SB Nation - Alan Faneca

Falcons 10 Jets 7: Kicked Away

John B — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:19 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

The Jets fell back to .500 after suffering a crushing 10-7 loss to the Falcons today at the Meadowlands. Once again this team loses in the final minute. Once again this team wastes a great defensive effort. Once again we have to ask how the heck the Jets lost a game they seemed to control. It's the story of the season.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Jay Feely: Jay, I'd like to introduce you to Doug Brien, John Hall, and Cary Blanchard. Feely helped kick the Jets out of the Playoffs by not connection on a pair of makable field goal tries. If he does his job, the Jets are comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter. No, he doesn't get a pass because the wind was bad. This is Feely's second season in the Meadowlands, and he spent time with the Giants before. He has plenty of experience in the Meadowlands. Does he get blame for kicking it too low on the blocked try? You bet. Last week's hero is this week's goat.

Kellen Clemens: Fine, we've established you can't play quarterback. Now you can't even get a hold down? The whole reason the Jets made him the holder was because of the botched field goal try in overtime against the Bills. The Jets wanted a guy capable of throwing it on a broken play. Using the backup quarterback presents a different problem. He's not on the field and doesn't handle the ball. Maybe Brad Smith would be a better choice. He sees action and can make something happen with his legs and arm if things break down.

James Dearth: His long snaps were terrible. They didn't help matters.

Sending Three on Fourth Down: The Jets are an aggressive team. That's how they became the top statistical defense in the league. It's how they shut the Falcons down all game. Why go away from what works and only rush three on the play that decided the game?

Offensive Line: The rare performance where the other team was successful loading up the box because the offensive line wasn't getting enough of a push. I'm not going to get on Thomas Jones (19 carries, 52 yards) because I didn't really see anywhere for him to run most of the time.

Missed Opportunities: Five trips in Falcons territory ended in no points. That's a recipe for heartbreak.

Danny Woodhead: Very unimpressive game. Didn't come up with a pair of catches he should have had early. Later he showed no ability to break tackles. He was slow to break after the catch on a third down, and his run back on the kickoff following the winning touchdown put the Jets' back to the wall.

Alan Faneca: Idiotic personal foul killed the last drive before it really started.

Donald Stickland: Terrible penalty on the last drive. Even worse coverage.

The Good:

Darrelle Revis: Roddy White had 4 catches for 33 yards. He almost had as many times begging the officials for a flag as he had receptions. Revis shut him down.

David Harris: 10 tackles and was effective as a blitzer. The Jets surely won't be going to Miami for the Super Bowl, but Harris should go there for the Pro Bowl.

Kerry Rhodes: The missed tackle was bad, but Kerry played a great game aside from that. He registered 6 tackles and was excellent in coverage. This was the player we were expecting at the start of the year.

Brad Smith: A great kickoff return to start the second half and made good reads out of the Tiger formation.

Mark Sanchez: Yes, Sanchez goes here. He did some bad things, namely holding it too long, not throwing it away in some spots, and once again not sliding. I think you need to find a new scapegoat for the last drive. Can you blame him for the last interception? The Jets needed to get it downfield. He had to try and force something. The first pick was bad, but I was impressed with the way he responded. The rest of the game, he was making good throws and making good decisions with the ball. Even on the second pick, there was a window open. We were worried whether the cold was in his head. The throw seemed to give him confidence he can play in the cold. That's huge for the future. When you look at the numbers, it won't look great. In the grand scheme of things, I view today as a net positive. He proved he can make plays in the element. Mark will have to play better next week to get a win, though.

Braylon Edwards: 5 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also drew doubles which in theory should have opened thing up for others and did good work as a blocker. Admit it. You were nervous he'd drop the touchdown pass.

I hate to let the defense off the hook. I mean another game winning drive late is upsetting, but the fact of the matter is the game should never come down to the last drive when you only give up 10 points. This game was lost by the field goal unit and the offense not finishing drives. I have nothing left to say. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. Just like last year, we see a season essentially die in a snowstorm the Sunday before Christmas.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Atlanta Falcons Run Defense

John B — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:31:32 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

Browse more photos »

Whether or not the weather is poor, we will see a heavy dose of Thomas Jones against a below average run defense. Atlanta is giving up 117.8 per game on the ground and a 4.2 average. The Falcons are undersized on the defensive line aside from end Jamaal Anderson, primarily a run defender. Their tackles, Thomas Johnson and Jonathan Babineaux weigh in at 304 and 296 respectively. We know what John Abraham is, mainly an upfield pass rusher, although he hasn't been terrible against the run this year. D'Brickashaw Ferguson is a tough matchup for him though. He can match Abe's athelticism.

I like the interior line's chances against the tackles. Nick Mangold, Alan Faneca, and Brandon Moore should be able to get a good push. They will have to. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has been very strong in run support with 118 tackles. The outside backers, Stephen Nicholas and Mike Peterson are less accomplished run defenders. If the Jets control the point of attack, they will have to work in traffic. New York will have the Falcons right where they want them.

The Jets will probably have to operate with old friend Erik Coleman spending a lot of time in the box. Coleman has 93 tackles this year. He's the ultimate average player. He never really does much to stick out good or bad. Again, the offensive line winning battles up front and hitting the second level will be key here. If Coleman has to get off blocks, it could spring Thomas Jones for some big carries.

I think Thomas Jones won't get many breaks in this one. It doesn't seem like the coaching staff has a ton of faith in Shonn Greene after his third fumble last week. The signing of Chauncey Washington is an indication of this. He could have a big day and would be a good play in fantasy.

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 121309

dvdvil — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:34:12 -0000

First of all, don't forget to check out "Jets 24/7" "Jets Flight Plan" on WCBS-TV New York at 11:30am.

Brian Schottenheimer explains why Kellen Clemens looked so bad against Buffalo.

Kellen is eager to start again at quarterback.

His coaches and teammates say they have total trust in the back-up.

Will Tampa Bay hurt our post-season push?

This article says bet on the Jets, while this one says bet on the Bucs.

With Robert Turner out and Alan Faneca recovering from illness, the Jets activated OT Ryan McKee from the practice squad.

Former Army HC and current Jets LB Coach Bob Sutton was at the Army-Navy game.

Buccaneers HC Raheem Morris and Jets Strength and Conditioning Coach Sal Alosi were teammates at Hofstra.

More connections after the jump.

Read about how well former Jets Jason Trusnik and David Bowens are doing with the Browns.

What's going wrong in New England is not Tom Brady's fault.

Maybe it's Adalius Thomas's fault, who will not play today.

Matt Moore will be the quarterback for the Panthers against the Patriots.

Do you remember when Carolina went to the Super Bowl? What if Kris Jenkins and the Panthers had won then?

The Dolphins will be playing without Jake Grove again, while the Jaguars will be without Mike Sims-Walker, John Henderson and Rashean Mathis.

Lastly, please keep voting for you favorite Jets to go to the Pro Bowl.

Here are some highlights of the last one, where we voted in seven Jets players:

Jets Flight Connections 121209

dvdvil — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:56:37 -0000

Kerry Rhodes will not shut up.

Rex Ryan praises Lito Sheppard.

Rex Ryan praises D'Brickasaw Ferguson.

Rex Ryan and Bart Scott praise Josh Freeman.

Mike Pettine praises Larry Izzo.

Damien Woody praises Alan Faneca.

Braylon Edwards praises Kellen Clemens.

Brad Smith and Wallace Wright celebrate with a middle school in New Jersey.

The Jets are thankful to Eric Mangini and learn from the Browns' upset.

Mark Sanchez, Dwight Lowery and Robert Turner will not play on Sunday.

Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton and RB Carnell Williams might not play either.

More connections after the jump.

Miami will be playing against last week's Defensive Player of the Week.

New England might be playing wihout a healthy Adalius Thomas, and with a subpar Tom Brady.

Buffalo will not have Demetrius Bell for the rest of the year.

Once again, Wayne Chrebet is quoted in an NFL concussion policy article.

The topic of NFL injuries is becoming more serious.

Former Buccaneers HC Tony Dungy is still very involved in the NFL.

His other former team is currently still unbeaten, along with the Saints.

I would like to stress again that Darrelle Revis and Thomas Jones need to go back to the Pro Bowl. Please vote for them here. Polls close on Dec. 21.

Lastly, Rex Ryan talks about growing up in Toronto:

Friday Injury Report. Ryan's Conference

David_Wyatt — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:36:10 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Browse more photos »

Out

Mark Sanchez- QB

Dwight Lowery- CB

Robert Turner- OL

Questionable

Alan Faneca- OL

Wayne Hunter OL

Probable

Marquice Cole- CB

Shaun Ellis- DE

Jim Leonhard- S

Calvin Pace- OLB

Donald Strickland- CB

Transcript of Rex Ryan's news conference is after the jump

On how Kellen Clemens has progressed this week…

He’s got a great grasp of our system. This is his fourth year under Brian [Schottenheimer]. He knows the system as well as anybody and it shows. He has great poise and ownership right now. The guys believe in him, just like they believe in Mark. He is very comfortable and very confident. I think most backup quarterbacks probably don’t have the system down as much as Kellen does. Kellen knows it inside and out. We’re very confident in how he’s going to play this week. I know his teammates feel very comfortable and confident in Kellen.

On if Clemens’ struggles in 2007 were because of the offensive line…

I remember playing against him when I was in Baltimore. For three quarters they struggled offensively, but then they lit us up in the fourth quarter. He made some nice passes that day. That was how familiar I was with Kellen. It was based on that. I never went back and looked at all the other tapes. I know we have an outstanding offensive line now. We have an excellent group of receivers, great backs. I expect Kellen to play great. I expect him to really have a big game for us.

On if he feels the team won’t overlook the Buccaneers…

It’s hard to get overconfident for two reasons. Number one, you watch all that tape. You can look at last week’s game when they posted almost 500 yards against Carolina, which is not a bad defensive football team. That is really all you need to know there. And you can look at last night. Last night was a perfect example. You have the defending Super Bowl champs go into Cleveland to play a team that has won one game. The experts, as we say, are all picking Pittsburgh. Well, somebody forgot to tell Cleveland that.

We know what we’re going to get. We’re going to get everything Tampa Bay has. Likewise, they’re going to get everything we have. I feel confident that we’ll win this game. I know they’re going to get everything we have and I know we’re going to get what they have and we’ll see. I’m confident in our football team. We’re going down there on a business trip. We’re going to take care of business. We’ll see, like I said from day one, at the end of the season we’ll see how many wins we’ve got, how many losses and we’ll all take a look at it then. Right now, we know what’s in front of us and we have to go down there and lay it all on the line. I’m confident that we’ll get it done.

On if he is happy with Cleveland’s win over Pittsburgh…

You know I’m not big on lying. I’m glad that this happened. But it’s not what you think, I’m glad my brother [Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan] got a big win on a nationally televised game. They showed him every two seconds. I thought it was ironic that every time they did something good they show my brother and every time they did something bad they showed [Browns head coach Eric] Mangini. That was interesting to me. I told my brother that. I left a message for him. They needed that win. It’s a huge win for them. Oh, by the way, it helps us. I’ll take that also. Pittsburgh is a proud team and for our benefit we are going to need Pittsburgh to be Pittsburgh for the rest of the season, too. They are going to have to play.

On what problems Josh Freeman presents…

He did struggle in the red zone in particular. He threw the five interceptions. All that’s true, but he threw for 370 or something. He had a huge day statistically, but he did make those mistakes and that’s what happens a lot of times with young quarterbacks. He’s got a big arm. He’s a big man. He’ll take off with it, so that’s something you’ve got to be ready for. If the first guy’s not there, forget reading coverages, he’ll just run with it. I was really impressed with Freeman when we went on his interview. He’s a smart guy, very bright and physically, he fills a room. That’s a big man. We’re going to look to slap some Riddells on him and see what happens.

On ball security…

The facts are what they are. We’re 5-0 when we win the turnover battle and we’re 0-4 when we lose it. That’s got to be a point of emphasis any week and it should be every single week. It doesn’t matter that Freeman’s a young guy or not. We’re coming after him. We’re going to try to create bad plays for them.

On if maroon will be a new color code for Kellen Clemens this week…

That was great. The look on his face, that was fantastic. He never missed a beat. He just looked at me and smiled. "I believe it’s maroon." "Oh, good. Go get 'em, kid." He knew and everybody makes light of those things, but I know one thing, protect the football. He knows you’ve got to protect the football. They do a good job of rushing the passer. They do a good job in the back end of making big plays. We’ve got to be smart. We’ve got to protect the football and I think we’ll be just fine.

On Lito Sheppard…

I’ll tell you, it’s been a frustrating year for Lito. He started the season off playing terrific, then he gets the injury, probably came back a little too early, so he gets another injury on top of it, a more severe injury. We’ve been wanting to make sure he was back before we really felt comfortable putting him out there, trying to ease him in. There’s no easing in anymore.

He played a tremendous game [at Toronto]. In fact, we gave him a game ball last week. He gave up one completion. That was on the third down, 38-yard play. It was a great play. You can’t defend the perfectly-thrown ball. Lee Evans happens to be a heck of a football player. The thing that was impressive was he made the one-on-one tackle and prevented the touchdown. After that, he never gave up a completion. He was tremendous in that game.

Let’s not forget, that is a two-time Pro Bowl player. Lito is still Lito. I sense the confidence is back. I think the biggest thing he had to overcome was the injury. I don’t think he felt that he was all the way back and that puts some hesitation in his play. Now, I think Lito feels great. I think he knows he’s all the way back. Lito may be the fastest player we’ve got on defense. He’s got all the ability. It’s not bad when your second corner is a Pro Bowl-type corner. It’s not bad. We’ve been saying it from day one. We’re healthy now. Obviously, Lowery is out, but when we get him back, we’re going to be loaded. We have no excuses. We expect to play well. We know we’re going to be challenged by Tampa Bay, but we believe our guys will be up to the task.

Related Players

Jets Flight Connections 120909

dvdvil — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:52:00 -0000

Rich Cimini wants QB Mark Sanchez to sit out on Sunday. He also turns an innocent compliment by FB Tony Richardson on the running game into a negative assessment of WR Braylon Edwards.

Peter King is impressed with the Jets rushing offense, and especially with OL Coach Bill Callahan.

RB Thomas Jones is performing very well and is up for another FedEx Ground Player award. He won this before in Week 6. Vote for him here. Vote early and often.

And I also want to remind everyone that so far, only G Alan Faneca is leading the Jets in the ProBowl voting. Vote for Revis, C Nick Mangold, LB David Harris and other deserving Jets here.

Jets practice squad FB Jason Davis also likes the run game and prepares like a starter. Another young guy on the squad is LB Jamaal Westerman, and I found this article on him.

Dave Hutchinson takes a quick look at the next game and reiterates that CB Darrelle Revis could be considered the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Cannizzaro lauds HC Rex Ryan's in-game defensive adjustments. Larry to the Izzo compares Rex to Bill Belichick.

But Newsday's Roderick Boone says don't believe the Jets defense hype. (You can't actually read the full article without paying. Seriously, what the hell, Newsday?)

Maybe he's got a point, because despite the stats, the Jets are just a .500 team.

Hopefully, that will change on Sunday. Obviously, we are expected to beat Tampa Bay.

More connections after the jump.

Nick Mangold, Giants TE Kevin Boss and CB Corey Webster, the teams's owners and some fans stepped onto the field yesterday. Mangold talks about the stadium in this video.

The New Meadowlands Stadium will have removable endzone and midfield turfs. We will actually be seeing the Jets logo at the 50 yard line next year.

Find out more about the field turf here.

Some NFL kickers will not miss the current stadium and the swirling winds within it.

Sports Illustrated rates the Dewayne Robertson draft pick as the worst trade of the decade. Meanwhile, the Patriots are pretty much the best everything. Oh, and they also talk about this thing called SpyGate.

The branches of the Belichick coaching tree are not getting along.

In the loss to the Dolphins, are the Patriots players to blame and not the coaches?

Examiner.com blames last year's Jets meltdown not on QB Brett Favre, but on Jones and Coles. Vikings TE Vishanthe Shiancoe is confident the same thing won't happen in Minnesota.

WR Laveranues Coles is still adjusting to the Bengals system. His teammate Chad Ochocinco is having fun in Cincinnati - and paying for it.

Are we rooting for the Browns on Thursday? Steelers WR Hines Ward might miss that game.

Lastly, Kerry Locklin, we hardly knew ya.

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

Browse more photos »

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 Pass Defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:33:16 -0000

by Phil Coale - AP

View full size photo »

The Jaguars bring an element to the passing game New York's pass rush has not seen this season. David Garrard is the most mobile quarterback the Jets have faced all year. He has 191 yards on the ground and 5.0 per carry. If his pocket collapses, he has the ability to extend plays to give his receivers extra time and to make plays on his own with his feet. It's going to be important for blitzers to stay disciplined, keep in their lanes, and tackle properly. A whiff on a sack will give Garrard a chance to make plays.

The good news is the Jets will have a great chance to put Garrard under constant pressure. Jacksonville has made five lineup changes on the offensive line through its first eight games. An offensive line functions as a unit. What the guy next to you does bears a direct impact on how difficult your assignments are. Just think of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Do you think it's an accident his worst season as a pro was 2007, the year Adrien Clarke lined up next to him? Or that his play took off to Pro Bowl caliber level once the Jets signed Alan Faneca? A lot has to do with comfort level with those surrounding you. Part of the reason the Jets have such a great offensive line is talent. It's also that all five have started 24 consecutive games with each other.

It looks like the Jets will be against a pair of rookie tackles, Eugene Monroe and Ebon Britton. They both show flashes of potential, but their pass blocking has been an issue at times. Monroe has given up 4 sacks and Britton 3. Britton has allowed an unsightly 26 quarterback pressures, while Monroe is at 14. That puts both tackles in the top fifteen in the league. Center Brad Meester might have a tough time with Sione Pouha and require help. The guards, Vince Manuwai and Vince Manuwai are probably the best on the line.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a surprisingly solid pass blocker despite his small size, but the Jaguars will want to involve him in the passing game and get him the ball in space. If the Jets get to Garrard, Jacksonville will have to leave their back in more than they want. Same with their tight end, Marcedes Lewis, who has 17 receptions. They will also involve Ernest Wilfork in double tight sets, but Lewis is a better pass protector.

Again, it will likely come down to Garrard's ability to buy himself some extra time and the Jets' ability to bring pressure quickly. By this point, we know Darrelle Revis can take any receiver out of the game. He's only one player, though. The Jaguars have two good receivers, Torry Holt and Mike Sims-Walker. Dwight Lowery is starting opposite Revis instead of Lito Sheppard. I like Dwight. He's played well, but if Garrard buys himself some extra time, I worry about his ability to cover either for an extended period. Holt has lost a lot of his speed, but he is still an excellent route runner going to work on an inexperienced corner. Sims-Walker is starting to emerge as a big play threat for Jacksonville. Dwight's got great ball skills, but can he maintain coverage? It might be a good idea to get Lito in there if Garrard's mobility becomes a factor.

Overall, though, I like the matchup. The Jets feast on unstable offensive lines.

First Half of the Season Shows Jets Have a Solid Foundation

John B — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:52:21 -0000

by Ben Margot - AP

View full size photo »

There's a lot of pessimism in Jets land right now. That's easy to understand. After a 3-0 start, 4-4 seems like a disappointment, especially considering how it has happened. There's only one loss where the Jets were simply outexecuted, the Monday night game at Miami. In the other three, New York registered a ton of self-inflicted wounds. The thing people need to remember, though, is the Jets aren't looking just for this year. They want to build something special over the long haul. They are well on their way.

It's really tough to win with a rookie quarterback in the NFL. Starting 4-4 is a great start for Mark Sanchez. He's played two bombs of games. He had a game against the Raiders where he was asked to do very little. The other five games have been somewhere between good and excellent. He's looked composed beyond his years for the most part. He was developed in a pro system at USC, which is a novelty in today's college game with everybody going to a spread offense. He played against pro caliber competition at practice every day. It shows. He looked special in a second half comeback against the Patriots after struggling in the first half and when he twice shredded Miami's secondary trailing in second halves. I think everybody would agree Sanchez has looked like he has belonged, which is pretty incredible for a rookie quarterback. The number don't look that great, but they don't tell the whole story. The two bad games killed the stat sheet. In those games, he did things with the ball that experience and coaching correct (locking onto receivers, leaving the ball exposed for pass rushers, forcing throws).

Quarterback is one of the two most important people on a football team. A team with a good young quarterback is in good shape over the long term. A team with a good quarterback and a good head coach is in great shape, and it looks like the Jets have found a good head coach. You have to be thrilled with the job Rex Ryan has done to this point. He's instilled a lot of confidence in the locker room. It would be one thing if he was just popping off to the press. He's not. When players make big comments to the press, it's an indication they believe in their head coach and want to help him back up the talk. These guys went into a Week 2 game against the Pats expecting to win and broke New England's long domination of the Jets at the Meadowlands. Winning over a locker room is only part of the job, though. The hard part is coaching a team to reach its potential. Ryan has improved the Jets to the second ranked defense in the league. Their pass rush is one of the fiercest in football. They hit Tom Brady around half the time he dropped back in Week 2. They totally confused Matt Schaub, who has played great football the rest of the season. When the Dolphins ran all over them in Week 5, Ryan adjusted his scheme to get bigger and run blitzed his secondary more to shut down their rushing attack. He's shown great acumen for X's and O's. When a coach wins a locker room and shows he knows how to game plan and adjust, he's a good one.

Let's not forget about Mike Tannenbaum. He's shown himself to have a bright football mind since he took over running the team. Look at all of the successful moves he's made through the Draft. He's hit on D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Leon Washington, Darrelle Revis, and David Harris, all of whom look like Pro Bowl caliber players in the Draft in his four years. He's also added Dwight Lowery, who appears on the verge of developing into a quality starter. Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene look like hits also. He's made bold moves for Alan Faneca, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, and Bart Scott, all guys who fit a need in the system. There's a big difference between doing what the Redskins do, accumulating names without regard for age or how they fit, with what the Jets do, wisely shop for guys in their prime to fill needs in the system. He signed Tony Richardson. Even the ill-fated Brett Favre trade showed something good about Tannenbaum. He's not afraid to make a bold move if he sees a weakness and isn't afraid of having something blow up in his face. He's shown himself to have a firm grasp of the salary cap from the job he did getting the Jets out of cap hell in '05 while fielding a Playoff team in '06 to making moves like giving Kerry Rhodes and Calvin Pace roster bonuses in their contracts to make the cap situation better in '08 which could be converted into signing bonuses a year later for cap flexibility then. He knows how to work the cap.

What does this mean? The Jets have a good young quarterback, a good head coach, a good nucleus, and a general manager making good moves to suppliment the talent. I wouldn't write off this year. There's a decent chance the defense just lifts this team on its back and carries it to the Playoffs. Even if that doesn't happen, don't get too upset. This club is building a foundation for long term success.