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.

What matters this week...

Our 2010 squad has not played very well. They talk a much bigger than they deliver on Sunday. That being said they have scored 11 regular season wins and are 1-0 in the postseason. IMHO this game comes down to our running game and the dominance of our O-line. But, looking at the big picture Mark Sanchez's performance will have some long lasting ramifications.

As a second year man he put up acceptable stats and more importantly 11 wins. He had more TD's than INT's and thats all that really matters. He made some magical plays at the end of games which is nice to have on your resume. He is also 3-1 in the playoffs, but this game is not about stats... it's about #6 stepping up and putting together a complete game when it counts. Those perfect passes and gutsy calls at the end of the game are nice... but Sanchez is starting to look like a guy that takes time to warm up, sometimes looking out of sync until the second half... a guy who forces the ball when his team gets behind... a guy who pouts when things aren't going his way... and a player who is not ready for prime time.

I need to see a perfect performance this week. This is the game that will set the tone for the next 3 seasons. Brady has at least 3 elite years left, but he is getting older. #6 needs to pull out a win here and get in his head a little. Mark doesn't need 400 yards and 4 TD's, but he does need to get the ball in the endzone, not turn it over, and make the right reads... from play #1. I know he is young, but he is surrounded by more talent than any other QB in the league. Schotty knows how to use motion and will send in winning plays. It's all about that NEED to win, some athletes just have it. Can Sanchez show that he can beat Brady when it counts, or will he give the Pats a golden pass to the Superbowl and a ton of confidence next year?

A recent national poll by ESPN had Sanchez ranked in the bottom 5 QB's in the league behind names like Henne and McCoy (yes, that kid from the Browns who played like 4 games). There are reasons why public perception is so negative. Mark is going to show this week who he will be moving forward. Will he become the next dominate force in the AFC East, or that guy who is always chasing Brady's coat tails?

The Jets end Peyton's season in the Wildcard round... Again!

Back in 2002 the Jets had a young QB who was regarded by all of the experts as no match for the great Peyton Manning. His name was Chad Pennington and his squad upset the Colts. This time around, instead of #10 we had #6 behind center. Mark Sanchez played another horrible game and threw the game winning pass... again. We have a long history of upsetting the Colts started by #12.

What did I take from this game? The most important thing that I learned was that Rex and Pettine are still capable of coaching defense. They have faced Manning many times over the past decade, and come up short each time. They actually adjusted their game-plan from the usual blitz happy style to a more reserved coverage oriented scheme using only 3 to 4 pass rushers and dropping everyone else into coverage.

It caused Peyton fits and I think our coaches have finally figured out how to use Eric Smith the best. They started Dwight Lowery at the safety position (FINALLY!) and used Smith in a non-traditional LB role. He was equipped much better to cover their TE than any of our slow clunky LB's. A few times I saw Jason Taylor dropping back into coverage, and that was a disaster... but overall the defensive scheme and execution was inspired.

The 9:54/ 87 yard drive in the second half was one for the ages. Our O-line was amazing. I have called the #4 overall pick of D'Brick back in 2006 an absolute waste since the day it happened. Last season he started to show signs of being an elite LT, and this year he has stepped it up even more. He routinely takes high end pass rushers out of the game and this week he made Dwight Freeny a non-factor.

On the other side of the ball Revis held Reggie Wayne to 1 catch for 1 yard. Watching Mike Tannenbaums draft picks perform at such a high level left me with one thought. Sanchez is the final piece to the puzzle. Mr. T has drafted players at key positions who have developed into the best in the game. LT, CB and QB are the three most important players on any team. If Sanchez continues to develop Mr. T could start to become a legend.

It's hard to predict what will happen this weekend. It's stunning to me how similar our 2010 squad is to the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers. They also had a second year QB who looked good at times and looked horrid at times as well. They were also a wildcard and had to go through Manning. They had a dynamic running game led by a future HOF'er and Brad Smith's overall game is striking similar to Randel El. Will our season end like theirs did?

The way I see it if the Jets beat the Pats, our best match up in the AFCG would be against the Ravens. If we face the Steelers I think we lose. If the Pats advance I think they will lose to the Ravens and probably beat the Steelers.

I am standing behind my Superbowl pick of the Packers vs. the Jets. My back up was the Falcons vs. the Jets. So far my teams are still alive.

11-5 and a Wildcard game in Indy...

I predicted us to be 10-6 (close) and 3000+ yards for Sanchez. I also was hoping for more TD's than INT's however, I thought we would see at least 20 passing TD's from this group of receivers. Didn't happen.

1,000+ all purpose yards from LT was a pipe dream, and he certainly did his part this season. I was predicting 1500 rushing yards from Shonn Greene and he came up horribly short. Our pass rush was non-existent and our secondary was a disappointment.

I can't say that I watched the Jets play a dominate/ complete game with their starters in 2010. That worries me. As I said before, I think we are by far the most talented team in the league. Is it too late to start playing disciplined football?

That being said, we have a ticket to the tournament and I think we have as much chance to make a run as any other team. The Jets enter the playoffs as the MOST HATED team in the league. There is no question. Rex Ryan has alienated the media and all of the other 31 NFL teams. His players still love him and I think they will leave it all on the field this Saturday night.

There has been endless attacks on the Jets, including that non-sensical thing about the hot reporter with the tight ass, "Trip=gate", "Footgate", and two separate sexual harassment cases being brought against our former QB and the Jets organization. All of this is a waste of time and it's sad how the media thinks this is what NFL fans are interested in.

Rex Ryan has said that he feels his team will win and he takes this weeks game personally, especially since he has not had very much success against the "Indianapolis Peyton Mannings". The Colts ended our season last year and we get a chance at redemption... or revenge. Of coarse this game should be personal to Rex and every other member of the Jets. Media sources everywhere have attacked the 'fat kid' and ESPN's NFL Live is saying he has given Manning extra incentive to win this weekend. They spent zero time looking at match ups like Revis and Wayne, or D'Brick and Freeny. Instead it's all about Rex's big mouth. Isn't this getting old?

Seriously??? Not only have NFL games become unwatchable with all of the ridiculous penalties and constant commercial breaks, but the coverage from the media is bonkers. Peyton Manning lost the Superbowl last year. He needs no other motivation to win this weekend and make a run for his second SB ring. To suggest anything else is ignorant.

I will watch Saturdays game, but as I have said before, the NFL is only about ratings and ad revenue. If the Colts win and go to New England the ratings for that game will be off the charts. The NFL makes sure to schedule a regular season game between the Pats and Colts every year, even though they are not in the same division. They will make sure that the Colts win and they can have a rematch in the post season.

One of my all-time least favorite squads...

The Jets have dumped 3 of their last four since my last post. They were completely exposed in New England, flat an uninspired against Miami and lost a shoot out to The Bears. They squeaked out a win in the Big Ketchup Bottle last week, but that was due to the on going heroics of Brad Smith.

In the Miami loss the defense actually looked pretty good but the offense was non-existent. In the Bears game Jay Cutler sliced our defense to pieces but the offense showed some life. In the past few weeks we have also suffered "Trip-gate" and "Foot-gate". If you add all this up you have a circus act and not a football team... certainly not a championship football team.

We may win next week and end up 11-5. We have clinched a playoff birth and will most likely face the Chiefs. KC is not a bad football team, but we are much more talented. So, we could feasibly make it to the divisional round. It really makes no difference. The two teams that will be in the AFC Championship game will be the Steelers and Pats. They are two organizations that demand a professional approach to the game and everyone on those teams understands this is a business.

For some reasons the Jets and Giants both have squads that seem to think they are a part of some summer camp for big spoiled children. They don't punch their time cards and go to work on Sunday. Instead they use the pre game warm ups to practice their celebrations and pouty faces. They must think all the cameras are around because they are shooting a sports themed sit-com... or in the cases of these two teams, a sad melancholy drama.

These rich brats need to start playing with some intensity. When I watched the 2008 Jets give up on Mangini I blamed him. Looking back Mike Tannenbaum built one hell of a team that year and they missed the playoffs. The 2010 Jets are even better and they nearly missed the tournament as well. I have been critical over the years of Mr. T but I just realized that this guy has done everything possible to field a dominate team. The problem is we lack leadership and accountability. I am not an expert on the Giants, but I would suspect it's probably the same story there as well.

Is it NYC that causes these distractions. Too many exotic women, exotic clubs/restaurants and exotic drugs? Too much media exposure? What gives???

All I know is that the Jets are the most talented team in the league. They have underachieved to say the least, and they know that if they turn it on at the end of games they can usually steal a win. They approach the game with very little fire and put in just enough effort to keep it close. Players like Shonn Greene and Darrell Revis know how talented they are and they show up when they feel like it. These are two of our most promising young players and they should be our leaders. After everything #24 put his team and the fans through this offseason he should have showed up with something to prove. He and his fat coach brag every week about how he is the best defender in the league... how about backing that up MEvis?

The harsh reality is... that with this level of talent all a team like the jets really needs is a ticket to the dance, which the Redskins handed us Sunday afternoon. They can win the Superbowl if they turn it on during the next few weeks. The big question is if I will be rooting for them.

This 2010 squad is one of my all time least favorites and Rex has worn out his welcome as far as I am concerned. I'd rather have a high character group like the 2004 Jets whos roster included guys you could root for... Pennington, Martin, Chrebet, Vilma, Mawae, and Jason Ferguson. Those guys punched their time cards and they didn't sit around pouting on the sidelines when times got tough. They were leaders. They may have only made it to the divisional round but I doubt this "new and improved" 2010 version can make it any further.

Even though Sanchez takes most of the heat because he is the QB I feel he has done some good things this season. If we do have football in 2011 he may very well start to look like a top 5 pick. I still have faith in this guy!

Random thoughts...

The pressure on Monday night is not on the Jets. We are the underdog, we have the young QB and the Pats have Jesus Christ behind center (apparently), they are the home team, we have already beat them once this season. If we get off to a quick start by forcing a turnover, and or scoring the first TD, it will be very obvious which team has their back against the wall.

Is Peyton Manning declining, or is the team just too banged up? His two biggest games in the past 12 months ended in HORRIBLE interceptions. The Superbowl last year and the Pats game two weeks ago were inexplicable. There weren't any tipped balls or sneaky coverages. Both of those ill-advised, game losing plays weren't on 4th down either. It wasn't like.. throw it up and take one final shot. He was driving down the field in both situations with a chance to win, and he tossed two Favre-esc head scratchers. Weird.

I am disgusted @ what a long leash the Commissioner has given the Steelers. They have publicly attacked him and the league rules flagrantly and without any filter week after week. That organization certainly gets special treatment. If the Jets were taking shots like this the league would be handing down some serious fines. And we would be portrayed as low life cry babies.

I am utterly shocked at the performance of Sam Bradford in his first season, as a part of a horrible team. It is remarkable. I felt that there was zero chance he could have success there. Boy, was I wrong. Matt Ryan, Sanchez Bradford, and Flacco are looking like the next generation of great QB's. The league has been waiting for a solid class of QB's for a while. It's really a sin how injury prone Stafford has turned out to be, because he would also be on that list.

Matt Cassel is ranked in the top 5 in every passing category except total yards. 22 Td's and 4INT's so far. He's sneaky good. His team is trying to prove it is the real deal... and they are still alive with 5 games left.

On the other hand, Kyle Orton is looking like the next John Elway in Mile High, and the team keeps losing games. Denver is certainly taking certain aspects of building a winning team for granted. Guys who can play at a high level at the QB position are HARD to find... to say the least. They dumped rare talents like Marshall and Cutler and replaced them with another signal caller who is capable of leading the league in yards and is top 10 in every other category.

I know McDaniels is not popular right now, but firing him would be a huge mistake. At least give the guy 3 seasons and try to encourage a little continuity. Hiring him to replace a legend... allowing him to alienate and dismantle your team... and dumping him 24 months into the experiment is just plain stupid.

Thomas Jones actually has more rushing attempts than Jamaal Charles... and JC is in second place for total rushing yards in the whole league. I have been singing this guys praises for two years, now he is starting to open everyones eyes.

The Cardinals are in the worst division in the history of the NFL, and they are in last place. Wish you were here Kerry Rhodes... we will send you a post card from the Superbowl!!!!

The Giants have a realistic chance to be the top seed in the lack luster NFC this season, and their fans are ready to fire Coughlin (which happens annually) and trade Eli. There are a huge number of Giants fans who are also Yankee fans. Sorry guys, you can't BUY a championship in the NFL. Stop crying and support your damn team!

The Bengals are 2-9 and their headcoach, who has been there for 8 years, has never won a playoff game. And... no one is calling for his head. Minnesota fans, Dallas fans and Denver fans have been calling for their coaches heads. Two towns have been successful in getting their owners to give in, and Pat Bowlen may be next. I guess in Cincinnati they just expect to lose. Thats just sad.

Finally the Raiders had a taste of success for a minute this season, and they continue to flip QB's. Obviously the person pulling the strings in Oakland has lost it. Thats an understatement, but it's beyond embarrassing at this point. Just like how in South Florida the Dolphins decide to pull the plug on Henne. Only to have their plan B go down in less than 1 minute of game time with a season ending injury and are now forced to play the guy they had given up on. There is no way these organizations put any time into big picture planning. They will keep chasing their tails and watching the playoffs from home.