Preseason Week 1 vs Bengals

I think the Jets looked good against the Bengals this week. ESPN has analyzed this meaningless game over and over and over. It was very hard to judge the offense because 2 of our top 3 WR's were out with injuries and the Sparano was rotating O-linemen in and out and trying a variety of different blocking schemes. The Jets players expressed confidence about finding their way in this new offense and being ready for the season opener. Of coarse they were attacked for it.

As a Jets fan, now more than ever, I need to block out the endless criticism and over-analysis. Sanchez looked confident and ready to lead. Tebow looked like a guy that will find a way to contribute and make a difference. Joe McNight is going to be a solid role player contributing as a change of pace runner and return man. And thats about all we were able to see this week on offense.

As for the defense, our #1 overall pick in the Draft looked explosive. He was simply disrupting the opposition on every snap. Our rotation on the defensive line should be impactful and our secondary looks dominate as well. The new veteran safety's will be solid and the rookies will get some time to learn. Our LB corp looks like a hott mess. Harris is a solid ILB and then there is everyone else.

If the pass rush we are counting on from our LB's is suppose to come from guys like Maybin and Pace we are in a very tough spot. ILB Demario Davis, our 3rd round pick, was very active and looks like he will push Bart Scott for playing time. Scott looked as bad as ever, but if he is used exclusively as a pass rusher I have no problem with him being on the roster. He is ridiculously overpaid, but it's not my money. The only thing that really concerned me about the defense was the sloppy tackling, but that is normal for the first preseason game. In camp they do very little tackling these days.

A powerful veteran RT would help our offense and so would one more WR. Kerley's stock has seemed to drop this offseason. He was lackluster in OTA's and has been injured in camp. If he gets healthy he can be a solid #3 or #4 WR. Holmes and Hill can play #1 and #2. I also like Turner and Schliens. My only issue is what happens if Hill or Holmes go down for an extended period of time. Also, Hill is a rookie and there will inevitably be some growing pains.

IMHO I think Buress is the answer. He should easily have a better season this year. I think it was a mistake to not sign him by the beginning of camp. If they don't get him in the next 7 days another team will snatch him up and most there won't be enough time for him to learn the offense if we do land him. He should be signed today. 1 year 1.5 million. I love the idea of Hill and Buress on the outside as 2 huge targets and Holmes causing the same havoc in the slot that he causes in the locker room.

Random thoughts on all of the NFC teams...

Lets start with the insanely competitive NFC East:

The NY Va-giants: Finally their coach and QB get the kudos they deserve. The pass rush is always a game changer, They have 2 A+ WR's, and Bradshaw should snap back this year. All things considered Coughlin and Manning deserve about 75% of the credit for their 2 most recent championships. Those 2 keep that team focused and are as a good a tandem as Belichick and Brady. Tom C has out performed Parcells statistically, but so Has rex Ryan with the Jets... so take it with a grain of salt. Eli is now the most prolific QB in team history. In the early years there was no way I saw this happening. But, I've always been a big Eli fan. Eli has been very consistent with his message to the team which is this: "Don't forget, we were a 9-7 team last year". Like always he is on point. I must say it's funny to see how the Giants constantly complain about the attention the Jets get from the press. I really believe they are jealous. Their owner always mentions the Jets in some sarcastic way when he is being interviewed. Woody Johnson never mentions the Giants... maybe because HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE GIANTS! Put your tampon in Mr Mara and curl up with a good book. 8-8

The Skins: They gave away anything and everything to move up and draft RG III. Osi Umenyiora said RG III doesn't deserve a nickname yet... for now he is going to call him Bob Griffin. Thats awesome LOL. I like what I have seen from this young man up until this point. It's hard to justify the price they paid, but considering his upside it's hard to say what's too much. If he wins them a Superbowl, I guess he's worth it. Their only major question is in their backfield... who will step up? Shanahan traditionally can turn anyone into a thousand yard rusher. Does he still have his touch? 7-9

The Cowboys: The Dez Bryant gamble has not worked out. They have a long list of draft busts over the past few years. All of their drafts since Parcells left are a long list of nobody's. They have reached and gambled quite a bit and not only have their 1st rounders not panned out but they haven't hit on any of their mid-late rounders. I see them getting buried in this intense division. The Romo/Garrett era comes to an end. Time to re-tool. 5-11

The Eagles: I think we see Vick play smarter football than ever this season. They know that there season boils down to a simple mathematical equation: Vick + significant injury = No playoffs. He will stay in the pocket, slice up the opposition and most importantly stay upright. Andy Reid has been hindered by his sons for years and just today the tragic news came across the wire that his oldest son past away. I am not sure how this will effect his status with the team moving forward. If he stays on and the team stays healthy I pick them to win the Superbowl and have the leagues best record. 13-3

The Bears: They have been a tea that have chosen the path less traveled when build their team over the past few years. They have relied more on big trades and free agent signings than the draft. Popular thinking says that it is not possible to have success in the salary cap era following this strategy, but the Bears make it work. The big names they have traded for were available for a reason. usually it's because their previous teams decided they were better of without them. We are talking about game changers like Peppers, Cutler and Marshall. I am not a fan of any of these players, but they are guys who can get you the next level. The Lions who I will discuss next have followed the more traditional route with a number of lights out drafts over the past 4 years. However, their players seem to have the most off the field issues while Lovie Smith has been able to reign in his 'problem child' FA's... at least so far. I love the addition of Mike Tice, he and Cutler should do very well together. Briggs and Urlacher remind me of Lewis and Reed in Baltimore, when will they hit the wall? 10-6

The Lions: They made the playoffs last year, thats an amazing turn around from a 0-16 season only a few short years ago. If Stafford can stay healthy he and Johnson will continue to steam roll opposing defenses, however thats a big if. I think some coaches simply like bad asses. I am sure Schwartz can handle his players, I think he just doesn't care. I think he embraces their edgy reputation and that's why they continue to have players with off the field issues. He himself tried to take a swing at another head coach after a game last year. I am not saying Schwartz likes to see players in trouble and getting suspended, but he likes the bad boy identity that team has taken on, especially compared to the doormat reputation they had before he arrived. They are relevant again. Not every team needs to be squeaky clean to win. 10-6

The Vikings: This team is pure garbage, I'm sorry but I simply have nothing to say about them. 2-14

The Packers: If they had choked the way they did in 2012 before winning a Superbowl their stock would not be very high. Their early exit from the post season was an epic fail. But they have already won the big game, so I think the collapse last year will simply be a learning experience. They have obvious areas of opportunity mostly revolving around the defense. They went defense in all of the first 5 rounds of the draft. Expect a more balanced team but a slightly worse record. They still win the best division in football. 12-4

The Falcons: Love the way they build their team. The drafts have been pretty solid and they are not afraid to take chances. They know they have a rare young QB and they have done everything possible to surround him with weapons. I also like the free agents they bring in. Samuel is the perfect example of a high quality player who is a game changer that was available at a bargain price. He wasn't connecting with the system or the environment in Philly and ATL snatched him up. I feel that they are the best team in their division yet again. I also see them with double digit wins again. Can they figure out why they curl up and die in the post season every year? Thats the question. 10-6

The Panthers: The only story here is Can Newton. This guy is bigger than the whole franchise and he handles the spot light well. He's every NFL owner's wet dream. Pick a high profile guy in the draft and let him turn your whole team around. There is no way he can't be a bit over-hyped right now but I still think he will avoid the sophomore slump. The NFC East and Central are so stacked I just can't see how Cam makes it to the playoffs this season. 8-8

The Saints: Vilma is one of my favorite players in the league. I can't wrap my mind around a season ending suspension. Roger Goodell will probably not last another 2 years. He has done nothing but alienate the players in this league. He obviously favors a few select franchises and shits on everyone else. Robert Kraft could break Woody Johnson's legs with a baseball bat in the middle of the field with 25 cameras filing him and he would get a slap on the wrist... and Goodell would demand that all of the video be destroyed. They should make John Madden the comish for a few years until they find the right long term guy. Either way I see them playing solid football but they will lose the close games without their coach and QB of the defense. 7-9

Tampa Bay: I just don't see their coach as an NFL guy. Frankly he didn't impress me that much @ Rutgers. He is way to much of a control freak and he is not familiar with how to supervise a bunch of millionaires. They don't say "how high" when you say "jump!" the way a bunch of college kids in NJ do. They will more likely say "call my agent and see if that's covered in my contract". That being said they do have some talent in some important spots. Freeman is a genuine NFL QB. Will Mark Barron and Doug Martin make a big splash in 2012. If these guy become reliable starters the future looks bright in sunny Tampa. 7-9

The Cardinals: I'm not a fan. Skelton played well down the stretch in 2011 and Wisenhunts life became more complicated with every pass the young QB completed. Kolb has all the tools to become an elite QB, but does he have the intangibles? His too cool for school persona has certainly not won over his team mates. They are also not crazy about the amount of money this guy has collected with little to no contribution thus far. Kolb is one step away from being the next Kyle Boller. If he wants to avoid the life long tag "BUST" he needs to step up right now. Ryan Leaf is on the phone Kevin, he wants his chance at a successful life back.

The Rams: Fisher picked a unique place to re-start his career. There are so many important pieces in place. He played Belichick in this draft trading down over and over. Look how well that has worked out for the "genius" in New England. Billy B was starting grocery store employees late last season. They moved down to the 14th pick and went defense. Right now Bradford needs some legitimate targets. Steven jackson is running out of gas. Remember how quickly and hard RB's hit the wall especially when they have millage on them like Jackson. They have a bunch of quality #3 WR's and no one to stretch the field. I have no idea how they didn't land Vincent Jackson.

The Seahawks: I can't believe they are toying with Tavaris Jackson again this year, and why did they undermine Matt Flynn by drafting Russell Wilson? Again we have a coach that is wired for college and not the pro's. I think they should have brought in Jason Campbell and let he and Flynn fight it out. Retaining Jackson and drafting Wilson was simply stupid. I can't decide if the Vikings, the Browns or the Seahawks are the worst team in the league this year. Considering how lackluster their division is they will scrape up a few wins. If they were in the NFC Central they would be 0-16. This year: 4-12

The 49ers: Wow is all I can say. They will destroy their division, and win double digits. However, I have never seen a team from a weak division dominate in the post-season. They simply won't be battle tested enough. They have the deepest backfield and WR corps. in the league. The defense is lights out and the QB should only get better this season. I don't want to over think things considering how talented they are, but I just don't see them making it to the Superbowl. They have tough schedule. I see them losing at least 5 games. 11-5

So I see The Eagles, The 49er's, The Packers and The Falcons winning their divisions. I also think both wildcards will come from The NFC Central: The Lions and Bears.

I see an epic NFCCG @ The Link between the Eagles and Packers. Mike Vick and the Eagles go to the Superbowl.

That makes it The Chiefs and Eagles in the big game and I pick The Eagles to win it all.

Random thoughts on all of the AFC teams...

I couldn't be more excited about the 2012 NFL season. It should be a season full of surprises. Last year was a weird one because of the lock out. Teams will be much more prepared entering this season and some of the big moves that were made in 2011 that may not have worked out may start to take shape in the coming weeks. Teams like the Eagles that started very slow in 2011 will dominate in 2012. Here's analysis of every AFC team other than the NY Jets.

The Pats: Unless Danny Woodhead can put up 1,200 yards rushing I think they will simply be too 1 demensional on offense. The defense may improve with the addition of 7 defensive players from the draft alone, but I don't see them making much noise this year. Brady is fading quick. I see them as a Wildcard with another early exit in the post season. 10-6

The Bills: They are overly hyped but I do think they will win the AFC East. All that matters on that team is how Fitzpatrick plays. If he plays solid football for 16 games and limits the turnovers they win 10 games and the Division. Their defense is simply amazing, their backfield sports one of the best one two punches in the NFL, and  their Special Teams is wicked. Watch out for Stevie Johnson emerging as a top 10 receiver in the league. 10-6

The Phins: HOTTT MESSS. Hard Knocks will be fun. Their season will not. I am pretty sure I could land the 6th or 7th WR spot on that squad. Why in the name of everything holy would you bring in a guy like Brandon Marshall and trade him away so quick? You knew what you were getting. I'm not saying I would want that nut job on my team, but he was the centerpiece of their offense. That team would have been a great landing spot for Tebow. Imagine he and Bush in the same backfield. They were foolish for dumping Sparano and treating him like a second class citizen while he was there. I hope he takes it out on them for years here in NY. The Tannenhill draft choice made no sense BTW. 5-11

The Ravens: I don't know how you recover from that dropped pass in the AFCCG vs. the Patriots. Flacco proved a lot to me during the playoffs last year. They locked up Rice which is the good news, they have probably lost Suggs for the year, thats tough. When will Reed and Lewis hit the wall? Interesting team in 2012. Lot's of questions and lot's of upside. 10-6

The Bengals: Dalton and Green were simply spectacular in 2011. Last year I posted saying the only reason they drafted that QB was because his hair was orange. Well, the Bengals may have gotten lucky because they have a real QB. I am rarely disappointed with the roster they assemble each year, but I can't get over the fact they still have Marvin Lewis as their HC. 10 seasons and not one playoff win. With my new definition of success for an NFL season being winning at least one playoff game they have failed for a decade. If Lewis leads this team to a championship the worst team in professional sports will look brilliant. Oh, BTW that's never going to happen. 8-8

The Steelers: No way I see Haley and Rothesberger co-existing in Pittsburgh. They hate each other already. I think Haley is a cancer and I have no idea why any teams are into this guy. I am SO GLAD the Jets didn't sign him to our coaching staff. The Mike Wallace situation is concerning. The defense is Old. They know hat they are doing as an organization, but right now I just can't see what their strategy is for 2012. 7-9

The Browns: Why does everyone automatically believe that this 28 year old rookie QB is more qualified to win games in 2012 as compared to Colt McCoy? Why did their owner sell the team to a lifelong Steeler fan? Holmgren, Shrumur, Weeden, Heckert Jr.... who's in charge? What's their identity? If they win 5 games I will be shocked. 4-12.

The Texans: On paper they look formitable, but their QB has never won a playoff game in his 10 year career and they lost some pretty important pieces to free agency. They are in a weak division so they will probably make the playoffs, I just don't see them as a significant force or story in 2012. 10-6

The Colts: They are switching to a 3-4 and moving 2 of the best pass rushing DE's in the history of the league to LB. Interesting I guess. One move that caught my attention this offseason was reggie Wayne re-uping with the Colts instead of following Manning to Denver. Could be brilliant move in the long run. And Mr. Luck should be very grateful Reggie stayed put. Their owner is an absolutely creepy creeper. Those ridiculous tweets keep coming. Shut up and cash those checks Irsay! 3-13

The Jags: Mike Mularkey is and always has been over rated, they came up short on the Tebow sweepstakes (lucky us) and they drafted that crazy eyed WR Blackmon... and MJD is holding out. That's a recepit for disaster. 4-12

The Titans: If they played Hasselbeck all season they can probably win 8 games. At this point how can you do that? You have to see if Jake Lockart is going to be the guy or not, and if you aren't going to make the playoffs what's the difference? I think there is a huge chance that Chris Johnson may be done. I hope not, but considering what a lackluster offense he is playing in he may get chewed up and spit out by that division. The departure of Finnegan to St Louis will be devastating to a defense that was very underrated for the past few years. 7-9

The Broncos: For the life of me I can't understand how or why Manning did not end up on the 49ers. I think the Bronco's were a huge mistake. The Chiefs are going to be a force this year and The Chargers have one of the top QB's in the game. The NFC West would have been a weaker division and the 9'ers have a lights out squad. I think he will regret going to the mile high city. No playoffs and the bloom will be off the rose by mid-season. 8-8

The Chiefs: Love the work Scott Piolli has done in the midwest. He made the right choice with Romeo Crennel. As long as they don't get absolutely devistated by injuries like they did in 2011 they win that division and scare a lot of people heading into the post season. The division is just tough enough for them to be battle tested. 11-5

The Chargers: Philip Rivers has won me over during the past few seasons. They brought in some interesting role players via Free Agency like WR's Meachem and Roscoe Parrish. They always seem to chase the flashy pass rushing LB prospects in the draft, and they usually pan out... at least in the beginning. I think this will be Norv's last stand. 6-10

The Raiders: They let a bunch of their interesting young WR's walk over the past few months including Chaz Shilens who landed in NY. I am facinated to see what happens with Palmer. He started to come on at the end of the season. He wanted out of Cinncinatti so bad... be careful what you wish for. That being said, if the running game clicks Palmer can help them win games. 8-8

So I see the Bills, Chiefs, Ravens and Texans winning their divisions. Patriots and Bengals as the wildcards.

My AFC championship game is Chiefs and Bengals. Chiefs advance to the Superbowl.

What I think of the 2012 Jets... so far

Here we are... it's early August. ESPN is camped out in Cortland watching the Tebow show and Santonio Holmes is sitting around doing nothing because of an ailment known as "General Soarness". It's a circus, Rex is the ring master and fans have no idea what to expect once September rolls around. I've had this blog for years and I am an eternal optimist when it comes to my beloved NY Jets. However, for the first time since the mid 90's I am predicting that Jets won't make the playoffs. I will be rooting for them every week and I want nothing more than to be wrong. I won't spew negativity week in and week out, but I have no desire to sugar coat this group of players and coaches either.

Let's start with what I like:

Love the addition of Sparano. I can easily see him taking over for Rex once he is 'jettisoned', no pun intended. This guy is the real deal and he will break Holmes one way or another. Expect to see number 10 sitting on the sidelines watching games often this season.

I like some of our few agent moves including the addition of Yerimiah Bell, Chaz Shilens and Stephon Heyer.  They provide solid depth. I would really like the Jets to find a way to land T Marcus McNeil sooner rather than later. I would also be OK with Buress coming back for a 1 year 1.5 million dollar deal. I think that may happen, but Plax is holding out for a major WR injury during the pre-season to see if he can cash in for a contract probably double what I just mentioned.

I like our draft. Couples, Hill, Davis and SS Antonio Allen all have opportunities to not just get on the field but to contribute heavily in 2012. Any or all of these 4 players could be starters a some point of the season. They all have long term potential as well. A+ draft on paper, hope it manifests into an A+ as we look back over the years.

Here's what I didn't like:

The retention of Matt Cavanugh as QB coach. Years ago I use to hate watching the camera pan to the sidelines and a shot of Eric Mangini chewing his gum like a cow with a passion-less expression on his face. It's didn't matter if we had just scored, just turned the ball over. Man-Gi-Nah would just stand there and stare. Hate that dude.

More recently I hate watching Sanchez walk off the field and sit down with Cavanugh and look at pictures from the previous series. Sanchez never pumps up his team mates between series or spends much time with the OC. Instead he runs over to his BFF and hides behind print outs. What Mark is missing Cavanugh can't give him.

The retention of Holmes. I know it was near impossible to trade or release this player because of how his contract is structured. I think he would have ended up collecting over 25 million for one season and he would have generated a huge cap penalty. Right now we are handcuffed to this douche bag. There were some amazing Free Agent WR's on the market this year, but there was no way we could chase them. Sad.

After the way he acted at the end of the season he should be gone. He has started 2012 on a roll yelling and arguing with coaches, criticizing the gameplan and sitting out practice over and over. And it's only the first week of August. This one guy can destroy our locker room and season. If we don't make the playoffs and Holmes doesn't put up at least 1,000 yards and 8 TD's Woody should fire Tannenbaum. Period. He traded for him and he gave him the stupid contract.

The retention of Wayne Hunter. If you play at a D- level for 16 games as a starter you should be gone. It's that simple. I LOVE our other 4 O-linemen, but you can't have a matador at RT.

The backfield remaining status quo. I hate our RB's. Greene is a sluggish big bodied runner with ZERO vision. McNight is now, always has been and always will be an underachiever. Powell looks useless in TC so far and Ganaway was an interesting player in college, but I am not optimistic with him because of Mr. T's horrible track record drafting backs.

The addition of LaRon Landry. This dude is made of paper machete. I would feel more comfortable with Chad Pennington lining up at Saftey for us durability wise. And if he stays healthy Gronk will destroy him anyways. Flashy non-impact moves. That will be Mr. T's legacy once he is gone.

What I can careless about:

The addition of #15. I like Tebow, and I think the 4th round price was OK. I just don't care. If Sanchez can't handle the pressure of this guy pushing him for his job, or Tim stepping in on 3rd down and in the redzone, he has the WRONG job. Which is probably the case.

The 2011 nightmare is about to end...

The 2011 season was a nightmare. I had to stop watching the Jets after their loss to Tom Brady on November 13th. I knew we weren't going to sneak into the playoffs this time around, and frankly I have no interest in watching any football team that has no chance of competing in the post-season. The Jets would go on to end the season with a 3 game losing streak that was gut wrenching including a loss to the Giants that may be the worst loss in the history of the team. Granted, we have lost some big post season games, but that game not only mathematically ended the Jets season it also propelled the Giants into a winning streak that culminated with them winning the Superbowl. Painful doesn't say it. Disgusted is an understatement.

But our first pre-season game of 2012 is a few days away and today Curtis Martin gets inducted into the Hall of Fame. That bad taste that has been in my mouth for months is about to get washed out. I am excited about the new NFL season despite a 2012 NY Jets squad that has quite a few bad seeds. Players like Holmes, Cromartie and Sanchez are just hard to root for (various reasons). I remember the 2004 lineup with guys like Chrebet, C-Mart, Pennington, and Vilma. They may not have been as flashy, and Herm Edwards may not have been the defensive guru that Ryan is, but that team had the defensive rookie of the year, the player who won the rushing title (at over 30 years of age) and they also won a tough playoff road game in San Diego to advance to the Divisional round where they came up short thanks to one of the worlds most useless humans... one Doug Brien.

This years team amy also have some superstar rookies, and I am sure we will be the leagues number one rushing team because of the addition of Tebow and Sparano. But, I don't think they have what it takes to make the playoffs not to mention win a post season game. And, if I'm wrong one thing that is not debatable is that they certainly can't be compared to the 2004 squad when it comes to character and heart.

As for the definition of a successful season I think I would say winning a playoff game is what I am looking for. Only a few teams each year make the playoffs and fewer will register a 'W'. If you're a GM in this league and you assemble a coaching staff and line up that can make the playoffs and win at least one game, you are a success. Obviously winning a Superbowl is the ultimate goal, and that would be defined as a championship season, winning at least one playoff game equals "success" for me.

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.