SB Nation - Bart Scott

Jets Flight Connections 122309

dvdvil — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:51:53 -0000

Mark Cannizzaro doubts the effectiveness of mixing QB Mark Sanchez with the Jets vets.

HC Rex Ryan disagrees that the offense is bad.

Rich Cimini tries to stir trouble between Rex and OC Brian Schottenheimer.

Roderick Boone says the Jets want to play the Colts starters.

Eric Allen converses with former Colts HC Tony Dungy.

Not surprisingly, the Colts are favored over the Jets.

Overstating the obvious: the Jets need help.

ESPN.com says CB Darrelle Revis has 4-1 odds of becoming the Defensive Player of the Year.

Sporting News says Revis is the best CB in the NFL.

USA Today also writes about Revis Island.

More connections after the jump.

Jet Nation looks into the team's offense, defense and coaching.

Judy Battista talks to Mike Westhoff and other ST Coordinators about NFL kickers.

Former Jet P Ben Graham won Player of the Week.

The Jets Blog has some funny Jets graphs.

Was Joe Namath's UPS Driver a Dolphin fan?

The Jets tried out former 1st-rounder RB Chris Perry (a couple of weeks before playing his former team, the Bengals).

The Ravens signed a couple of players from the Jets practice squad.

G Alan Faneca and former Jet C Kevin Mawae are on this site's team of the decade.

Lastly, here is LB Bart Scott on "Barking with Bart". (Sorry I couldn't embed it.)

The Eric DeCosta Scorecard

John Morgan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:32:25 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

Eric DeCosta's living resume, in repose.

Browse more photos »

(What follows is over seven pages and 2,500 words long. If you're interested in the gist of it, scroll down to the end.)

I did an overview on Eric DeCosta, but think I can do better and think you deserve better. Here's an attempt to hold DeCosta by the same standard I held Steve Keim. First I will look at his work as a Midwest scout for the Ravens from 1998-2002, and then his work as the director of college scouting from 2003-2009.

Baltimore did not draft a talent from the Midwest until 2001.

2001

3) 92 Casey Rabach C Wisconsin

4) 126 Edgerton Hartwell LB Western Illinois

7) 231 Dwayne Missouri DE Northwestern

Casey Rabach might remind some of Seattle's Chris Spencer situation. Rabach was drafted in the third round by the Ravens but struggled to break through early in his career. He then signed with the Redskins and became the most consistent player on their offensive line.

Hartwell was a pretty good value for the round he was taken in. He started his second season and from 2002-2004 before leaving in free agency. His approximate value in those seasons is 9, 8 and 9. Atlanta signed him to a six-year, $26.25 million contract before 2005, but injuries sapped his ability and he was cut in 2007.

Missouri is a seventh round pick that never broke through.

2002

2) 52 Anthony Weaver DE Notre Dame

4) 112 Dave Zastudil P Ohio U.

4) 123 Ron Johnson WR Minnesota

6) 206 Javin Hunter WR Notre Dame

6) 207 Chester Taylor RB Toledo

We see the rising influence of DeCosta in this draft, his last as a regional scout before being promoted. Weaver was a solid pick in the second. He was able to start his rookie season and started 16, 15 and 15 games before a host of injuries sidelined him in 2005. DeCosta scores twice on Weaver: For drafting him in the second and acquiring a Lawrence Jackson like end and for not re-signing him after injuries took their toll. Weaver looked like a stud back then, but fizzled away from Baltimore.

If you draft a punter in the fourth, he better stick and he better be great. Zastudil is not, by all accounts. His rookie season with Baltimore, the Ravens were below average punting the ball, and over his four season, he was twice below average and twice above average - almost in equal degrees. I am starting to think it is very hard to evaluate a punter from an outsider's perspective. I disagree with drafting a punter so early, but it seems Zastudil is, if nothing else, a competent punter that can be good.

Johnson never developed as a receiver or returner and was last a linebacker and receiver for the Cleveland Gladiators.

Hunter's career peak was a 63 yard kickoff return in 2002. He is not the same kind of flat bust as Johnson. Hunter started strong in the preseason and started three regular season games as a rookie. He ruptured his Achilles before the start of 2003 and was never the same player. Push.

Chester Taylor started his career as a third down back, but slowly worked himself into the running back rotation. Taylor was buried behind Jamal Lewis, but still produced, was signed by Minnesota in 2006, rushed for 1,200 yards, and was then buried behind Adrian Peterson. Taylor has been valuable throughout his career and is a huge win on DeCosta's resume.

Starting in 2003, we must assume DeCosta took a leadership position in the Ravens entire draft.

2003

1) 10 Terrell Suggs OLB Arizona State

1) 19 Kyle Boller QB California

3) 77 Musa Smith RB Georgia

4) 109 Jarret Johnson DE Alabama

4) 134 Ovie Mughelli FB Wake Forest

5) 146 Aubrayo Franklin DT Tennessee

5) 173 Tony Pashos T Illinois

6) 182 Gerome Sapp DB Notre Dame

7) 223 Trent Smith TE Oklahoma

7) 250 Mike Mabry C Central Florida

7) 258 Antwoine Sanders - Utah

Suggs has been a baller from snap one. He was a situational pass rusher as a rookie and recorded 12 sacks. He has 56.5 for his career, 5 interceptions, 32 passes defended and 18 forced fumbles. Suggs is an elite player, still only 27, and a young 27, and a grand slam pick for DeCosta.

Boller is everything I said about Suggs, applied to a quarterback, inverted and intensified. A complete bust that looked the part of a bust, my only tempering of this massive misstep by DeCosta is that Brian Billick pushed hard for Boller, and in those days, Billick was a respected coach, and a force slapdicks shouldn't defy.

Musa Smith looked like a talented back on his way up before Roy Williams effectively ended his career with a horse collar tackle. Smith suffered a compound fracture of his tibia. The play directly led to the banning of horse collar tackles, but the damage was done for Smith. He played sparingly the next two seasons and could never reestablish himself. Push.

Jarret Johnson took a slow path to success, but has been a regular starter in four of the last five seasons. A very good pick that is still paying dividends for the Ravens, notably, Johnson's AV in 2008 was 10, better than Bart Scott.

Mughelli didn't break through right away with the Ravens, but is now considered one of the best fullbacks in football. He was good in his final two seasons in Baltimore, but lured away when Atlanta offered him big bucks. A minor success for what they got.

The hits keep coming: Franklin was a valuable rotational player for Baltimore, even starting once, and is now a starter for San Francisco. Mike Nolan targeted Franklin, which says something about his perceived value, and though he never fully broke through with Baltimore, he was playing behind Kelly Gregg. Not a horn-blowing success, but very good value for the pick.

Pashos is what a right tackle should be: cheap and good enough. A good player for Baltimore and eventually Jacksonville, Pashos is a good run blocker that was a great value for the Ravens.

Gerome Sapp couldn't stick with the Ravens, signed with the Colts and then signed again with the Ravens. He played nickelback. Neither a bust nor hit, but a pick spent on a semi-talented player that just didn't fit on the roster.

Smith, Mabry and Sanders had no noteworthy NFL career.

2004

2) 51 Dwan Edwards DT Oregon State

3) 82 Devard Darling WR Washington State

5) 153 Roderick Green LB Central Missouri State

6) 187 Josh Harris QB Bowling Green State

6) 199 Clarence Moore WR Northern Arizona

7) 244 Derek Abney WR Kentucky

7) 246 Brian Rimpf T East Carolina

Edwards is still a sometimes starter, sometimes rotational end for the Ravens. He is neither a bust nor a hit, but a semi-valuable player acquired with a semi-valuable pick.

Darling never produced for Baltimore, and that's quite an achievement, because the 2004 Ravens leading receiver was Travis Taylor. Taylor had 421 yards receiving. Darling was last in Kansas City. His current whereabouts are unknown, but, presumably, not in Kansas anymore.

Green struggled to produce, was stabbed July 2006, subsequently released and is now out of the league.

The rest of the draft barely made an impact and all four are now out of the league. After ruling draft day, DeCosta's second draft produced no starters, and only one regular.

2005

1) 22 Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma

2) 53 Dan Cody LB Oklahoma

2) 64 Adam Terry T Syracuse

4) 124 Jason Brown C North Carolina

5) 158 Justin Green RB Montana

6) 213 Derek Anderson QB Oregon State

7) 234 Mike Smith LB Texas Tech

Clayton had a strong rookie season, an even better sophomore season and has since spun his wheels into the mud. The 22^nd overall pick, Clayton is not a prize, but surely a value, still young, and maybe has better seasons ahead of him.

Cody was a fine prospect whose career has been eaten by injuries. He started 42 games in college. Best to call this a push, as the injury seemed unpredictable and traumatic.

Terry was a second round selection that never fully broke out of spot starter duties. Terry has not played in 2009. This is another pick muddled by injuries and therefore hard to evaluate.

Jason Brown started his second season and is a highly regarded center. St. Louis threw smarts to the wind and signed him to googolplex dollars this past offseason, but, for three seasons, he was a cheap and very good center for Baltimore.

Justin Green was a special teams contributor.

Anderson was waived his first season and claimed by the Cleveland Browns. He then had one of the great fluke quarterback seasons of all time, before retreating into his well furnished mansion of suck.

Smith contributed briefly for the Ravens on special teams.

2006

1) 12 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon

2) 56 Chris Chester C Oklahoma

3) 87 David Pittman DB Northwestern State-Louisiana

4) 111 Demetrius Williams WR Oregon

4) 132 P.J. Daniels RB Georgia Tech

5) 146 Dawan Landry SS Georgia Tech

5) 166 Quinn Sypniewski TE Colorado

6) 203 Sam Koch P Nebraska

6) 208 Derrick Martin CB Wyoming

7) 219 Ryan LaCasse LB Syracuse

Ngata is considered one of the best 3-4 linemen in football. He has played end and tackle, is just entering his prime, and should the conditions be right, could be entering a lengthy run of Pro Bowl appearances.

Chester was recruited as a tight end, drafted as a center, converted to guard, converted again to tight end and then converted back to guard again. He has 32 starts in his NFL career, and if never a stand out on his own, has been a good part of some very good offensive lines.

Pittman had two interception in 2007 and a forced fumble. That about summarizes his NFL career. He now plays in the UFL.

Williams is a field stretcher that has never come into his own as an actual receiver. He is not a bad player, and is valuable for his draft position.

Daniels was put on injured reserve prior to his second season and never recovered.

Dawan Landry has started three of the last four seasons, and, apart from 2008, has been a very solid starter for Baltimore since his rookie season. He used to noogie LaRon Landry.

Sypniewski was primarily a blocking tight end, but received some in 2007 after Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox suffered injuries. He tore his ACL prior to this season.

Koch is the Ravens current punter. This season the team is slightly above average punting.

Martin is a talented young defensive back that was buried in Baltimore and now plays in Green Bay. Baltimore traded Martin for offensive tackle Tony Moll.

LaCasse never factored.

2007

1) 29 Ben Grubbs G Auburn

3) 74 Yamon Figurs WR Kansas State

3) 86 Marshal Yanda T Iowa

4) 134 Antwan Barnes LB Florida International

4) 137 Le'Ron McClain FB Alabama

5) 174 Troy Smith QB Ohio State

6) 207 Prescott Burgess LB Michigan

Supplemental

5) Jared Gaither T Maryland

Baltimore built their left side with this draft and in impressive fashion. Grubbs is a promising young starter and on the short list for best young offensive guards in football.

Yamon Figurs returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown in his first season, but could never stick as a receiver. Once the Ravens found a better return man, Figurs was cut, and is currently a free agent.

Yanda is a spot starter at guard and tackle that may have outright won the right guard position this season after starting the last four games and playing ably. I'm a big fan of Yanda.

Barnes is a rotational linebacker and special teams player for the Ravens.

McClain is a fullback better known for his rushing than blocking, but so what? He was astonishingly valuable in 2008 and the 11-5 Ravens leading rusher. This season he is buried behind Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. McClain's is a curious story to say the least. I am not sure he will ever repeat his 2008 performance, and certainly some of that performance must be credited the Ravens line, but for that year alone, we must credit DeCosta with another fullback find.

Smith was a member of the jobbers row of quarterbacks Seattle fattened against in 2007. He is now a Wildcat quarterback.

Burgess has split time between the Ravens and Patriots, and is, essentially, depth and a special teams player.

Gaither is the crown jewel of this class. DeCosta got Gaither for a fifth round pick in the supplemental draft, and now he is their starting left tackle, and franchise tackle of the future. Gaither isn't in the class of young Turk left tackles taking over the NFL, but he's close, a rare physical specimen (the tallest man in the NFL), a powerful drive blocker with developing pass pro skills. He was available in the supplemental draft because of bad grades, and available in the fifth round of the supplemental draft because a lot of other GMs didn't do their homework.

That leads us to the last draft we'll look at in detail.

1) 18 Joe Flacco QB Delaware

2) 55 Ray Rice RB Rutgers

3) 71 Tavares Gooden OLB Miami (Fla.)

3) 86 Tom Zbikowski FS Notre Dame

3) 99 Oniel Cousins T Texas-El Paso

4) 106 Marcus Smith WR New Mexico

4) 133 David Hale G Weber State

6) 206 Haruki Nakamura FS Cincinnati

7) 215 Justin Harper WR Virginia Tech

7) 240 Allen Patrick RB Oklahoma

Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback.

Ray Rice is one of the best young running backs in football.

Bart Scott's replacement doesn't fill a stat sheet, but Tavares Gooden is starting for a top ten defense in his second season. It's premature to pass judgment on T-Good.

Everyone's favorite boxing white safety is mostly a special teams force, but in three starts this season, he has two interceptions and four passes defended. I liked this pick when it was made, but it's, again, a little early to project his future value.

Cousins has started the last two games at right tackle, but through force of attrition rather than eminent skill. Nevertheless, one injury ravaged offensive line to another, Cousins seems more capable than some of Seattle's replacements.

The next three players are special teamers, and Allen Patrick was cut.

2004 was a hot mess, and, tellingly, occurred after DeCosta swept the 2003 draft. So, all GMs and potential GMs have their highs and lows, but DeCosta's highs certainly seem to outnumber and more than compensate for his lows. If we wanted to put a stamp on his career in Baltimore, I would stamp it a success, but let's attempt something a little more nuanced.

He seems to excel at drafting offensive line talent. He has never invested major resources into the offensive line but still acquired Rabach, Pashos, Terry, Brown, Chester, Sypnewski, Grubbs, Yanda, Gaither and Cousins. He also has had several successes drafting defensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, fullbacks and safeties. His run of backs is particularly impressive. He doesn't trend towards a specific region and seems to have no major leanings towards small schools or big schools. His success at drafting quarterbacks is mixed. Kyle Boller was an inexcusable failure, but Anderson and Smith were decent value for their pick position and Flacco is a young stud. Truthfully, I'm not wild about Flacco's profile, and though he's stepping into this own, the big bodied, big armed profile DeCosta seems to favor is notorious for producing busts.

What excites me most about DeCosta is not his drafting record, but the prolific picks he secures. Few teams enter draft day so consistently stocked with picks throughout the draft, and unlike other GMs that will burn those picks to move up and select their guy, DeCosta stands pat and picks many players. He has benefited immensely from trawling the draft and seeing what value shakes out.

His high profile and history of finding offensive line talent should make him a favorite for the Seattle position. I don't know that DeCosta is the "Z" we desire, but on second inspection, he is a young, well connected executive with a diverse portfolio of success.

Ravens/Steelers: Best Rivalry in NFL?

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:32:47 -0000

Even if you don't root for either of these teams, when they're on the tube, football fans everywhere tune in for an example of what real, old school football is really like. Hard hitting, violent action defines this rivalry and records or stats don't matter when these two teams face each other. First off, the players seem to dislike each other as much as their fan base does, as especially evidenced by the comments in the posts on both SB Nation sites when they come up on the schedule. The Pittsburgh Steelers SB Nation site, Behind The Steel Curtain, has a huge and loyal following who travel to other teams' site as well as their fans do to opponents' stadiums around the league. Conversely, Baltimore Beatdown has a passionate following that knows their football pretty well and can talk smack with any other teams' fans in the league as well.

The fact that this game has playoff implications for both teams is a plus to the tenseness of the game, but that really doesn't matter. These two teams would probably agree to meet in a sandlot and play without pads if they could. They don't care about the weather, the stats, the cameras (well they probably do care about the cameras), they just want to get out there and hit someone. Some of the most vicious hits I've ever seen in a football game have come from these games. Who won't soon forget the hit that Bart Scott put on Ben Roethlisberger that Big Ben says was the hardest he's ever been hit. Same for the shot that Hines Ward gave to Ed Reed, Ray Lewis to Rashard Mendenhall, Limas Sweed to Corey Ivy and Ryan Clark to Willis McGahee. You could keep listing other ones that made you wince when you saw and heard them live, and that doesn't include what must be going on in the trenches and the scrums after tackles.

There are other rivalries in the NFL but most of them are based on long standing history, not the specific hard hitting action that this one thrives on. The NFC East has some good rivalries and great fans, but are they the equal of the Ravens/Steelers right now? Nothing comparable in the NFC North, despite the switching of allegiance of Brett Favre from Green Bay to Minnesota. The NFC South or West? Uhhh, no. Over in the AFC, the Raiders/Chiefs was a great one, but the key word is "was." San Diego/Denver isn't even close and nothing else there is worth mentioning. The AFC South's teams haven't been around long enough to warrant inclusion in this discussion even with the hated Indianapolis Colts there. Over in the AFC East, there are some good rivalries between the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins (sorry Buffalo) but nothing to compare.

So that makes this weekend's Ravens game in Pittsburgh the best of not only the weekend, but perhaps the best of the season. Hopefully the game will live up to the hype, which it usually does, but nevertheless, it will have all the action, hitting and trash talking in advance of Sunday- and that is just with the fans!

Poll

What NFL rivalry is the best in the league right now?

Jets Flight Connections 122109

dvdvil — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:54:19 -0000

The same old Jets struck again yesterday.

HC Rex Ryan said that the team is out of the playoff race, but the Jets still have some hope to crush.

The Jets don't deserve a post-season spot.

Mark Cannizzaro analyzes the loss.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez is not clutch, and NorthJersey.com says he's not ready.

Matt Gagne talks about the interceptions.

J.P. Pelzman talks about the offensive squad.

Kristie Ackert talks about the missed field goals, and so does Manish Mehta.

Brian Costello talks about the dumb penalties.

Steve Politi talk about the Jets defense.

Atlanta Journal Constitution talks about the Falcons defense.

Atlanta Journal Constitution talks about shutdown corner Darrelle Revis.

The New York Times blog talks about the Fox announcers.

Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli talks about Jets LB Bart Scott.

Falcons RB Michael Turner talks about his ankle injury.

More connections after the jump. But do you really want them?

The Boston Herald has their take on the yesterday's game.

Rich Cimini's thoughts on yesterday's game.

Dave Hutchinson's notes on yesterday's game.

The Sporting New's observations on yesterday's game.

The Sanchize is realizing what being a Jet really means.

I'm sure it wasn't fun watching that game in the snow.

CBS Fantasy Football mentions Revis, as well as Roto-Times Fantasy Sports.

This article talks about Revis Island and Charles Woodson.

Your last Pro Bowl reminder: you have until tonight to vote for the Jets.

Lastly, if you're a glutton for punishment, here are clips of yesterday's game:

Jets Flight Connections 121909

dvdvil — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:13:52 -0000

No surprise, Mark Sanchez will start at QB for the Jets tomorrow.

RB Thomas Jones says the whole Jets offensive line should go to the Pro Bowl.

TJ wants to stay a Jet.

Pro Football Weekly says he will.

New York Magazine has good things to say about the RB.

The Jets didn't fine LB Bart Scott, but the league did.

Marques Douglas and others gave away toys for kids in Brooklyn.

The Jets have been trying to get WR Danny Woodhead more involved in the offense.

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com says that K Jay Feely is a good guy and may have had a point.

More connections after the jump.

The Jets want to keep The Sanchize warm on Sunday.

Aliquippa native Darrelle Revis is good friends with Seton Hall basketball's Herb Pope.

Champ Bailey's take on the best CB in football.

Adam Schein tells us his choice for Defensive Player of the Year.

If the Jets had a better record, Revis would have a better case for DPOY.

This writer from Wisconsin weighs the case for Revis and Charles Woodson.

If you had a subscription to Newsday, you would know Bob Glauber's take on it.

If you had a subscription to ESPN Insider, you would be able to read their article on AFC RBs.

The Jets know what needs to happen for them to make the playoffs, and HC Rex Ryan was rooting for the Colts on Thursday.

The Colts won't decide about resting their starters until after the weekend.

Apparently, Atlanta has never had back-to-back winning seasons.

Your daily Pro Bowl reminder: you have until Monday Dec. 21 to vote for the Jets.

Lastly, here is Jets great Earl Christy before Sunday's game at Tampa Bay:

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:

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Fifteen

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:30:23 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

11 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) dives over Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, bottom as he chased by defensive end Vonnie Holliday in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

With the Colts defense still only surrendering 16.7 points per game, they maintain their hold on the #2 scoring defense spot. The Cincinnati Bengals (former #1 scoring defense) dropped to third after they were waxed by the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday.

The #1 scoring defense is the New York Jets (16.2 ppg), but if you've watched the Jets recently (and God knows I have) you know this ranking is deceiving. The Jets are minus Kris Jenkins, their best internal run stuffer, who is out for the season. They've benched Kerry Rhodes, arguably their best safety. Darrelle Revis is still a beast and Bart Scott has clearly made a difference with this team. However, their last three opponents have been the Carolina Panthers, the Buffalo Bills, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No offense to the Jets, but if my team played those three teams one, two, three, they damn well better lead the league in scoring defense.

Also, for the Jets, the three games prior to the Panthers, Bills, and Bucs were against the Patriots, Dolphins, and Jaguars. The Jets surrendered an average of 28 points per game against those teams, and lost all three games.

The Colts are also #5 in yard per completion, allowing only 6.3. Anytime you can limit a team to less than 7 yards a completion, you have a good defense.

Also, I highly suggest you check out NFL.com's new offensive line stats system. I just discovered it this morning. Anyone know how long this thing has been up? Colts have allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL (only 10). Their "power ranking" rushing right is 19th, rushing up the center is 7th, and rushing left is 8th. The #1 power rushing team running left: The Jaguars.

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:

Jets 26 Buccaneers 3: Flying High Again

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

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Browse more photos »

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 Run Defense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Run Offense

John B — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:16:46 -0000

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The Bucs pass more than they run by a 403-293 ratio. Tampa might get more conservative this week with their rookie quarterback facing a blitzing defense. The top back on the roster is Cadillac Williams. He's got 572 yards on 144 carries, a 4.0 average. Williams has a lot of natural ability. He doesn't have a ton of weaknesses. The production hasn't really been there, though. Derrick Ward, his backup, is an elusive runner only averaging 3.6 per run on 84 carries. You have to think he's regretting leaving the Giants.

Williams and Ward are both good backs. The problem seems to be their blocking. We discussed earlier how Tampa Bay doesn't pass block well. Their run blocking also leaves something to be desired. The offensive line is comprised of five players who have consistently lost matchups this season. That's the only way a run game struggles with talented backs. Sione Pouha and Shaun Ellis have favorable matchups. Bart Scott and David Harris should stay relatively clean.

Given the run blocking struggles, it's somewhat surprising the Bucs haven't used Ernest Graham as a runner more. Graham is two years removed from a breakout 898 yard campaign. He's working primarily as a lead blocker this year. He's a tough inside runner capable of picking up tough yardage. He only has 12 carries this year.

One area the Bucs can burn the Jets on the ground is in the quarterback position. Josh Freeman has a 7.6 average on 18 carries. If the Jets sell out on the blitz, I do worry about Freeman's ability to turn a broken play into something if he finds some open field. Aside from that, the Jets seem to have an edge against the run.