SB Nation - D'Brickashaw Ferguson

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Atlanta Falcons Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:54:27 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

Can Mark Sanchez play in bad weather? The rookie had some struggles earlier in the year in less than optimal conditions against the Titans and Bills. It's going to be a cold day at the Meadowlands, and Sanchez will be nursing a bad knee. New York's Playoff hopes depend on his ability to block out the adversity.

He should have some help. Atlanta does not have a great secondary. They give up 257.8 per contest through the air. Their starting secondary of Chris Houston, Chris Owens, Erik Coleman, and Thomas DeCoud is no better than average. Houston sat out last week and is doubtful this week. Brent Grimes will start in his place. This is a week where both Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery should have advantages in their matchups.

None of the linebackers are great in pass coverage either. Curtis Lofton, Stephen Nicholas, and Mike Peterson are all middle of the pack in pass coverage. Dustin Keller's athelticism should give him an edge here.

Up front, the Falcons are a little banged up. Old friend John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux, and Jamaal Anderson all battled injuries in practice this week, but there isn't any indication they will sit. Abraham is the most explosive pass rusher the Falcons have. His 3.5 sacks belie his ability to win matchups. Still, you have to feel confident about D'Brickashaw Ferguson's ability to contain him the way Brick is playing. Babineaux has 5 sacks. So does Kroy Biermann, who should replace Anderson on obvious pass downs. Anderson is better against the run than getting to the quarterback. Thomas Johnson, Atlanta's other tackle, isn't much of a pass rusher.

Watch out of Nicholas on blitzes from outside linebacker. He has 3 sacks and has done a good job winning his matchups.

Overall, though, this has the makings of a nice day for Sanchez if he can handle the elements.

Jets Flight Connections 121709

dvdvil — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:20:02 -0000

It is a sad day for the NFL and for the family of Bengals WR Chris Henry.

May he rest in peace.

Jets HC Rex Ryan wasn't ready to make a decision yesterday on the starting QB, but we should find out later today.

The New York Post's Kevin Kernan says that QB Mark Sanchez needs to start.

Filip Bondy of The Daily News says that The Sanchize needs to grow up fast.

Mark Cannizzaro's blog mentions how Rex reacted to LB Bart Scott's foul in Tampa Bay.

Manish Mehta writes about Scott's punishment, RB Shonn Greene's fumbling and Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez on CB Darrelle Revis. A couple of videos are attached.

If you have a subscription to Jets Confidential, here is an article on Revis and LB Calvin Pace.

Greene will learn to protect the football from mentor RB Thomas Jones, praised in this article by G Alan Faneca.

Revis and Jones are two of three AFC East MVPs.

Revis is one of NFL Fanhouse's non-QB MVPs.

The New York Times blog is shocked at the lack of attention towards TJ.

ESPN.com shows us where the top AFC East players are in Pro Bowl voting.

Newyorkjets.com has an article on the defense.

DT Kris Jenkins talks about money and marriage.

More connections after the jump.

Thanks to David Wyatt for this link: jetstwit.com, where I found this article on Bills great Thurman Thomas encouraging FS Kerry Rhodes.

That then made me look into twitter.com and their little known facts about Revis.

K Jay Feely thinks the Colts should play hard tonight.

Foxsports.com says the same ol' Jets will lose on Sunday, although the spread is Jets -6.

Thebiglead.com predicts the Jets will win out but lose the tiebreakers.

We signed a tackle to our practice squad.

Gang Green going up, Big Blue going down.

Thejetsblog.com has D'Brickashaw Ferguson's appearance on SNY's "Jets Extra Point."

Jetnation.com has a 1st Round Mock Draft.

This blogger is excited about the Jets defense.

Northjersey.com remembers Curtis Martin breaking records in the snow five years ago.

Jets team photographer Al Pereira posted his favorite shots of Marty Lyons.

Jonathan Babineaux says sorry, and then we find out about another Falcon's arrest.

Former Bills HC Mike Mularkey is now Falcons OC and taking heat for playcalling.

Two current Jets coaches have ties with Atlanta football - former Falcon Chuck Smith and former assistant Doug Plank.

While former Jet and DB Coach Corwin Brown recently left his job at Notre Dame, former Jets DB Coach Mike MacIntyre got a promotion at San Jose State.

The Arizona Cardinals not only have former Jets P Ben Graham, they also added Jets former first round pick K Mike Nugent.

Titans RB Chris Johnson says that Dolphins WR Ted Ginn changed his mind about racing him.

Meanwhile, QB Vince Young didn't practice for Tennessee.

Neither did Patriots QB Tom Brady.

Your daily reminder: You have until Dec. 21 to send the Jets to the Pro Bowl.

Lastly, here is Chris Henry this preseason for the Bengals:

Jets Flight Connections 121509

dvdvil — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:21 -0000

We won't find out who will start at quarterback until at least tomorrow.

QB Kellen Clemens says "I did what was required" against Tampa Bay.

Is QB Mark Sanchez crucial to keep winning, or are we good with running the ball and defense?

Bob Wischusen lauds the whole Jets defensive unit.

HC Rex Ryan explains why he wouldn't commit to FS Kerry Rhodes starting the last game.

The Jets D is first in the league in many categories.

A couple of quotes from Matt Gagne of the Daily News. Rex on LB Bart Scott's unnecessary roughness:

There's going to be some ramifications for Bart. I'll just let him tell you. He'll find out on Wednesday. It's good news, bad news for Bart.

And RB Thomas Jones on his O-line:

This is the best offensive line in the NFL. Every one of these linemen deserve to go to the Pro Bowl. Every one of them.

More connections after the jump.

The Star-Ledger's Manish Mehta breaks down the Buccaneer game.

NorthJersey.com's J.P. Pelzman grades the Jets.

The Daily News's Rich Cimini grades the Jets.

I already had this yesterday, but The New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro also grades the Jets.

With the team still alive for the playoffs, Ryan is confident the Jets will win out.

Here is the AP's Dennis Waszak Jr. on the Jets' playoff chances, with quotes from Jim Leonhard, Shaun Ellis, Bart Scott, Thomas Jones and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

T Ryan McKee came and went.

Get RB Shonn Greene's autograph - and get him to sign it, "I will protect the football." - today from 12:30 to 2:30 pm at this charity event in Manhattan.

Your daily Pro Bowl reminder, keep voting for the Jets as many times as you want. You have until Dec. 21.

And lastly, here is CB Darrelle Revis at 12AngryMascots last October:

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

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:38:48 -0000

More photos » by Chris Young - AP

Thomas Jones should feel like he's facing the Bills.

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The Bucs are brutal against the run. They give up over 160 yards on the ground each game and 4.2 each carry. They are about as bad as the Bills against the run. You may remember the Jets hanging over 500 yards in two games against them. With a backup quarterback in the lineup and the kind of power rushing attack the Jets own, you can expect to see healthy doses of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene.

Stopping the run starts in the middle, and the defensive tackle situation tells us a lot about why Tampa Bay struggles. Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims have been two of the worst tackles in football this year. They consistently lose their matchups. Sims in particular will be New York's target as the Jets seem to have a big edge with him going against Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore. We'll see another below average run defender, Roy Miller, join the mix at the position as a rotational player. You'll see a lot of mock drafts suggesting Nebraska tackle Ndamukong Suh will end up with the Bucs. There's a reason.

At end things don't get a ton better. Stylez White is the one lineman on Tampa Bay who plays the run well, but he'll be matched up with D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who should have the edge. The Jets love running it to the right side anyway, and Damien Woody will be facing Jimmy Wilkerson, a below average run defender giving about 50 pounds.

Tampa's best linebacker against the run is Geno Hayes, undersized at 220 pounds and battling a hamstring injury. Middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has been something of a bright spot, but strong side backer Quincy Black, ironically the biggest Bucs linebacker, has played poorly.

Tampa Bay will probably load up the box, but I'm not sure how much it will help. They seem pretty overmatched up front.

McGee, Byrd questionable for Thursday night Toronto tussle

Brian Galliford — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:38:46 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

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While Terrell Owens puts on his best giddy face for the cameras and scores of reporters covering the Buffalo Bills' latest excursion to Toronto, there's actual news to discuss about tomorrow night's divisional battle with the New York Jets.

The injury reports are out, and two of Buffalo's main defensive cogs are questionable: starting cornerback Terrence McGee and starting free safety Jairus Byrd. McGee, who has missed the Bills' last three games recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery he had during the team's Week 9 bye week, is considered a game-time decision. Byrd is as well, as he deals with a groin injury that has bothered him off and on since before training camp.

Demetrius Bell, John McCargo and Ashton Youboty have all been ruled out. Just like in last week's victory over Miami, Jonathan Scott is expected to start at left tackle.

For the Jets, they'll be without two cornerbacks - Dwight Lowery and Donald Strickland - as well as guard Robert Turner. Mark Sanchez, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Shaun Ellis, Calvin Pace, Jim Leonhard and Eric Smith are all listed as probable, and all will play.

Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills Links, 12/2

MattRichWarren — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:35:05 -0000

T.O. prefers Fitzpatrick to Edwards | ProFootballTalk.com
Terrell Owens and other unnamed Buffalo Bills players are much happier now that Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting. Paul Hamilton corroborated on WGR this afternoon.

WGR 550 SportsRadio - Bills wide receivers are finally happy.
"Perry Fewell said he's talked to friends around the league and the key to playing Thursday is trying to keep players fresh," reports Paul Hamilton.

McGee could be back in lineup | BuffaloBills.com
"He didn’t think he’d miss three games, but Terrence McGee has a good chance to return to action Thursday night in Toronto."

Ryan says Sanchez "absolutely" will play on Thursday night | ProFootballTalk.com
"I think he looks great," said Rex Ryan. "Again, the injury, when I say it's a tweak, that's really what it was. He tweaked his knee. I think he's fine."

McGee hopes to return against Jets : Buffalo Bills : The Buffalo News
The Bills top corner is looking to be back in the lineup vs. the Jets.

Buffalo Bills know they'll have to stop run to beat Jets | Democrat and Chronicle
"We were glad to win, but we realized that if we're going to win games we have to shore up our run defense, which I think we have," Posluszny said. "We know stopping the run has to be priority No. 1."

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Buffalo Bills Run Defense - Gang Green Nation
The SBN Jets blogger, John B, looks at the matchup of the Bills' run defense and the Jets run offense.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Buffalo Bills Pass Defense - Gang Green Nation
Good memories: John B. from Gang Green Nation looks at the Bills passing defense as it matches up with Mark Sanchez and the Jets passing offense.

No bigger week than this one in AFC East - AFC East Blog - ESPN
"This is the week that could rip the AFC East wide open or bunch everybody together for a fascinating final month of jockeying," says Tim Graham as all four AFC East teams play each other.

Buffalo Bills NFL News Updates - CBSSports.com Rapid Reports
A key matchup in Thursday's game will be Bills WR Terrell Owens against Jets CB Darrelle Revis . "We scouted Revis coming out, we thought he was the best corner in that (draft) class," Bills interim coach Perry Fewell said. "So that will be an interesting matchup."

Revis to pull out all the stops against T.O. : The Buffalo News
"If you think Thursday night's game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets lacks intrigue for viewers, check out the Owens-Revis duel. It promises to be must-see TV."

Don’t look for Brohm on game field – Inside The Bills
"Brian has a limited role on our team in practice," said Fewell. "He doesn’t take a lot of reps with our offense. He takes reps with our practice squad."

NFL.com - Players of the Week
Fred Jackson is up for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week award. Go vote for him even though he gained "only" 73 yards rushing. :-)

Bills Digest
The Bills Digest is free and online this week. Go check it out for lots of stuff on the Bills.

Bills add DT to practice squad | BuffaloBills.com
"The Bills filled the vacant spot on their eight-man practice squad Tuesday, signing free agent DT Rashaad Duncan (6'2", 315)."

Jackson steps into lead role | BuffaloBills.com
"In light of Jackson’s most recent performance," says Chris Brown, "it’s not unrealistic to think Jackson could be carrying the load heading into the final five games of the season."

Short week means more mental focus – Inside The Bills
"With the Bills in the midst of a short week, and recovery time from last Sunday’s game in short supply, Buffalo’s coaching staff will limit the team’s time on the field, which means the players will have to prepare more mentally than physically for a game for the first time this season."

Thank God.. Owens Finally Done Mincing Words : Buffalo Sports Daily
"Without mentioning Trent Edwards by name once, Owens made it quite clear that in his assessment, his numbers could’ve been gaudy all season long, and perhaps the Bills overall fortunes as well, had Dick Jauron played Ryan Fitzpatrick sooner. Much sooner"

How I See It: AFC East Stock Watch - AFC East Blog - ESPN
Terrell Owens and Fred Jackson's stocks are both rising.

Bills Round Table | wgrz.com
2 On Your Side's Adam Benigni and Rochester Democrat and Chronicle's Sal Maiorana talk Bills in this week's Bills' Roundtable.

Bills DE says Brick's a wall - NYPOST.com
"Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel, who has been a headache for the Jets over the years, yesterday praised the man he'll be going up against tomorrow night in Toronto - D'Brickashaw Ferguson."

Niagara Gazette - BILLS CROWD PLEASER: Draft pickup working out for Bills
Jonah Bronstein profiles the Bills free agent linebacker, Chris Draft, and the play he made on Sunday intercepting Ricky Williams.

Too little, too late for Bills - Wellsville, NY - Wellsville Daily Reporter
"Even though the Bills have looked much better in two weeks under Fewell, there are still plenty of warts, but you can’t help but wonder if this change happened much earlier, could it have been different?"

Bills Daily - "A Breath Of Fresh Air"
Tony Bogyo, he of gloom and doom, appears downright giddy over the Bills win this weekend at Bills Daily.

T.O. loves to be loved but haunted by his past - thestar.com
"A fired offensive coordinator, axed coach and rotating QBs has created a volatile situation, but T.O. has kept his cool, mostly."

The 10 best plays of the decade - Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
The Music City Mmmm.... Titans kickoff return from the AFC wild card game against the Bills is the best play of the decade says Shutdown Corner.

Countdown Daily: AFC East - ESPN.com
A look at the AFC East by John Clayton.

Week 13 power rankings: AFC East - AFC East Blog - ESPN
The Bills moved up three spots from 27 to 24 after their beatdown of the Dolphins on Sunday.

Bills’ victory fails to hold down arrests at stadium; 34 are charged : Buffalo/Erie County : The Buffalo News
"Sunday’s arrest number, between 30 and 35, has become the norm for Bills games lacking any major negative crowd-control factors such as a night game, a blowout loss in nasty weather or a game with the Oakland Raiders. "

VIDEO SPECIAL- Sporting misses that changed history for all the wrong reasons - Blackburn Rovers News from football.co.uk
On a list of mostly soccer's near misses, Scott Norwood finds a home.

NFL Rookie Watch. - ESPN
"[Jairus Byrd] stays on the list because of his overall play throughout the season, but he has not made many plays in the last few weeks." He is sixth on the weekly power ranking type list of ten.

Toronto
Bills in Toronto: An easy ticket - The Globe and Mail
"As of Tuesday, the Bills in Toronto website was still offering tickets to the game, even at the bottom price of $99 each. And on the ticket reselling websites, there have consistently been seats consistently available at below cost."

CFL supporters needn't fret this year - The Globe and Mail
"This week, as CFL types enjoy the luxury of remaining confidently silent, the Buffalo Bills return to Toronto, having so far absolutely failed to make an impression in the country's largest metropolis."

Bills head north on high note - The Globe and Mail
"They’re talking proud again in Buffalo – just in time for the Bills to bring their act back up to Canada for their home-away-from home game against the New York Jets Thursday night in Toronto. "

Team in Transition
BillBoard: Should Bills interview Weis?
Charlie Weis interviewed for Buffalo's head coaching vacancy before they hired Mike Mularkey. Should the Bills consider the former Notre Dame coach again? Vote in the poll.

Get Brandon some help for GM search : The Buffalo News
"Maybe they should hire a search firm to help in the process," says Jerry Sullivan. "College and NFL programs have done it before."

Gleason: Back home, Fewell is talk of the town : Sports Columns : The Buffalo News
Back in his tiny hometown of Cramerton, South Carolina, Perry Fewell has his old friends and coaches buzzing.

Perry Fewell deserves a long look as the coach of the Buffalo Bills, but he might not get it. - ESPN
"What does it say about Perry Fewell's future in Buffalo when big-name coaches keep being linked to the Bills' opening? It says he deserves better, and he needs to win. Now."

POLLOCK: It’s unlikely that Fewell will return
"Even if he goes 6-1 after taking over from the fired Dick Jauron, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Buffalo’s former defensive coordinator would keep the job next season. "

Martz-Fewell would be a nice combo | Democrat and Chronicle
"Martz as head coach and running the offense plus Fewell as associate coach and running the defense could be a winning combination," says Bob Matthews.

Bills Tweet
Gregg Rosenthal
Why I love Gus Johnson: At kickoff Sunday, he starts "Dolphins-Bills. This is a big one!"

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

More photos » by Greg Trot - AP

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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

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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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.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Run Defense

John B — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:24:04 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Jaguars have one of the worst statistical run defenses in football. The Chiefs did little to try and exploit it last week, running only 12 times. Part of this was due to them playing from behind. The Jets are going to test Jacksonville's new 4-3 base defense much more up front.

Jacksonville hopes its strength will come from up the middle and tackles John Henderson and Terrance Knighton. Henderson is a multi time Pro Bowler. Knighton is a rookie space eater. He's been pretty good defending the run, although he's less likely to beat his man and penetrate. He's more of a Sione Pouha type. Atiyyah Ellison will rotate in with them, a guy who doesn't do anything poorly but also doesn't do anything particularly well.

Derrick Harvey will line up at one end. He weighs in at 281 pounds, big for a 4-3 end. His play against the run seems to have improved a bit with the move to the 4-3. On the other side, the Jaguars will play a pair of smallish ends, Quentin Groves, a small speedy guy who is something of a liability in the run game and Bryan Smith, an even smaller player. They are in there to provide the pass rush. Jacksonville hopes the Jets run away from them, which they might if they are lined up against D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Gang Green is best running it right.

Daryl Smith is Jacksonville's best linebacker against the run. Smith does everything well. For my money, he's one of the most overlooked players in football. He's had success at both middle and outside linebacker during his career. He'll start outside on the weak side. Justin Durant, who starts in the middle does a decent job against the run. Jacksonville wants the tackles to keep him clean. Strong side backer Clint Ingram is the weakest defending the run. I would expect the Jets to target him.

As always, Jacksonville will probably stick 8 in the box against the rookie quarterback, but neither safety Reggie Nelson nor Gerald Alexander has provided Jacksonville much in run support this year, which is stark considering how much their 3-4 base struggled against the run until they switched their scheme last week.

What are the keys? Knighton played nose in the 3-4 so he'll likely line up against Nick Mangold. Mangold has to control him on his own. The idea for any nose tackle is to occupy a pair of blockers. Nick has been great controlling his assignments to this point against more decorated linemen. The strength at the center position springs the run game because the Jets have an extra blocker who does not need to dedicate himself to blocking the nose. The Jets will. Knighton lined up on the left side against the Chiefs. If he does again, that will leave Brandon Moore, Damien Woody, and Tony Richardson to take on an end and linebacker. This looks like it could be a favorable matchup for the Jets.