SB Nation - Jerricho Cotchery

Jets Flight Connections 121609

dvdvil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:41 -0000

Jets great Joe Klecko says CB Darrelle Revis is the Jets' MVP this year.

He is probably better than Charles Woodson.

He is so good that he's still affecting Randy Moss.

As expected, fantasy footballers are not recommending Falcons WR Roddy White this week.

Darrelle and the defense are the best in the league.

Theweekender.com says good things about Revis and RB Thomas Jones.

Against the next three teams with high scoring ability, running the ball may not be enough.

The Jets are favored by six against Atlanta, who is dealing with injuries and police trouble.

CBSsports.com debates whether the Jets will make the playoffs.

More connections after the jump.

If you still don't know, here are the teams vying for post-season berths in the AFC.

I know we started 4-6, but in 2002, the Jets went from 2-5 to winning in the playoffs.

There is some talk about our need to get younger guys on the O-line for the future. Here is another one who got away.

Speaking of young O-linemen, Ryan McKee was signed by the Rams, just in case you were wondering.

Speaking of signings, the Jets added RB Chauncey Washington yesterday.

He and The Sanchize were on the same team in college.

He will wear #32.

He will be active for three weeks.

He might see action in special teams.

Or, his acquisition may simply be a message to RB Shonn Greene, who did some good off the field yesterday.

C Nick Mangold was at a charity event for Montefiore Medical Center.

WR Jerricho Cotchery helped with a project for teenagers, along with Giants WR Steve Smith.

QB Mark Sanchez is also promoting a good cause.

And the Jets have a benefit for Jersey Cares this Sunday at the Meadowlands.

Your daily Pro Bowl reminder: you can vote as many times as you want for Revis, Jones, Mangold, LB David Harris, K Jay Feely and other deserving Jets. You have until Dec. 21.

Lastly, Darrelle Revis talks about how practicing against WR Braylon Edwards helps his game:

Jets 26 Buccaneers 3: Flying High Again

John B — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:02:58 -0000

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The Jets are somehow back in the Playoff mix after their 26-3 victory today over the Bucs in Tampa. Gang Green is riding a 3 game winning streak and is back over .500 at 7-6. The last month of this season could get very, very interesting. This performance rivals the Houston and Oakland games in terms of domination.

More after the jump.

The Good:

The Defense: We'll definitely profile some of the outstanding individual performers, but this was just an excellent defensive effort. Tampa's only 3 points came as the result of a personal foul on Bart Scott on which the officials arguably should have thrown an offsetting flag on the Bucs. The blitz packages had Josh Freeman's head spinning and overwhelmed Tampa's offensive line. Freeman was 14 for 33 with 93 yards and 3 interceptions. The Bucs didn't have a first down until the third quarter. They ended with 6 and 124 total yards. This was domination.

Jay Feely: Feely was money today. He hit 4 out of 5 field goals. One was from 40 yards, and a pair were from 49. Feely's kicking helped the Jets put the game away even as their offense struggled to advance deep into Tampa Bay territory.

Calvin Pace: He was constantly running free and finished with 7 tackles and a sack.

Darrelle Revis: Another dominant performance by the game's best corner. Antonio Bryant had 2 catches for 22 yards. Revis had an interception that just about iced the game and broke up a few passes.

Mike Westhoff: A fourth successful fake punt this year deserves kudos. It was the third variety of fake punt the team has run. Apparently the Bucs didn't pick it up on film.

Danny Woodhead: 3 catches for 35 yards. I'm really liking the idea of having him as a third down back and replacing Leon Washington a bit as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

The Tiger Formation: I made that name up, but it's what we'll call the Wildcat package for Brad Smith. Smith only had 16 yards on 5 carries, but getting the ball into the hands of a playmaker in the open field is a good idea and at least gives upcoming opponents something to notice on film and spend time preparing for. Smith had a 21 yard punt return. I'd like to see him out there instead of Jerricho Cotchery. He's more apt to make guys miss. I know he doesn't have great hands as a receiver and would seem to be more of a turnover risk, but catching a punt is different from catching a pass.

Thomas Jones: Another big stat line against an opponent that was gameplanning to stop him. TJ had 99 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns.

The Bad:

Kellen Clemens: The best thing you could say is that he avoided a catastrophic mistake, finishing with no turnovers. In other words, he was lucky that Tampa Bay's offense was no inept because he didn't make any plays. This was bad any way you slice it. This is a bad defense that was loading up to stop the run. Kellen only hit 12 of 23 passes for 111 yards and looked lost aside from a brief period in the second half. He left plays on the field. He wasn't making decisions quickly enough. When he found a receiver, his throws were wildly inaccurate. His mechanics were a mess. He struggled with all but the most basic throws, and even some of them were an adventure.

A lot of us (and I include myself in that number) have been making excuses for Kellen for four years. He was young and inexperienced. He wasn't supposed to play. His offensive line was terrible. The team never gave him a chance. He's out of excuses. By this point, if he was ever going to be a player in this league, he would have shown some sign of it. It's sad to say because from what I hear you'll never meet a more genuinely good person. However, I don't see how Kellen finds a job in the NFL after this season.

Shonn Greene: That would be three fumbles in six games. When the ball is getting punched out from behind like that, it's a sign you're carrying it way too loosely. The Jets are going to have to start taking carries away from him. Even though he's been productive, it's becoming too much of a turnover risk.

Mike Westhoff: Westhoff got credit for the fake punt. He also has to take heat for the onside kick. It's been obvious the up men have been leaving too early all year. It almost cost them against Jacksonville. It hasn't been corrected at all. The Jets had no shot of recovering that kick because their men were so far down the field.

Three down, three to go. Nobody can say for sure how this thing will end. One thing is for sure. The Jets have shown a lot of character this year. It would have been easy to pack it in after the midseason swoon. The way they have continued to fight and get themselves back into this position says a lot good.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:20 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

-- FILE -- In this Nov. 22, 2007, file photo, New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas. Clemens was considered the favorite to be the starting quarterback until the team traded up from No. 17 to No. 5 and took a player they believe is the future of the franchise. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez,file)

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The Jets do not want this game in the hands of Kellen Clemens. Part of this has to do with how well the Jets run it. Part has to do with how poorly the Bucs stop the run. As much as anything is how little faith this organization has in Clemens. The Jets wouldn't have traded for Brett Favre if they thought Clemens was ready to be their guy. They certainly wouldn't have traded up for Mark Sanchez. Last week's horrendous performance against the Bills didn't inspire much confidence.

If there's one thing I'd like to see the Jets do it's let Clemens work without a huddle. He's been in this system for four years. He knows it inside and out. If you remember back to 2007, Clemens did some of his best work in late game situations. In other spots, he seemed tentative and unsure of himself. Going no huddle speeds things up for him and doesn't give him enough time to overthink. It also limits the defense's ability to substitute and throw exotic looks at him.

In recent weeks, Tampa Bay has switched from Jim Bates' system into a Cover 2 scheme. I predict things will be a bit different this week. The Bucs will load up the box with a lot of eight and nine man fronts. They want to take away the run and force Clemens to beat them. Tampa has a quality starting corner in second year man Aqib Talib. The other starter, Ronde Barber, was formerly a top corner. At 34 his skills have diminished, and his best years are behind him. Talib should be able to hold his own against Braylon Edwards or Jerricho Cotchery. Whoever doesn't draw Talib should have an edge against Barber, and Clemens should look in that direction.

Also look for the Jets to target Dustin Keller. Think back to Mark Sanchez's midyear struggles. The Jets seemed to make Keller Sanchez's first read to make things safer. Without much faith in their quarterback, we could see a similar focus. The Bucs have some solid linebackers in coverage in Barrett Ruud and Quincy Black.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Buffalo Bills Pass Defense

John B — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:09:55 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

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You may remember the first meeting between the Jets and Bills as one of the most disastrous showings in the history of quarterbacking by Mark Sanchez. A week after holding Derek Anderson to a 2 for 17 game, Buffalo intercepted Sanchez 5 times in an overtime victory. More than any other factor, their pass defense won the Bills that game. Through one week of Rex Ryan's codes to Sanchez, things have worked out. Sanchez made good decisions against the Panthers, and the Jets won the game. Mark didn't try to do too much. If the Jets want to leave ~~Orchard Park~~ Toronto with a win, they could sure use an efficient game from the rookie quarterback.

The Bills will look to use the same formula everybody use against the rookie quarterback, attempt to generate pressure. Aaron Schobel leads their club with 6 sacks. He's probably the best pass rusher they have, although slowing him down will be an easier task for D'Brickashaw Ferguson than handling Julius Peppers. Schobel hasn't been a model of consistency this year, though. Chris Kelsay, who is battling a shoulder injury, is the other end. He has 3 sacks. You'd have to think Damien Woody has a favorable matchup.

In the middle, Marcus Stroud returned from a knee injury for the Miami game. He is a guy who always occupies attention. Neither he nor Kyle Williams register many sacks, but their job will be to get a push up the middle and flush Mark Sanchez from the pocket. We may find out a lot about the status of his knee and that brace.

Buffalo blitzed sparingly under Dick Jauron. Since Jauron's dismissal, the numbers appear to have increased a bit. Paul Posluzny is the most likely guy to come from the middle. It could present a test for the middle of the line dealing with the tackles.

Cornerback Terrence McGee has been limited by a knee injury for the Bills. Drayton Florence will start next to him. Florence is having a nice year, but he and a gimpy McGee are a good matchup for Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery. They do have a pair of good cover safeties in Donte Whitner and George Wilson.The problem could be the run defense for the Bills, though. The Jets ran all over them in the first meeting. You have to think the biggest adjustment they will make will be to stop the run. That probably means they'll want their safeties up and won't dedicate them as much to the passing game.

Buffalo has been decimated at the linebacker position by injury. In one regard, that might help them in this matchup. Bryan Scott is starting at outside linebacker. He was converted from the safety position and is a good pass defender, which leaves the Bills in good shape covering Dustin Keller. Posluszny is also a good pass defender. The other starting linebacker, Chris Draft, was limited in practice with a neck injury and is probably the weakest cover linebacker the Bills have but is still solid. It will have to be a day for the receivers. Sanchez should have time to find them. Again, after the rushing numbers the Jets posted in their first meeting, the Bills won't be overly aggressive for fear of being caught up field.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Carolina Panthers Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:14:53 -0000

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The Panthers enter this game with a top five pass defense, giving up only 185 yards per game under first year coordinator Ron Meeks. Meeks is a disciple of Tony Dungy and favors the Tampa 2 defense. This scheme depends a lot on the front four to generate a pass rush. There is very little blitzing. In fact, the Panthers only have 2 sacks all year from non linemen. It is primarily an execution based defense. You more or less know what is coming, but it is not all that easy to beat.

Julius Peppers is Carolina's best pass rusher. The 6'7" 283 pound end could probably fit on the line in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 system. He leads the team with 7 sacks on the year. He is being slowed by an undisclosed hand injury, which has limited his playing time recently. His play has been somewhat up and down this year. Tyler Branton also plays end for the Panthers. He has 2.5 sacks and 16 pressures. Rookie Everette Brown from Florida State will also see time at end. He spent a lot of time subbing for Peppers last week. Charles Johnson, a part of Carolina's nickle package on the pass rush, is battling a pectoral injury. His status is unclear. No Carolina tackle has a sack this year. Based on this, the key matchup will be Peppers against D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Peppers has 7 of his team's 18 sacks this year. If D'Brickashaw does his job, there's a good chance the Jets will keep Mark Sanchez clean.

Linebackers and secondary players in a system like this play a lot of zone coverage. The middle linebacker in particular must be very athletic and cover a lot of ground. The safeties are playing Cover 2 deep, which means everything in front of them in the middle of the field falls to him. Jon Beason mans this role for the Panthers. He's been good near the line, leading the team in tackles and been solid in coverage. Carolina is thinner at outside linebacker. Standout Thomas Davis, who was excellent this year in zone coverage, is on injured reserve. So in backup Landon Johnson. Another starting outside linebacker, Na'il Diggs, is banged up with injured ribs and quite possibly could be out Sunday. That could leave young players James Anderson and Dan Connor outside. They both have been adequate against the pass, but it could leave Dustin Keller opportunities to find seams.

Carolina will likely start Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble on the outside at corner. They comprise a solid tandem. Gamble had a rough game against the Dolphins last week, but he has good cover skills. Marshall has been a solid performer all year. At safety Charles Godfrey is battling an ankle injury for the Panthers. If he can't go, he'll be replaced by rookie Sherrod Martin. Martin has started the last 4 games and arguably played better than Godfrey, who has struggled. Chris Harris, the other safety, has also had some lapses. Still, this defense is a Cover 2 with an emphasis on safeties playing conservatively to prevent big plays. I'm not sure I'd count on Braylon Edwards or David Clowney as vertical threats. A good route runner like Jerricho Cotchery will probably be the primary target working to find holes in the zone.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. New England Patriots Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:39 -0000

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The Patriots have offered a number of different defensive looks the past few weeks. Watching the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago, I noticed a subtle move. Vince Wilfork lined up at right end in the 3-4 trying to create a mismatch against the left side of Miami's line. Last week against the Colts New England operated a lot out of the 4-3 with Ty Warren out of the lineup and Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain at end. Warren is fighting an ankle injury. He's questionable. Whether he starts or not, I think we'll see a few wrinkles from Bill Belichick, changing up the looks on Mark Sanchez.

I would guess we could see Wilfork at end a few times trying to use his power against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Alan Faneca, who may struggle to contain him. If the left side gets tied up, it will free up edge rushers, such as New England's best, Tully-Banta Cain (3 sacks). Banta-Cain is questionable with a rib injury. I could see Belichick utilizing a look like this to use Rex Ryan's overload blitzes against him. With Warren banged up and Jarvis Green also nursing an injury, we'll see a lot of Mike Wright on the line. Wright has been effective as a pass rusher.

I think the Jets should max protect to keep Sanchez standing. The Pats are probably going to attack him. They've seen on film the rookie mistakes he's made and will try to force more. I'm also expecting eight in the box. Belichick teams try to take away what you do best. For the Jets, owners of the league's top rushing attack, that's run the football. Patrick Chung has also been an effective blitzer from the safety spot.

If the Jets can keep Sanchez standing, they have some decent matchups. Braylon Edwards is a tough matchup for Leigh Bodden. He might need help in the form of Brandon Merriweather and other safeties, which will leave Jerricho Cotchery against an aging Shawn Springs, returning to the lineup from a knee injury and a mix of rookie Darrius Butler and Jason Wilhite. Cotchery always seems to play well against New England. He'll have a good chance to do so again. Dustin Keller should remain Sanchez's primary read, though. It's important not to make mistakes. Keller's a safety valve, and aside from Merriweather and Jerrod Mayo, New England's linebackers and safeties aren't great in coverage.

The Jets did a lot to exploit New England's pass defense in the second half of the first game. This was without Braylon Edwards. As long as they can keep Sanchez upright, they'll have some favorable matchups again. I do not expect this platform to affect Sanchez. Less than a year ago, Mark lit up the Rose Bowl. Obviously, this is a tougher defense, but the pressure of the game won't get to him. Aside from Banta-Cain and Wright, the Pats don't really have any great pass rushers in their front seven. Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess have ability but haven't really lit the world on fire this year. The Jets just need to do what it takes to keep Sanchez standing.

Jaguars 24 Jets 22: A New Low

John B — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:40:03 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Jets are 4-5 after their 24-22 loss to Jacksonville in the Meadowlands today. That makes 5 losses in 6 games. It's the 4th of those 5 to be decided in the final 2:00. It's yet another crushing loss in a season that started so well.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Kerry Rhodes: I've officially had enough of hearing Kerry talk about how great he is. Tone it down until you back it up on the field. Despite the defense's success, he hasn't transformed into the playmaker many expected. He was burned on the decisive play that set up a chip shot field goal.

First Half Defense: The Jets did not force a punt in the first half, and the front seven was completely manhandled. Jacksonville's run blockers constantly sealed their men and gave Maurice Jones-Drew holes to explode through. He almost because the first 100 yard rusher against New York this season in the first half alone.

Last Drive Defense: The pass rush wasn't there. I know this is a great defense, an elite unit. It would be nice if they could get the big stop, though. This is the third time in six games the other team has put together a game winning drive late in the fourth.

Rookie Mistakes by Mark Sanchez: This game was not a total wash for the rookie quarterback. He made some plays that flashed his promise and showed signs of what he will become with more seasoning. There were subtle errors, though, like not elevating the ball Quentin Groves interception. Don't get me wrong. It was an incredible display of athelticism and coordination by Groves. Great, great play. However, part of being a quarterback in the NFL is to make sure a quick throw to a receiver is high enough to get over a lineman. There was the timeout on the goal line he burned in the second half with plenty of time left on the play clock. There were a few attempted throw aways that Jacksonville defenders touched. These didn't affect the game, but it's playing with fire. If you're throwing it away, put it in the second row, not within reach of a defender. These things come with time and illustrate how tough it is to win with a rookie quarterback.

Dustin Keller: I know it's really tough to get on him. His 6 catch, 58 yard day was productive and encouraging. He's starting to emerge in the passing game. There were also a couple of key drops. In addition, a guy with his athleticism ought to be able to make somebody miss or break a tackle every now and then.

Braylon Edwards: Again, tough to get on him with 79 yards on 3 receptions, but his fumble was a killer. So was his drop on the two point conversion after the Jets took the lead in the fourth. It was not an unforced error but still a ball a number one receiver can't let hit the ground. He also never should have thrown it on his option pass. He had open field and a blocker in front of him and could have picked up a first down by tucking and running.

Lowery/Sheppard Combo: Dwight Lowery and Lito Sheppard are good football players. They have been good to very good this season. They had trouble with Torry Holt and Mike Thomas. Darrelle Revis shut down Mike Simms-Walker, but Jacksonville's top wideout scored a touchdown when Revis wasn't on him.

First Play Call: One thing I've always said about Brian Schottenheimer is that he has incredible acumen of X's and O's but doesn't know how to apply his knowledge. It reminds me of this teacher I had in high school chemistry. He was a brilliant guy who knew the concepts inside and out. He just couldn't communicate them so nobody in my class left with the slightest clue about chemistry. The first play of the game made sense on the chalkboard. It ended with Jerricho Cotchery wide open. The problem is it's really too hard for a rookie quarterback to roll left and make an accurate long throw against his body. The result was failure.

Let me talk about the Edwards throw. Part of the blame goes on Braylon for making the throw with open field in front of him, but why would you want him throwing with the game on the line? He's not used to doing it. It's not what he does best.

Darrelle Revis Returning Punts: Let me go on record. This is a horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible idea. I know he was great returning punts at Pitt. I know he had an incredible return against West Virginia. I watched that game and was blown away. There is absolutely no reason for him to be returning punts. By far his most important role on this team is shutting down the other team's best receiver. Why get him hit and potentially injured by running punts back? Is the risk worth the benefit? How much better will the team be with him instead of Jim Leonhard even if he is a little better as a return man? By the way, his long on 2 returns was for 3 yards.

Lack of Intensity: I'm sure we'll hear all week about how Rex Ryan giving the team 6 days off during the bye led to such a sloppy performance. That's a really simplistic explanation, but the poor performance full of mistakes in the first half will give these people plenty of ammo.

Up Men: The Jets got lucky on Jacksonville's surprise onside kick. That's all there is to it. The front line left early. They've been doing it all year. It was only a matter of time before somebody exploited it. The Jaguars executed, and the Jets got a few lucky bounces. It was frustrating to see these guys continue to leave early even after that. This needs to be corrected.

The Good:

Thomas Jones: He hit holes, broke tackles, and grinded out tough yardage on his 77 yard, 21 carry day.

Mike Devito: He played really well in the middle of the line, winning his matchups and getting off his blocks.

Jim Leonhard: He was all over the field with 7 tackles and a sack.

Brad Smith: Made some nice plays on coverage units.

Jaguars Fans on This Site: All week Jaguars fans graced us with their presence here on GGN, and I can't say enough about them. They were classy, knowledgable, and added a lot to our discussion here. In the year and change I've run this blog, I've come across some great fan bases. The Bills and Texans come to mind. The Jaguars fans we came across this week top the list. Congrats on the win. Good luck the rest of the way. Please do continue to stop by.

Halftime Adjustments: The Jets played much more inspired football in the second half.

Other Thoughts:

You really can't say enough about Maurice Jones-Drew. It's been a long time since a football player impressed me like he did today. He's the total package. He's got speed and vision. He hits hits holes. He's bruising between the tackles. He's a threat as a receiver. He blocks well. He's got football intellect and is selfless like when he went down on the 1 instead of padding his stats with a touchdown so the Jets wouldn't have a chance to get the ball back. He was the difference.
David Garrard also gets props. He made the plays on that last drive.
It's funny how things even out. Two weeks ago, the Jets pretty much manhandled the Dolphins but essentially handed them the game by making silly errors. This week, the Jags really had the better of the play for most of the game, but a missed field goal, a guy tripping himself going into the end zone, and a botched exchange from the one foot line were enough to almost gift wrap the Jets a win.
I find this a bit easier to swallow than the Miami game. It's one thing when the opponent plays better than you like the Jaguars did. It's another to constantly shoot yourself in the foot like the Jets did two weeks ago. There was no doubt the Jaguars were the better team today.
It's frustrating because it's clear the Jets are on the verge of being a good team, but they just can't finish games. Kind of like Mark Sanchez. He makes plays that show the ability is there, but it just hasn't all come together yet.

Well, these are surely not the circumstances you want heading to Foxborough. This team is in bad shape after a series of bitter losses. At this point, the Playoffs have begun. The Jets probably need to win their last 7 to make it. How disappointing.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:39 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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Jacksonville's defense looked transformed against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The unit had struggled all season long to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks all year, 5 in the first 7 games, but registed 3 last Sunday and applied constant pressure. Playing against a suspect offensive line and a quarterback who holds the ball too long had a lot to do with it, but the Jags also changed their scheme. After running a 3-4 defense, a poorly thought out Mangini style scheme change, Jacksonville reverted to using the 4-3 as their base. The Jaguars did display some 3-4 against the Chiefs and zone blitzed a lot to try and confuse the protection. Against a rookie quarterback, expect a lot more of this. Also expect the four first round picks and Brandon Moore on the offensive line to do a lot better against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville's 4-3 has strength built up the middle. John Henderson is still playing at a high level. He registered a sack, a hit, and 5 pressures against the Chiefs. He's joined by Terrence Knighton, a 325 rookie from Temple who does not have a great burst to get to the quarterback but freqently occupies a pair of tacklers to open things up for others. 2008 first round pick Derrick Harvey played inspired football against Kansas City, displaying good power moves and athleticism against Brandon Albert, the talented young left tackle from Virginia. He'll look to duplicate his performance against another young talented left tackle from Virginia, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The way D'Brickashaw and Nick Mangold are playing, I feel comfortable with the Jets' ability to hold Henderson and Harvey in check.

Bryan Smith will start at left end in place of another 2008 pass rushing draftee Quentin Groves. Groves is raw but has a lot of athletic ability. He can get to the quarterback but it really best served as a situational pass rusher. The Jags will probably use him as a rusher both with his hand on and off the ground. Aside from then, his playing time could be limited because he struggles against the run and is giving up over 60 pounds to Damien Woody. Can you say mismatch? Smith is even smaller than Groves. It will be important for him to get off the line quickly and use his speed against Woody because unless he gets on top of Damien quickly, he will be overpowered.

Daryl Smith is going to play a key role for Jacksonville. The outside linebacker is excellent in pass coverage and will probably draw Dustin Keller frequently. The Jets made Keller Mark Sanchez's primary read against Miami to try and keep things simple and safe. Keller responded with his best game of the year. Keller is going to give Smith all he can handle (as well as linebackers Justin Durant, who is solid in pass coverage and Clint Ingram, who is something of a liability). Smith will also be used as a blitzer. He had 2 sacks and 3 pressures against the Chiefs.

On the outside, there will be plays to be made. The secondary of Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox at corner and Reggie Nelson and Gerald Alexander has been suspect all year, and you can only blame the pass rush to a certain extent. The Jags are giving up over 240 yards through the air. Alexander is nursing a shoulder injury. Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery have the edge here and will all day. Keller also will have a great chance to exploit the safeties in coverage. I'd also look for David Clowney to have an impact. The Jaguars will be aggressive, and the Chiefs burned them long on a safety blitz.

I think the Jets handle the pass rush well. They have a significantly better offensive line than Kansas City. If he has to, Brian Schottenheimer can leave in extra blockers as he frequently did against the Dolphins and give Mark Sanchez time to find the matchups that favor his receivers.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Pass Defense

John B — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:30:39 -0000

by Ben Margot - AP

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I think it's fair to say the coaching staff lost a bit of confidence in Mark Sanchez after the 5 interception performance against the Bills. The almost 4-1 run to pass ratio indicates that. So do the almost exclusively safe, simple reads he was given on the pass plays. The Jets are probably going to run first and second, but they'll need more from Sanchez this week. They won't be able to run the ball on Miami's physical front to the degree they did on Buffalo and Oakland.

The Jets should have some areas to exploit in the passing game. Braylon Edwards had that big debut a few weeks back working against Miami's secondary. He'll work against rookie Sean Smith. The Dolphins need the big and athletic Utah product to hold Edwards in check. If Edwards goes off like he did in the first meeting, Miami will have to double him.

On the other side, Jerricho Cotchery will probably be back for this one. He'll operate against rookie Vontae Davis. Starter Will Allen is gone for the season for Miami with a torn ACL. Davis has looked pretty good for the Dolphins and has plenty of athletic ability, but the Jets have to like this matchup. Cotchery was getting open even when he was the focal point of the opposing passing game, and he'll have the opportunity to work against a guy making his first NFL start and who is still learning technique at the position.

David Clowney has put up a big performance in two of the past three contests. He burned the Dolphins deep in Miami and will see action against a relatively slow straight line corner, Nate Jones.

The real question is whether the real Dustin Keller will please stand up. The Dolphins have had trouble with athletic tight ends this year. There may be no bigger disappointment on the team than Keller. This is a matchup made in heaven for him. Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele are subpar linebackers in coverage. Neither Gibril Wilson nor Yeremiah Bell is spectacular as safeties. Edwards and Clowney will have a great chance to force those safeties to stay deep and give Keller room against the linebackers.

The offensive line will need to hold up against Jason Taylor, Joey Porter, and Cameron Wake. Sanchez will need to have it in his head that throwing it away quickly instead of forcing a throw under pressure is not a bad thing.

Dolphins vs Jets: Three Key Matchups

Matty I — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:33:56 -0000

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Time for Miami's rookie corners to step up and show what they got.

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Sure it's still hard to swallow what we all witnessed on Sunday. But like Jason Taylor said, "It's Jets week!" Nothing would cure all of us Dolphin fans more than a win over the Jets on Sunday in the Meadowlands. It's likely, barring some kind of playoff rematch, that this will be the final time the Dolphins play at the current Giants Stadium - with the new Meadowlands Stadium expected to open in 2010. We all have some good memories and some bad memories from games played in that building. Let's just hope we close it up with a positive one.

To do that, these three matchups will be critical.

Braylon Edwards/Jerricho Cotchery vs Sean Smith/Vontae Davis
Only two other NFL teams have even started one rookie cornerback this season. On Sunday, the Dolphins will start two rookie corners following Will Allen's season-ending ACL tear. And they will be asked to defend two veteran receivers who possess a lot of talent.

In their first meeting, Braylon Edwards - despite being a Jet for less than a week - had 5 catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. He also drew a huge pass interference call on Will Allen that gave the Jets a 1st & goal from the 1 yard line. But since then, Edwards only has 4 receptions for 54 yards. However, he's been targeted 11 times over the past two weeks - which results in 25% of Mark Sanchez's total pass attempts. Braylon is big and strong and is a matchup nightmare for many teams.

Of course, for the Dolphins, he's not exactly a matchup nightmare thanks to the size of rookie corner Sean Smith - who has been very good as a starter since day one. If I'm the Dolphins this week, I'm preparing Smith to shadow Braylon everywhere he goes. I know the coaches liked to stick with keeping Allen on one side and Smith on the other. But the Dolphins don't have that luxury anymore. Besides, Smith is athletic enough to handle both the left and right boundaries. It's time to throw the rookie into the fire and see how he responds.

Meanwhile, Vontae Davis will replace Allen in the starting lineup and make his first career start on Sunday. He's been up and down, but has progressed well. He'll be asked to cover either Jerricho Cotchery (if he plays) or David Clowney - who did post a 4-72 receiving line against the Dolphins in their first meeting. Davis is an aggressive corner and I hope to see him up on the line of scrimmage bumping whoever he is asked to cover.

Call me crazy, but in the long run, it might the best thing for the Dolphins to have to start both rookies from here on out. They're going to have their ups and downs for sure. But they're also going to learn a lot about the game and about themselves. This matchup should be a lot off fun to watch on Sunday.

Dolphins offensive line vs Jets front seven
Different week, same critical matchup. We know that the Dolphins can run the football. But last week against the Saints, it seemed like the Dolphins weren't exactly as committed as usual to running the football. On Sunday, it's time once again to ride those two horses and put the onus on those big guys up front to once again dominate the Jets defensive front.

In their first meeting, the Dolphins dominated the line of scrimmage all game long. They did an excellent job protecting Chad Henne and an even better job getting a push to help Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams find running lanes. The Dolphins ran for 151 yards in that game a few weeks ago. And now, the Jets are without nose tackle Kris Jenkins who was lost for the season. Taking his spot has been Sione Pouha, who is smaller and and weaker than Jenkins. Jake Grove did a very good job limiting the impact Jenkins had last time. He should be able to do even better against Pouha.

While I expect the Dolphins be get re-committed to the run on Sunday, Chad Henne will again be asked to make some plays and it'll be up to the big guys up front to give Henne time like they did in their last meeting. There's no doubt in my mind that Rex Ryan and NY's front seven were embarrassed by how they played last time - allowing Henne to feel little pressure for most of the game. So I have no doubt that Ryan will throw new pass-rushing wrinkles at Miami's offensive line. The Dolphins didn't do a great job of protecting Henne last week against the Saints, either. So this unit has got to step up and play like we all know they are capable of playing.

Dolphins defensive line vs Jets offensive line
Don't look now but the Dolphins are no longer have the number one rushing offense in the NFL. No - they are now number two, trailing (of all teams) the Jets. Back in week five, the Jets were able to find some running room on the ground - which most teams hadn't been able to do against Miami until that point. They ran for 138 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.

Since then, the Jets have just gone crazy on the ground. Yes, it was against the Bills and Raiders. But still, back-to-back 300 yard rushing games is impressive. And despite Leon Washington's season-ending injury, the Jets still possess a formidable one-two punch of Thomas Jones and rookie Shonn Greene. Greene ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns last week against Oakland.

But the reason the Jets have been effective on the ground is their offensive line. It's very talented and has really started gelling well recently. There's something to say about a unit that has played together week after week. And did you know that the Jets offensive line currently holds the longest streak in the NFL of consecutive starts made by the same five offensive linemen?

To me, this means two things. One - Dolphin fans have a lot to be excited about because our own offensive line will only continue to get better as they get more comfortable with each other. And two - the Dolphins have got to play stout against the run and force Mark Sanchez to put the ball in the air.