SB Nation - Ahmad Carroll

Packers-Ravens Retroactive Live-Blog

Mitchell_M — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:13:49 -0000

It's been two months since I've really been active on the site. For some of you, that is a terrible tragedy. For many, many more, it is a source of endless joy. But today I decided to cater to the minority and make my presence known by throwing a mini-fiesta with my DVR, a bowl of Reese's Puffs, and a strong pot of coffee.

Before we get going with the retroactive live-blog, let me just share some of the knowledge I've gained over the course of working for 80 out of a possible 168 hours in a week:

There are few things more traumatic than the transition from college-life to real-life. I imagine it's somewhat like being born, except you're slightly more conscious and slightly less sticky.

Unlike most co-eds, I worked my way through and avoided drinking my way out of school, but nothing can truly prepare you for the real world. There's chores? You have to do them, otherwise you're living in filth. There's bills? You have to pay them, otherwise a large Italian gentleman will break your ribs. There's family gatherings you'd rather not attend? You have to go to them, because you don't have the homework excuse anymore.

Real life blows, I'm going to grad school.
Trying to keep in shape? Don't work overnights. You will have no energy whatsoever during the daytime hours. I play basketball to keep myself in shape and satisfy my over-competitiveness, and I love it. But I haven't played in two months, and I've gotten noticably soft. Amazing, considering I've lost weight.
Dry spells. Guys, when women say that they're too tired, it's generally a toss-up between them actually being tired and not wanting to deal with you. When a guy says it? Definitely tired.
Caffeine has an odd effect after consuming too much for it. The most noticeable symptom is when you're lying down after finally getting home and you get the ringing in the ears. It keeps me up for at least half an hour, and my mom (who worked 3rd shift for over a decade) says it doesn't go away. Awesome.
Watching sports is a major hassle. Not only do I miss the majority of my Sunday NFL-watching, but working nights has ruined any chance I have of watching any NBA games during the week. DVR has been my best friend, but it somehow isn't enough.

On to the live-blog! I DVR'd this last night and watched it immediately as I got home. I did not check the score at any time on Monday night, and I have no knowledge whatsoever of the outcome. Enjoy!

Pre-game observations:

I forgot how cool of an environment Lambeau is on national TV at night. Other cities have their stadiums surrounded by other big buildings with big, bright lights, but Lambeau sort of stands alone in the still-tiny Green Bay. It's kind of cool, even though it's quaint.
Another thing I forgot? Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski are still in the MNF booth. Let's put it this way: it took roughly two minutes for Gruden to make the first (of what I predict will be many) "Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood" jokes. Ugh.
Ed Reed is announced as inactive for the game. Good timing to get the Ravens without their ball-hawk extraordinaire, not to mention good time by ESPN's cameras, who immediately cut to Reed spitting an enormous loogie. Between that and the beard, he looks like a homeless guy (who makes roughly 100,000x my salary).
Ray Lewis may have lost a step or four, but he's still quite the motivational speaker. It's like if Lil' Jon was coherent and dread-less.
The Nike Kobe and LeBron puppets are back. Frowny-face.
And here comes the Ray Rice love. Am I pleasantly surprised by my alma mater's best football product? Yes. Am I ecstatic to have drafted him (against my then-better judgement) in the ninth round of my keeper league? Yes and yes.

Alright, enough of that. Let's play some ball, gentlemen.

First Quarter!

15:00 - Green Bay receives, and Jordy Nelson avoids both tacklers and fumble-itis all the way to the 43-yard line. Decent start.

14:34 - A play-action draw pass? Sounds terrible, but it gained 7.

13:59 - So that's why we still have Brandon Jackson. Excellent scramble by Rodgers to find Jackson in the flat for the first down.

12:44 - Ravens call a timeout (symptom of missing Ed Reed #1), and the next thing we see is Jimmy Football. If someone were to kick him in the groin, I would not object. Extra points for wearing a Billy Mays mask and demanding royalties from Budweiser.

12:32 - ESPN shows a graphic illustrating Aaron Rodgers' awesomeness on 3rd down, and he promptly finds James Jones for a first down. Outstanding blitz pickup by both Chad Clifton (the blocker) and Scott Wells (the center).

11:22 - Korey Hall and Josh Sitton pancake Ray Lewis, opening a hole for Grant to gain a first down. In other news, Did you know that Ryan Grant is 8th in the league in rushing yards? When did that happen?

10:08 - ESPN continues the Rodgers love-fest by displaying his red-zone stats. Apparently, he has 30 TDs and 0 INTs over the past two seasons when inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Yikes.

9:17 - Mark Tauscher comes up with a tipped pass and gets tackled for a loss. I'd criticize his decision to catch it versus batting it down, but whenever linemen get the ball, they seem so damn happy. I can't ruin it for him.

8:41 - Mason Crosby nearly shanks a 28-yarder. The Green Bay offense stalls in the red zone again, settling for the "easy" 3. Sadly, neither are surprises this season.

8:30 - Le'Ron McClain's smile is hilarious. Mark Clayton looks like 50 Cent. I can't wait to see the offensive linemen.

8:30 - And for good reason. Not only is Marshal Yanda's name funny, but he looks like an uncomfortable 7th grader who hasn't gotten used to his new body yet.

7:40 - Good containment on Ray Rice in the flat, but not good enough. First down, Baltimore.

7:01 - Flacco tightropes for a just-barely first down after being flushed out of the pocket. He may have looked like an idiot doing it, but it was probably better than getting pasted by Cullen Jenkins. I'll make fun of him either way.

5:05 - Bad decision by Nick Collins to go for the pick instead of batting down the ball. Another first down for Baltimore.

4:18 - Well, a fumble recovery certainly absolves Collins of any wrongdoing on the previous play. Clay Matthews is closing in on the "if a huge defensive play happens he must've had something to do with it" status currently held by Charles Woodson.

4:08 - Ryan Grant tries to return the favor, but his right knee looked like it could be down. Maybe. Possibly. Could go either way. This time, it goes the Packers' way.

3:48 - A great play by Dominique Foxworth that was (un)fortunately flagged as interference. The replay shows a grab or two, but probably

3:39 - No matter, Rodgers throws it directly to Tom ~~I-can't-spell-his-last-name-unless-I-check-the-recap-which-will-ruin-the-ending~~ Zbikowski.

2:06 - Now that's how you commit pass interference! Thanks ~~Atari Bigby~~ Tramon Williams! /facepalm

1:52 - Nick Collins makes everyone forget about Williams' transgression by picking off an ill-advised flea-flicker pass into quadruple coverage. Yeah, Flacco shouldn't have done that.

0:00 - An underwhelming first quarter filled with above-average defense and one boneheaded interception for both sides. 3-0, Green Bay.

Second Quarter!

14:52 - B.J. Raji sheds a block and drops Ray Rice for a big loss. Lucky he didn't get called for face masking, but a good play nonetheless.

14:12 - Derrick Mason just barely misses a catchable ball to force 4th down. I thought veteran receivers were supposed to make that play? I guess having Donald Driver on your team gives you a skewed expectation for aging wideouts.

13:14 - Great adjustment by James Jones to come back and grab the ball for a first down. He's definitely taken control of the 3rd WR spot on this team lately.

11:59 - By my count, that's three catches in this game that Jennings should have had but failed to come up with. This troubles me.

11:55 - Punting inside the 50-yard line? Greg Easterbrook would be appalled, then proceed to write a 10,000 word article about it. Shoot, if I included random interstellar factoids, referred to certain teams by ridiculous self-coined nicknames, and added superfluous cheerleader facts that allowed me to post their photos, I'd be Greg Easterbrook.

11:13 - Trey Wingo informs us that Jimmy Clausen will be entering the 2010 NFL Draft. Brady Quinn advises him to stay in school.

11:06 - Charles Woodson gets busted for mauling Derrick Mason. The groping wasn't necessary, Chuck.

11:01 - Clay Matthews asserts himself all over Joe Flacco. Jared Gaither doesn't know what just happened.

10:21 - Offsides on Clay Matthews? Jared Gaither claims to know what happened on the previous play.

9:48 - I know Jordy Nelson was dynamite at Kansas State, but I haven't seen enough promise out of him to merit keeping him on punt returns. Then again, it's more important to keep Woodson and Williams fresh, and Will Blackmon made his yearly trip to I.R. early this season.

8:30 - Haloti Ngata owns Daryn Colledge to drop Ryan Grant at the line. I wonder how long until Colledge loses his spot?

7:51 - It's plays like this that got Frank Walker traded. Thanks for the yardage!

7:42 - Ahman Green exhibits remarkable blitz pickup to spring Jermichael Finley on a big gain. Mike Tirico noted this, and Gruden promptly refers to him as Brandon Jackson (twice!) before correcting himself.

5:08 - Jermichael Finley makes another big play, thanks to another great third down throw from Rodgers. First and goal, Packers.

4:35 - I'm no psychic, but as soon as I saw Finley split out wide, I saw the quick fade coming. Fantastic throw, outstanding catch, b-e-a-utiful play. 10-0, Packers.

4:35 - I just remembered my fantasy football situation. Going into this week, three teams in my division were 7-5, with me among them. I play one of them this week and the other next week, and the other already has his victory wrapped up. I'm up 130-24 in a game I need to win to move into a tie for first place and help secure a playoff spot next week (the final week of the season). My opponent has Aaron Rodgers, Jermichael Finley, and the Packers defense playing. I have Ray Rice. Man, am I glad that his other players (Adrian Peterson, Reggie Wayne, Ricky Williams) all laid eggs.

2:00 - The two-minute warning comes up, and Mike Tirico just got done "highlighting" the Packers' 38-28 loss to Tampa Bay. In the team meeting the described, he said that the offensive line stood up and said something to the effect of "hey, you have to help us out too". I hope I misheard him.

1:50 - Rodgers gets the first on a sneak, and a fight nearly breaks out because Brandon Jackson is protecting Rodgers from what he thought was a late hit. Whether he was right or wrong, it is nice to see that kind of fight in your team.

1:24 - Donald Driver goes flying, earning Baltimore its 11th pass interference penalty on the year, leading the league.

1:18 - Green Bay ruins the momentum by giving up their first sack of the game. /facepalm

1:09 - And Rodgers gets it right back with a 20-yard scramble right up the middle. I take back my /facepalm.

0:38 - Rodgers delivers a Jon-Gruden-Quarterback-Fraternity-Approved LASER to Greg Jennings' back shoulder. Nice, except for Gruden's rambling.

0:32 - Rodgers connects with Donald Driver for a score, punctuated by two acrobatic leaps by Driver (one into the end zone, one into the stands). The Packer fan in me is ecstatic: the fantasy football owner is frantic.

0:00 - A solid defensive stand by Green Bay keeps the shutout alive. 17-0 Green Bay, at the half.

Halftime observations:

None. I have to be at work again in 8 hours (as of 1 PM), and I haven't slept yet. But the score doesn't lie. This game is totally worth staying up for.

Third Quarter!

14:07 - I don't know how they practiced for the past week and a half, but Green Bay is absolutely starving Ray Rice. He's trying his damndest, but he can't make anything happen. Why'd I start him against the #1 defense again?

12:31 - Brad Jones notches a sack from the strong side. Rookie 7th round pick? No matter. Boring name? Who cares? Buried on the depth chart? Not for long, I hope.

12:05 - Ryan Grant doesn't gain a ton of yards on this play, but it looks as if he's churning his legs and fighting for extra yardage more than I'm used to seeing from him. Did anyone else notice this?

9:57 - Rodgers gets time in the pocket, makes even more time, dances around, and finally gets sacked. Somehow, the play is negated by an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty. It seems like one of those games for Green Bay tonight.

9:30 - Then Scott Wells gets called for holding. Yep, it's definitely one of those games for Green Bay tonight, even if the score doesn't reflect it.

9:04 - Wow, I'm going to stop complaining about stupid penalties. I almost feel bad for Ravens fans. P.I. number twelve on the year for Baltimore.

8:27 - Jermichael Finley re-injures his knee. Not at all happy to see that.

8:23 - Nice connection to Driver that results in a fumble that quite possibly could be ruled an incompletion, if it was reviewed. Blah, a 17-0 lead in the third quarter shouldn't be this frustrating.

8:01 - Jon Gruden: "Somebody has to rescue the Ravens' offense right now." Yeah, that's Ray Rice's job, and he didn't come in today.

7:50 - As if on cue, Ray Rice rips off a big run. Jon Gruden gets to feel smart, and I lose a little bit of my soul.

6:07 - Jon Gruden praises Charles Woodson's ball-raking ability. The adolescent-me giggles uncontrollably.

5:18 - "Nobody strips a ball like Charles Woodson!" Adolescent-me is now crying with laughter.

5:13 - Todd Heap drops a sure-fire 1st and goal, then Tramon Williams forces Mark Clayton to drop one in the end zone with a slightly-more sneaky arm bar. Illegal? Yes. Effective? Absolutely, that's why it's illegal.

3:35 - I don't know what the refs were talking about before this drive, but they are letting the defense play. You don't see many drives last this long against a defense that's getting away with everything.

3:28 - A free play and a Kelley Washington touchdown deflates the stadium. The play gets challenged, but I'm skeptical.

3:28 - Modern Warfare 2 commercial, set to Eminem's "Til I Collapse". Best 30 seconds of non-football I've seen today. Get that game, if you can handle it.

3:28 - Turns out that I was right; the score stands. Green Bay is out of challenges for the game, unless of course they used the item cheat and got one for free. 17-7, Packers.

3:22 - Evan Dietrich-Smith comes up with the kickoff. My immediate thought: "This cannot end well." Of course he fumbled, but Green Bay was lucky enough to regain possession.

3:14 - Jared Johnson gets an interception off of Driver's shin. I'm not liking this third quarter. Too much bad mojo.

3:07 - More bad mojo with Tramon Williams' P.I. in the end zone. Actually, this one is relatively tame compared to other plays the refs have allowed tonight (today?).

2:58 - Willis McGahee pushes his fantasy-irrelevant self in from the 1. Makes my Ray Rice decision feel even better. 17-14, Packers. /double facepalm

2:43 - Jennings manages a nice gain on a 3rd and 10 slant. I was just about to start considering wondering whether or not Green Bay was possibly maybe starting to lose it.

1:52- Ray Lewis nearly decapitates Greg Jennings, and the flag takes forever to come in. But it does, which is all that matters.

0:42 - A Mark Tauscher hold takes Green Bay out of the red zone the same way they got in: on the yellow cloth road.

0:00 - I knew this game seemed too sloppy to be a blowout. 17-14, Packers, but our guys are in scoring position.

Fourth Quarter!

14:50 - Mason Crosby shanks a field goal, leaving the drive with nothing to show for it. Same score, same story. I sure hope the defense can regain its first-half composure.

13:53 - Flacco unleashes the dragon deep, Derrick Mason gets past Charles Woodson and makes the catch over him, but somehow got called for offensive pass interference. At this point, I don't know which team is trying to give the other team more breaks, honestly. And an unsportsmanlike penalty on Mason is tacked on at the end of it. A huge gain turns into a huge loss in a heartbeat. 3rd and 32 (!).

13:05 - So of course Baltimore decides to run the ball and Ray Rice nearly fumbles. Green Bay gets the ball back with decent field position.

12:30 - And here comes the replay of the Mason interference/unsportsmanlike penalties. There was definitely a hook-and-push around Woodson's waist, and Mason follows up that number with a plea for leniency to the referee. Pretty standard, right? Nah, just kidding, he pretty much shouted in the ref's face, "What the f--- was that, man?" Yeah, that's a flaggin'.

10:31 - Jermichael Finley gets another touchdown after a couple of nice short passes to get within 20 yards. Aaron Rodgers' red-zone stats improve, Jermichael gets the "Mr. Monday Night" nickname, my fantasy team starts to quiver in terror, and the score jumps to 24-14, Packers.

10:21 - Ah, Green Bay special teams, you never cease to disgust me. A massive kick return puts the Ravens deep into Green Bay territory. Then again, how hard is it to juke out Mason Crosby? The goalposts do it to him on a weekly basis.

9:46 - Tramon Williams earns yet another pass interference flag in the end zone. I thought there was a cap to how many times a player could get flagged for the same thing over and over?

/conveniently forgetting the Ahmad Carroll era

9:30 - How? How? How does a cornerback make that play? Tell me how Charles Woodson just stopped McGahee when he had a massive opening to go through? Between that and flustering the Ravens to the point of calling a timeout, I'm pretty sure Charles Woodson should gain an edge for the DPOY award after tonight.

8:47 - Joe Flacco rolls nearly 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage, avoids a sack, and tosses it nicely into Tramon Williams hands. Mike Tirico exclaimed "That is terrible!" as the ball was still in the air! I cannot believe Flacco made that throw. Downright Bad Favre-esque. Kudos to Williams for not retreating into the fetal position after all the penalties tonight.

8:38 - Still trying to figure out the last three plays of that Baltimore drive. Tackle for loss, timeout, interception, all from within the 5-yard line. When's the last time Green Bay came up with that kind of stop?

7:12 - Baltimore's defense forces a 3-and-out as the King of Third Down and James Jones miscommunicate on a fly-stop route.

6:48 - Yeah, Joe Flacco's having a bad day. This time he throws it right into the hands of A.J. Hawk, who was quietly having another solid game (which is EXACTLY WHY WE DRAFTED HIM! FOR QUIET, SOLID GAMES!) before this play. Back-to-back interceptions for the Unibrow, and I'm almost sad to see it. Remember, my fantasy team is up 130-24, but I'm playing Rodgers, Finley, and the Packer defense while starting Ray Rice. The offense I can deal with, but this stifling defense is killing me!

6:00 - Ahman Green smashes his way to gain a short first down, and the running out of the clock commences. How much time can they milk from the clock?

2:56 - Turns out they can burn a whole lot of time. Interesting graphic on Green Bay receivers, going from Sharpe to Brooks to Freeman to Driver to Jennings.

2:15 - "Hey Coach Gruden, I found a pair of your old practice shorts." If there's a better setup for a pasty white guy wearing green-and-gold short-shorts in below-freezing weather, I've never seen it.

1:56 - Crosby avoids the shank-osaurus and makes it 27-14, Packers. Solid lead.

1:52 - Gruden brings up the possibility of a Vikings-Packers rematch in the playoffs. I say, don't get ahead of yourself, but the prospect of facing what might be a slowly-fading Favre, a possibly nicked-up Peterson, and a banged-up defense in Minnesota isn't nearly as terrifying as it seems.

0:29 - Fittingly, Clay Matthews chases Flacco down for his second sack of the day. Ted Thompson deserves all the slack in the world for having the stones to trade up for this guy. He could draft Jimmy Clausen next season and I'd still like him.

0:00 - The sack is the last play of the game, and the Packers earn the win, 27-14.

Post-game thoughts:

Not many, again due to my exhaustion. But I will say this: the offense played relatively well, Aaron Rodgers carried the team with his passing. The defense was stifling for much of the game, and Charles Woodson should be the front-runner for DPOY, and even in the conversation for defensive-players-who-deserve-the-MVP-but-won't-get-it-because-they're-not-a-quarterback-or-running-back (if he wasn't already). The playcalling was really well thought out on both sides of the ball, and the execution of many of the plays was awfully impressive.

But two things stand out as glaring negatives. First was the penalties. So many penalties. If Baltimore didn't flag it up more than we did, it would stand out more. Tramon Williams has a lot of talent, but he cannot ~~get caught using~~ use that armbar anymore. It simply costs too much yardage. And Chad Clifton needs to get his business together, because he's smarter than he's playing.

The second thing was the final score. 27-14 seems like a solid win, but with all of the opportunities that the Ravens gave up, it should have been a much wider margin. Playoff teams win games like this soundly, which the Packers did. They should, they're a playoff team. But championship teams beat their opponent senseless when they come up with as many takeaways as they did (4).

All that said, this is Green Bay's fourth straight win after falling to 4-4. You can't ask for a better setup for the final quarter of the season.

And my fantasy team? They hung on for a 137-80 victory, largely because I had actually started Rashard Mendenhall instead of Ray Rice. See what working third shift does to you?

Jets 16 Patriots 9: A Major Statement

John B — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:55:54 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Jets are incredibly 2-0 and in sole control of first place of the AFC East after a 16-9 win over the Patriots, snapping New England's 8 game winning streak in the Meadowlands against Gang Green. This was not a wild game like last year's Thursday classic. There is no doubt the Jets were the better team this Sunday. This was a statement to the rest of the league this team with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach is for real.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Mark Sanchez: For the second straight week, the opponent forced the rookie quarterback to make plays to win the game. For the second straight week, the rookie quarterback delivered. The Pats always seemed to have a safety flying up when the Jets tried to run the ball. The Jets didn't have Sanchez put it up much in the first half and with good reason. On his first drop back, he was stripped for a loss of 17. The rest of the half, he didn't look comfortable. His 5 throws were generally off target, and he looked afraid to attack. The Jets opened things up in the second half. Sanchez went 11 for 17 with 148 yards, a touchdown, and most importantly, no interceptions. He guided a successful passing offense and allowed the Jets to churn out long drives. The defense spent a lot of time on the field in the first half and seemed to tire during the second quarter. If the D didn't get the rests Sanchez provided, it might have been a different game.

The play that impressed me most was on his final passing play. The Jets called a roll out to the right, which was right into a Patriots blitz. Had Sanchez hit a third down pass on the play, they would have been able to run out the clock. Not coverting meant giving Tom Brady one last chance. Sanchez ate the ball when nothing was there instead of throwing it up tyring to make something happen. That was the right decision. A lot of young players try to do too much in big spots. If Sanchez tried to force a pass in that spot, it could have resulted in disaster. He showed a poise and maturity beyond his years. The Jets could have something special. He outplayed a legend today.

The Pass Rush: It's not hyperbole to say that depending on how the second half of his career goes, Tom Brady has a chance to go down as the greatest quarterback ever. The Jets held him under 50% throwing the ball today, 23 for 47. He averaged a lousy 4.5 yards per attempt. That's because Rex Ryan's blitzing schemes had him under constant pressure. On just about half the times he dropped back, he was either hit or hurried. The Jets did not sack him, but today shows how overrated that stat can be. A year ago, the Jets were among the league leaders in sacks, but they didn't generate pressure consistently. Quarterbacks had all day to throw and go through their progressions. Today was just the opposite. Brady didn't have time to make reads. He was forced to deliver early. It gave the Jets secondary an edge like on the play Brady couldn't snap it off, his ball hung, and Lito Sheppard had time to recover and break up a touchdown. All of the shots he took seemed to make him skittish because he was inaccurate when he had time. Brady was facing a rookie, but he looked like a rookie today. How many times do you ever see him not throw a touchdown pass or get shut out in the second half? This was an incredible game by the defense.

Darrelle Revis: For the second straight week, Revis completely took a top five receiver out of the game. Randy Moss had 4 catches for 24 yards. Revis was a sure tackler, limiting the great wideout's long to 9 yards. He shadowed Moss the entire game and beat him to record an interception. After the first two weeks, how can anybody doubt that Revis is the best corner in football? Moss and Andre Johnson haven't belonged on the same field as him.

Donald Strickland: This guy just keeps on impressing. Aside from one missed tackle, Donald made all the plays in the open field. This system leaves corners alone, and receivers will run free unless tackling is sure. Strickland had 8 in the game and defensed a few passes.

Jay Feely: Big streaks of made field goals always seem to end at the most costly times. Even though all three field goals Feely made were inside 40 yards, there was a ton of pressure on him in a game this big. I at least was nervous. Maybe it was because he shanked a short kick against the Pats last year. Maybe it was because Doug Brien scarred me for life. Either way, Feely provided the winning margin.

Leon Washington's returns: He constantly set the Jets up in great field position with a 31 yard average and a long of 43.

Coverage units: Mike Westhoff's team limited any big returns from New England. The Pats averaged under 20 on kickoff returns and did nothing on punt returns. Standouts Wallace Wright and Ahmad Carroll both had big hits. So many times these games get decided on special teams blunders.

Jerricho Cotchery: The number one receiver stepped up as the biggest part of the passing game in the second half. He had 4 catches for 87 yards. His 45 yard catch and run on the first play of the second half seemed to ignite the offense.

The home crowd: I guess it isn't fair to judge how the crowd is watching on television, but it doesn't seem like it's been that loud in the Meadowlands for a Jets game since the Green Bay game in 2002. It clearly rattled the Pats with all of the penalties they had. From the first play of the game, Tom Brady stuck his hands over his earholes because it was so loud. Brady seldom has delay of game penalties, let alone two in a row. It's clear he was distracted. The home fans took the team to another place. Keep it up, guys. Make this place a nightmare for the opposition the rest of the year.

Dwight Lowery's game ender: Lowery made a great play on the ball on fourth down to ice it. I'm starting to expect big things for Dwight. He has a nose for the ball. His lack of speed leaves him vulnerable when he has to cover players over a long stretch, but with blitzes forcing quick throws, he's going to be a player.

The Bad:

Three terrible calls: That would be the Leon Washington "fumble," Bart Scott's "personal foul," and Lito Sheppard's "illegal contact." Replays showed the ball didn't come out until Washington was on the ground. Fine, you couldn't see exactly when it came out from the camera angle, but when the ball pops out over a second after his knee hits, you can say with certainty it wasn't a fumble. Scott didn't touch anybody and got flagged for 15 yards. Sheppard literally brushed a receiver and got called for contact. That helped give the Pats 6 points. The defense may have only given up a field goal if not for these calls.

Dan Dierdorf's reaction to the three bad calls: He defended all three. The worst was when he claimed Bart Scott kicked a guy. Dan, a kick is swinging your leg at and connecting with somebody. Not walking near a guy.

Stuckey's footwork on the goal line: On back to back plays on the third quarter, Chansi Stuckey didn't drag his foot near the end zone sideline and fell down when wide open with a pass floating to him in the end zone. These were not easy plays, but he didn't look aware of his spot on the field, especially on the first one.

First half offense: I get why they didn't attack in the first half. They still want to avoid putting too much on offense, but that was an awful effort. The Jets didn't execute. Nice adjustment letting it fly in the second half, though.

Other Thoughts:

I don't want to hear the Pats missed Wes Welker. His replacement, Julian Edelman, was New England's best player with 8 catches for 98 yards. He played the same shifty slot role as Welker.
The Pats did miss Jerod Mayo a lot. The Jets had a ton of success moving the ball in the second half, and the Pats don't have a ton of defensive talent.
Kudos to Rex for not using the prevent. I hate the prevent. You've dominated the opponent by attacking all game. Don't start giving up yards and potentially letting them get into a rhythm. That burned the Jets in Foxborough last year. The Pats couldn't move the ball in the last series because Brady had to get rid of it so quickly.

What a start to the season! The Jets look like they could be in for a very special year. They're a year ahead of schedule at this point. If nothing else, the East will be a dogfight, not a walkover for once. Just keep it in perspective. There are still 14 games left. Seasons can change in an instant. The Bills looked like world beaters early last season. The Jets looked like a real contender after crushing the Titans and fell apart just as quickly.

With that said let us all savor this win. This was a statement game. Last year, Brady was out, and the Jets were renting Brett Favre. This one feels like an announcement the Jets are here to stay. Sanchez and Ryan aren't going anywhere, and this team can stand toe to toe with the Pats.

Opening Day Roster

John B — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:03:11 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Danny Woodhead making the team is probably the biggest roster news.

View full size photo »

QB: Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge
RB: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene, Danny Woodhead
FB: Tony Richardson
WR: Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright
TE: Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock
C: Nick Mangold
OG: Alan Faneca, Brandon Moore, Matt Slauson
OT: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Damien Woody, Michael Kracalik, Wayne Hunter, Robert Turner
DE: Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas, Ropati Pitoitua, Mike DeVito
DT: Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha, Howard Green
LB: Bryan Thomas, David Harris, Bart Scott, Jamaal Westerman, Calvin Pace, Vernon Gholston, Brandon Renkart, Larry Izzo, Jason Trusnik, Marques Murrell
CB: Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard, Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Drew Coleman, Marquice Cole, Ahmad Carroll
S: Kerry Rhodes, Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, James Ihedigbo
PK: Jay Feely
P: Reggie Hodges
LS: James Dearth

Thoughts:

Danny Woodhead fans, celebrate. Your man is on the roster. Readers here could probably sense I was back and forth. In the end, I think keeping him was the right call if for no other reason than the game he played against the Eagles. He showed an ability to make plays and an aggressive and elusive running style. I get it was against backups, but his speed and athleticism are real. It's good to find a spot for a guy like this. From Chadron State to the NFL, an incredible story. We may have the next Chrebet on our hands.

I also notice the lack of blockers on the roster, two tight ends and one fullback. I said early today I was fine with it. My guess is Brian Schottenheimer used his influence here. The Jets used a lot of Robert Turner and Wayne Hunter at tight end last season. With a defensive head coach, he has bigger influence, and it looks like he used it.

Two players on the above roster will be gone. The first will be out when Shaun Ellis comes back in Week 2 and the second when Calvin Pace's suspension is over Week 5. Michael Kracalik, Ropati Pitoitua, Brandon Renkart, Drew Coleman, and Marquice Cole are the early favorites. Kracalik and Pitoitua may have only made the roster because they play Pace's and Ellis' positions respectively, and the team needs extra depth. Kracalik is one of five tackles on the roster. The two other backups are the aforementioned Hunter and Turner, who figure to be important cogs in power sets and have experience lining up at tight end. Cole and Coleman are in danger with seven corners, Revis, Sheppard, Strickland, and Lowery the top guys and Carroll a special teams ace.

Rex Talks Receivers

John B — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:50:28 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Rex Ryan displayed outward confidence in the receiver situation yesterday.

I asked what he thought about the competition for the second wide reciever slot and Ryan extolled the virtues of Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, David Clowney and Wallace Wright, but then made this statement.

"And I think they’ll be a surprise coming out as receiver as well," Ryan said.

Really? Someone currently on the roster?

"Currently on the roster, we’ll see," Ryan said. "I could be wrong, that’s why I’m not going to say the name right now in case he can’t catch when the pads are on, we don’t want him."

Give this regime one thing. It stays on message and makes you think they're totally confident with everybody on the roster. Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff were a great tandem. Eric Smith is Ed Reed. Vernon Gholston is Terrell Suggs. Now this.

The last part is interesting. It sure sounds like like the Jets have changed somebody's position to receiver like they did moving Kareem Brown to tight end. It will be interesting to find out the player in question. It is probably somebody with some impressive natural physical tools. My guess would be a guy with lots of speed. You couldn't really judge a player who has never played the position on technical skills like route running or hands. It has to be raw ability.

Three candidates who stand out are Ahmad Carroll, Marquice Cole, and Danny Woodhead. All three of these guys have timed 40 yard dashes under 4.4. They would also be logical position changes since none is likely to make much of a splash on the depth chart at their current spots.

Poll

Can we imply from Rex Ryan's statement the team has changed somebody's position to wide receiver?

Yes

92 votes

No

54 votes

146 votes | Poll has closed

Jets Acquire Rashad Barksdale

John B — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:38:47 -0000

Claimed off waivers from the Giants:

Barksdale (CB/6-0/208/Albany/Hudson, NY) originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round selection (201st overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2007 NFL Draft and was released on Sept. 1, 2007. He signed with Kansas City on Sept. 2, 2007 and recorded nine total tackles in six games. He was released by the Chiefs on Aug. 30, 2008. Barksdale signed with the Giants practice squad, Sept. 1, 2008, and was waived on June 20.

The Jets are a great location for marginal players this year. There is almost no depth on the roster, which means plenty of chances to compete for a backup role and a roster spot. Cornerback and running back are the two exceptions. With Revis, Sheppard, Strickland, and Lowery already in the fold, Barksale will have to turn heads to make the roster. The fifth corner, Ahmad Carroll, is a special teams standout.

Still, having Rex Ryan as a coach has to make you at least a little hopeful. Rex really does get the most of his players. Lost in his family ties, the stars he coached, and his schemes in Baltimore is his ability to develop players. Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard turned from marginal undrafted defenders into hot free agent commodities when Ryan got his hands on them. There's always a chance he can turn a scrap heap guy into a real player.

49ers-Jets Injury Report

Fooch — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:00:08 -0000

The 49ers have been a bit short-handed the last couple of weeks due to a variety of injuries and ailments. The practice reports indicate they may be getting players back, but just as a few come back, other big names go down.

San Francisco 49ers
Probable: WR Arnaz Battle (foot), S Dashon Goldson (knee), S Michael Lewis (abdomen), WR Josh Morgan (groin)

Questionable: CB Nate Clements (thumb)

Doubtful: CB Allen Rossum (ankle)

New York Jets
Probable: WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder), DL Shaun Ellis (back), LB Jason Trusnik (knee)

Questionable: DB Ahmad Carroll (foot), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), LB David Harris (groin), S Eric Smith (head)

The worst news is that Nate Clements has a very good chance of missing tomorrow's game. The craziest part about that is that Clements has the second-longest active streak among NFL cornerbacks with 116 starts and 124 games played. He currently has a cast on his right hand following a tackle of Marshawn Lynch last week. He had a 45 minute surgical procedure to insert a pin and some screws. If he can't go, Donald Strickland or Tarell Brown would get the start and the other would be the nickel back.

You'll notice that Battle, Goldson and Morgan have all been upgraded to probable, after being questionable, out and questionable, respectively. According to Coach Singletary, Goldson and Morgan are both game-time decisions, while the team is hoping Battle is healthy enough to play. The 49ers will need all the weapons they can get, particularly if Favre brings his A game. Let's hope Morgan and Battle are both healthy.