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Video highlights from Sunday's game in which the Jets defense stymied the high-octane Chargers offense just enough to steal a 17-14 decision in an AFC divisional playoff meeting at Qualcomm Stadium.
The guys over at SB Nation's Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, have seen better days, as you might imagine. But they're not even angry, just ... surprised.
What team was that? The team that has made a reputation for not turning the ball over, not killing themselves with penalties and having an un-stoppable offense led by Norv Turner and Philip Rivers was not on that field on Sunday. Rivers played bad (as did his offensive line). Norv's play-call was uncharactarically bad. The offensive line was dominating in pass protection. Vincent Jackson committed the world's stupidest penalty.
The Jets team was better than I expected. Their defense stopped the unstoppable offense and their offense got progressively better throughout the course of the game. Norv Turner seemed to be completely outcoached for the first time in the playoffs with the Chargers (that's just my opinion). Nate Kaeding looked like Nick Folk Jr. Philip Rivers looked like the shaky QB with bad receivers.
I'm not even angry. I'm stunned. Since halftime, when I was feeling very confident, I watched the game with amazement. I never imagined that Rivers would be having problems with leading his team (why was it taking so long to line up) and communications (nobody seemed to be on the same page). I never imagined that the defense would play such a strong game and the team would lose. I never imagined that Norv (who never got that extension, by the way) would look so ridiculously helpless to motivate his team.
Read and react more to Sunday's game at our Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, and our Jets blog, Gang Green Nation.
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Shonn Greene's 53-yard touchdown scamper midway through the fourth quarter proved to be the difference, as the Jets defense stymied the high-octane Chargers offense just enough to steal a 17-14 decision in an AFC divisional playoff meeting at Qualcomm Stadium.
With a dominating second half performance and thanks in part to three missed field goals from San Diego's Nate Kaeding, New York won the right to face the top-seeded Colts next Sunday in the AFC championship game in Indianapolis. That's where the Jets earned a 29-15 win back in Week 16, when the then- undefeated Colts rested their starters in the second half.
Greene, who rushed for 135 yards and a score in last weekend's wild-card win over the Bengals, ran for 128 yards on 23 carries to add to his rookie lure in New York, which has won consecutive playoff games for the first time since the 1982 season.
Mark Sanchez wasn't asked to do much but tossed a go-ahead fourth quarter touchdown to Dustin Keller and ended with 100 yards and an interception on 12- of-23 efficiency for the Jets.
The real difference-maker was the Jets' defense, which held the Chargers to a season-low point total and just 61 yards rushing.
Philip Rivers rushed for a touchdown and tossed another to Kris Wilson but had two costly interceptions for the Chargers, who fell to 2-5 in their last seven divisional round contests. Rivers had 298 yards passing, 111 of which went to Vincent Jackson and 93 to Antonio Gates.
Kaeding, who missed a 40-yard field goal in overtime in a 2004 first-round playoff loss to the Jets, added to his postseason misery with an 0-for-3 effort on Sunday.
The Chargers were leading 7-3 in the third quarter of Sunday's game, with the Jets unable to find much success doing anything. Then, with 4:23 left in the quarter, Darrelle Revis recorded an interception that would make Antonio Freeman jealous.
Since then, the Jets have scored two touchdowns, and are now leading 17-7 with under four minutes left in the game. That interception is what the kids call a "game changer."
(via Jose)
If the Jets are to continue their hot-streak, Mark Sanchez will need to play like a vet, not a rookie. The Chargers offense will score points. The Jets defense will probably slow them down some, but they’ll still score. Dallas held them to their season-low of 20 points, and they averaged 28.4 points on the season. The Jets offense will need to match it, and it won’t all come from the running game. So can Sanchez get it done? Bolts From The Blue doesn’t think so.
When the Jets have the ball, the advantage lies in the hands of the Chargers. Again, that’s just my belief, but it’s supported by the fact that the Chargers have been a pretty stable defense this year. For all the yards they’ve given up, and all of the random drives where they’ve slipped into “soft zone” and looked terrible (twice against the Browns), this is not a defense that gives up a ton of first downs or a ton of points to opposing offenses.
On top of that, it is a defense that can be a bit confusing. Corner blitzes, Safety blitzes and a mad genius MLB in Stephen Cooper means that there’s a good chance Mark Sanchez may not know where the blitz is coming from when it’s coming. I like that.
Rookie QBs are usually in that group of players that get five times worse when the playoffs come around, and I think that trend will continue on Sunday.
They reason that Sanchez played a banged-up defense last week, one that was too predictable and rarely blitzed. Things will be different in San Diego.
Video: Chargers defensive action.
The New York Jets defense, along with the running game, is what drove the Jets this far in the playoffs. It’s hard to run on them, and Darrelle Revis basically shuts down one-third of the field in the passing game. So they are well-stocked in talent to battle an explosive offense like the one they’ll see in Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. Except, there might be one tiny flaw that could be telling in the game, how do you cover all-world TE Antonio Gates?
Antonio Gates, TE for the Chargers, represents a match up nightmare for the Jets. Normally, the strong safety position is responsible for covering the tight end, but, as the guys at ESPN noted, New York Jets SS Jim Leonhard is only 5′8″ which does beg the question…can Leonhard cover him? While I believe Rex [Ryan] will scheme for this scenario, most seem to believe that Gates will be the difference maker that allows for San Diego to move onto the AFC Championship.
Video: Evidence of the size-factor, even the reporters are as tall (or taller) than Leonhard.
Bolts From The Blue takes a hard look at the stats from both the Jets and the Chargers, just to see how they compare. Using plenty of advanced stats, they come to the conclusion that the Chargers are a superior team and the Jets will have to create some sacks, turnovers and penalties to upset San Diego. Turns out, that’s just how the Jets defense operates. Rex Ryan is an attack-dog in defensive philosophy, so expect Gang Green to bring the blitz, like they did to the Bengals. BFTB concludes that should be no problem for Philip Rivers.
If [the Jets] want to win, they’re going to have to take away what the Chargers do best, and that’s throw the ball. They’ll have to knock Philip around and pick off a couple passes. The problem is that they’ll have a hard time doing that. Rivers threw only 9 interceptions this year, four of which were on tipped balls. After taking a bit of a beating the first five games, Philip has taken very few sacks in the last 11. These things are a result of the offensive line blocking better, the Chargers gameplanning better, and Rivers just being better in the pocket. That probably won’t stop Rex Ryan from trying, though. As I pointed out in my film review, Ryan threw blitz upon blitz at Carson Palmer. There’s little to suggest he won’t do the same thing to the Chargers—that’s how their defense operates. If I had to guess, I’d say that Rivers and Turner are hoping he does exactly that. Philip has been phenomenal against the blitz this year, and the Chargers’ pair of offensive masterminds have probably dreamed up numerous fun ways to hammer the Jets when they try to rush 5 or more.
Video: Nothing to do with the game, but seriously, how awesomely cheesy is this cut from LT?
At this point, one could argue Shonn Greene has taken over the leading role in the backfield. The coaching staff has been increasing his load since the Colts game. The only time it really diminished was when he gave the Jets a reason to sit him Week 17 with a fumble against the Bengals even though a penalty wiped it out.
Truth be told, Greene is a better runner right now. His power allows him to fight through tackles better, and he has a bigger burst when he turns on the second gear. TJ has a better reputation. The Jets surely can use him. I’m just not sure he’s the top dog right now.
Video: Shonn Greene burns the Bengals.
In an effort to get closer to the truth about what will happen this weekend during the NFL Divisional Round Playoffs, we talked to bloggers representing all eight teams still left in the chase. For each participant, we asked the same batch of questions. This is the preview for the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers.
4:40 PM ET, January 17, 2010
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
CBS
Give us a couple of reasons the Jets will win on Sunday.
San Diego has a one dimensional offense that relies on the passing game. The Jets have the league's best pass defense, led by the best cover corner in the league, Darrelle Revis, who single-handedly takes the other team's top receiver out of the game and allows his team to roll coverage elsewhere. The Jets have the top rushing attack in the league. San Diego gives up 4.5 yards per carry on the ground. While quarterback play was an issue during the regular season, Mark Sanchez seemed to come of age in the Wild Card round, with perhaps the best playoff performance ever by a rookie. He's played three games without a turnover.
One guy from the opposition you would add to the Jets.
The Jets have the number one defense in the NFL. They have the number one rushing attack in the NFL. The passing game has been largely grounded due to the ups and downs of a rookie quarterback. The only guy I can choose to add is the quarterback with 28 touchdown passes, 4,254 yards, and a 104.4 quarterback rating. I pick Philip Rivers.
Who is the Jets MVP?
Darrelle Revis is the Jets' MVP. He's single handedly shut down some of the top receivers in the game this year. Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Andre Johnson, Roddy White, Mike Sims-Walker all had under 50 yards yards receiving on Revis. He's follows the top receivers all over the field all game long and primarily mans up on them. He's allowed the Jets to roll their coverage to secondary targets and made it easier for the coaching staff to attack with an aggressive pass rush. The Jets know even if their blitzes get picked up, Revis won't let the other team's top guy get open.
Who is the X-Factor?
The x-factor for the Jets is Brad Smith. Gang Green drafted him from Missouri four years ago trying to covert him from quarterback to receiver. He's never developed as a wideout, but he's dynamic in space. Look for the Jets to try and get the ball into his hands on everything from kickoff returns to screens to reverses to Wildcat quarterback and see if he can break a big play or two.
Scouting report on the Chargers.
The Chargers have an elite passing attack led by quarterback Philip Rivers. They have the game's most dangerous tight end, Antonio Gates, and arguably the game's best kept secret at wideout in Vincent Jackson. Their number two receiver, Malcolm Floyd, had 776 yards this year. All three of them had over 14 yards per catch. The run game isn't on the same level. LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles both averaged under 4 yards per run this year, but Sproles is dangerous as a receiver and in space. The Jets probably will focus on a Chargers run defense that allowed 4.5 yards per carry during the regular season.
Give us a prediction.
The Jets can match up as well as anybody against the Chargers. Revis may be the best player in the secondary, but Lito Sheppard and Dwight Lowery are excellent second and third corners. Kerry Rhodes had perhaps his best game of the season against Atlanta covering Tony Gonzalez. He is one of the few players capable of at least containing Gates. The Jets also have a fierce pass rush that relentlessly attacks quarterbacks and forces early throws. They should also be able to pound the ball on San Diego's front and control the clock. As long as Sanchez continues to be smart with the football, New York has a shot at pulling the upset. I think they match up better with San Diego's offensive strength (throwing) than the Chargers do with Gang Green's offensive strength (running). Call me a homer, but I'll take the Jets in a 17-13 upset.
Give us a couple of reasons the Chargers will win on Sunday.
1. The Chargers offense is bordering on historically good if you forget about how poor the running game has been. Rivers has been both phenomenal and incredibly consistent this season, and the Chargers have receiving weapons in droves.
2. 11 straight games in a long winning streak in the NFL, and contrary to what many people think you cannot do it as a "fluke". The Chargers have beaten 3 playoff teams during that streak, as well as 3 other teams that just barely missed out on the playoffs. This team is battle-tested.
3. The last time the Chargers actually had something to play for, on Christmas day against the Titans, was their best and most complete game of the season. The offensive line, with Nick Hardwick returning, looked outstanding. This is a team that has been getting better each week of the season.
One guy from the opposition you would add to the Chargers.
As much as I like Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie, I have to pick Darrelle Revis. He has been unbelievable this season and could only make the Chargers better.
Who is the Chargers MVP?
Philip Rivers, without a doubt. He's the team leader in the locker room, and (along with the coaches) is the biggest reason the Chargers are the number 2 seed in the AFC. The team is built around him for a reason: He's really good.
Who is the X-Factor?
I'm going to invoke memories of the Chargers/Colts 2008 playoff game and say Mike Scifres and Darren Sproles. The Jets offense is its weakness and their defense is their strength. If Scifres can consistently pin them back, and Sproles can consistently put the Chargers in good field position, that could be good enough to win.
Scouting report on the Jets.
You cannot beat the Jets unless you make Mark Sanchez carry the offense. You have to either stop the run, or put up enough points to make them go away from it. The second option is made very difficult by a great all-around defense. If you don't take advantage of what few mistakes NY makes, they have the recipe to beat you in a close game.
Give us a prediction.
20-17. Chargers, on a last second field goal by Nate Kaeding. I think the Chargers put up points early, the Jets come back late and Philip Rivers does just enough in the fourth quarter to win the game.
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Gang Green Nation: Jets Jolt Bolts, Now Face Colts
Jan 17 11:14p by Sean Keeley - 0 comments