2-3 and Mason gets put in the cannon...

The above picture is the only entertaining thing about the green and white so far this season. 

The Jets and Eagles are struggling and the Lions, 49ers and Bills are surging. The first 4 to 5 weeks of this season are very unique because there was essentially no off-season. Why do some team look like well oiled machines and others look like they have never been on a football field before?

I guess we can look to a number of different factors, but I see one glaring issue. Teams like the Lions,49ers and Bills have a lot of young players who are trying to make a name for themselves and who are trying to get their respective teams on the map. Teams like the Jets and Eagles have a bunch of high priced pre-madonna's who spend little time practicing hard and watching film, and more time living the good life.

Derrick Mason was brought here to replace a blur collar player who gave 100% every week Jericho Cotchery. In Mason's contract he was allowed to go home on Sunday nights to Baltimore and wasn't required to return until Tuesday night. He was not only struggling learning the offense and finding a way to contribute, he also started complaining immediately. Instead of staying in town for the first few weeks and doing his job, he thought he could just collect a nice paycheck and had no concern about his productivity. There's a lot of that going around the NFL these days. To their credit, the Jets Brass gave him his walking papers.

The Jets have struggled in 2 of the three phases of the game. Like usual Mike Westhoff and his squad excel and continue to pull their weight. As for the defense, they are simply overrated and sloppy. We have a bunch of slow frankenstein monsters at LB, a bunch of safety's who are always getting beat in coverage, and my all time favorite player Cromartie... who is a waste of space. Our young rookie Wilkerson looks pretty good so far, and for some reason Ellis has been a healthy scratch for the first 5 weeks of the season. We took this guy in the 3rd round and he looked pretty darn good in the pre-season. This Monday night will be his first time on the active roster.

Watching Sanchez and Shotty run our offense is like getting hit in the face with a spiked bat for 3 hours each week. They ALWAYS start slow, they ALWAYS go 3 and out on at least 75% of their first half series, they ALWAYS put him in 5 to 7 step drops which puts ridiculous pressure on the O-line... yet the pass ALWAYS travels 8 to 10 yards in the air. They ALWAYS turn it on in the second half, and Mark ALWAYS plays well in the no-huddle down the stretch. Maybe that has something to do with the rhythm that comes from that style of play compared to the discombobulated mess that is Shotty-ball.

This is what I would do if I were the OC... First of all I have known that Greene is a complimentary back at best. Why he is being used as a bell cow is beyond me. #23 has absolutely no vision as a runner. I can't decide if he misses more holes or if Sanchez misses more open receivers. The first thing we need is a more steady rotation at RB. Tomlinson shouldn't be a 20 touch a game guy anymore, but he should be in the backfield at the beginning of games.

We should open up win a no huddle with #10 and #17 out wide, #81 in the slot... Connor should be in the backfield for extra pass blocking and LT at RB. I would put Mark in the shotgun and flank out Conner and LT to the left and right. This formation would lend itself to draws, screens, 3 step drops, quick rhythm plays and would give opposing defenses something to worry about. I would begin to rotate in Greene and McNight as well as Kerley and Turner as the game progressed.

As for the solution with the defense. I think it's time to dump these useless, expensive FA's that Rex brought in like Scott and Leonhard. I am sure #57 will be history in 2012, and all I can say about that is CAN'T WAIT! the D-line is starting to form with young players, and Wilson is showing some signs of life at corner. We need some safety's and LB's in next years draft. it's time for some serious re-tooling.

As for this season, I am not worried. I think the Bills will start to fade down the stretch and we are the most experienced team when it comes to playing pressure games over the past 2 seasons. We will creep in as a wildcard, and if we get a ticket to the dance... watch out NFL, because thats when our lazy sloppy pre-madonna's start to play.

24hrs until the beginning of our 1st Superbowl season in 42 years...

This swagger stuff is rubbing off on me. I do believe that we have more than enough talent to make it to the Superbowl and win. There are a few interesting teams in the AFC including the Steelers, Patriots, Cheifs Texans and Ravens. I feel we match up well and should be able to deliver a win when it counts against them all. Especially considering Peyton being a non-factor.

On the NFC side it's anybody's year. Everyone is counting the Giants out, the Cowboys are way under the radar and The Dream Team in Philly is going to fall flat on their beaks when their #1 bird goes down with a broken wing...  IMHO. We can certainly beat any team in the NFC in the big game regardless.

Now the question is this... will we play sloppy lazy football this year, starting slow and playing catch up in the second half? Or, will we learn from last season and come out of the gates on fire... week after week. We have such a stockpile of talent that the players are aware that they can start slow and still land the win. It worked 13 out of 19 times last year.

I don't agree that we need to win our division to win the Superbowl. I don't think our team has shown that they are a dominate team at home during the past two seasons. And, we have been very effective on the road. With this level of talent we just need to play 60 minutes, hard and fast, every week. We can easily be 12-4 and primed for the post-season.

The Jets signed Mardy Gilyard the WR I have been raving about since last year. I desperately wanted us to draft him, and when we picked him up last week I was thrilled. Well, he has been cut. There is an outside chance he could make our practice squad. I still love that kids skill set. I hope he does make the active roster at some point this season, and I also hope to see Maybin back in Green and White.

Our TE depth is not ideal, although I am liking Ingram. Our QB depth is a much larger concern. Brunell is banged up and 60 years old, McElroy is on IR and O'Connell has returned to the Jets. If you thought the Brooks Bolli-Wood era was a nightmare back in 05', you will be sucking on the end of a .357 magnum as a Jets fan if either of these two losers ever lines up behind center for us. Protect #6 O-line!!!

I have been disappointed and heartbroken by the Jets many times in the past 25 years. But, if they lose this game tomorrow night, on national television, on the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in NYC..... this time I don't forgive.

Jets vs. Texans Pre-season Week #1

Jets drop an interesting game in Houston. Here are the bullet points:

• Sanchez goes 6 of 7 with a horribly dropped pass.
• Greene showed a little life.
• Patrick Turner goes down hard with a broken leg.
• Mangold and Moore don't play because of minor injuries.
• Vladimire Duccasse looks like he has never been on a football field in his life.

The most interesting part of the game for me was watching Mr. McElroy play 3 quarters and throw 39 passes. He is a smart young man, and he knows what it's like to play in big games. He started out really rough and looked spooked. But, to his credit, he pulled it together in the second half.

We have some serious holes heading into week one vs. the Cowboys. Our O-line just got a lot weaker. And, we have no depth at TE. I am also not very impressed by LT or Greene. Shonn did have a nice 19 yard scamper in the first quarter, but he doesn't seem to run with passion unless it's in the post season. We need him to play his heart out every down.

I liked what I saw from the rookie Powell. McKnight also looks like a guy that can contribute in more ways than one. I hope with guys like LT and Greene ahead of these other young players on the depth chart their chances at making plays for us in 2011 isn't diminished. Even if Powell is our best option I am afraid he won't get the touches because of some-sort-of hierarchy on the depth chart. The best player should start.

Plax, Santonio and Stuckey...

I never had much of an opinion on Plaxico Burress. He was always a physical freak, but he was known as being lazy at practice and even on the field... from time to time. When I hear about a guy blessed with gifts like him, and who is making millions of dollars to do his job.... and who can't show up on time... I write them off. The question regarding Plax's future success as a NY Jet is a two parter... how great is this guy, and how much has he changed in the last few years... mentally and physically?

I just watched the Real Sports special on HBO about Mr Burress. First of all, Bryant Gumbell is a pompous A-HOLE. But, thats common knowledge. Second, ad also not very important is that Plax's wife is smoking hot. She's really smart ad pretty with a skinny little frame. But, again, I digress.

My main impression of Plax is that he is not very bright, his time in prison has changed him, and he has something to prove. He was treated unfairly by Bloomberg, and a interesting side-note is that Plax had never heard of the Mayor before this whole thing started. How the fuck do you play for the NY Giants and not know who the Mayor of NYC is? Thats scary in and of itself.

But he was made an example of because he is a rich, african-american athlete. No question. Plax missed the birth of his daughter and lost millions. He spent his time in prison cleaning toilets and mopping floors, and I don't see how that doesn't humble any man. As for his greatness... when have we ever seen the loss of a single WR impact a team as heavily as the loss of #17 did to the Giants? They have fallen off the face of the earth since his departure.

I like the acquisition of this player because he seems to still be in good shape, and he has everything to prove. He only has a one year deal, so he needs to make it happen. Is it a gamble? No doubt, but you have to take some chances to win it all.

I also love the dynamic of Holmes and Burress together. They obviously compliment each other very well because of their different and dynamic skill sets, but IMHO, the road to the Superbowl goes through Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Both of these guys are cast-offs from the Steelers, and if we should find ourselves in a re-match of the AFCCG, they would both be taking it very personal. Trust me.

I am also dumbfounded by the lack of interest in Chansi Stuckey that Mr. T showed. He was a FA and would be the perfect compliment to our WR corps. I think that our organization is 100% committed to finding and developing some young WR's, and not a moment too soon. Burress and Mason are both at the end of their careers and simply more of a risk to get injured because of their advanced ages. . We need 2 or 3 solid guys to emerge from camp, and that is a tall order.

Squad by Squad break down of the 2011 Jets OFFENSE...

Continuing with this examination of our various squads, lets look at the other side of the ball. You can't win games unless you score some points.

The foundation for everything on offense is the Offensive Line. We have two great linemen... and none of them are named D'Brick. Moore and Mangold are possibly the best at their position in the league. Moore played DT in college and we converted him to guard. We almost let him walk two years ago. Thank God we didn't do what we usually do by shipping out quality players to other teams. He and Nick are rock solid. Slauson had a respectable season last year and hopefully he will continue to develop. D'Brick is a quality LT, but he is not even top 5 IMHO. As for the RT position, we will see what Mr. Hunter is capable of, and Duccasse is also going to get a look in that spot. Overall I would say we have more than 5 quality O-linemen and 2 of them may be the best around. You can't ask for much more than that as a fan.

Our backfield has been regarded as one of our most solid units. I see a lot of question marks. At what point does LT hit the wall? Who or what is Joe McKnight? Will Greene step up and show he can be a 1200 yard 10 TD guy? The rookie Powell is quite intriguing. NFL.com said the following about him:

"Powell had a breakout season in 2010, and he has vision to excel in a zone blocking scheme at the next level. He possesses a knack for finding a seam and can accelerate on a dime to find daylight. He is very elusive in the open field, as he can idle down and then explode past a defender. He does not have the strength to run over people in the NFL, but he keeps his legs churning and usually falls forward after contact. Powell is a very good one-cut and go back and could be a middle round pick."

He has a powerful running style but their assessment of him need to get bigger to compete in the NFL is dead on. He is 5'11" and 207lbs. By 2013 he will be 225+ and making waves.

Our WR's are wicked bad... on paper or in Madden. But, Plax is 34 and has a faulty ankle tat hasn't healed in the past 20 months, and Mason is 37. Rex is predicting 90 to 100 receptions for Mason. He's simply too old. I love his skill set and he is still fast enough to dominate in the slot, but he has too much milage. If #17, #10 and #85 start all 16 games we are golden. That won't happen. Cotchery was released and everyone was shocked. I wasn't... back on March 11th I predicted he wouldn't be on our team this season... My March 11th Post.

As for the rest of the receivers... we have more interesting young players in camp at that position than we have had in many years. Courtney Smith is a massive 6'5" player out of South Alabama, the young speedster Jeremy Kerley who is 5'9" and about 180lbs, Patrick Turner who is fighting to make the active roster for the second pre-season in a row and finally Scotty McNight who is an old friend of Sanchez. Who will be our #4?

Our TE's are my main squad of concern in 2011. It's very simple... if Keller goes down we have zero depth. Matthew Mullligan has been on the team for 2 years and has one catch for 2 yards. Jeff Cumberland has 1 catch for 3 yards in his storied career. So, one injury and we will be caught with our pants down. TE is such an important position. Mr T has seriously rolled the dice on this one.

Finally our QB's. I have said more than enough about #6. Our back ups are terrible. Brunell is too old even to be a #2 and McElroy is nowhere near NFL ready. I wouldn't even let him run the scout team right now. I would have kept Clemens and paid him like a good back up. I guess it doesn't matter because if Sanchez goes down long term, the season is over anyway.

One final note... after his horrible performance last year we have decided to retain Nick Folk. He has a powerful leg and no heart. This dude cant step up when it matters, he even misses kicks when we have a solid lead in a game. He must be related to Woody Johnson or something.

Squad by Squad break down of the 2011 Jets DEFENSE...

I really like to break teams down by squad. For example...You could have the greatest CB in the league like Revis, but if he is surrounded by garbage I wouldn't call the teams secondary a strength. It's all about how the safety's and corners work together as a unit. I feel pretty good about our secondary including the safety's.

So lets start with that group. #24 apologized for our defense not being ranked #1 and for hauling in a grand total of zero interceptions. The Jets have been ultra honest regarding their lack of discipline and how the Steelers played much more physical in the AFCCG last season. The were also honest about trying to upgrade from Cromartie to Nnamdi. That didn't happen and Cro was the best of what was left.

We do have to ask if we lost out on some great opportunities by spending so much time chasing Asomugha. Ike Taylor was on the market briefly before Pittsburgh re-signed him. I would have loved to see him line up opposite Revis. I expect little out of #31. However, we still have Wilson who worked with Revis very closely during the lock out and I am also a fan of Marquis Cole. As for our safetys, I love Lowery and Leonard as our starters with Pool and Smith as part of the rotation. There is more than enough talent in that group to dominate.

Next up is our LB's. Harris is a rich man, and last week in an interview Revis called him the best LB in the NFL. That is beyond ridiculous, but I am happy he is still here. Calvin Pace needs to play 16 games and put up double digit sacks... or I would have to officially chalk his acquisition up as a failure. He is capable, but is he hungry?

Bart Scott is a loudmouth who has produced very little in two years. Rex told Tannenbaum his #1 player he wanted to bring with him from Baltimore was Bart. They paid him 40 million dollars and he has produced 2 total sacks, zero interceptions and about 60 solo tackles a year. Thats veteran minimum money not 40 million. We could have landed Ray Lewis, for the same money... but Rex and Mr. T made a bad choice. He should have really been released, but the cap hit would be devastating.

Bryan Thomas is still around, and every once in a while he puts up a big season. Maybe this will be a good one for him. The whole reason he is still on our team is because we don't want him going to New England. Jamaal Westerman has been getting a lot of attention early in camp. If he could develop into a real starter it would help to make up for Gholston.

Our defensive line is very exciting to me this season. Two young rookies, some role players like DeVito and Pitoitua, and some other talented players trying to find a place on an NFL team like Jarron Gilbbert and Marcus Dixon. I love this kind of competitive environment. No one is guaranteed a starting spot. I just hope some clear cut starters emerge. I don't want us still searching for our front 3 in October.

Team by team evaluations... NFC

And away we go...

The Dallas Cowboys (Will win 9 games): For many years Jason Garrett has been a young up and coming future NFL head coach. Potential is an interesting thing. At some point "you need shit or get off the pot"... as they say here in NJ. Jason has his chance in 2011, with Americas Team no less. I like a lot of the moves they have made after what was a disastrous 2010 season. I love how they dropped dead weight like Roy Williams and Barber. This sends a great message to everyone on that team. They also hired Rob Ryan as their Defensive coordinator. My first thought when I heard about the hiring of Ryan was that Mr Garrett had better win games this year. He was also a one time assistant coach waiting in the wings. Jerry thinks at least 10 moves ahead of the game and Garrett is well aware. I was not impressed with Jason's interim coaching effort. He was 5-3 which is very average. Bottom line... he is in charge of the O and Ryan is in charge of the D. The D will be very highly ranked, so if the Cowboys miss the playoffs again, the Ryan era will begin in 2012.

New York Va-Giants (Will win 6 games): Their off-season was nothing short of a disaster. Prince Amukamara broke his foot the day after signing his contract as their #1 overall draft pick. The break was so bad it cut off blood flow to the foot and required screws to repair it. He is not necessarily out for the season, but this is a devastating long term injury for a blue-chip CB. That was the thing the Giants brain trust had no control over. Losing Steve Smith to the Eagles, letting this Osi contract situation get out of hand, and letting Kevin Boss walk to the Raiders were under their control. IMHO the rats are abandoning the ship. If the Giants don't make the playoffs their crazy fans will burn down the house and demand major change. As soon as they are out of playoff contention the stadium will be empty on Sundays and the Star Ledger will start posting pictures of empty seats on its front page. Wouldn't this be the perfect year for the Jets to win the big game!?!?! This is our city now fools.

Philadelphia Eagles (Will win 12 games): The dream team. I thought that Bart Scott and Rex Ryan went a little overboard from time to time. Vince Young is the back-up QB in Philly. When your back-up is talking smack, only to hold a clipboard on Sundays, you have lost touch with reality. They have upgraded their secondary substantially. They have navigated this sticky situation with Desean Jackson very well. I also love the addition of Ronnie Brown as a change of pace runner. They could realistically have the #1 offense and #1 defense. That being said, #7 is very very fragile. Young is a solid back-up, but Vick's health is the real wildcard here.

Washington Redskins (Will win 8 games): They have a bunch of good #2 receivers, a couple of C+ QB's and no elite RB. Evan Royster, their rookie RB out of Penn State, is a prototypical no-name runner that Shanahan can turn into a 1,000 yard wonder. I have been saying for years that Rex Grossman deserves another chance. He will most likely get a chance to start opening day. However, he will be on a very short leech. They will shock people with a .500 record and their legendary coach regains some of the respect he lost last year.

Chicago Bears (Will win 7 games): They had a glaring need at the WR position. There were a ton of impactful free agents and a couple of #1's available via trade. I am not going to waste my time listing the names, because the Bears decided to sign Roy Williams as the solution to that problem. Wow. Thats beyond disappointing. You have a big arm QB and Mike Martz and you give them Roy Williams to work with??? With the Packers in their division and the young Lions beginning to roar, the Bears were big losers in the free agent tournament.

Detroit Lions (Will win 9 games): I am loving how this team has picked itself up and dusted itself off after their pitiful 0-16 season only a few short years ago. Calvin Johnson, Gosder Cherilius Cliff Avril, Mathew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Ndamukong Suh, Jahvid Best and Nick Fairley. An amazing foundation built through the draft. That D-line is going to make some real noise in 2011. If their QB stays healthy for 16 games they make the playoffs... period.

Green Bay Packers (Will win 15 games): They will drop one game to the Lions or Bears, and thats it. They are the best coached and constructed team in the league. They may have gone undefeated last year if not for the rash of injuries. I love the draft pick of D.J. Williams the TE out of Arkansas, keep an eye out for him. The big question, now that they are no longer under the radar, is how do they respond to being every opponents game of the year? Obviously I think they will do very well. For the record, the Jets are the only team that has a shot at beating them in the post season.

Minnesota Vikings (Will win 8 games): All anyone really cares about with this team is how will AP perform, and is he going to be a big disappointment in fantasy football again? They have a real commitment to this philosophy of bringing in old QB's and trying to catch lightning in a jar. Every team has tried it at one time or another. The Jets tried way too many times if you ask me. But, the Vikings live by this belief that Cunningham or Moon or Favre or McNabb are going to ride in on their white horse and save the day.

Atlanta Falcons (Will win 11 games): I love the gutsy move drafting Julio Jones. That kid looks like he may actually be better than Calvin Johnson. Is that possible? They gave up a kings ransom to sign this kid. The only way this looks like a good move is if they win the Superbowl. And... they know it. Abraham and Gonzales are probably entering into their last productive season. Yet another team that needs to win now.

Carolina Panthers (Will win 5 games): Cam newton, Derek Anderson and Jimmy Clausen. Like the say... if you have 2 starting QB's, than you don't have 1. Until this is worked out they will continue to be the punching bag of this division. They have some excellent role players like Clowney, Gettis, Stewart, and Gamble. They also have some superstars like LB's Beason and Anderson, WR Steve Smith (who is already injured... again) and DeAngelo Williams and Charles Johnson who both were paid very handsomely this year. The signing of Williams and the retention of Smith are very curious to me. But even more curious was brining in Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey. I guess someone in that organization has a fetish for University of Miami TE's. Ron Rivera finally gets his chance. Not expecting great things in the first year of the Newton era.

New Orleans Saints (Will win 12 games): Brees continues to show his amazing leadership. I believe in my heart that the team tat works the hardest and wants it the most will win. Thats why I think they make a comeback and win the division. No one was more serious about player organized off-season work outs than the Saints. Love the players they added and the subtraction of Bush will be negated by the addition of Spoules. Brilliant.

Tampa Bay Bucs (Will win 7 games): Tampa had more money to spend than any other team under the cap. They have a player friendly, young head coach who is gaining more respect around the league everyday and an excellent young signal caller. They are also in a division with two of the best teams in the league. The new CBA requires every team to spend 99% of the cap. Want to or not, they have to spend the cash. SO, the first thing they did was sign their punter to a 20 million dollar contract. WTF? They still don't have an elite WR or RB. They let Barett Ruud walk to Tennessee, and are still banking on Winslow at the TE position. I just don't see a team that wants to win. They hit a homerun in the draft with Freeman, and I guess they plan to ride that train and hope it keeps the seats filled. Too bad for Josh. He is a winner.

St Louis Rams (Will win 10 games): They have a real QB and a substantial pass rush. Therefore they win the division. Watch out for 2nd year WR Mardy Gilyard who was injured last season and the rest of their WR corps including Avery, Amendola and Simms-Walker. Bradford is my fantasy football sleeper of the year! I wish they would have taken D.J Williams in the draft.

Arizona Cardinals (Will win 5 games): They overpaid for Kolb and should have made Mr Brown in Cincinnati an offer he couldn't refuse for Palmer. They come up short in the draft every year and decided to pass on Braylon Edwards for short money. I don't get it. I'm not impressed.

San Fransico 49ers (Will win 2 games): I love that they have numbers in the spelling of their name. Thats where my love affair with this team ends. ALEX SMITH IS PURE GARBAGE!!!! What were they thinking??? One of two things. Either they throw the season and draft Luck next year or they are planning to pull a rabbit out of a hat and persuade the Bengals to give up Palmer... which would immediately make them a contender. The aren't that smart.

Seattle Seahawks (Will win 6 games): They have cornered the market in back-up QB's. Lienhart actually turned them down. Weird. They are a ways away from being relevant. How did Palmer not end up here either?? Oh yeah, the Bengals are insane. No real elite players on this team. I like the role-player, no-name.. we beat the defending champs last year thing. But this isn't a Disney movie. They stepped in shit making the playoffs with a below .500 record and even landing a home game. Maybe the league needs to look at their playoff seeding rules.

Jets training camp 8/11/2011

I finally made it out to Florham Park to check out a Jets practice. Here are some thoughts:

First off... Brunell looks like a 600 year old man... he is unbelievably slow and clunky. Seriously, I would have just kept Clemens.

Lowery was practicing with the safety's and is officially listed as one. That makes me happy considering I have been calling for this move for 2 years. He's a ball hawk first of all. But, when I saw him up close his physical conditioning was impressive. He is going to make the pro-bowl as a safety if he gets enough snaps. I am very comfortable with a rotation of Leonhard/Smith and Lowey/Pool. Solid.

#34 Marquis Cole looked like the next best corner on the practice field to #24. However, this is the practice field we are talking about. In one on one drills with the CB's and WR's Cole shut down Mason and the 6'5" rookie Courtney Smith out of South Alabama. Wilson was beat badly by Plax, and Revis dominated everyone on the field. I know Revis worked with Wilson a lot during the off-season. I hope it shows dividends. Cromartie continues to flash brilliance, but he is very sloppy and lazy. He kept removing his helmet during practice... he's constantly laughing and joking around... and he was dropping balls in routine drills. Not proud of this member of the NYJ.

On the other hand, LT is a sight to see on the practice field. This guy is focused and goes full speed in every drill. If the players can pick up anything via osmosis it's a huge value having him on the roster, not to mention his contribution on Sundays. If he touches the ball 10 times a game, mostly on 3rd down... he could be fresh and a real difference maker come the post season. For that to happen #23 needs to step up ad take over as our bell cow back. Fingers crossed.

Overall it was a very lack luster, casual practice. At one point Rex was playing catch with #10, #85 and #17. I have no idea what the hell that was suppose to be. We have two guys that have been brought in to be a HUGE part of our offense and they stood around for the first 45 minutes of practice chatting with Rex in the shade. Our team was lethargic and sloppy last year. If you are going to keep promising Superbowls then it starts in practice. It starts in the pre-season.

If they are a discombobulated hot mess on Monday, there should be no question why.

Team by team evaluations... AFC

A little later than normal, but thats certainly not my fault.

Buffalo Bills (Will win 6 games): This is a very young and very talented team. Two very solid WR's, an explosive RB, a serviceable O-line, and a bunch of impactful rookies on the defensive side of the ball. I LOVED their draft, but at the end of the day... they have nothing but a massive question mark at the QB position. I have been a fan of journeyman signal caller Tyler Thigpen, and would love to see him get a shot. Marcell Darius, Aaron Williams and Kelvin Sheppard could be a foundation on defense that could lead to great things for Buffalo fans and bad things for Jets fans. But without an established QB, they are nothing to worry about in 2011. Imagine if they would have had the guts to take a chance on Mike Vick... or the balls to bring in Vince Young. Late news... They trade away Lee Evans for a 4th round pick. Great work -roll eyes-

Miami Dolphins (Will win 4 games): They were developing an identity with Sporano and Henne. They have all but given up on both of them, and now they are hitching their cart to another highly drafted, former New Orleans RB. How did that work out last time? One final note... they quietly picked up QB Matt Moore. They have let about 500 different guys line up behind center since their favorite son (and superbowl winnless) Marino stepped down, why not give Moore a shot? I like that guy.

New England Patriots (Will win 10 games): DESPERATION anyone? Hanesworth, Ochocinco, Sean Ellis??? They have questions regarding their O-line, and their "little engine that could" backfield is not very intimidating. At some point Brady needs too hit the wall, and Belichicks rings are starting too lose their luster. We need to beat them and go into the playoffs as the AFC East winners.

New York Jets (16-0 fool!): More to come...

Baltimore Ravens (Will win 10 games): I have no idea why they didn't land Braylon Edwards. Edwards and Boldin with Mason in the slot would have been all Flacco would need to dominate. They let Mason walk as well as Heap. As I have said before 2011 is their year. Lewis and Reed are quickly approaching their expiration dates. Their shelf life is almost expired. Two words... Now/Never.

Cincinnati Bengals (Will win 1 game): Oh the many opinions I have expressed about this team. Their owner has been universally recognized as the worst in pro sports. Here's a microcosm: Your QB releases a statement that he refuses to return, and that he will not play another down for your team. You have months upon months to come up with a trade scenario that will benefit your team and your cause the best. In the draft you land a 1st round QB to start a new era and move on. What happens when the lockout is lifted? You give a horrible speech stating that you are disappointed that Carson is not keeping his word and honoring his contract, and you refuse to trade him. He even said "we won't reward him" with a ticket out of Cincinnati. You already have a replacement. Why not work out a deal like Philly and Arizona made where you can land a talented player and a solid draft pick. Arizona would have preferred Palmer over Kolb, and maybe even have given up more. Sad Sad Sad. Oh, and BTW... they drafted that kid because his hair is orange. I am sure that is the extent of their scouting.

Cleveland Browns (Will win 6 games): Make your next move your best move! They off'd Mr Mangini and thats a step in the right direction. They also gave Delhomme his walking papers. They are an old-school football team with guys like Hillis and Cribbs. Colt McCoy is the type of guy you would like to root for. Every team needs a true #1 WR, especially when you are developing a young QB. They have a bunch or #3's and 4's. There was no excuse to not land a game changer at that position considering who was available in the draft and free agency. Maybe they just don't get it.

Pittsburgh Steelers (Will win 11 games): I hate this team and their bratty players. James Harrison said he "wouldn't piss on the commissioner if he was on fire". How is this guy not suspended... for at least 4 games? If a player on any other team would have said that there would be consequences and repercussions. But of coarse they always have and always will get special treatment. I hope we take their two cast off WR's and beat their ass in the playoffs this year.

Houston Texans (Why not 8 games?): I won't waste time on this. Look at my pre-season analysis in 09' and 10'. Nothing ever changes there. Apathetic doesn't even say it well enough.

Indianapolis Colts (Will win 12 games if Manning plays all 16): The next 3 or 4 years will have its ups and downs regarding Mannings' performance. He will have one more shot at the big game, even after people write him off and resurrect him. With the right mix of players he can have one more championship in him. Keep an eye out for my guy Jerry Hughes. He was injured last season. He's primed for a break out in 2011.

Jacksonville Jaguars (Will win 3 games): Rookie QB, same old coach, same old empty stadium, and MJD in career prison. Some teams make decisions regarding players and coaches much too hastily... and some are like fat girls with low self-esteem. They just stick with the same loser. Who do you think the Jaguars resemble more? They signed the oft-injured Poslusnzy from Buffalo, and former NY Jet Drew Coleman. Well those are the missing pieces to a championship puzzle if I have ever seen them. Ummm sarcasm anyone?

Tennessee Titans (Will win 7 games): I think they will pay CJ2K, but is that the right choice? He is amazing... and I use that word sparingly. BUT, he is also very tiny. He already has a lot of milage on him. RB's are like cars. As soon as you drive them off the lot their value plummets. He is a game changer, but with the lack of talent surrounding him, he is going to get beat up really bad. He will probably become disgruntled and start crying as well. So what's the solution? There is none. They suck. As for Hasselbeck... He hit the wall 2 years ago. One good post season game and he gets paid. Crazy.

Denver Broncos (Will win 5 games): When they were flirting with trading Orton and starting Tebow I thought Elway had received one too many blows to the head back in the 80's. Orton is 10 times as good, and he also happens to be a REAL QB. Josh McDaniels absolutely destroyed that team, and it will take a few years to recover. Von Miller #2 overall when you have a swiss cheese D-line... and this may have been the best draft in history for D-line...?? I don't get it.

Kansas City Chiefs (Will win 14 games): How does this team not land Zach Miller? Breaston was a nice add, and Tony Moeaki did a great job at TE last year, but Miller is the missing piece. Imagine McCluster, Bowe, Breaston Moeaki and Miller with Charles and Jones in the backfield, and a solid O-line. They are young and explosive, and their energy is amazing. Hats off to Scott Pioli... maybe he was the brains in New England. Anyone who isn't afraid to take Parcells daughter face down, ass up gets kudos from me. LOL

Oakland Raiders (Will win 5 games): A HA HA HA HA HA LMFAO ROFL HA HA HA HA HA HA. They declined to vote on the CBA. Love it! I will say this... if they move back to southern California I will buy mad Los Angeles Raiders crap. It would be such a throw back to my childhood. That being said, the fans in LA had started to lose interest in the Raiders in the early 90's anyways. What makes them think they will embrace them if they return? Only the Raiders chase random rookies with 4.25 40's and old washed up castoff's and then let a guy like the afore mentioned Zach Miller walk for nothing. They should take down the "commitment to excellence" banners and replace them with "WTF" in bold silver and black.

San Diego Chargers (Will win 8 games): I believe that Rivers is every bit as good as Brees and Brady. How do they not land Braylon Edwards to work with Jackson? Their GM is losing it. How do they let Sproles walk? 4 years and 16 million was not in the budget for an all purpose guy like that? I thought they had the room to spend some cash and get back in the playoff race.

NFC to follow...

The New School...

Some thoughts on what is developing into an interesting era for the NFL. The changing of the guard is in full effect.

Players like Favre, Brady, Manning, Palmer, McNabb, Hasselbeck, and Kerry Collins are either retired or will be... sooner rather than later. All of these QB's have been highly productive, some of them have Superbowl rings, and a few will eventually land in Canton.

So what will come of the the new breed of signal callers and how will they measure up to their predecessors?

Lets look at Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Mathew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow.

The success of any QB in this league has to a lot to with the players that surround them. All of these newbies have very talented supporting casts around them, except maybe Tebow. So, they all have a shot at being something special.

If we start with Collins, he has been the real journeymen of the group. He is a proven winner and even led the Giants to a Superbowl birth. If any of the young QB's has the potential to become a floater I think it's Mathew Stafford.

He is an excellent young player with great mechanics and a lot of moxie. But, he is injury prone. The Lions are going places, but they will only have limited patience dealing with a #1 draft pick who is a major drain on their salary cap, and can only stay upright for 6 or 7 games a year. His skills are undeniable, so I could see him playing musical teams in years to come if he can't stay healthy.

Palmer was a blue-chip #1 pick from USC who had a cannon arm and all the intangibles. All of the millions he has been paid has bought the Bengals fans ZERO playoff wins. Some people may be shocked to hear that. I wonder if Matt Ryan may end up as the player from this group who ends up with that jinx. He has an amazing coach, so I hope he and Mike Smith eventually get their first playoff win. Maybe one day they will even have 4... like Rex and Mark.

Brady is a product of a brilliant coaching staff and a great front office. The run the Patriots went on drafting outstanding players to accompany Tom Terrific is legendary. The ice water in Brady's veins was chilled by playing in the AFC East and some of the most bloody battles the league has ever witnessed. After watching the head-to-head match ups between Brady and Mark Sanchez (which for the record is 3-2 overall, and 1-0 in the playoffs in favor of #6) we must wonder if he is following a similar path... developing into a champion like that douche from New England.

There is a reason why he was the top recruited QB coming out of high school. There is a reason why he was a starter @ USC (back when that was a good thing) and there is also a reason why he came out early and was a top 5 pick in the draft. He has been a starter from day 1, and has come up with two AFC Championship births in his first two years in the league. Thats what QB's are paid for... playoff wins and eventually a championship. He has unquestionably earned his money more than any other name on this list... so far.

Matt Hasselbeck was never a very impressive QB to me. He is smart and is a proven winner, but he is just easy to forget. Thats why he fits Seattle so well. I compare Josh Freeman to him. I think he will win some playoff games in his career, but he plays for the second most forgotten team in the league Tampa Bay. I could see Josh playing in a Superbowl one day, but I don't ever see him winning one just like the prematurely bald passer from the Pacific Northwest.

I think McNabb owes his success to a marriage with one of the most solid coaches of the past decade in Reid. Andy provided a solid foundation and continuity for Donavan. He came into the league with the arm, and Andy helped him learn how to make the right decisions with the ball. I think the Joe Flacco/ Harbaugh partnership will be equally as fruitful. They have already had some playoff runs, the big question is will they be able to close the deal in a way that Reid and McNabb never could. The REAL question in Baltimore is can they win now? Reed and Lewis only have a small window left. Without them, you have to start all over. Flacco is young, but 2011 may be his best chance to land a ring.

Favre has all the records and is a first ballot HOF'er. No QB has had a better rookie campaign than Sam Bradford. He has truly amazed me. From the day he stepped behind center in a real NFL game he has shown he was born to do this, much like #4 when he finally got his first chance to play in his second year. If any of the newbies has a shot at big stats and breaking records he would be the logical choice. The big difference is that Brett was surrounded by some of the best offensive minds of his time. Holmgren, Mariucci and Gruden were Favre's teachers in his early years. Bradford has McDaniels now, it's scary to think of what he can achieve in year two. The lockout won't help his development, but it will probably just be remembered as a bump in the road.

That leaves us with Peyton. No one is anything like Manning or compares to him... most especially Tim Teabow. So thats where the comparison ends.

If there is anyone on earth who believes there is no one who will ever replace John Elway in Denver... it's John Elway. My prediction is that Elway puts the former Gator on a short leash and dumps him as early as 2012. John didn't draft him, so he's not his problem. I saw nothing out of Tebow that makes me think he can play QB at this level. His future in Denver will be decided within the first few weeks of the 2011 season. He would need to jump light years from year one to year two in order to have a chance to become the long term answer. Because of the lockout he has had little to no chance to grow or develop in the past 6 months.

Obviously my hope is that Mark Sanchez will end up as the guy from this group with the most rings when it's all over. #6 won't break any passing records or win any MVP's, but thats not why he was drafted.

MY top 10 players of 2011...

Recently the NFL Network ran some drawn out list of the top 100 players of 2011 as voted on by the players. It was a bit confusing because it was suppose to be the players you think will have the biggest impact in the upcoming season... if there is one. But, it's hard not to consider their whole body of work. I think they also wanted to have a variety of positions represented in the top 20. They didn't want a bunch of QB's up there.

My top 10 will have a bunch of QB's, because you can't convince me that Asomugha, Ngata or Peppers have more of an impact on a game than Rivers, Vick or Roethlisberger. It may be boring, but the top 5 or 6 QB's in this league are the center of the universe when it comes to winning. Everything revolves around them.

I have the 2 best game changing pass rushers, one MLB (QB of the defense), the best CB in the game and a gaggle of QB's.

SO, here it is....

10.) Dwight Freeny (#15 by players/ #25 by fans) - He is probably one of only 3 or 4 defensive players that could take over a post season game and advance his team to the next round... almost single handedly. A double team is not a solution.

9.) Mike Vick (#20 players/#11 fans)- IF HE STAYS HEALTHY, his team wins at least 11 games... because of him. Thats enough to land him in my top 10.

8.) Ben Roethlisberger (#41 players/ #35 fans)- He may be a filthy drunk rapist, and he may also be an awfully lucky bastard for landing on that team, but he has made some of the most clutch plays of the past 6 or 7 years.

7.) Clay Mathews (#19 players/ #5 fans)- This guy is like some-sort-of Madden fantasy player that you can create and make everything a 99. His energy fuels both the defense and offense. May be the best Mathews the NFL has ever seen, and thats saying a lot!!!

6.) Ray Lewis (#4 players/ #4 fans)- He picked up right where Singletary left off as the ultimate leader of a generation of Linebackers. He is the definition of what a MLB should be. He's smart, hits hard, reads and reacts, makes sure every defender is in the exact perfect spot, and most importantly, he still strikes fear in the hearts of his opponents... after over 15 years in the league. He will hit the wall soon, but I believe he still has enough gas in the tank to make a run in 2011.

5.) Philip Rivers (#26 players/ #24 fans)- Very underrated. His GM has held the team hostage by alienating his top WR and blindside body guard... and like a good soldier he kept his mouth shut and played his ass off. The Chargers didn't have enough talent to compete at a high level, but Rivers gave is all every week. He is a bit Marino-esc with his on-field tantrums, but he is an elite QB.

4.) Aaron Rodgers (#11 players/ #2 fans)- The crown prince of the NFL. Everyone loves Aaron. He is the real deal, and he proved it on the biggest stage. He may be #1 on my 2012 list.

3.) Darrelle Revis(#8 players/ #14 fans)- Homer pick? Whatever. The reason I place him here is because most teams have one dominate game changing WR, if they are lucky. #24 will shut down anyone. That devastates any offense or game plan. If we ever win the big game it will be because of him. He may never even have a ball thrown his way on that magical Sunday, but he will be the reason we win the Superbowl. May be the best corner ever... when it's all said and done.

2.) Tom Brady (#1 players/ #3 fans)- His ego is so big it actually makes him a great QB. However, much of his career, including his 3 Superbowl winning seasons were tarnished when it was discovered he and his team were videotaping other teams defensive signals so they would know what their opponents were running before the play started. Thats a bit of an advantage. NFL Network mistakenly left that out when anointing him as the #1 player on their list.

1.) Peyton Manning (#2 players/ #1 fans)- Greatest QB ever. No one plays like him. He has brought the most important position on the field to a completely different level. Only active player I will be telling my great grand kids about. Legend. GOAT. MVP. Champion.

Brees is not on this list. For the record he is my #11. He is amazing, but he is small and I think his Cinderella story is coming to an end. His team is the 3rd best in it's division... in 2011... IMHO.

Some of the young signal callers in this league will eventually bump the guys in our top 10. But this is my group for this season.

I am still on semi-strike...

I have not been active on my blog for months... ever since the end of the 2010 season. I paid a little attention to the draft, and overall I was happy with what I saw from the Jets. FINALLY some D-linemen!!!

I love the guys we picked, but I am concerned about our high risk/ high reward 3rd round DT. Kenrick Ellis (6'4" 346LBS) from Hampton is the massive space filler that I have dreamt of from the draft for years. He has well documented off the field issues, and that is the only reason this guy dropped to the 3rd round. If he was a model citizen in college he probably goes higher than our first round pick Muhammad Wilkerson.

I like our RB and 2 WR's we landed in the later rounds and Greg McElroy, the young QB from Alabama, was also a great value. Nice job Mr. T... I couldn't have done it better myself =)

This week has been a big one regarding the labor dispute being resolved in the NFL. It is starting to look like things will be finished up by the beginning of July. I can't really analyze the league or what may happen in 2011 because no one knows what will happen regarding free agency. Once FA starts it will be an amazing thing to watch. I doubt we keep Cotchery, Holmes, Edwards and Smith. I think Mr T will hit the ground running, and I expect some flashy trades. I still believe that Cotchery will be traded to free up cap room and we will do everything possible to keep Edwards and Holmes.

I also think Sean Ellis will take any amount of money to finish his career here. For the right price he could be useful. He is a solid 1st and 2nd down DE. If we could bring in a developmental pass rusher for 3rd down at the LE position it would be a perfect fit.

The players to watch this year are:

1) Kyle Wilson

2) David Harris

3) The "Sanchise"

4) Dustin Keller

5) Kendrick Ellis

• I hope Cromartie plays for some other team in 2011. We need Wilson to actually show up this year and become that bookend to Revis he was intended to be. Thats why he was drafted in the 1st round. If he is a bust this year, we are in bad shape.

• Harris needs to become a leader. For the money he is going to cost us he needs to do more than tackle people. He will never be a great cover LB or a double digit sack guy. He needs to find a way to be more vocal.

• #6 has proven a lot to me. But, if Mr T works his magic and retains Holmes and Edwards, Mark needs to take it to the next level. Top five draft pick, huge contact, face of the franchise.... it's time to start putting up some big numbers.

• Keller has been a disappointment in my eyes, and he could be the missing piece of the puzzle. TE is such a crucial position for a young QB. If he can step up and play like a 1st round TE... that could be the difference for us in 2011.

• And lastly our new mountain of muscle on the D-line. Ellis couldn't ask for a better situation. If he can keep his nose clean and dominate up the middle... we have a real chance at being the bride instead of the bridesmaid this season.

More to come, once the NFL decides they want to get back to work!

48 hours until the Draft kicks off...

I haven't posted lately because there simply is NO football news. I don't care who is getting paid, getting sued, getting ripped off, getting taken advantage of, or getting a raw deal. I think the NFL is a corrupt business and the owners, players and coaches are all stealing money. Eventually this ridiculous lockout thing will be over and we can get back to football.

Right now there can be no trades, releases, or FA signing. It will be very interesting to see what our opening day squad looks like. It's all speculation for the time being, but experts a saying it will be impossible to keep Harris, Holmes, Edwards, Cromartie, Eric Smith, Brad Smith... as well as Ellis, Pool and Coleman. Many times I have heard Mr. T say that the Cap can be manipulated so that we can always keep the players we really want. So, working under that premise, who are the players we can't live with out?

Personally I won't cry if we let Ellis Pool and the Smith's all test the FA market, once it's back in effect. Years ago we let Brandon Moore test the waters and re-signed him a few days later. No one is interested in the Big Kat, so he will be back for short money. Why would he want to leave now? We will probably retain Eric Smith as well. He is a excellent special teamer and has evolved into a solid safety. I don't see a long line of teams chasing Pool either.

As for Brad Smith, he will have a lot of options. He would fit very well in New England or Philadelphia. I hate to see him go, but I can't see giving up 3 to 5 million a season from or Cap to a guy who contributes on 5 to 10 plays a game.

The guys I would simply let walk would be Cromartie and Coleman. I have very little to say about these guys. They are B minus talent and Cromartie comes with waaaaaay toooo much baggage. We can't get buy with only Revis and Wilson, so if we let these guys walk we will need to address the holes they leave behind in the draft and FA market.

That leaves Harris, Holmes and Edwards. Harris is technically under contract because he was franchised before the lock out started. That is probably just a precautionary move. I think once we get back to business they will work out a long term contract for him. He is a solid ILB and a good citizen off the field. I would love to see him step up as a leader, but you can't be something you are not.

As for the Holmes/ Edwards dilemma, I feel that we can work out a way to keep both of them. But, should we keep both of them? My first question is which WR is the more valuable of the two? Edwards is a physical freak. His size and speed are a rare find. He showed last year that he can make the big play when it counts and also put to rest all of the talk about his bad hands and or bad vision. He caught everything that was thrown his way. He had a DUI arrest this past season, but I was really impressed with how he handled it. His attitude was great in 2010 and he worked hard in the off-season.

Holmes is a very different personality. He has a horrible attitude and is a lose cannon. That being said, he is unquestionably a top 10 receiver in this league. There is no other WR out there I would rather have on my team with the game on the line than #10. I am not sure if I have ever come across a player in my 25 years of watching football that has that same look in their eyes when it counts. A lot of guys talk about being 'prime time' players, but how many have proved it in the Superbowl with one minute left on the clock?

His 2010 campaign with the Jets was fantastic. His game winning plays in November... 3 weeks in a row vs. Detroit, Cleveland and Houston, plus his game winner against thee Pats in the playoffs are all the references I need to see on his resume to say that we need to hold on to him. He won't be cheap and he is a ticking time bomb, but we stole him for a 5th rounder from Pittsburgh, and if your whole season comes down to one play... he suddenly becomes worth it. He is the top priority.

So, should we keep them both? Answer: yes. They make each other better. But, can they continue to co-exist together? Two huge ego's who bit their tongues during a contract year for both of them. If we pay them and give them multi-year deals the whole dynamic could change. Especially if there are incentives built in based on performance. It could get nasty very quick.

As for the draft... If we don't move around Phil Taylor should be our pick, and he is the big space filler I have been asking for since 2006. He will be there waiting and I would be shocked if we skipped him. That being said, there are some teams in the top half of the first round that have a multitude of holes to fill that would be very interested in moving down. The teams picking in the last few spots of round 1 may be one great player away from the Superbowl. I know of one from New York that is on the cusp of winning it all.

I don't see any reason to move up, but because of all of the hype surrounding all of the QB's in this draft, and the lack of competent starters at that position in the NFL, a bunch of VERY talented impact players will drop in our laps at spot 28.

If Mark Ingram was there, I would take him. Ingram, Greene and McNight could be a perfect 3 headed beast moving forward, Tomlinson is done. I am also very interested in D.J. Williams from Arkansas. He is the perfect compliment at TE to Keller and he may still be on the board when we pick in round 3. I would trade up to get him him anywhere in round 3 because I think he will be a very productive player.

We need to also address the D-line and I would look for a WR as well. I would dump Cotchery for an additional 3rd rounder and pick up a slot guy for less money. Unfortunately we can't trade a player to pick up more picks =(

The back up QB spot is also a big question mark for us. Wouldn't be shocked to see Pennington back in the green and white.

What to say in a climate of complete doubt...

Who knows whats going to happen over the next few months? Usually around this time I would be talking offseason moves and the NFL Draft. Frankly, I have been so off about what the Jets would or should do in the draft, I won't waste my time with detailed evaluations. For years I have been wanting to address the D-line and land a 1st round impact RB. In 06' I wanted Addai and Ngata. In 07' I wanted Peterson and Okoye. In 08' McFadden and Calais Campbell. In 09' I wanted Knowshon and Clay Mathews. Last season I wanted Jerry Hughes and no RB. I didn't like one in the whole draft.

The reason I list these previous players is because this might actually be the year we address the D-line early. I also have my eye on another 1st round RB stud... Ingram. I can't imagine Sanchez with Holmes and Edwards out wide and Mark Ingram running behind our O-line. WOW, how do you defend that?

In other news, Vernon Gholston is a goner. Good riddens, I won't beat a dead horse, his complete lack of impact speaks for itself. David Harris has been franchised, mostly as a precautionary measure. If it wasn't for the labor ambiiguity I think a deal would be done by now. I do like Harris, but I am sure we will over pay for him. He is horrible in coverage, has little experince calling plays and is practically a mute. But... he is solid against the run, big and strong, and that INT in the playoff game against the Patriots may have sealed the deal. I'll take em'.

Our wide receiver predicament is very interesting. The 3 most important in order are Homes, Smith and Edwards. Holmes made a loud, definitive statement last season. He is our #1 WR and should be for years. Smith will stay for a fair contract and he is a jack of all trades. He has a significant impact on Special Teams and Offense. Edwards is a rare combination of size and speed, he has a nose for the big play and he caught everything thrown his way in 2010. I think we will also land him for a hometown discount. The Holmes contract will be the real struggle, but I am sure he is our top priority. The odd man out is Jericho Cothchery. He had a lack luster season, missed some time with injury and will count heavily against our salary cap in 2011. I would focus on the other 3 WR's, trade Cotchery (4th rounder) and pick up a young prospect somewhere in the draft.

I am not so sure we need to address the Safety position. With Poole, Lowery, Smith and Leonard I think we are OK. I would drop Cromartie ASAP. This guy is a ticking time bomb, I am shocked that we paid the price we did to land him. He is almost as sloppy and lazy as Lito Shepppard, and off the field he is a P.R. nightmare. I don't need to see quotes like "FUCK Tom Brady" in the newpapers with a Jets logo next to it. It's disgusting and classless. Jettison this animal and let him go to the Redskins or the Raiders where he belongs. Kyle Wilson is the key to the whole secondary. Mr. T has a great batting average in the draft, but a team can only afford one major strike out in the 1st round each decade. Gholston is that one. If Wilson also fails to develop (and develop quickly) it could have major ramifications moving forward.

I am 100% confident in our O-line and thats without Woody. We have at least 5 very solid lineman since Slauson and Hunter stepped up and we still have Vlad the Impaler on the bench developing. Great work by our GM and coaches in one of the most important squads on a team. The O-line really is the foundation for everything.

I am a true fan of Mark Sanchez. I think 2011 will be a break out year for him and Shonn Greene. #6 did make some progress last year and he is 4-2 in the postseason after only 2 years in the league. That playoff experience and the plays he made to win games in the final moments last year are invaluable. He is the real deal IMHO. Greene had a bit of a sophomore slump, but he has the tools to get the job done. He and McNight could be a real force in another year or two. McNight is a project, but working with Westhoff on special teams could help him become another Neon Leon.

One final concern for me is the tight end position. Keller has developed as a decent blocker and from time to time he can make a big play. We need to add a big veteran blocking TE, and a tall rookie who can be a perfect target for Mark and have an impact in the passing game. If Keller goes down, we are in a bad position.

I think this is the year to move a few players like J-Co, pick up some mid round picks and focus on the draft. There aren't very many interesting free agents out there, and our cap situation is approaching the critical level. We have an excellent nucleus, a few key rookies could get us over the hump.

Tiki Barber: An egomaniacal train wreck

Tiki Barber was a talented, fast, dynamic and sneaky powerful half-back who was considered a B- talent early in his career. Why would he be labeled a B- if he had all of these attributes? Because of one that I haven't mentioned, which was the one he was best known for before he met Tom Coughlin... 'fumble prone'. Thats the kiss of death for a runner in the NFL.

From the day Coughlin took over as the coach of the Giants, Barber began to ascend to the top of his game. When he walked away from football in 2006 he was universally considered a top 5 RB and may have been the best the NFL had to offer that year. He had put up 3 consecutive seasons of over 2,000 all purpose yards including his infamous 2005 campaign that yielded nearly 2,400 yards and double digit TD's... Oh, and a grand total of ONE fumble in 16 regular season games.

He showed his gratitude to his coach and teammates by throwing them under the bus every chance he got, and even leaked the news about his retirement early causing a huge distraction. As soon as the season was over he was introduced by NBC as their new dynamic TV personality. Not only would he be a big part of their "Football Night in America" show, but Barber also insisted that he become a part of the "Today Show" because he had soooooo much to offer.

Tiki was prepared for the inevitable question regarding why he retired at his introductory press conference. He made it clear that he was ready for a new challenge, which in and of itself would have been a classy answer. But, Barber made sure to add that Coughlins strict disciplinary coaching style was also a contributing factor.

He proceeded to amaze viewers with his mannequin-like facial expressions, fake robotic smiles and monotone commentary and interviews. While he was crashing and burning on TV, his former team went on one of the all time greatest Cinderella post season runs winning the Superbowl (much to my delight) by defeating the 18-0 Patriots.

So, he walked away... at the top of his game... made sure to throw the coach, who helped him reach his full potential, under the bus... crashed and burned on TV while his former team simultaneously won the big game... Oh, and he also decided to leave his pregnant wife for a 23 year old intern he was having an affair with. So now it's 2011, he his 35 years old and has no money to pay his divorce settlement. That means he is broke.

He has just notified the NFL that he plans on returning to football this season (if there is one). What a coincidence! Let this be a lesson to you children... EGO can be a dangerous thing. And, burning all of your bridges on the way up can make the trip down a very lonely free fall. Good luck to whatever team decides to sign this way past his prime, locker room cancer who has zero passion for the game.

What did beating the Pats mean moving forward?

It means a lot of things, but mostly it means the playing field is finally level. That is what Rex and Mark have accomplished in their first two years. They are 21-12 in the regular season and 4-2 in the post season. They have made it to the final 4 in both of their first two seasons as well. Most importantly they ended the Patriots season and burst Brady's bubble for good. He can't walk around believing he has the Jets # the same way he does the other two teams in our division.

Currently Mark Sanchez is 3-2 vs. the Pats, but he has also outplayed the golden boy from New England. In their first ever matchup Mark put up a QB rating of over 100 while Brady put up a 53.1 In the second game of 09' Mark put up 4 INT's while playing in New England. In 2010 the same thing played itself out. An early September game in NJ yielded a much better game for #6, and a winter game in Gillette Stadium panned out perfectly for #12 when our team forgot to show up.

On a bitter cold day in New England Mark faced off against his arch nemesis for the 5th time. The media had made it clear that Sanchez plays horrible in cold weather and even worse in 'The Razor'. The Pats were such a sure bet in this game that an 'expert' analyst from ESPN actually stated that he felt that there was ZERO chance that Brady could throw an INT vs. the Jets.

#6 went out on the field and put up 3TD's zero INT's and a 127 QB rating... when it counted. Brady, who hadn't thrown a INT in multiple months and almost 400 pass attempts, hit David Harris square in the chest for a Favre-esc mental mistake on the opening drive. The Jets never looked back. The highlight of that win was Wes Welker crying on Brady's shoulder at the post game press conference.

So, Brady hasn't won a Superbowl since.... 2004. He hasn't won a playoff game since 2007, the same year he and his brilliant coach put up the ultimate choke of all-time by winning their first 18 games of the season and losing in the Superbowl. Another fact is that the Patriots were found to have been videotaping their opponents defensive signals for years and were fined collectively over 3 quarters of a million dollars and docked a 1st round draft pick... for the second time in a decade (the previous time was when they were convicted of tampering for offering a contract to our head coach and stealing him away... yes I am talking about Belichick.) Awful lots of cheating going on here for such highly regarded NFL royalty.

So, since that disastrous 2007 season Bill and Brady have done absolutely nothing. Yet they are still heralded as the greatest duo in all of the NFL.... today. Belichick just won the coach of the year award and Brady will end up as MVP. Interestingly enough the latest person to step up and say that they felt deceived by Billy B was Roger Goodell the commissioner of the NFL.

He said that after he handed down the fines and penalties to the Patriots organization for cheating back in 2007 he was guaranteed by their coach that he would give a public apology to the press. Brace yourself... he LIED! I know it may be hard to believe, but one of the lowest character men to ever coach pro football said one thing... and did another. The interesting part was the timing of the commissioners public comments... the same day Belichick got his 'honor'.

It's so sad how men like these are so highly regarded and a 2nd year HC and QB can be attacked so much, especially when they have outplayed them and outcoached them. The most recent attack is aimed directly at Mark. There are rumors swirling about a 17 year old girl who has pictures of herself in Sanchez's bedroom and is claiming they had sex.

First off, I have always felt that he was gay, so if he really did bang this chick.... more power to him! Secondly, it is not illegal to have sex with a 17 year old in NY State. So... why is this even a story???? After all of the non-sensical slandering of this team in the press, I have no choice but to conclude that their is a conspiracy against the Jets.

Out of all of the 'horrible' things this team supposedly did this past season... almost nothing materialized into anything concrete. The only things that actually happened were a DUI by Braylon Edwards (who went on to have an excellent season for us) and the tripping thing by some nobody low-level trainer. ALL of that other stuff you saw on TV and read about meant nothing. Even the Favre sexual harassment thing had nothing to do with the 2010 Jets or our current coaching staff.

Why would a promising young team like ours be under constant unfounded scrutiny? Maybe their are some Giants fans who have the kind of pull and influence to wage this kind of media war against this organization who is quickly becoming the #1 team in NYC ... or maybe someone in the evil Kraft Foods empire. Who knows? All I know is it has gotten out of control and some independent media sources need to step up and start exposing this bullshit.

Some more Bengal bashing...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my NY Jets and despise the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets and Bengals aren't really a rivalry and have had limited interaction over the years (trades, big games ...ect) I just hate the way they do business.

Mike Brown has held the city hostage since he took over in 1991. He refuses to hire a GM to shape the image and overall direction of the team. The roster has been put together with the same attention a 12 year old boy puts into his fictitious 'Madden' video game franchise. There have been times over the past decade that one has to ask ones self if Brown and Marvin Lewis have been targeting the absolutely lowest character players available in the draft and free agency.

Lewis has been the coach for 8 years and has only made the playoffs twice, has never won a playoff game, and overall losing record to go along with it. After winning the division last year and returning mostly the same roster the Bengals proceeded to put up another horrible 4-12 season. Instead of firing their underachieving coach, Lewis laid out some demands and ground rules revolving around him accepting a contract extension. SERIOUSLY??

The latest news out of Cincy is about Carson Palmer who has released a trade demand to the team and media, and he followed it up with a threat of retirement if Brown tries to play hardball. Watching owners like Al Davis and Synder from D.C. make horrible moves and mismanage their teams is bad enough, but at least they are trying to win. They just don't have the ability to evaluate players, the patience to let their teams develop an identity or the clear vision to hire the right front office personnel to steer the ship.

Brown just doesn't care. This is all a big joke to him, and he refuses to set standards or provide his fan-base with a quality return on their dollar. Sickening!

We beat the filthy Pats, and come up short in the AFCCG again...

If you read my previous post from right before the Divisional game against the Pats the focus of this post season run was the development of Mark Sanchez. The Jets showed over and over this season that they were not a disciplined football team. They developed some bad habits during the regular season, the worst of which was starting slow and playing catch up. They had some exciting last minute victories led by #6... but unfortunately that style of play can only work for so long.

We have the most talented squad in the NFL, but you can't beat a team like the Steelers, at home, in the AFC Championship Game when you are dropping passes, missing tackles and letting potential interceptions bounce off your face mask.

The previous week we played our best game of the season. We outplayed the Pats for 60 minutes and Sanchez showed exactly what we needed to see from him. In my previous post I asked: "Will he become the next dominate force in the AFC East, or that guy who is always chasing Brady's coat tails?"

#6 answered that question with authority. He put up a better QB rating than Brady (again) and our defensive gameplan was nothing short of brilliant. Sadly we peaked against Belichick and Brady and started out the game against Big Ben and Tomlin totally flat.

Again, Sanchez put up a 127 QB rating compared to Big Ben's 37, but our running game was non-existent and Schotty kept calling plays in totally obvious and predictable patterns. He called the same fake reverse to Edwards at least a half-a-dozen times and the same draw play up the middle to LT every time resulting in zero yards. He also called the same screen pass to Cotchery 3 or 4 times, but those plays actually netted yards and even a TD late in the game... so kudos. His mind boggling series of calls on the goal line in the 4th quarter of this game will never be forgotten. Rex is standing by him, but I have a feeling he may step down sometime over the next few weeks.

We came up short, but more importantly our young core of players showed they play even better when the pressure is on. Revis was lights out against 3 of the best QB's in the NFL, Mangold and D'Brick dominated the dynamic pass rushers from Indy and New England, David Harris snagged one of the biggest INT's in our teams history on the biggest stage, Shonn Greene stepped it up in the post season for a 2nd reason in a row, and MOST importantly Sanchez showed everything you can ask for at this stage of his career.

What this team is missing is a dominate draft class of defensive linemen. This is how I would handle things moving forward towards the 2011 season.

Lets start with the offense. Starting QB is covered, Mark has shown he can play through injuries and keeps getting better in all aspects of the position. The back-up QB spot is a major issue. I would offer Brunel another season but he can only fill in briefly. If #6 was to go down for more than one week we would be left high and dry. We need an experienced back up who can play long term if needed. Thats HARD to find in todays league.

I would target David Garrard and Jason Campbell. They are both under contract, but I have a feeling they might both be unemployed sooner rather than later. The Jags will be targeting a new QB in the draft and the Raiders are very interested in trying to land disgruntled Bengals QB Carson Palmer who has officially demanded a trade... and is threatening retirement if Cincy plays hard ball. BTW BRAVO Mr. Palmer!!!!! But I will explore that decision in my next Bengals bashing post. Another nice candidate would be Rex Grossman in Washington. I don't see him coming on the market, but if he does, I would snag him.

Our running back situation is very interesting. LT will play again next year and I guarantee he hits the wall, right before our eyes. He should not be counted on. Greene may develop into an elite runner, I have a feeling this season was just a sophomore slump. I wouldn't be shocked if he breaks through in 2011. But, he can't be counted on either. Joe McNight??? Well, thats a shot in the dark. We need a dynamic young back in this years draft, and Mr. T will need to hit another homerun.

If Miami doesn't take Mark Ingram @ the #15 spot I would try to trade with the Jags and leap frog Bill Belichick at the #17 spot and pick up the Alabama RB. I am sure if Ingram is still there when the Patriots choose they will take him. Belichick has a history with Mark's dad who played for the Giants back in the day. He would be perfect for them. By jumping ahead of them we would get two birds with one stone. I think there is about a 5% chance of this happening, but it would solve a lot of problems for us. Greene, Ingram and McNight would be a formidable backfield and compliment our elite O-line very well.

Our O-line is looking pretty sweet. The aforementioned Mangold and Ferguson are very solid, Brandon Moore has some very good years ahead of him and Slauson got the job done for 16 games this season, replacing Faneca. Turner stepped up this season playing RT and even Center whenever his number was called. Lets not forget Vladimir Ducasse our 2nd round pick from last year. We are set on the line, and I am saying that while also recommending dumping Woody. He is done and will cost us a ton of cap dollars if we keep him.

Keller is an OK TE, but we need to bring in a solid, run blocking veteran like Crumpler who was signed by NE last year. Their two rookie TE's have panned out very well, so Crumpler may be available. Randy McMichael and Leonard Pope should also be out there and would fit very well on this squad.

As for the WR's.... I would keep Holmes and Edwards, but they would have to sign very reasonable contracts. If they want top dollar you have to let them walk. They both have baggage and big money long term contracts are too risky. I would fight to hold on to Brad Smith and unfortunately I would release Cotchery. I think he has become too expensive and he has developed a habit of dropping passes he use to be counted on for catching. Those 3 remaining WR's matched up with a couple of young guys from the draft would be perfect.

On defense I would dump Cromartie (unless he takes a rock bottom deal) and Leonhard is a waste of cap dollars. Rex won't part with him, but he is simply too small, too slow and he is now recovering from a major injury. It's time to cut bait IMHO. Rounding out or secondary is the epic draft bust Kyle Wilson. #20 looks like a player, and seems to be a real high energy guy. He also looks lost most of the time and dropped an easy INT against Pittsburgh that may have won us the game. I wish we could dump him, but that is not realistic. I REALLY hope this kid shows something next year.

The D-line needs a major overhaul. Jenkins, Price and Ellis are simply too old and I wouldn't build my future D-line (the foundation of the entire defense) around Mike DeVito, no matter how much he has overachieved. Mr. T has his work cut out for him re-building this group.

It's the end of January and we are already talking about next season... Sadly.