in the S.F. No worries Mike, Al Davis will be waiting with open arms.

Week 3: Jets vs. Dolphins "We are not waiting on a mistake.."

"We are not waiting on a mistake, we are waiting on a play"- Rex Ryan

From time to time one simple sentence can sum up an entire teams philosophy. I love this quote from our head coach. You can tell that this is what he has been saying to Mark Sanchez for the past two weeks, and it's a huge departure from the week 1 debacle vs. the Ravens. Schotty has finally taken the leash off of his #1 draft pick and Mark is looking impressive. It's never a good idea to get too excited or too upset from week to week in the NFL. But, if you look at Marks last few games of the 2009 season including the playoffs and you add in the Pats and Dolphins games this year you are seeing a QB who is growing by leaps and bounds.

Marks accuracy has been outstanding and he is on a roll throwing 6 TD's and zero picks in the past 8 quarters. However, I have been most impressed with the passes he hasn't made. In the fourth quarter of the game in Miami we were winning by 1 point and the ball was at midfield. This was the drive where Mark ran the ball in for a TD and it was called back on a bullshit holding penalty. Earlier in the drive mark took the snap and Keller was streaking down the field. Mark locked in on him and was tempted to throw the ball into triple coverage.

Guys like Jay Cutler and Brett Favre would have launched a "laser rocket ball" (as Mike Holmgren would call it) right into the hands of an opportunistic defender. QB's always have to fight the urge to 'hear the music' (as I would call it.) When the game is on the line they always feel that they can make any pass. But, their better angels need to shout down their demons (as Toby Zeigler would call it) and check down to the RB and extend the drive. It's called being smart and selfless. Thats exactly what #6 did. He pumped the ball and pulled it back, eventually dumping it to LT for a 5 yard gain. That one play could have cost us the entire game. Sometimes less is more.

Bryan Thomas and Sean Ellis continue their dominate play. We have not missed Calvin Pace due to the contribution of Jason Taylor. Pouha and Devito are back in 2009 form and even Bart Scott is making plays. I have been impressed with Cromartie and Wilson. I can't help but dream of Revis Cromartie and Wilson all healthy on defense and Edwards, Holmes and Cotchery on the field at the same time on offense. If we don't have anymore catastrophic injuries the second half of the season is looking very very good for Jets fans.

My biggest surprises from the Jets so far revolve around Steve Weatherford, Cotchery and Greene. Weatherford has been playing very well and I have always felt a consistent punter is worth their weight in gold. On the other hand Greene has been non-existent and J-Co has been very quiet as well. I would love to see Brad Smith get more touches, but with so many mouths to feed that may be impossible.

Braylon and ME-vis... I'm breaking out the F-Bomb

I try not to use foul language in my little blog posts too often, but after the last few weeks....

Braylon Edwards is simply an asshole. When I first heard what happened and the inexplicable timing of his latest bonehead move my first reaction was that he should be cut. My feeling is that a message needs to be sent to these players. There isn't a better situation to be in right now then to be on the NY Jets roster. We have the newest training facilities, the newest stadium, the most player friendly, motivational coach in the league... and OH, BTW, this is the biggest media market on the planet.

Would you like to end up in career prison like Kerry Rhodes stuck out in the desert wasting away? Rhodes has 'tweeted' non-stop about how much disdain he has for his former team... coaches, players, and owner. I can't wait to check his twitter page on the night we win the Superbowl and see what how he feels about being on a team that will probably win 6 games this year.

Back to the subject at hand. Jets fans everywhere have been asking one question: how long will Edwards be out? This subject is much bigger than football. Drunk driving is a major problem in our society and for those who have lost family and friends I think the last question should be about how this will effect the Jets chances this week against Miami.

WHY would a millionaire, who has access to private transportation and an endless number of taxis, drive around Manhattan with illegally tinted windows.... drunk? This guy is putting innocent peoples lives in danger. Does anyone care that he could have killed someone? Fuck the Dolphins, release this guy before we have to suffer the ultimate humiliation as a fan base when one of our players kills someone. That would be the end of the road for me as a Jets fan.

For some reason the media is reporting that the Jets can not suspend Edwards because it would be a violation of the CBA. Why would any organization in any field not be able to suspend an employee for conduct detrimental to their image, especially one that is dependent on the media? He is negatively effecting his teammates by causing a distraction. Didn't the Eagles suspend T.O. because they didn't like something he said in an interview? I am lost on this one.

I did like the apology from #17, and he really seems sincere. He is just plain stupid. He released a statement saying that he wants to retire a Jet. The Jets purposely leaked a statement from an unknown source that they have decided not to re-sign him in 2011. Seriously? Is this how you save face. If he has a huge year and come through in the post season they will back the money truck up to his front door... so shut up Tannenbaum!

As for Darelle Revis, if I didn't hate his guts already he had a quote yesterday that sent me over the edge. Last year L.T. had some bullshit minor injury and said to the press that he would not consider playing again until he was 100%. My Post on September 25th of last year explains the whole scenario. Well, the most selfish player in the history of the Jets has decided that he not only will not play this week, but he was crystal clear when he said the he "will not even step on the practice field until he is 100%". Wow, I can see that Tomlinson is wearing off on our stars very quickly.

Who the fuck are you to make statements like this, and why was our coach humiliated in the Monday press conference? The media asked Rex if it was true that MEvis will be out 1-2 weeks. He responded that he wasn't sure yet and asked who they had heard that from. They responded in unison "From Him!". Why is he releasing that info to the press???? What if we wanted to keep it under wraps until later in the week to try and make the Dolphins game planning more difficult.

For the record I am a fan of 99% of our players and all of our coaches. Also, I feel very confident that we can win this week... and we can do it without #17. If we can't then we are not a real contender anyway. Things are really starting to get out of control on this team and it's getting harder and harder to remain an NFL fan.

Week 2: Jets vs. Pats... Sanchez gets his first Hat Trick!

Expert ESPN analyst Teddy Bruschi (who is completely impartial) says that Mark Sanchez gives up when the going gets tuff. Experts everywhere were counting the Jets out this season because of one loss... a 1 point loss.

After one game we learned that the Colts, Cowboys and Jets were not going to be making post season appearances, and the Ravens, Titans and Patriots were the teams to beat. Why do people try to analyze this league after 1 game??? The Pats stomped the Bengals and made them look like a CFL team, and the Ravens held off the Jets and took the wind out of their blustery sails. But, the Bengals beat the Ravens this week, so obviously the Patriots, who beat the Bengals are the best team in the AFC.... but the Jets just beat the Patriots, definitively. The Jets lost to the Ravens, who lost to the Pats, who lost to the Jets.... OMG, my eyes are crossed!!!!!!!

What we know is that all 4 of these teams have talent and a good shot at the post season. IMHO the Jets are by far the most complete team in the AFC. The Colts have issues on defense (Sanders takes a powder yet again) The Ravens offense is a nightmare (trust me... my fantasy team was built around Flacco and Rice= FAIL) The Patriots are flirting with the idea of dumping Moss mid-season and making a move for Vincent Jackson (desperation anyone?) and the Titans and Bengals have coaches who should have been replaced years ago. It's disgusting how Fisher benched Young this past week and Marvin Lewis is the poorest excuse for a leader I have ever witnessed in the NFL. I am not sold on the Texans yet, but they are making some early season noise. Like Rex said last year before our first playoff game, we should be the favorites.

What did I see this week? I saw a defensive line that has lost it's heart and soul to a season, and probably career ending injury last week, step up and not make any excuses. The Pitoitua injury is so amplified now that Big Jenks is a goner. DeVito and Pouha are both off to an excellent start, picking up where they left off in 2009. I saw a dynamic LB squad rotating Thomas, Taylor, Harris amd Scott. Even without Pace it's a scary playmaking group. I also saw a secondary who lost it's best player.... the guy we supposedly couldn't play without, make a statement led by our 3 major offseason acquisitions Cromartie, Pool, and 1st round draft pick Kyle Wilson. Only our defense could lose Jenkins and Revis and still shut down Brady and Belichick. Kudos to Ryan, Pettine, Sutton and Thurman. Wow.

I also saw #6 Mark Sanchez handle the enormous weight on his shoulders and stand up straight and proud, throwing 3 TD's. He didn't play to not look bad, he played to win (I know I have heard that somewhere... you play to win the...). His reads were excellent, the play-calling was fluid, and everyone had a chance to contribute. Keller looked elite, Cotchery was money, like usual, and Ladainian Tomlinson was our real X-factor. LT was the spark that we needed and helped to keep our drives alive. Shonn Greene is having a hard time getting started this year, but I am confident that he will be a very important part of our offense as the long punishing regular season progresses. LT can be a nice change of pace and will be worth his weight in gold in the post season, but he can't touch the ball 15-20 times a game. There simply is not enough gas left in the tank. We need him fresh in January.

Right now I have only two major concerns. The first is simple, I think Nick Folk is pure garbage. He will cost us games this year, no doubt. The other is more complicated. We have a huge gaping hole on our O-line. The RG spot is currently occupied by a matador masquerading as a football player. Slauson politely allows pass rushers a clear path to Sanchez's blindside. #6 took a massive hit from Gerard Warren because of our inferior RG, and as I watched Mark rithe in pain on the field my heart was in my throat. It was overlooked how Sanchez picked himself up off of the ground and got right back into the huddle after the punishing blow. That was one of many moments that impressed me with Mark on Sunday. Sanchez is not a big QB by NFL standards and, he has proven to be a bit fragile. I really think the Faneca decision was completely about money, and in an uncapped year it is not the time to start pinching pennies. I know Faneca was declining, but he is still much better than the players we have to replace him. That one decision could cost us our QB and a run at the Superbowl in 2010.

Oh, and one final point regarding Braylon Edwards, the taunting call, and Joe Namath. The Pats have some of the worst sportsmanship of any pro team I have ever seen. The aforementioned Teddy Bruschi made it a habit of standing over Jets players after one of his dirty hits, commonly taking cheap shots at players knees. Somehow he and his teammates never seemed to get called for any penalties. But if our WR catches his first TD in the new stadium to start a comeback, he isn't allowed to celebrate a little??? Whatever, it didn't cost us the game. But, the "taunting" I have been puzzled by is Joe Namath's public attacks on #17. The greatest Jet of all time has been using his new twitter account to openly criticize Braylon and the Jets as a whole. I love Broadway Joe, but this is unacceptable. He has made it a lifetime of always staying loyal to the green and white, why start taking low blows now? Keep it classy Joe!

Week 1: Jets vs. Ravens. "You have some splainin' to do..."

Here are the facts... it's a 16 game season, our defense looks amazing, the only drive that produced a TD for Baltimore was made possible by penalties that moved the ball down the field simply placed it on the 1 yard line, LT looks explosive, our offense struggled against a formidable defensive unit.

Here's the hype... Mark Sanchez is in the midst of a 'sophomore slump', our offense is broken, our season is over, Brian Schottenheimer is the worst coordinator in the history of the NFL, Rex has lost control of the team.... and like usual... it's time to start over and rebuild.

Am I disappointed by the performance of our offense and the overall gameplan? Yes. Did our offense look professional or disciplined? No. Do we need to change some things in order to start getting first downs and scoring TD's? Yes. 16 other teams lost week one and all of their fans are equally upset. Week 2 is another chance to get it right. A big win over the Patriots this Sunday will make things all better. Pace yourselves Jets fans, with a second year QB behind center, 2010 will be a bit of a roller coaster ride.

Obviously the offensive game plan had no continuity or direction. It was simply a bunch of random plays strung together. Schotty needs to learn that a young QB needs to get into a rhythm. So does a young RB. A couple of quick slants to Cothery and Keller and a few simple runs off of our powerful RG with Conner lead blocking can go a long way. Let them get a few first downs and build their confidence.

This isn't Joe Montana and Roger Craig back there, it's two young players who are still building their confidence. Sanchez and Greene must be a mess today. If Shcotty keeps trying to make the offense as explosive as the defense we will keep losing games, it's time to put your ego aside and contour your playcalling to the talent and experience of your squad. I think with the players we have we can make big plays and score points, but there needs to be a crystal clear gameplan and better situational planning and practice.

At the end of the game Sanchez and Schotty looked completely out of sync, they were yelling back and forth and Mark looked lost. The final few play calls were baffling and Mark was targeting players that were not in a position to help. Throwing 8 yard passes in the middle of the field with 50 seconds on the clock is totally the wrong thing to do. It's not unacceptable to lose a game, but it is unacceptable to lose that way. Throw the ball as the game is winding down. Even if you turn it over, you need to take a chance.

Two plays stood out to me from Mark this week. When Ellis clobbered Flacco on Baltimore's first offensive snap and handed our offense the ball 11 yards from the endzone, Sanchez was handed a golden opportunity. On third down Sanchez rolled out of the pocket and saw a small opening to squeeze the ball into Edwards for a score. He chocked up on the ball and threw it out of bounds.... on purpose. He rather take the target off of his back by not throwing a pick, and let Folk come out and put up 3. That is the wrong instinct in that situation. Early in a game is when to take a shot.

The other play was later in the second half when Mark chose to slide instead of diving head first for a first down. People have been attacking him for that. He did exactly what he has been coached to do. He should never put himself in a position to get injured. Ray Lewis would have decapitated him if he would have tried that move. I would rather be in 4th and 1 than have my franchise QB on IR for the remainder of the season. If you think things are bad now, try 15 games with Mark Brunell as or starter. PSL owners would be hanging themselves in the fancy, spacious bathrooms of the New Meadowlands.

Schotty will tweak things and figure our how to get the most out of this group. He needs to figure out the perfect balance between Greene and Tomlinson, and when to take the leash off of #6. My only long tern concern is the LG position. Slauson and Ducasse are not ready to be starters. It's that simple. I hope that gaping hole in our line doesn't get our QB killed.

Lots of players stood out on defense. Our D-line is going to face another season without Jenkins. His season and probably his career are over after another catastrophic injury to his ACL. I love Big Jenks, but I think it's time to call it a career. I am glad he tried to give it a shot this year. Now he can move on with no regrets. I like the players that we have up front. Thomas, Harris, Taylor and Scott looked great, and most of our secondary played well. Wilson was called for two bullshit penalties but showed great instincts as a nickel back. I think he has a long career ahead of him.

The only major disappointment was Cromartie. The interception was his only high point and it was an amazing display of athleticism... but even that play disgusted me. He snatched the ball, somehow stayed in bounds and started heading for the defensive TD. Unfortunately he ran out of gas about 40 yards into the return. There is no excuse for a corner to be chased down from behind by a goddamn QB... unless it's Mike Vick maybe. Conditioning ruined what would have been the defensive play of the week for the whole league, and that score would have won us the game. No excuse for coming up short and for the sloppy coverage all night. Thats just not good enough #31.

One final note. Some reporter is claiming the Jets players harassed her in the locker room sometime last week. This bullshit tabloid stuff is no interest to me and I have no plans on commenting on it. I could care less what happened in that locker room... I care about what happens on the field. I am sure that ESPN and the media will blow this out of proportion and I am also sure this no-name reporter will get a million dollars worth of free press from it. What a sick society.

The most hated....

Somehow the NY Jets and their brash head coach Rex Ryan are the new villains of the NFL. They are the team everyone loves to hate. This doesn't make sense to me, and it's probably because I am a big homer... but it's also because of the other candidates that have actually behaved like villains and deserve the disdain that is being heaped on the green and white.

Pete Carroll was an NFL castoff who went to USC and resurrected his coaching career. He was apart of some immoral activity regarding recruiting the best players. He simply cheated. His former school and team may be stripped of their national championships and Reggie Bush may lose his Heisman Trophy. When the NCAA had circled the wagons and was about to drop the hammer on Carroll and his team he suddenly abandoned the ship (like a rat) and ran off to the pacific northwest to hide. This guy is a low life cheater and somehow Rex Ryan is catching more flack then Pistol Pete in Seattle.

Ben Roethisberger has been date raping women in filthy bathrooms for years, and finally the league has punished the 100 million dollar man. His team now has to try and find a way to win games for 25% of the season without their overpaid franchise QB. But, still somehow the Jets are the team that everyone is looking down on.

Brett Favre doesn't like to practice and hates training camp. On the otherside of the coin he needs attention like the rest of us need food and water to survive. So, he sat home all summer and ditched training camp. He looked rusty and out of rhythm all night against the Saints in the season opener. Favre and the Vikings had one hell of a chance to beat the defending Superbowl champs. Because of Favre's ego and lack of concern for his teammates the Vikings are 0-1 and have their backs against the wall. Still.... somehow, Sanchez and coaching staff are being investigated for running a passing camp with our WR''s during the offseason. They practiced too much and are too dedicated apparently.

And I could always mention Bill Belichick who was fined for cheating... but Rex Ryan is the REAL scumbag because he came to NY as a rookie headcoach and took a rookie QB to the AFC Championship game. What a disgusting move. Now he has pushed the envelope even further by demanding a Championship from his team this year, essentially asking them to take the next and final step, and to take care of last years unfinished business. He is truly the most repulsive man in the NFL... hands down.

Leadership...

...we have very little on the 2010 NY Jets. The Hard Knocks show has been a real sleeper for me. As a fan I found it boring, as I have said in the past. However, it did give me some insight on a few things. The main theme has been the lack of discipline and leadership on this team.

Our assistant coaches are an excellent group. Rex has them tuned up and everyone is speaking the same language. If we have a poor season it's not going to be the coaching staffs fault. Schotty always seems to get the brunt of the criticism, and that's part of the job when you are the offensive coordinator. Rex is also an obvious lightning rod because of his bravado. Believing in your team, being confident and thinking positive are usually admirable attributes. For whatever reason Rex is constantly attacked for this. The coaches are not the problem.

Our offense lost it's emotional leader in Thomas Jones. Even though Tomlinson looks and sounds inspired, and is a much more dynamic player than Jones, it's nearly impossible to walk into a new locker room and just take over as the leader. It's also very hard for a 2nd year QB to be the man 100% at this stage of his career. Mark is on his way, but there is no substitute for experience.

We needed Jones to keep these young players in line. The one guy who could probably do it is Jericho Cotchery. He has worked his way up over the years and is an amazing clutch player. I am sure everyone in that locker room respects him, how could they not? The only problem is that he is not that kind of man. He is quiet, understated and does all of his talking on the field with his play.

I think back to the days of Chrebet, Martin and Pennington and wish we had just one leader like that on our team today. On defense we have Jenkins, Scott, Ellis and Leonhard. Even Harris and Eric Smith have stepped up. Without #24 we should be a dominate unit. Our offense is the real problem.

I didn't think much of the decision to dump Jones or Faneca, but i think these moves were made with only dollars in mind. They had both declined and were scheduled to make serious cash this year. But, as I watch our offense sputter on the field and sulk on the sideline I see how important TJ was. I also see what a gaping hole we now have on our O-line at the LG position. Slauson and Ducasse look like high school players, and whoever wins this so called "competition" (by default) will be a major liability to us going forward. Faneca was expensive and starting to slip, but he was a leader and a savvy veteran.

My only hope is that somehow LT starts the season the way that C-Mart did back in 2004. Most people had started to write Martin off and he came out of the gates on fire. If Tomlinson helps us win those first few games his voice will start to resonate in the locker room. It's a long season and the Jets are an unpolished group heading into the season opener. Sometimes soldiers have to be in a real battle to learn how to fight... and to band together.

I hate that so much of our season rests upon the shoulders of an old RB who is way past his prime and has shown questionable heart over the past few years. That being said, LT has really shown burst and ferocity on the field and looks and sounds like a hungry player off of it. He not only gives off the impression that he is focused and prepared for a big 2010 campaign, but he also seems to be having a lot of fun. I hope he can bring all of that to the huddle on gameday.

My final word on the Revis situation (hopefully)...

I have shared my opinion before about #24 and this misguided ill-advised hold out. I do believe that he will drag the holdout into the regular season. I think the 120 million dollar contract on the table will probably end up around 130 with 60 guaranteed.

The reason he is doing this is because he is hoping for an injury and a bad start for the Jets. Our team is under intense scrutiny and our first couple games of the season are going to be difficult to say the least. Mr. T's hand will be forced if we are 0-2 and have an injury to Cromartie or Wilson, even a minor injury. If we have to start Dwight Lowery we will literally have to change our entire defensive scheme.

We are probably only talking about a difference of maybe 10 million or so on the total contract, but the real sticking point is the guaranteed money. Thats were we will have to budge if we want him back. I believe if we don't suffer any catastrophic injuries in our secondary we can win the AFC East without Revis. I don''t think we can beat the Colts or the Patriots in the playoffs without him, but we can win the east.

Everyone is talking about how a Revis-less season will effect the Jets, but what about the effect it will have on the player. If he was to sit out the season the Jets would be forced into a trade. With the real chance of no football in 2011 the Jets may sit on his contract and wait until 2012 to make a move. It costs the Jets nothing. At some point Revis is going to need a paycheck. If he is out of football for two years his value will plummet. His reputation will be destroyed, his endorsements will dry up. That is not the worst case scenario.

Imagine, for a minute, if the Jets did win the Superbowl without him. The media would eat this man alive, especially the NY media. A professional athlete... sitting at home in protest... because 12 million dollars a year wasn't good enough... and his team goes on to win it all without him. it would go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of.... well, mankind.

He will be back no later than week 3. If we lose any games while he sits home I think his coaches, teammates and every fan should hold this guy responsible. I don't blame him for trying to get as much money as humanly possible... but the one thing he has to realize is that his agent and advisors have only one thing in mind, and it's certainly not his legacy. #24 has to look out for that on his own.