SB Nation - Tony Richardson

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.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/5

NJ Chiefs Fan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:06:00 -0000

Good Saturday morning, Chiefs fans. Her's your daily roundup of news from across the internet.

When it comes to beating the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in this decade, the Chiefs offense relied heavily on the running game.

The last 10 times these two teams have met in Kansas City, the Chiefs won eight games. From 1999-2008, the Kansas City offense averaged 171.7 rushing yards per game.

Consider that number for a moment: 171.7 yards on the ground.

In that span, four different Kansas City runners went over 100 yards against Denver: Kimble Anders, Tony Richardson, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. In three of those 10 games, the Chiefs ran for more than 200 yards. The only time they ran for less than 100 yards was in 2007, when they were beaten by the Broncos.

That’s the history. The present doesn’t look so rosy when it comes to the Chiefs running game.

Patching The Run Game … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs> from Bob Gretz

Todd Haley has tried screaming, changing lineups and emptying the playbook, but nothing has worked in his effort to get the Chiefs off to a quick start offensively.

"That’s the magic question," Haley said. "We’ve tried a number of different ways to start and try to recreate a sense of urgency, whether it’s no huddle, running the ball, throwing the ball, screening or whatever. We’ve tried a lot of different avenues in practice, (such as) tempo. I really feel like we’re pushing the envelope of trying to find a way."

But the Chiefs have only a field goal against Jacksonville to show for the first drive in each of their 11 games. In those 11 first quarters, they have just 19 points, and the only touchdown was on Jamaal Charles’ kickoff return to begin the recent game against Pittsburgh.

Chiefs hope to get off to a quicker start against Broncos from KC Star

In the 16 meetings where the Chiefs were able to score 4 times they never lost a game.

So, in conclusion, the Chiefs’ Magic Number to escape with a victory is 4, which would be the number of times Kansas City needs to put up 3 or more points on the scoreboard. That will properly complete Derrick Thomas’s day.

Magic Number for Denver> from Bob Gretz

It’s a record that still sits there in the franchise record book, unlikely to be broken any time soon. It hasn’t been close for the last 49 seasons.

On a rainy Sunday in Dallas on December 4, 1960, the Dallas Texans held the Houston Oilers to minus-27 rushing yards in grabbing a soggy 24-0 victory.

In the 12th game in franchise history the Texans established a record that has not been broken. The closest a defense came to the number was the n ext season, when they allowed the San Diego Chargers just three yards rushing.

Defense Stymies Oilers, Texans win 24-0> from Bob Gretz

Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

Jay Cutler is throwing gobs of interceptions for the Chicago Bears, instead of for the Broncos.

Over in Kansas City, Matt Cassel’s doing what he can to make the Chiefs a winning team.

For the most part, the three quarterbacks haven’t had much to do with each other during their NFL careers.

During the spring, however, the three were linked to one another as the Broncos and Cutler played out a public feud.

Broncos coming full circle: Denver faces final piece of the offseason’s QB controversy on Sunday from The Longmont Times-Call

Hoye has been a Broncos hater for almost 40 years. During that time, he has spent Sunday afternoons pulling for two teams: the Kansas City Chiefs, and whatever team is playing the Broncos.

There's just one problem. Hoye, an Iowa native, has lived in Denver since the early '90s. No, make that two problems. There's also the matter of the Chiefs having fallen off the NFL map, with six wins in their past 32 games.

And so it was that Hoye recently sent an e-mail to The Post entitled: "Chiefs fan living in Denver needs an intervention."

Hoye was so desperate, so frustrated, so alienated from his friends and family on Sundays, he asked if the newspaper could arrange for him to be hypnotized so he could accept the dreaded Donkeys into his heart.

Broncomaniac wannabe from The Denver Post

Becoming a great defense in the NFL usually means investing high draft picks in defensive linemen, even if the payoff isn’t immediate.

The Kansas City Chiefs are finding that out this season. In the next few years, the Denver Broncos> likely will experience it as well.

Last year, Kansas City took defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey with the fifth pick of the draft. This year, the team shocked many people by drafting LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson with the third pick.

The Chiefs want to build the defense starting up front, and great defensive linemen are rare and expensive in free agency.

"In order to succeed in the league, you need offensive linemen and defensive linemen that can play at a high level," Kansas City coach Todd Haley said. "This defense has been one that has struggled here over the last handful of years, and usually when you’re struggling on defense that’s an area that you need to invest in."

Defensive line top priority for many NFL teams from The Colorado Springs Gazette

Lanier went on to become one of the greatest linebackers in football history. He earned a place in both the College and Pro Football halls of fame. He also returned to Richmond and became a successful businessman and community leader.

To honor his accomplishments on and off the field, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Touchdown Club of Richmond are naming the award for the state's small college player of the year for him.

The first Lanier Award will be presented Tuesday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center as part of the Dudley/Lanier Awards. The Dudley Award, named for former U.Va. great Bill Dudley, is given annually to state's top Division I player.

Award named for Richmond gridiron great Lanier from The Richmond Times-Dispatch


If you asked an NFL player to identify the team he gets the most amped-up to play against, odds are good that you’d get a clichéd answer about giving 100 percent no matter who the opponent is. While there’s surely a lot of truth in that sentiment, there’s no denying that certain opponents tend to bring out the best in players. That can be particularly true in rivalry games, where the outcome means a little bit more. Going back as long as I can remember, the Chiefs have always seemed to have at least one player who turned in his best performances against the Denver Broncos. But with the most recent "Bronco Killer" now gone from Kansas City, the position is officially open. Will someone new step up and assume the title for themselves? Or, at least for the time being, could the era of the Bronco Killer be over? Searching For The Bronco Killer from WPI

Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins is questionable for Sunday's contest against division-rival Kansas City with an ankle injury.

The 36-year-old did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, and took limited reps on Friday. Dawkins has played in all 11 games for Denver this season.

Broncos S Dawkins questionable for Chiefs from KMTR.com

Going tweet-free this morning.

Jets 19 Bills 13: O Darrelle Revis We Stand on Guard for Thee

John B — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:44:29 -0000

More photos » by Mike Groll - AP

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The Jets are back at .500. It wasn't pretty, but Gang Green defeated Buffalo tonight in Toronto to even the 2009 record at 6-6. Things are starting to shape up, and this team is starting to round into form for the stretch run. I'm not sure it will be enough to end in the Playoffs. If Mark Sanchez's injury isn't serious, though, this is going to be a tough out for the season's final month.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Darrelle Revis: Defensive. Player. Of. The. Year. Once again, Revis shut down a top flight receiver, a guy who had exploded over the past two weeks. Terrell Owens had 3 catches for 31 yards. Revis was in his pocket all night long. T.O. had no room to breathe. Ryan Fitzpatrick told the NFL Network crew he would put it up to Owens even if he wasn't open. When a guy plays Revis these days, that's about the only chance he'll have to get a throw. Catching it? Probably too much to ask. Revis was breaking up passes all night and iced the contest with an interception. It's just incredible how consistently he has dominated this year.

David Harris: Another guy who should go to the Pro Bowl this year. Harris had 11 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. He's been in the middle of almost every play all year long.

Shaun Ellis: Ellis had a pair of sacks. The first was really made by Mike Devito pressuring Ryan Fitzpatrick right into Ellis. The second was all Shaun, a key one on the first play of the final drive that put Buffalo's back against the wall.

Lito Sheppard: He got burned deep by Lee Evans on the first drive. Evans did not have another catch.

Jay Feely: 4 for 4 on field goals, including a bomb from 49. The Jets needed 3 of them to win.

Mark Sanchez: I was surprised to see in the final stats that he only hit 7 of his 15 passes. He made nothing but good decisions. There were no forces. Beyond that, I haven't seen him look so assertive since early in the year. He made decisions quickly and fit some balls into incredibly tight windows. If Braylon Edwards holds onto that bomb, the stat line looks much better. You have to hope he's ok. It would stink if he has to sit right when it looks like he's starting to turn the corner.

Braylon Edwards: I know he dropped the easy touchdown, but I liked the way he responded, making the really difficult catch to extend a drive and fighting for a touchdown. He also did good work run blocking on the perimeter. I can't tell you how many times receivers get lazy when they think nobody is watching.

Offensive Line: 249 rushing yards doesn't happen by accident. The men up front dominated. They blew open huge holes all night for the backs.

Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, and Tony Richardson: They may have had room to run, but all three looked explosive in the open field. Jones and Greene fought for hidden yardage all night and were able to get through Buffalo arm tackles.

Thursday Night Football: This and the thriller in Foxborough last year. Let's see more Thursday Night NFL Network games in the future.

Toronto: The NFL replaced one of the most hostile venues the Jets play in all year with a stadium that looked pretty empty and sounded like a library. Can we do it again next year?

The Bad:

Kellen Clemens: If you're a reader here, you know I've been willing to excuse Mark Sanchez looking overwhelmed at times. He's a rookie. Clemens gets no such pass. He's started 8 games. He's had 4 years in the system. He took 3 sacks. It was really troubling to see. Frankly based on what I saw, I'm not convinced Kellen knows how to read an NFL defense. Nothing we saw in 2007 suggests he does. Even though the Bills had good coverage on two of those sacks, something in his head should have gone off saying, "Throw it away!" Depending on Sanchez's status, the Jets may have to think of opening the quarterback competition to Erik Ainge and Kevin O'Connell.

Leaving Plays on the Field: The Jets had chances to blow the game open in the first half. Braylon Edwards dropped a pass with nothing but green in front of him. Mark Sanchez missed a wide open guy in the end zone, and the Jets squandered a forced turnover in Buffalo territory.

Breakdowns: On the same note, the Bills didn't sustain a drive on the Jets in the first half. Their points were set up by A) Lito Sheppard getting burned by Lee Evans, who he otherwise handled. B) Buffalo's blockers sealing all Jets up front during a brief sequence while the Jets dominated the trenches the rest of the night before and after.

The most important thing is the Jets got a win tonight and are now 6-6. Now we must all root for Miami like crazy this weekend (I can't believe I just said that).

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Run Defense

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

by Peter Morgan - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New Orleans Saints Run Defense

John B — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:21:50 -0000

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It's time for the Jets to get their run game going. The best rushing attack in the AFC a year ago has been largely grounded this year except for garbage time against the Texans. As I have mentioned before, the Jets do not want to get into a position where Mark Sanchez has to trade touchdowns with Drew Brees. That means controlling the football on the ground and keeping the vaunted New Orleans offense off the field.

The Saints have been excellent against the run in the early going. They are only giving up 67 yards per game on the ground. Part of this has been due to the success of the offense. When Brees is constantly pumping touchdown passes and putting opponents into a hole, those opponents have to abandon the run. Still, New Orleans is only giving up 3.2 per carry, which is excellent.

The line of Will Smith, Sedrick Ellis, Kevin Clancy, and Charles Grant has done a great job tying up blockers to free up the linebackers and secondary players to make tackles. Safety Roman Harper leads the team in tackles with 23. Don't be surprised to see the Saints stick him up front to try and force Sanchez to throw it. This is the kind of game the Saints want to turn into a track meet. They want the Jets to throw consistently, even if they hit some big plays.

Corners Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter have both been solid in run support with over 10 tackles each. Former Jet Jonathan Vilma is playing at the level he did when the Jets were successfully playing a 4-3 front. A pair of Scott's, Fujita and Shanle line up outside and have been playing at a high level.

The Saints have a good defense, but it's time for the four first round picks on the offensive line to do their job. Sure, they've been facing eight man fronts, but a team with high caliber players should be able to execute. It's time for these guys to start blowing the opposition off the ball like they did a year ago. Also scrap the three receiver sets. The Jets are only giving Sanchez Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey's reads. Get Tony Richardson in there to block instead of sending out a decoy receiver.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Tennessee Titans Run Defense

John B — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:57:42 -0000

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When they handed the Titans their first loss a year ago, the Jets ran for 192 yards against a defense that included Albert Haynesworth. This could be the game for the Jets' rushing attack to get on track. The numbers don't look terrible, but New York has had problems running the ball early in games. Defenses have stacked the box against Mark Sanchez.

Tennessee's Cover 2 scheme calls for safeties to play deep to prevent the big play. We may see 8 up front at some points, but I would guess this will be less than New England and Houston used. It is going to come down to execution. Can the Jets offensive line control the point of attack to give Thomas Jones and Leon Washington room?

As we discussed in the passing matchup preview, the Titans rotate heavily on the defensive line. We'll see Kyle Vanden Bosch and David Ball at one defensive end spot. Jevon Kearse, Jacob Ford, and William Hayes at the other. Tony Brown, Kevin Vickerson, Jason Jones, and Jovan Haye will line up in the middle at tackle.

I can see the Jets having a lot of success on the ground. In a system like this, defensive linemen are usually small, particularly at end. Since there's not a ton of blitzing, teams sacrifice size for speed. Linemen are solely responsible for generating pressure. That means there could be issues against a power run attack with a big offensive line. On the left side, where Kearse and Ford will be, the Titans will reguarly be giving 60 pounds to Damien Woody. That's also the side David Thornton will line up at linebacker. Thornton is a good player, but I'd rather run at him than standout Keith Bullock on the other side. Stephen Tulloch will play the middle. It will be a typical Jets run attack. Alan Faneca will pull to the right side. Can the Titans stop it? If not, they will definitely have to put an eighth in the box, and Mark Sanchez has shown the ability to beat those fronts.

I would like to see more Tony Richardson this week. Against the Pats, there were a lot of three receiver sets early. That doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey are the only receivers with receptions. Get the best lead blocker in the game into the action.

Send Thanks To Favre For Keller Development

David_Wyatt — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:01:01 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

3 months ago: New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller (81) is tackled by Houston Texans strong safety John Busing, right, but not before gaining a first down in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Houston. The Jets beat the Texans 24-7. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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According to Dustin Keller and many other Jets player, the fast development of Keller can be attributed to future Hall Of Famer Brett Favre. Keller developed into Favre's favourite target down the stretch last season, and that came from constant communication and time spent watching film together.

"More than most people do. I think doing that extra film work and speaking about it a lot, that's why we had that good connection. He helped me a ton." Keller said

The crowning moment of Keller's rookie season came in his 87 yard game against the New England Patriots in the Jets OT victory 34-31 where he brought in some vital 3rd down completions, seemingly having the full trust of Fave in the most important areas of the game.

"When a Hall of Famer takes you under his wing like that and teaches you," fullback Tony Richardson said, "you can't put a price on that. Dustin is much further along by having a guy like Favre around last year."

So although we can joke about his inability to make a decision, we do have to realise that outside of the collapse that he will always be remembered for during his brief spell with New York, he did have positive effects that Jets fans could enjoy for many more years to come.

After watching game film of Keller last season, Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons tight end had just a quick message for Keller.

"Don't expect one-on-one coverage anymore"

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

John B — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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It would be nice if the Jets could establish the run early and take a lot of pressure off their rookie quarterback. I think Bill Belichick will do whatever it takes to prevent that from taking place. The Pats will probably stick eight or even nine in the box to force the Jets to throw the ball. Mark Sanchez made the Texans pay and eventually forced them to respect his arm, which opened things late for Thomas Jones.

This is not a vintage Pats front seven, especially with Jerod Mayo sitting this one out. Mayo is vying with David Harris for the title of top young inside linebacker in the division. Mayo had 20 tackles on Thursday night in Foxborough back in 2008. That will leave Eric Alexander and Gary Guyton to man the inside. This leaves a pair of matchups as key. Nick Mangold against Vince Wilfork is always an elite battle. So will be Ty Warren against Brandon Moore and Damien Woody.

Jarvis Green is a quality starter, replacing the departed Richard Seymour at defensive end. The Bills broke some runs going after him. I wouldn't expect the Jets to test him much. Gang Green loves to run right to Warren's side, away from the left, where D'Brickashaw Ferguson's limitations in the run game are a factor. The Jets are going to challenge Wilfork and Warren, sending Tony Richardson and pulling Alan Faneca to the side often. If they can control the pair up front and hit the second level, there will be favorable matchups and opportunities for Thomas Jones to break big gains. This will force safeties Brandon Merriweather and James Sanders to call the box home. Merriweather and Sanders are going to spend time in the box, but if the Jets run effectively, Bill Belichick will have to play there more than they want. It will open up a lot for Mark Sanchez, and the rookie looks like he can exploit it. Of the outside linebackers, Adalius Thomas is very good against the run, but Tully Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess are strongest against the run. Pierre Woods did have a big game against the Jets last season.

I expect Brian Schottenheimer to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Plenty of gimmick looks out of the Seminole formation and perhaps some run-pass options for Brad Smith to try and catch the Pats off guard. The Jets had some success out of an option look with Smith two years ago.

I'm thinking this game comes down to Mark Sanchez. I see the Pats doing everything they can to stop the run. If New York establishes the ground game early, it could be a really really fun day for the New Yorkers.

Jets 24 Texans 7: M-A-R-K Mark! Mark! Mark!

John B — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:53:28 -0000

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The Rex Ryan Era could not be off to a better start. The Jets totally dominated the Texans in the opener today to go 1-0. The victory ended New York's odd year opener hex. This is the first time Gang Green starts 1-0 on an odd numbered year since 1997. If our wildest dreams, we could not have hoped for a better start to the season. This team deserves to get a hero's welcome returning to the local area for the home opener.

More after the jump

The Good:

Mark Sanchez: We'll start with the franchise quarterback. This was not an ideal place to make his start, against an aggressive defense in a very hostile environment. You have to remember that Sanchez is still young enough that he could have started at Ohio State last night. The numbers tell the story. 18 of 31 for 272 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception is an excellent performance for anybody, let alone a guy who made his last real start eight months ago against Penn State.

Going into this game, the main thought was the Jets would lean on their rushing game and hope Sanchez doesn't lose the game. What happened was just the opposite. The Texans loaded up the box to stop the run game and threw the kitchen sink at the rookie. He responded with the poise of a ten year veteran. When the Texans came after him on third down, he delivered almost every time. On the most pressure packed play a quarterback faces, Sanchez hit over three-quarters of his passes and threw for his only touchdown.

There are two types of mobility for a quarterback. Some quarterbacks like Michael Vick are threats to make big plays on the ground as running threats. That's a nice accessory. The other, pocket mobility, is a necessity. Quarterbacks in this day and age need to be able to buy themselves some time. Sanchez used his feet to prolong plays and kept his eyes downfield, a trait a lot of rookies don't have. The fact the Texans did not sack him is in part credit to the offensive line, but Sanchez handled plenty of breakdowns in his protection with great poise.

You also have to love how he responded to a mistake. With a 17 point lead, he threw a terrible pick 6 in the fourth quarter. The crowd went nuts. The Texans were back in the game. That would rattle many youngsters making their first start. Mark calmly led a touchdown drive on the next series, hitting Dustin Keller on a critical third down to ice the game.

How can you not love the job he did? How can anybody doubt the decision to make him the starter now? He carried the offense when the run game was struggling early. If you told me Thomas Jones would be averaging just over a yard per carry in the third, I would have guessed it was a long day for the Jets.

Rex Ryan's Scheme: This is all we ever wanted, some creativity on defense. Not always lining up with three down linemen and four linebackers. Not always rushing the three linemen and sometimes one of the outside linebackers. This scheme showed great creativity and brought constant pressure to Matt Schaub. It's tough to figure out blocking shemes when the defense is showing different fronts and rushing different guys on every play. We saw everything. There was 4-3. There was 3-4. There was 2-5 with Kris Jenkins blitzing from middle linebacker. The Jets constantly drilled Matt Schaub. Even when they weren't sacking him, Schaub was forced to rush his throws before his men got open. It got to the point he was rushing his throws even when his protection held because he was expecting a pass rush. The Jets don't have big time pass rushers. Football is a beautiful sport because design can make up for a lot. Houston's high powered offense didn't score a point.

Darrelle Revis: A lot of people think Andre Johnson is the best receiver in football. He had 4 receptions for under 50 yards today. His impact on the game was even less than the numbers would indicate. Revis totally took away the Texans' best weapon from them. You may say he's proven he's a top five corner. Let's start including him in the discussion for the best in the game. On the instances where the Texans picked up New York's blitz the Jets still recorded pressures because nobody was open. Revis keyed the defense. It becomes easier to blitz when you know you can trust a guy like Revis on an island because it allows extra time for the rushers to beat blockers.

Kris Jenkins: He was a man among boys, totally dominating Chris Myers. Steve Slaton had only 17 yards on 9 carries. He was a major factor in the pass rush as well. It's a lot easier to effectively blitz when the other team has to dedicate three blockers to one player.

Donald Strickland: The new nickel back showed a real nose for the football, getting his helmet on the ball to force a fumble with the Texans driving in the second, breaking up a couple of passes, and pressuring Schaub on a blitz to force a duck and an interception.

Bart Scott: He was all over the field today. The stat sheet says 2 tackles, but he was in the middle of a lot of plays. I remember a lot of Ravens fans talking about how the Ravens would never let Scott get away. They claimed he'd be a bust once he left Baltimore because he was a system guy. Good thing for the Jets they run the same system he became such a big time player in. He looked great today.

David Harris: Harris was also all over the place. 6 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass he broke up because Andre Davis heard footsteps and knew he was going to get drilled.

Brian Schottenheimer: Say what you will about the guy (and I certainly have on this site). He called a great game. He had a lot of simple passes early, particularly on third down to build Sanchez's confidence. Screens helped to counter Houston's aggression on the rookie. 19 touches on offense for Leon Washington is a very encouraging sign he is making fundamental changes. Also he did most of the work getting Sanchez ready for this game. The quarterback looked totally prepared. His mentor deserves a lot of credit for that.

The Seminole Formation: Leon Washington is more dangerous than Brad Smith in the open field. Smith isn't much fo a thrower. I'm glad to see Leon taking the snaps out of this formation. He's the better weapon. Again, this shows Schottenheimer is making a real effort to properly utilize Leon's ability. Even when Washington isn't getting the ball, he forces defenses to keep an eye on him to open things up for others.

Leon Washington: 84 yards in his 19 touches. This is the start of a breakout season.

Jerricho Cotchery: Remember how he was supposed to be totally shut down as defenses made him a focal point. He isn't good enough to be a number one. 6 catches for 90 yards.

Dustin Keller: Speaking of breakout seasons, this matchup nightmare went for 94 yards on his 4 receptions, including the critical 40 yard grab on third down after the Houston touchdown. He beat a defensive back in man coverage badly. He's going to become a favorite Sanchez target.

Chansi Stuckey: Mr. Opening Day caught another touchdown down the middle. This time he got open and had an easy grab. This was much more simple than the jump ball from Brett Favre last year in Miami.

Jamaal Westerman: The training camp standout had his first career sack.

Sione Pouha: Kind of under the radar, but I noticed Sione won a lot of his matchups and kept Houston's run game at bay when Jenkins was out. Last year, Sione constantly got pushed off the ball. Maybe Rex's attack system has lit a fire under him.

The Bad:

Thomas Jones: The final numbers looked great, but TJ struggled early on. The Texans loaded up the box to force Sanchez to throw. The blocking wasn't great either. Still Jones didn't make guys miss or break tackles. Please don't take this to mean I thought he had a bad game. Part of being a running back is pounding to wear down the defense late. He did that and went off in the fourth quarter. When the game was competitive, though, he was pretty quiet.

Run Blocking: Again, the line wore down the Texans and dominated in the fourth. They also faced a lot of tough fronts. Still, the Jets didn't want to have to be in a position where Sanchez had to win the game. Luckily, he did just that.

The Interception: When you have a 17 point lead in the fourth, you can't force passes, especially when Tony Richardson is open in the flat. It's all part of the learning experience. With any rookie (or some seventeen year veterans for that matter), there will be plenty of moments where you want to bury your head in your palms. Again, the important thing wasn't the mistake. It was how he bounced back. I was also impressed with how he laid out his body hustling to try and make a tackle. In the end, you need to be lucky. The Jets largely were today. The Texans weren't able to turn other bad throws into interceptions. In the end, this isn't all that important, just part of the process.

The Dive: I love seeing heart from the franchise quarterback, but Mark shouldn't be diving head first with 5:00 left in a 17 point game.

Leon Over TJ on Third Down: There were too many third down cases where Leon Washington was in the game to block. Either have him in as a receiver or put the bigger, better blocker, Jones, in. Leon missed a blitz pick up that got Sanchez whacked.

John B: I apologize to all fantasy teams I torpedoed by telling you to sit Sanchez, Cotchery, and the defense. At least I told you to play Jones. I promise a cowriter does the fantasy advice next week.

Other Thoughts:

Kris Jenkins sat a lot more than we were used to last season. It seems like Rex realizes how he wore down and wants to keep him fresh. Good idea. If Pouha plays like he did today, the Jets won't miss a beat.
Just think of what the defense will look like when Shaun Ellis and Calvin Pace get back. The Jets just dominated a good offense without them.
Let's not go too crazy. Sanchez is still a rookie quarterback. There will be plenty of bad days. There will be games when he makes more throws like the interception and less like the touchdown. Just be sure to think back to today when this happens. Today showed his potential. Soon all of his games may be like this.
Vernon Gholston didn't make a huge impact, but he did make a few tackles and held his own in matchups on the line. He's still a work in progress, and this was an improvement. Not what you'd want from a top ten pick, but adequate for now.
Last year's 9-7 record was a bitter failure. This year, the Jets might end up with a worse record and have a successful season. It all depends on whether Sanchez and the defense can come together like they did today and build a foundation for the future. They don't need to look this good to have a positive outcome.

Well go crazy and let this sink in. No team is ever as good as it looks at its best or as bad as it looks at its worst. Not everything will always click like it did today. The Pats still have the most talent in the division, but we saw the long term potential of this team. One day, most games may look like this. Maybe that day will be this year. Maybe it won't. Either way, the Jets showed today that it should be a fun year.

Bring on the Pats.