SBNation.com User Blog: Chris Celletti

New York Knicks Player Power Rankings: Hold steady edition

Chris Celletti — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:19:34 -0000

Well, as long as the New York Knicks don't face the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals, I think all Knicks fans will be happy right? If the Houston Rockets didn't exist, the Knicks would be 18-4. (And I guess we would have won the 1994 title by default? Stop existing, Houston Rockets) Since our last rankings, the Knicks lost their first home game of the season as Jeremy Lin dropped 22 and 8 on their heads in Linsanity's return to MSG. But that game snapped a four-game win streak, which for these rankings' purposes, were highlighted by wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.With those wins, the Knicks are holdin' steady atop the Eastern Conference.

The health of the Knicks' stars is the big question surrounding the team right now. Carmelo Anthony badly sprained his ankle against LA, causing him to miss the games against the Cavs and Rockets, and he is questionable for Wednesday's third round scrap against Brooklyn. Amare Stoudemire, however, appears to be on his way back, and this could be the last ranking we do without the Knicks' potential $100 million bench player. On to the rankings we go:

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - We'll see how long Anthony is injured for, but he still holds the top spot even though he only played a little over a half during our ranking period. And WHAT a half-plus that was, as 'Melo was knocking down all sorts of shots in a barrage against LA. In 23 minutes, Anthony had 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting. WHOA. But he had no assists everybody! SO SELFISH. In all seriousness, the MVP-like season continues for the Knicks' best player. Now let's just hope he can get, and stay, healthy.

2. Tyson Chandler (Last: 2) - Don't look now but Chandler is putting up a career year, and that's with some sub-par defensive play based on his lofty standards. Chandler is averaging career highs in points and rebounds 12.9 and 10. Last week, he put up 18 and 23 against the Lakers and Cavs respectively, and had 18 boards in the losing effort against Houston. He's become one of the deadliest pick-and-roll finishers in the league, and nobody has figured out how to stop it yet. Hopefully they never do.

3. Jason Kidd (Last: 3) - It was a battle between Kidd and Ray Felton for the third and fourth spots, and I stuck with Kidd despite the fact that he's hit a bit of a shooting slump (just 5-of-23 in his last two games). Against the Lakers, Kidd stuffed the stat sheet with 5 pts, 9 rebs and 5 assists, and oh yeah he guarded Kobe Bryant basically all night. The fact that Kobe had a pretty big night is irrelevant. 39-year-old Jason Kidd chased Kobe Bryant around and did well. Kudos.

4. Raymond Felton (Last: 4) - With Anthony out, Felton went back to his customary "I'm going to take a crapload of shots" ways, and as usual when Felton shoots a ton, there were mixed results. He's taken 64 shots in the past three games. Still, he's put up fine numbers and was instrumental in the Knicks' victory over the Cavs with 25 pts, 7 ast and 5 rebs in his most efficient game of the bunch with 9-of-20 shooting.

5. Steve Novak (Last: 6) - Novak leapfrogs J.R. Smith (a brilliant real-life visual if you let your mind go there) based on the fact that he played his role just about perfectly in the wins over the Lakers and Cavs. In those two games combined, Novak played 59 minutes, hit 8-of-12 from deep for 25 combined points. And against the Lakers, all his three seemed to be perfectly-timed daggers.Also, the Lakers somehow allowed Novak to register four assists in a single game. If and when Mike D'Antoni gets fired by LA, this will be one of the reasons that Mitch Kupchak and/or Jerry Buss allude to.

6. J.R. Smith (Last: 5) - Smith has been trying to find consistency since he started slumping after his hot start and it looks like he's just about there. With J.R. you want to see some efficiency in his shooting numbers, and he did shoot 50% or over against the Lakers and Rockets, sandwiched by a 6-of-20 night against Cleveland. Although, against the Rockets, Smith really struggled early on on the defensive end, picking up quick and silly fouls. When Anthony is out, Smith needs to be able to stay on the floor for his offense.

7. Chris Copeland (Last: 12) - Why the heck not...Merry Christmas, Cope. He put up a career high 29 points against the Rockets, and although a lot of them were in garbage time, a lot of them were also during a third quarter run where he single handedly brought the Knicks back into the game, getting them within five before James Harden started playing like it was NBA Jam. Copeland got his first NBA start last Saturday against the Cavs, and played a solid offensive 19 minutes with 11 points. At the very least while Anthony is out, Copeland has proven that he's not out of place in an NBA game.

8. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 8) - Brewer hasn't hit a three pointer since Dec. 9, which wouldn't really be a thing if he didn't start out the season doing a Reggie Miller impersonation. Regardless, Brewer's worth doesn't show up in the stat sheet. A lot of people want to slash Brewer's minutes when Iman Shumpert comes back, but I'm not so sure I would go ahead and start Shumpert right away instead of Brewer. I'm personally not sure where I sit on that debate altogether, but am interested how Mike Woodson handles it for sure.

9. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 9) - Pablo put up 14 in the loss to the Rockets, as the game got out of hand. In the previous three games, Pablo had no points, 3 rebs and 1 ast, in EACH game. Pablo is consistent.

10. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 7) - I liked Wallace's performance against the Lakers about as much as I liked his performance last week against Brooklyn, which is a lot. Against the Lakers, Sheed played 12 minutes and only took five shots, making three of them (2-of-4 from 3). He also had four fouls. It's great when Rasheed Wallace uses his fouls. It really should be one foul per two minutes played for him. He missed the past two games due to injury.

11. Kurt Thomas (Last: 10) - Thomas ranks ahead of James White because he played good "real" minutes against Cleveland. Anytime Kurt Thomas scores, I think I speak for all of Knicks Nation when I say it's the absolute best part of my entire day.

12. James White (Last: 11) - Got a nice 23-minute run in the loss to Houston. Outside of that, played four minutes against the Lakers and zip against the Cavs.

13. Marcus Camby (Last: 13) - In the basement until he gets healthy.

Greg McElroy named starting quarterback for New York Jets on Sunday vs. San Diego

Chris Celletti — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:11:56 -0000

The New York Jets made it officia Tuesday. Greg McElroy will make his first-ever NFL start on Sunday when they host the San Diego Chargers. The team made the announcement official on it's Twitter feed less than 24 hours after their playoff chances were mathematically destroyed in Monday's 14-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

It's the right move for the Jets on many levels. McElroy was responsible for what probably proved to be the most exciting moment of their season, three weeks ago when he came in to relieve the struggling Mark Sanchez and lead the Jets to a 7-6, comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals. McElroy's reward? He was inactive for the Jets' past two games, behind Tim Tebow on the depth chart.

[Report: Tebow might ask for trade]

McElroy should play every snap at quarterback in these last two games. The Jets might as well see what McElroy is and see how and if he can contribute next season. A lot of Jets fans were all sorts pumped up after the comeback against Arizona - rightfully so - but that also clouded the reality about McElroy. There is a slim chance he can be a legitimate starting NFL quarterback, but it's more likely that he's a backup What the Jets should look for in these last two games are signs that McElroy can at the very most compete for the starting job in training camp next season, whether it's with Sanchez or another veteran free agent that's brought in.

There are many that think the Jets should have started Tebow on Sunday, but he's simply not going to be on the roster next year so there's really no point. He cannot run a pro-style offense and is not a long-term solution at the position, even as a backup because of all the unneeded attention he brings.

And then there's Sanchez. I think you can count on one hand the people in America who think the Jets should start Sanchez on Sunday, or ever again for that matter. If I were the Jets, I would actually take an extreme measure and just deactivate Sanchez for the rest of the season, send him home and get him out of the building. What's the point of him being around the team in practice, on the sideline during games and what not? Just cut the cord.

It's been an incredible fall for Sanchez, the Jets' former first round pick and the guy they pinned the hopes of the franchise on for years. It's apparent that they took a swing in the 2009 Draft and whiffed, and if there is one position in American pro sports that you cannot afford to swing and miss on it's quarterback in the NFL. That usually sets you back years, and that's what has happened to the Jets.

With Sanchez's contract situation, there is still a chance he'll be back next year in some capacity. If the Jets cut him outright, they incur a $17 million cap penalty. There is a possibility that Sanchez can restructure his contract to help facilitate a move, but the chances of that are slim. Now the eyes shift for the next two weeks to McElroy. He doesn't have to show much to merit a spot in the Jets' QB conversation next year.

Ultimately, the fact that the Jets are moving to McElroy late in 2012 and may consider him seriously for their starting job in 2013 tells you all you need to know about where they are as a franchise.

Jets vs. Titans analysis: The good, the bad, the ugly

Chris Celletti — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:37:26 -0000

It really couldn't end any other way, right? The 2012 New York Jets were a mess pretty much from the start. On Monday, they ended in a mess with their playoff chances dying a slow, painful death in Tennessee, the final nail coming on a botched snap-fumble from Mark Sanchez, with the ball being kicked around and bounding along the ground ending up in the opponents' hands. The Titans defeated the Jets, 14-10, and we may look back on Monday's disaster as a turning point in the franchise.

Twice now, coupled with Thanksgiving night's horrifying blowout to the Patriots, the Jets have been embarrassed twice on national TV late in the year. Owner Woody Johnson is a guy who craves attention and is dying to be loved, and with two high-profile embarrassments and a likely under .500 record, you can be sure that changes will be made. Whether or not the changes are going to be made with the right nuance and with the correct reasons in mind will dictate where this franchise goes from here. But make no mistake about it, last night was the point where it became abundantly clear that this team needs a new direction, new leadership and a new vision. Before we tackle that monstrosity of a task, we'll look back at last night's debacle.

The Good

The Jets' defense played well enough to win the game. They've had a nice stretch for the past three games (albeit against poor offenses), allowing just 30 points total. On Monday, the Jets gave up two big plays all day, and they directly resulted in the Titans' 14 points. Outside of those plays, the defense was great. Quinton Coples appears to be improving by the week, and there's just zero reason - with the season now dead - for him not to start and play 85% of the snaps in the final two games.

I'm not sure why the Jets abandoned the running game so quickly last night. They carried it 30 times for 146 yards. Shonn Greene, Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight all averaged far over four yards per carry. Even Tim Tebow had some success in the Wildcat, with 15 yards on three carries. With the game in reach throughout, the Jets should have continued to run the ball.

The Bad

Unfortunately, when your offense is as putrid as the Jets' offense, your defense needs to pretty much be perfect and the Jets' D wasn't on Monday. Now, as I said before they played well enough to win, however, they did allow a 94-yard touchdown run by Chris Johnson in the first half, which is the second time in a calendar year that Rex Ryan's defense had allowed a 90-plus yard TD that had a direct hand in ending their season. Most teams don't give up 90-plus yard touchdowns in a decade. On top of that, after the Jets took a surprising 10-7 lead, Jake Locker took the Titans right down the field like it was 7-on-7 drills, eventually running for a touchdown to give the Titans a 14-10 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The Jets dressed six wideouts last night. This is one of the worst passing teams in the league, and a team that doesn't even want to throw the ball. When asked about it after the game, Ryan didn't really give any sort of answer. That's because he didn't even know why. The disorganization is startling.

-On their third series, the Jets went with Tim Tebow at quarterback. They ran five plays and punted. It was revealed after the game that this was the plan all along, going into the game. Let me repeat, or make it clearer. The Jets, whether it was Ryan, Tony Sparano, Mike Tannenbaum, Woody Johnson, or all of them, decided that Tim Tebow was going to play the third series of the game, no matter what. While I'm being radical, this is a fireable offense for whoever's decision it ultimately was. You do not, and simply cannot, win in the NFL making decisions like this.

The Ugly

-Mark Sanchez really shouldn't take another snap as a Jet quarterback. He's simply shot as a New York athlete and as the quarterback of this team. The four picks, the fumble, the listless postgame reaction all adds up. He just seems like a beaten guy and on top of that, just simply isn't good enough anymore to warrant being given another chance. The benching he received a few weeks ago was the last resort, the one thing left to do to try and wake him up and get him to play better and it didn't come close to working. If I'm the Jets, I do what a lot of MLB teams do when a guy is struggling - make up an injury and deactivate him for the rest of the year. Honestly, there is no reason for Sanchez to even be around this team for the rest of the year.

Starting him next week at home against San Diego is actually cruel to the guy. If he actually starts, he will get totally destroyed by the fanbase. They'll literally boo him for three straight hours. I would contend that it would be so bad that even if Sanchez threw or ran for a touchdown next week, he would get booed. There's no point. Tell him to go home for the year and start reevaluating what to do at the QB position right away.

-But again, while Sanchez was miserable all year and played his way out of a career, the blame for the Jets' season goes all around this organization and that includes Rex Ryan. Ryan's steadfast faith in Sanchez, his hiring of Tony Sparano, the overall defense-first approach in a league that is so clearly going the other direction are all reasons that the Jets have fallen to this point. The roster's deterioration is part his fault but mostly general manager Mike Tannenbaum's fault, and you'd have to figure his days are numbered.

The most logical thing for the Jets to do the next two weeks is start Greg McElroy at quarterback. Sanchez is done here, and Tim Tebow is a sideshow who won't be on the roster next year. You need to find out if McElroy can be your backup next year - I'm being as realistic as possible, not like the many Jets fans who have a pipe dream that McElroy will be "Our Tom Brady"...please - and the only way you do that is play him the next two games. And how about this? How about you let the guy throw the ball down the field a little bit? You're games are now meaningless, enough with the ball-control, running game, try-to-finish-as-high-as-possible-in-defensive-ranking crap. It's over.

We'll have the coming days, weeks and months to figure out what the Jets should do next year. The changes are coming, and they have to be sweeping ones.

Knicks vs. Rockets preview: Jeremy Lin returns to Madison Square Garden

Chris Celletti — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:20:28 -0000

If Jeremy Lin brought Madison Square Garden its best basketball moments in a decade and reinvigorated a fanbase, then Carmelo Anthony and Co. haven't missed a beat his absence. On Monday, the New York Knicks host the Houston Rockets for the first time since they decided to let Linsanity leave in one of the most anticipated regular games in the entire league this season.

While Lin's rise to fame made him one of the most popular athletes in the world and probably the most universally-liked Knick among their fanbase, the Knicks felt that Lin's offseason price tag was too high. The decision to let Lin walk enraged many Knicks fans, even some going so far as to change allegiances to the Brooklyn Nets. But it's become clear that money and egos may not have been the only factor the Knicks considered when ultimately letting Lin go. Bringing in Raymond Felton to run the point with Jason Kidd and a bevy of other veterans, the Knicks appeared ready to play a certain style and find the right pieces to fit it. The result? An 18-5 record, the best in the East.

For Lin, its been a little bit bumpy in his second go around with Houston, which was to be expected on a young team. He's averaging just over 10 points a game and is handing out six assists per, numbers much lower than the ones he put up when bursting onto the scene last year. The most alarming thing about Lin's season is probably his shooting, as he's at just under 40% overall. While he's still capable of putting up big games - last week's 38-point outburst on San Antonio is proof - Lin has been in single digits in scoring probably way more times than anyone thought he would be at this point in the season.

The game is a rematch from the Rockets' 131-103 shellacking of the Knicks back on Nov. 23. In that game, Lin was mainly a bystander scoring 13 points and adding three assists and seven rebounds, rather it was Chandler Parsons and James Harden who combined for 64 points in the blowout. Interesting how we just now mention Harden, who is having a spectacular season. While Lin is the juicy story and rightfully so, for the Knicks the game will hinge on how they contain Harden, likely not Lin.

For the Knicks, they look to stay perfect at home and are likely to have the services of Carmelo Anthony back, who missed Saturday's victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a sprained left ankle. You can bet he won't want to miss this one.

Throughout Knicks' history there have been many moments when the game - and the individual - has lived up to the hype. think Michael Jordan's "double-nickel" in 1995, his first game back at MSG after his retirement. That's the type of spotlight that will be on Lin tonight. Will he deliver another memorable moment, like the many he brought Knicks fans in such a short time frame last year?

Jets vs. Titans, key matchups: Will return of Braylon Edwards spark Jets offense?

Chris Celletti — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:24:02 -0000

The return of wide receiver Braylon edwards to the New York Jets perfectly illustrated the paradigm of reaction to personnel moves by the Jets' front office. Jets fans rejoice and tell you why it's a good thing and it's going to work, and the rest of the NFL public points and laughs.

Edwards' second stint with the Jets will begin on Monday night in Tennessee when the Jets' must-win tour continues against the Titans, and the reality about his arrival probably falls somewhere boringly in the middle. The Jets won't all of a sudden start slinging the ball all around the field and putting up huge numbers, but anybody who acts like Edwards isn't an upgrade for the Jets is also being unreasonable.Add to the fact that he has had success with Mark Sanchez in the past, and the move is a low-risk one that makes plenty of sense.

Pete Carroll, Edwards' former coach in Seattle, claims that Edwards isn't healthy, the Jets think otherwise. Even if Edwards is at say, 70 percent, he's the Jets second best receiver. Yes, that says more about the Jets and the archaic way they've built their roster this season, but it's the truth. And because of that, Edwards is an upgrade over what they currently have at the position. Edwards will suit up on Monday and will play a large role according to Rex Ryan. Tennessee has the 26th-ranked pass defense in the league, so if the Jets want to open things up a bit the opportunities should be there. If Edwards can give the Jets even the slightest threat of a downfield passing game, or can simply be a security blanket for Sanchez on third downs, the Jets have a good shot of winning their third straight, getting back to .500 and staying alive in the playoff race. You know they're going to run the ball a ton, but it helps to have a viable target when you do drop back to pass.

On defense, the Jets' biggest task will be slowing down Chris Johnson. It's been a strange year for Johnson; he started out really slow and pissed off all the people who took him high in their fantasy football drafts, but he's kind of flown under the radar recently and is putting together a respectable year on a bad team. He's ninth in the league in rushing with 1,037 yards albeit the slow beginning. The Jets' defense has been quite good the past two games against bad offenses and quarterbacks, and while Jake Locker is better than Ryan Lindley and Chad Henne, the Jets shouldn't be too worried about losing their way with him. The only player on the field for the Titans that can wreck the game for the Jets is Johnson, so you can bet they've spent a good portion of this week concentrating on how to shut him down.

If the Jets can get out of Tennessee with their third straight victory, you can almost call this 2012 season a success regardless of if the Jets sneak into the playoffs. With a pitiful roster, the quarterback mess and a few ghastly blowout losses, for the Jets to be playing a meaningful game in Week 16 would be an accomplishment in and of itself. But before we go on crunching all the Jets' payoff scenarios, Gang Green has to take care of business on Monday night. the performances of Braylon Edwards and Chris Johnson could go a long way to determining whether or not they do.

New York Knicks' Player Power Rankings: Big win edition

Chris Celletti — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:36:48 -0000

Since we last did our New York Knicks Player Power Rankings, we've seen J.R. Smith hit a buzzer-beater, the Knicks go to Miami sans Carmelo Anthony and win going away, and Jason Kidd hitting a dagger to give the Knicks their first-ever victory in Brooklyn. Now at 16-5, the Knicks are off to their third-best start through 21 games in franchise history. The two teams in franchise history that had better starts that this one were the only two in team history to win an NBA Championship. So there's that.

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - Although he missed two of the Knicks' five games during our ranking period, Anthony holds on to the top spot thanks to three great performances, most notably Tuesday night's dominant 45-point performance in the Knicks' 100-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Anthony was an efficient 15-of-24 from the field and made five threes. On Sunday, in his first game back after injuring his finger against the Bobcats, Anthony torched his former team - the Denver Nuggets - for 34 points. They don't give out league MVP awards in December, but if they did, you could make a really compelling case for Anthony.

2. Tyson Chandler (Last: 2) - You could go either way at No's. 2 and 3, with Chandler and Kidd. I'll keep Chandler here for now after a great four-game stretch before Tuesday's game in Brooklyn. In the four games prior to Knicks/Nets, Chandler was a rebound against Miami away from four straight double-doubles.

3. Jason Kidd (Last: 4) - Kidd hit the game-winner on Tuesday in Brooklyn, a wild, memorable three-pointer that turned the Barclays Center into Madison Square Garden East. The past two games he's really dialed it back, filling up the stat sheet like the Kidd of old by averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5 rebounds. He's logged a lot of minutes recently, so the Knicks would be wise to go back to blowing a few teams out and giving Kidd and some of their other vets some much needed rest.

[Related: Kidd amazes even his own teammates]

4. Raymond Felton (Last: 3) - Felton was the best player on the floor last Thursday when the undermanned Knicks went into Miami and took the Heat to the cleaners. Miami had no answer for Felton, who was consistently hitting jumpers over closing-out defenders. He helped lead the Knicks' 3-point barrage, knocking down six of his own. His shooting overall has dipped quite a bit, and for some reason he just doesn't seem to like playing in Brooklyn.

5. J.R. Smith (Last: 7) - While his overall shooting numbers remain low, Smith moves up three spots in our rankings. Why? It's really not how much Smith scores, it's when he does. There's no better example of this than last Wednesday's buzzer-beater against the Charlotte Bobcats. Before that shot, Smith was 5-of-15 from the field. But with Anthony out at that point due to the finger injury, Smith stepped up and made the big shot. He appeared to suffer a back injury against the Nets but gutted it out, so that bears worth watching out for.

6. Steve Novak (Last: 6) - The Knicks don't beat the Nuggets on Sunday if not for Novak. Early in the fourth, the Knicks were down by eight points, but Novak totally changed the tenor of the game with two huge 3-pointers to get the Knicks back in it. He also had 19-points and was basically unconscious for a moment against the Heat. His contributions against Miami and Denver are good examples of why his deadly shooting is a huge asset, especially in the regular season.

7. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 9) - The 14 minutes that Wallace gave the Knicks on Tuesday against the Nets is the type of performance the Knicks need to get from him. He had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and attempted just seven shots total. Despite scoring 12 points in 14 minutes against the Heat, he needed 13 shots to do so and bricked all six of his threes. 'Sheed has an important role on this team, but just can't continue to keep shooting once per every minute played.

8. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 5) - Brewer has put up a goose egg in three of the Knicks' last five games, and even though most of the offense you get from him is a bonus, it'd still be nice to get SOME offense from him every night. Brewer's penchant for taking and making the corner-3 early in the year was a big reason the Knicks got out to sizable leads early in games. Hopefully he can find that range again, since he's always consistent on the defensive end.

9. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 8) - Prigioni continued his consistent, solid bench play. He basically gives you the same game every night, which is a coach's dream. You'd actually like to see him look for his shot a little more, even though that's not his job. He's 9-of-24 from behind the arc this season, which is serviceable.

10. Kurt Thomas (Last: 11) - I'm not sure why Thomas didn't play against the Nets. The Knicks could have definitely used some help defensively in the paint, but coach Woodson didn't go to him. In 11 minutes against Miami, Thomas had four points and seven rebounds.

11. James Whites (Last: 12) - Every so often, Woodson gives White a burn in some meaningful minutes and he's acquitted himself well when he's been given the chance. Called into duty against the Heat because of Anthony's absence, White hit all three of his field goal attempts, finishing with seven points in 17 minutes. He's also shown himself to be a pretty reliable defender as well.

12. Chris Copeland (Last: 10) - With the Knicks playing mostly close games, Copeland only registered two minutes in the past five games.

13. Marcus Camby (Last: 13) - Camby remains injured. Pretty amazing that when he gets healthy the Knicks will be able to bring one of the league's best rebounders, shot blockers and interior defenders off the bench for a few minutes each night.

Jets Vs. Jaguars analysis: The good, the bad, the ugly

Chris Celletti — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:34:27 -0000

Thanks to a laughably mediocre AFC, the 6-7 New York Jets are actually relevant in the playoff picture. Yesterday's 17-10 victory over the now 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars wasn't pretty but it was a win nonetheless. Just like last Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Jets eked out a victory over a bad team with a defense-first, run heavy approach. The Jets have suddenly reverted back to the style of play that Rex Ryan implemented back in 2009 (and in 2010 but a little less so). With success - if you want to call two narrow victories against all-time bad offenses "success" - and a soft schedule the rest of the way, this is how the Jets are going to play for the remainder of the year. Buckle in!

The main difference between the win over Jacksonville and the one seven days prior over Arizona was that Mark Sanchez made it all the way through the game this time. That's not to say that he played well. He didn't. But the Jets didn't ask him to do much, and they never used backup Tim Tebow while last week's hero Greg McElroy was back in a baseball cap and holding a clipboard all day, inactive.

The Good

The Jets' defense had a second straight dominant performance, totally suffocating a bad offense. Muhammad Wilkerson was all over the field and anyone who watches him on a consistent basis knows he's one of the best defensive linemen in the league. If Wilkerson were on the Baltimore Ravens or Houston Texans, you'd probably hear a lot more about him.

Rookie Quinton Coples has steadily improved all season and played what was likely his best game as a pro, registering his third sack of the season. David Harris looked like pre-contract-extension David Harris maybe for the first time this season. I think Jets fans should keep cautious optimism because the team's last two opponents are among the worst offenses in the league. Still, credit goes to Rex Ryan for seemingly turning this thing around.

Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell ran amok in the second half behind an offensive line that played up to its potential. I'm not sure what CBS color commentator Solomon Wilcots was talking about when he mentioned that Shonn Greene has put together a really good year, because that's untrue on a staggering amount of levels. Regardless, Greene did his job on Sunday as did Powell, who looks like he could be in the mix as a second running back option next season.

Mark Sanchez's big third down completion to Jeff Cumberland on the Jets' final drive didn't totally ice the game as it should have, but it was a great clutch pitch-and-catch and deserves recognition. However, it was Sanchez's only meaningful throw of the day.

The Bad

Outside of the completion to Cumberland, Sanchez wasn't very good at all. He was inaccurate most of the day, and even when he did have time to throw and most NFL offenses would get a guy free down the field, Sanchez's receivers couldn't find any separation. Sanchez did turn the ball over once, getting strip-sacked by Jason Babin, but it didn't end up being a death knell. The turnover occurred inside Jags' territory but not in the red zone. You'd like to Sanchez stop fumbling, but that specific play was something that happens across the NFL every single week. It wasn't a turnover borne from a poor decision. It was a bad play by left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and a good one by Babin.

Kyle Wilson might have continued wagging his finger and constantly celebrating, but he played his usual sub-par game. He was the sole reason Henne converted a 4th-and-15 with the game on the line.

The Ugly

This is strictly my opinion, so only take it for that. I don't profess to be right, and I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I don't think the Jets can win out playing this style of football, even with their soft schedule. Eventually you have to put up some points. The Jets' next three opponents all have better offenses than the ones they've faced the past two weeks. Next week on Monday Night, the Jets visit the Titans. New York's run defense still let fourth-string Montell Owens go for ~~over 100 yards~~ 91 yards yesterday. They face Chris Johnson on Monday. In two weeks, they'll have to deal with Ryan Mathews, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and the San Diego Chargers, who just went in to Pittsburgh and laid the smackdown on the Steelers. They're not a great team by any stretch, but they are markedly better than the Jaguars and Cardinals, the Jets' latest victims. If the Jets go into Week 17 with a playoff spot on the line in Buffalo, the rival Bills will be up for the game trying to knock the Jets out.

The Jets are playing this brand of football by necessity, they think. They feel like they can't win unless they reign Sanchez in. Maybe they can't, but what does that say about the long-term health of the franchise? Why play Sanchez and put McElroy back on the bench if you're going to try to eke wins out against bad teams? The NFL in 2012 is a passing league, an offensive league. Don't you need to find out a little about whether Sanchez can carry to load? If you're admitting he can't, why is he playing? It's not that the Jets can't win a few games playing this conservative way - they have and they can. But the chance of this keeping up and sustaining any real success this season and beyond is probably very slim.

Knicks-Heat recap: Without Carmelo Anthony, Knicks blow out Heat in Miami

Chris Celletti — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:09:09 -0000

Carmelo Anthony's absence meant the New York Knicks weren't supposed to win on Thursday night in Miami against the Heat. Miami was coming off a bad loss in Washington, so they'd be fired up, and they wanted revenge for the Knicks' win over them on opening night at Madison Square Garden. It wasn't supposed to be close. It was supposed to be a laugher, and it was. The final score was 112-92.

But the Knicks and their fans were the ones doing the chuckling. The Knicks played an incredible all around, team game and handed the Heat their second straight loss, improving their East-leading record to 14-4 without the services of their leading scorer and one of the league's early season MVP candidates. Raymond Felton stepped up for the Knicks, scoring 27 points (all in the first three quarters), hitting 6-of-10 from downtown with seven assists. Steve Novak had 18 off the bench and Jason Kidd returned to the starting lineup and logged 32 minutes, finishing an astounding plus-31.

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New York played a bit of "make everyone but LeBron James beat us" and it worked. James was the only Heat player to really do anything on the night, falling a single assist short of his second straight triple-double in finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Dwyane Wade had just 13 points and was a minus-32, while Chris Bosh made just three field goals and finished with 13 points.

It was all hands on deck, and every Knick who saw the floor contributed in some way to the victory. Just 24-hours removed from hitting the game-winning shot in Charlotte, J.R. Smith shook off a rough first half to hit a couple big threes in the third and fourth quarters when the Knicks started pulling away. Tyson Chandler played his usual tough defense on the interior, as did Rasheed Wallace who missed all six of his 3-point attempts but still had 12 points. Even the seldom used James White gave the Knicks 17 solid minutes while the game was still within reach. Kurt Thomas started again and had seven rebounds in 11 minutes. Name a Knick, they all played a part.

Prior to this season, the Heat had lost just once by 20 or more points with James in the lineup. They now have two losses this season to the Knicks by 20 or more. While this doesn't mean the Knicks are better than the Heat, it does prove that the Knicks are just a darn good team and one deserving of the league's respect and attention. While many will be shocked by the final score and the fact that the Knicks are 14-4, the fact is that this is how the Knicks have played all season. While Anthony has been their leading scorer, they have shown their depth all year and have been efficient on offense and tough on defense. When a team is as deep, together and cohesive as the Knicks are right now, missing one player isn't going to make that big of a difference. Even if it's Carmelo Anthony.

So while it's too early to make any proclamations or worry about the postseason, the shorthanded Knicks' victory on Thursday proved the Knicks are indeed for real.

Mark Sanchez to start against Jacksonville Jaguars: Is it the right move?

Chris Celletti — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:44:58 -0000

The benching of Mark Sanchez didn't last long, as New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is going to announce on Wednesday that he'll go back to Sanchez as the starter after pulling him in favor of Greg McElroy last week against the Arizona Cardinals. The move is surprising to some but there are legitimate reasons why the Jets went back to their former top pick, and legitimate reasons why they should have.

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While it was reported that owner Woody Johnson wanted the Jets to stick with McElroy, he'll probably be happy if the Jets can find a way to quickly fix Sanchez for next season, and for one reason only. Woody Johnson likes money, and Sanchez is owed over $8 million guaranteed next season. From a strict salary cap and numbers standpoint, that's reason enough to start him the rest of this year. He's going to be on the roster next year. There is no way that, given his performance this year, Sanchez won't be in a competition for the starting job in training camp. That competition will likely be with McElroy and a veteran - think Matt Moore or Matt Flynn - and you start the best guy for the job in Week 1 of 2013. But either way you slice it Sanchez will be on the roster next year, and if he still isn't any good he'll be gone in time for 2014.

There is no question that the Jets have failed Sanchez as much as he has failed them. This isn't to say that Sanchez has played well. At all. He absolutely hasn't. But the Jets' roster has deteriorated on all sides of the ball over the past two seasons, so much so that they're among the least talented teams in the league. It's likely they are more bereft of talent on offense, especially at the skill positions, than anyone else. Now, quarterbacks can indeed raise the level of those around them, and Sanchez hasn't been good enough to do that this season. That's on him. But let's not make the Jets out to be a team budding with talent that is ripe for a title run if they could only get some decent quarterback play. This team is a long, long way from being competitive, and that's not all on Mark Sanchez.

[Ryan: Sanchez decision was his]

It's pretty amazing that less than two calendar years ago, the Jets went to their second AFC Championship game in two seasons with Sanchez at quarterback. A lot of people make the argument that those Jets teams won in spite of Sanchez, but that's not exactly the case. Against the Patriots in the Divisional Round in 2011, the Jets defeated the 14-2 Patriots in Foxboro, and Sanchez wasn't a bystander. He outplayed Tom Brady in his own building, in a playoff game, throwing three touchdowns.

Sanchez has always seemed to play better when the stakes are higher for some reason, and his performances in the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 don't absolve him of his horrible play for this season and most of last year. But what I think it proves is that he's capable. Maybe his struggles have ruined him, maybe the Jets screwing around with his targets after that 2010 season (jettisoning Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, two guys Sanchez had great chemistry with made absolutely zero, zero, ZERO SENSE) ruined him. Chances are that Sanchez can be successful with a very good team around him, with good coaching and an offense that is tailored to his strengths. Guess what? That goes for just about every quarterback in the league outside of the guys at that "elite" level.

The main reason the Jets should have went back to Sanchez is because last Sunday marked the first time Sanchez realized he could lose his job for poor play. He should have realized this without it happening, and it should have happened sooner. But now Sanchez knows what it feels like; the humiliation of being benched and having a guy come in and do what you couldn't do that day, the fans who once cheered for you reveling in your embarrassment. If that doesn't motivate you to play better, if that can't get you to wake up and realize that your career is on the line, then that's it. If Sanchez doesn't respond to the benching, then it's over for him as a viable quarterback for the Jets. But if you are the Jets, with all the time, money and assets you invested in this guy, you have to turn over every stone. You have to be absolutely 100% sure that he's not that guy. At this point, you're probably 99% sure. But you might as well find out for sure.

The other options, McElroy and Tim Tebow, have their benefits, but for the long-term success and health of the franchise you need to give Sanchez one last shot. We can't go nuts off of one five completion performance from McElroy. Giving him the starting job for the rest of the season wouldn't be a bad idea at all, but does anybody really, really deep down think Greg McElroy is going to be a big time quarterback in the NFL? Just wait until teams have film on him and can game plan for him. Chances are he wouldn't look much different than Sanchez, especially given the talent the Jets have on this roster currently. As for Tebow, it's clear the Jets' coaches don't view him as a viable option, and sorry Tebowmaniacs, they're correct.

Rex Ryan and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum are going down with the guy they drafted and invested their careers in and you cannot blame them for doing that. They need to be sure he's not the guy before they dump him. Since he's going to be on the roster next season, it's worth seeing if you can retool the roster and try to get a team that mirrors the 2009 and 2010 versions, teams that Sanchez had success with. It also wouldn't hurt getting a competent offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, something Sanchez has never had.

There is probably enough evidence that Sanchez just isn't good enough to be a long-term winning quarterback. While it shouldn't have ever gotten to this, while Sanchez's benching should have come a lot sooner, what's the harm in giving him one more shot? They're not going anywhere this season, and there are only four games left. If you benched him now, you can bench him again this season, and you can make him the backup next season. But give the guy these next four games and see if he's woken up.

New York Knicks Player Power Rankings: Bounce back edition

Chris Celletti — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:04:15 -0000

Crisis averted. When we last found ourselves here at our New York Knicks Player Power Rankings, the 'Bockers had just lost three of four and had officially become second class citizens in their own city like the Jets or the Mets (according to Ian O'Connor, at least). Maybe they have the schedule makers to thank but the Knicks have won three on the trot and have retaken first place in the Atlantic Division with a 12-4 record, slightly ahead of their NEW DADDY the Brooklyn Nets. But there's no reason to look down on the Knicks' past three wins (a road win at Milwaukee and home victories over Washington and Phoenix), and that's because all three were one-sided games that the Knicks controlled wire-to-wire. News flash: there are a lot, A LOT of bad teams in the NBA. You're one of the good ones if you can consistently beat the bad ones by large margins, which the Knicks have done this season so far.

And you can thank Carmelo Anthony for that. While the Knicks are playing great team ball, 'Melo has been dominant in first halves all season, helping the Knicks get out to big leads. He had 29 points a week ago against Milwaukee and didn't even need to play the fourth quarter to get it, and led the Knicks in scoring in the home wins over the Wizards and Suns. With another great week under his belt, Anthony held on to the top spot in our latest rankings, where he's been all year.

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - 83 points total in the three Knicks' wins since our last ranking for 'Melo, obviously a team high. Just as impressive as the scoring totals was Anthony's rebounding, as he had 8,5 and 6, respectively, against Milwaukee, Washington and Phoenix. The naysayers will point to Melo's 11-for-27 on Sunday against the Suns and say "See! He hasn't changed! He's a hog!", but those games are few and far between so far this season. Either way, a great scorer like Anthony will always have games where he puts up a few too many shots, and you just need to learn to live with that provided it's not an every night occurrence.

2. Tyson Chandler (Last: 3) - Chandler's steady rise in our rankings continues after a really good three game stretch. Chandler averaged 14.6 points and 10.3 boards during the stretch, highlighted by a 15-13-2 (blocks) line on Sunday. The high field goal percentage continues, as he rarely shoots from outside nine inches. But if you were hitting pick-and-rolls with Raymond Felton and had the ability to get easy putbacks, you wouldn't try anything else, either.

3. Raymond Felton (Last: 5) - After a terrifying performance in Brooklyn, Felton rebounded nicely. The assist numbers are a bit low, with 16 total in the three victories, but that goes against just six turnovers including none on Sunday, which was Felton's best performance of the week. He had 23 points on an efficient 10-of-17 shooting with seven dimes. Felton hurt his hand on Sunday, but is probable for Wednesday's game in Charlotte.

4. Jason Kidd (Last: 2) - Kidd only drops two spots despite not playing since Nov. 25 because of back spasms. He is expected to return on Wednesday night in Charlotte, which is very good news for the Knicks.

5. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 7) - You know what you're getting from Brewer every night, and he just seems to have a perfect role on this team. Most good teams have guys who play the same role that Brewer plays for New York - think Thabo Sefolosha in Oklahoma City, Matt Barnes with the Clippers and Tony Allen in Memphis. It was nice to see Brew get back into double digits in the point column, which he did last Friday against Washington with a 12-point outing.

6. Steve Novak (Last: 8) - It was a homecoming of sorts for Novak last Wednesday when the Knicks played in Milwaukee, where he played a lot of his home games while in college at Marquette. Must be something about the rims at the Bradley Center, as he hit 5-of-7 from three and 7-of-10 overall for a season-high 19 points (which included a fast break layup in which he was subsequently mocked by his entire team for not dunking - hey guys, he's not very familiar from a foot out). against Washington and Phoenix, Novak hit seven of his 15 three attempts, so he seems to have found the stroke again. And he's quietly been a very solid defender all season long.

7. J.R. Smith (Last: 4) - Smith has played nothing like his scorching start to the season, but he seems to be getting his footing back a bit. In the blowout over the Wizards, Smith was 9-of-14 for 20 points with 6 assists, including two three pointers, but followed that up with a 1-for-11 effort against the Suns. Thursday against Miami would be a good time for J.R. to find the groove again.

8. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 9) - The Argentinean stepped in really nicely for the injured Kidd, beginning in Milwaukee with his best performance of the season with 11 points and 7 assists. The turnover numbers have been a bit high for Prigioni, which I find interesting because he kind of gives you the sense that he won't hurt you out there at all. Maybe it's just that he plays at such a slow pace that and that he doesn't try to do too much that it seems like he's a safe bet out there.

9. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 6) - Getting ejected in just over a minute and a half of playing time WILL see you plummet down the Power Rankings, 'Sheed. Going 5-of-15 in just 32 minutes against Milwaukee and Washington will as well. You like what Wallace brings in terms of toughness, defense and his prowess from beyond the arc, but he simply doesn't need to shoot as much as he has been.

10. Chris Copeland (Last: 13) - Out of the basement! Atta boy Cope! Copeland moved up with much thanks to Sunday's relief job for the ejected Wallace, playing a solid 10 minutes early on and scoring 8 points with three rebounds, two assists, a block, a steal, and a partridge in a pear tree.

11. Kurt Thomas (Last: 11) - Thomas started the last three games, but played only 12 combined minutes against the Bucks and Wizards. He did log season-highs with 19 minutes and six rebounds against the Suns on Sunday.

12. James White (Last: 10) - What movement among these bottom four guys! White edges out Marcus Camby for the bottom spot because he actually saw minutes, while Camby continues to battle injuries.

13. Marcus Camby (Last: 12) - The Knicks signed Camby for three years, right? Okay, just checking.

Jets vs. Jaguars first look: Mark Sanchez or Greg McElroy? Or Tim Tebow? QB question looms

Chris Celletti — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 15:21:57 -0000

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan said on Monday that he believes his team has a better quarterback situation than a lot of other teams in the NFL. With Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy and Tim Tebow, the Jets have three viable guys, you see.

But in the NFL, when you have two quarterbacks, or three quarterbacks, what that really means is that you have no quarterbacks.

The Jets tried all season to avoid a quarterback controversy, that is, after they created one by acquiring Tebow this offseason. But during the year, with ample time to go to the bench with Sanchez struggling, Ryan refused to do it, holding steadfast in his support of Sanchez. But last Sunday, with Tebow inactive, Ryan made the decision to go to the bench and McElroy engineered the Jets' fifth victory of the season in relief. The decision is now in Ryan's hand where the Jets go, and there are cases to be made for and against all three.

Most observers feel McElroy should be given the start with the idea that "you have to find out what you have with him". With the Jets' QB situation now in shambles, this notion does make sense. The chances that McElroy is a viable starting QB in the league are very slim, but the Jets aren't making the playoffs and it won't hurt them in any way to hand the reigns over to him for the final four games and see where you are. At the very least, he may prove himself as a good backup to hang on to for a while, knowing you have someone who can manage and win games in a pinch.But McElroy was a seventh round pick and has questionable arm strength, and like any player, you probably won't really know what he is until teams see him on film and game plan for him. Remember that even before Tebow's arrival, McElroy was slated to be the third stringer behind Drew Stanton this season.

As for Sanchez, there are a few compelling arguments for going back to him, although he hasn't deserved it with his on-field play. But the Jets are tied into him next season for a boatload of money, which is a big deal in a strict salary cap league. Additionally, and most important of all, is that the one position you simply can't afford to make a homerun swing at and whiff on is quarterback. It's possible that we've seen all we need to know about Sanchez and hes just not good enough. But he's never truly faced adversity until now, after losing his job. Maybe you hand him the job back for the remainder of the season and see if there's a difference in his play, preparation and attitude. Maybe the benching was the real kick in the pants he needed. Note that it should never, ever, ever have come to that, and it likely will not make a difference. But when you move up to draft a quarterback and invest time and money into him, you can't just give up on him without truly knowing that he's not your guy, without turning over every single stone. The benching would be the last stone, and if he doesn't respond from here on out, then you know to move in another direction.

As for Tebow, this writer personally would never go to him, but it's understandable to give him a shot given that you've tried your third stringer before your backup. In a way, you almost owe it to the guy given that he's been a great teammate and has slogged through the season with you waiting for his chance. But just realize that if you start Tebow, and you go on to beat a few bad teams and Tebowmania sweeps the nation again, you run the risk of being stuck with him and making him your full time starter. If you think you can win with that in the NFL in 2012, go ahead and make him your starter. But let us know how that works out down the line.

Thing is, with cases for and against the three quarterbacks, the only certainty in this whole thing is that the Jets have a problem at the one position in sports that you can't afford to have a problem at. With the soft schedule the rest of the way, Sanchez, McElroy or Tebow could all get the Jets three wins down the stretch and look good doing so. That would likely give false hope to the coaching staff, the media and fans that whoever it was could be the guy in 2013.but it's way more likely that all of the three aren't good enough to win consistently in today's NFL, which means the Jets would be back at square one at quarterback.

Just like they were after 2007. And after 2008. And countless other times throughout their history.

(via Gang Green)

Jets vs. Cardinals analysis: The good, the bad, the ugly

Chris Celletti — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:36:41 -0000

The Jets finally benched quarterback Mark Sanchez and came back to win a game led by a young, unproven backup quarterback with a limited skill set and a raucous MetLife Stadium crowd behind him. But it wasn't Tim Tebow, it was Greg McElroy.

Sanchez slogged his way through two and a half quarters on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing three first half picks, unable to lead to the Jets to a single point. With Tebow inactivated because of cracked ribs, head coach Rex Ryan went to McElroy, the second-year guy out of Alabama who, like Tebow, owns an NCAA National Championship. He didn't light up the world, throwing for 29 yards and completing five of seven passes, but the Jets were suddenly invigorated when he entered the game. Running backs Bilal Powell and Shonn Greene hot the holes harder, the offensive line blocked better, and Stephen Hill - who has dropped numerous perfect throws from Sanchez this year - made an incredibly difficult catch after the QB switch. Whatever McElroy was doing out there worked, and the kid had his moment when he hit a wide open Jeff Cumberland in the end zone for the only touchdown of the game.

[Complete Jets-Cardinals Coverage]

The Jets won a game that was as ugly a display of modern football all you'll ever see, but they'll take it to keep their dire playoff hopes alive. Now as they prepare to visit Jacksonville, the quarterback controversy that everyone wanted to see is finally upon us; it's just not between who we all thought it would be.

The Good

The Jets' defense played excellent. It is worth noting that Sanchez wasn't the worst quarterback on the field yesterday, three picks notwithstanding, as Ryan Lindley put on one of the worst performances an NFL quarterback ever has. He went 10-of-31 for 79 yards and one interception, and the numbers honestly don't tell the tale of how truly awful he was. give credit to the Jets defense for a lot of yesterday's happenings; there was some pressure on Lindley and the run defense was stellar. But if we're being fair, it's almost not a true judge of where the Jets' defense is. Half of the time you had no idea where Lindley was even throwing the ball. He was missing receivers by 15 yards. He had a wide-open Larry Fitzgerald in the flat during the fourth quarter in the red zone and missed him by a mile, where a completion may give the Cards a lead. With more bad quarterbacks on the schedule in the next few weeks, let's hope the Jets' defense can build on a great performance and replicate it. With their offense's recent play regardless of the signal caller, they'll have to if the Jets want to win.

The QB switch seemed to wake Tony Sparano up as well. The Jets' offensive coordinator went to a conservative approach when McElroy entered, going run heavy and rolling McElroy out and moving the pocket when going to the air. I understand that Sanchez is fourth year pro at this point, but it's interesting that the Jets didn't this approach with Sanchez this year amidst his struggles. Sanchez is a good play action QB, good on the move, better when things are simpler. That's what they did with McElroy, understandably, and the Jets' offense moved the ball. The play action, tight end slip on the goal line was something the Jets never did with Sanchez this season in their many goal line opportunities. It's one of the easiest, most sure-fire calls in the NFL, and yet it took McElroy's entrance in the game for Sparano to call it. Very odd, but we'll take it.

The Bad

If there is a more clear indictment of Tim Tebow than this, please show it to me. Yes, Sanchez was horrific on Sunday, but he's had plenty of similar performances this season - spurts against the 49ers and Miami Dolphins come to mind - and only with Tebow inactive and McElroy as the backup did Rex Ryan finally pull Sanchez and go to the backup. Maybe it was just coincidence, but based on this season it's also plausible to think that if Tebow were active and McElroy not on Sunday that Sanchez would have continued and finished the game. It's now crystal clear that Ryan doesn't believe the Jets can win with Tebow at quarterback. Maybe some other coaches in the league think they can, but just remember that the Jets and Jaguars were the only teams in the league that showed any interest in him, and Jacksonville wouldn't pull the trigger even though he'd fill their empty stadium in the state where he's a hero. If the Jets aren't going to go to him as a quarterback, who else in the NFL is?

The Ugly

Let's get something straight, right off the bat. Quarterback controversies aren't a good thing. When it involves the guy you traded up to draft fifth overall just four years ago, the guy who brought you went to two AFC Title games with, who you owe a boatload of money to next season, they're especially not good. It's really incredible to think that less than two calendar years ago, Mark Sanchez led the Jets to their franchise's biggest win since Super Bowl III, going into Foxboro and outplaying Tom Brady, throwing three touchdowns in the Divisional Round. A lot of people have always said that the Jets won in 2009 and 2010 in spite of their young quarterback, and maybe that's true, but they certainly didn't beat the Colts and Patriots in the 2010 playoffs in spite of him. He was a big part of those wins, and those wins weren't very long ago. How the hell did we get here?

There are an incredible amount of things that have happened with this franchise since then that have contributed to the Jets' falling from elite-level status, and those things have affected Sanchez, no question. The breaking down of the once-great offensive line, the lack of skill at running back, the inexperience at wide reciever, the Tebow acquisition, even a deteriorating defense are all things that have hurt Sanchez and the Jets as a whole. But Sanchez has had his chances to turn things around, to play better, to just simply play well and he hasn't. He has nobody to blame for himself for getting pulled, and if this is the end of his Jets' career and his career as a starter in the NFL, he only has to look in the mirror for an explanation. He just simply hasn't been good enough, but it's just some kind of strange that it's gotten to this point so quickly.

The Jets have no other choice than to start McElroy on Sunday at Jacksonville. If he's horrible, then you can pull him for Sanchez, but you can't go the other way with this. See what you have with McElroy for the rest of the season, and go from there.

Chances are, Sunday's benching of Sanchez didn't mark the beginning of the Greg McElroy Era. It just marked the time the Jets realized they were back to square one at quarterback, which is the place you never want to be in the NFL.

Cotto vs. Trout result: Austin Trout upsets Miguel Cotto with unanimous decision win

Chris Celletti — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 03:22:35 -0000

There was No Doubt about it.

Austin Trout scored a huge upset victory over Miguel Cotto on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, winning a unanimous decision victory to retain his 154-pound WBA belt, moving to 26-0 and handing Cotto his first ever loss at MSG. Trout won on score of 119-109, twice, and 117-111, although many writers and observers seemed to think it was a bit closer than that. SB Nation New York had it 116-112 for Trout. With the loss, Cotto fell to 37-4.

Trout was clearly the bigger man, and used his length and agility to throw Cotto off. Cotto consistently tried to do what he does best, backing up his opponent to the ropes and doing work on the inside, but Trout responded well in those instances. Cotto never seemed to hurt Trout at all, despite connecting on some good shots and getting some solid body work in. But Trout landed most of the meaningful shots in the fight, and controlled the pace and distance for the majority of the night, especially after getting off to a great start in the first two rounds.

It was a clear win for Trout, although it was by no means a blowout. Now, Trout has officially made a name for himself in the boxing world with a banner win, and can stake a claim as one of the top 154-pound fighters in the world. Cotto, who was clearly gutted after the loss, will have to decide whether or not he wants to continue with his career. Had he won the fight, Cotto would have set up a date with unbeaten Mexican star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, a fight many wanted to see. It's possible that if Cotto wants to continue, he can at some point get a fight with Alvarez, but Trout's victory sets him up for that fight in the immediate.

Unfortunately for the many fans of Miguel Cotto, there's a chance that his days as a meaningful fighter came to a crashing end in the building he's made his home. The night marked Trout's arrival on the big stage, and we'll now see if he can stay there.

Cotto vs. Trout undercard results: Jayson Velez cruises over Salvador Sanchez II

Chris Celletti — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 03:03:22 -0000

The Madison Square Garden crowd came on Saturday night to see Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto, but they may have actually seen the country's next great star in the process. Featherweight prospect Jayson Velez moved to 20-0 with a dominant victory over Salvador Sanchez II via Round 3 stoppage. It was the 15th career knockout victory for Velez, who connected on 50% of his power shots in the whitewash.

It was totally one-sided from the opening bell, with Velez the much faster and stronger fighter by a longshot. Velez wasted no times, taking it to Sanchez with vicious combinations from the outset and not relenting. He floored Sanchez late in the second round, with only the bell saving him. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the third round came quickly, and Velez went right for the kill.

Sanchez went down just eight seconds into the third round, but was able to get up and give it one more go. Unable to clinch or avoid Velez's brutal power shots, Sanchez took another barrage and forced referee Harvey Dock to call a halt to things at 38 seconds of Round 3.

The win sets the unbeaten Puerto Rican up for a world title shot with the WBC's featherweight belt holder Daniel Ponce De Leon. Sanchez fell to 30-5-3.

Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout: Cotto looks to keep Garden dominance

Chris Celletti — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:55:40 -0000

Miguel Cotto will try to hand Austin Trout the first loss of his career as the two meet at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Danny Jacobs' first fight after beating cancer back in October was a a lot shorter, but his second fight since his return was just as dominant. The Brooklyn, New York native moved to 24-1, 21 KOs with a one-sided victory over a game Chris Fitzpatrick on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the 154-pound showdown between Miguel Cotto and Austin Trout.

Back on Oct. 20 at the Barclays Center, Jacobs needed less than a round to dispose of the overmatched Josh Luteran. On Saturday, Jacobs came out a bit methodical, looking as though he wanted to get a few real rounds in. In rounds three, four and five, Jacobs put a real beating on Fitzpatrick, who did well to make it to the bell each round and stay on his feet throughout. After the fifth, Fitzpatrick's corner made the smart decision to call the fight off, giving Jacobs his second victory since his a one and a half year layoff while he successfully defeated osteosarcoma, a life-threatening form of bone cancer.

Fitzpatrick fell to 15-3 with 6 KOs.

Cotto vs. Trout undercard results: Danny Jacobs' comeback continues after win over Chris Fitzpatrick

Chris Celletti — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:20:12 -0000

Fitzpatrick fell to 15-3 with 6 KOs.

Jets vs. Cardinals, key matchups: Sanchez vs. Arizona defense, Larry Fitzgerald vs. Antonio Cromartie

Chris Celletti — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:13:13 -0000

While you wouldn't normally be too concerned about facing a 4-7 team from the west coast, in your building on the east coast, in a 1:00 PM ET kickoff, well you're normally not the New York Jets. No game is easy for the Jets, 4-7 themselves, and despite hosting an Arizona Cardinals team that's currently rocking a seven-game losing streak you can count this one as another tough task. The Jets are likely only playing for pride at this point, and it will be interesting to see how they respond to that fact after getting mutilated at home on Thanksgiving night by the rival New England Patriots.

A main matchup to watch for on Sunday is how Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez does against Arizona's pass defense. Usually a good defense will win you games, and it did in the first quarter of the season for the Cardinals even if it hasn't come to root since. Still, the Cardinals sport one of the league's top pass defenses, they rank 4th in the league in pass yards against per game, allowing their opponents to net only 204 yards a game. Couple that with the fact that Gang Green's passing attack is at bottom five status at an average of only 201 yards, and you can envision this being a tough one for Sanchez and the Jets in the air.

It's an interesting game from that perspective for Sanchez, given that his personal stakes outweigh anything the team might be playing for. Beginning with Sunday's game, Sanchez is not just playing for his status as the Jets starter, he's also likely playing for his status as an NFL starting quarterback for the remainder of his career. If Sanchez flames out down the stretch, there's a good chance he's not the Jets' starter next season, although he'll likely be on the roster given the guaranteed money they Jets owe him. But if he loses his job with the Jets now, who else in the league is going to make him their starter? While the Jets do have some cupcakes on their schedule the rest of the season - including the Cardinals - this won't exactly be a walk in the park for Sanchez. Additionally, his already-thin receiving corps is even thinner, with Clyde Gates out and Chaz Schilens questionable.

The Jets' passing defense has been mostly solid all season, and Arizona probably has the worst quarterback situation in the league at this point. Ryan Lindley will get the start on Sunday, although he still does have a few bigtime weapons, none bigger than Larry Fitzgerald. Antonio Cromartie has played at an All-Pro level all season, which presents an intriguing battle. Cromartie generally does well with bigger receivers, so you'd think the matchup will skew in his favor, but Fitzgerald is unquestionably one of the league's best receivers and can be a nightmare on any day. The matchup between Jets' No. 2 corner Kyle Wilson and Cardinals' receiver Andre Roberts is also worth watching. If the Jets give up some big plays in the passing game, it will make getting their fifth win of the season a lot tougher.

New York Knicks Player Power Rankings: Strugglin' edition, Carmelo Anthony stays on top, Tyson Chandler rises

Chris Celletti — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:54:10 -0000

Gasp! The New York Knicks are losing some games now. This is weird, yet oddly familiar since that's what they've done for most of the past 12 years or so. But this new Knicks team, with their unselfish, neckache-creating ball movement and stifling defense...what happened? Well, since our last edition of our Knicks Player Power Rankings, the Knicks fell to the Dallas Mavericks, were completely blown out by Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets, and lost Round 1 to the rival Brooklyn Nets. Their lone win was against a poor Detroit team at home - but the Knicks remain a respectable 9-4 heading into Wednesday night's tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Before the inevitable HOLY CRAP CAN WE STOP BRANDON JENNINGS ONE TIME!, here are our latest rankings:

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - 'Melo keeps the top spot, where he's been all year, despite having two chances to win games late but failing to do so. Those instances came against the Mavs and Nets, but in both of those games the Knicks are in no position to win at all without Anthony. Against the Nets he showed some grit and toughness, hitting the glass on both ends. And oh right, he kept on scoring, notching 23, 37, 29 and 35 in in last four games.

2. Jason Kidd (Last: 2) - I think it was the Counting Crows who sung "You don't know what you got til it's gone". Wait, that was a remake? Anyway, well, I think the Knicks and their fans already did know the value of Kidd before his absence against the Nets, but anyone who didn't certainly now knows. Without Kidd, the Knicks' offense became incredibly stagnant, and there's a good chance the Knicks beat the Nets if Kidd was out there controlling things in the final stages instead of Raymond Felton. Kidd didn't make the trip to Milwaukee, either.

[D'Antoni: 'I shouldn't have gone to New York']

3. Tyson Chandler (Last: 6) - Chandler made a big jump in this week's rankings, much in part to his big boy performance against the Nets on Monday (28 pts. 10 rebs on 12-of-13 shooting). Also had a nice 21 and 13 performance at his old stomping grounds in Dallas. His defense this year hasn't been as dominant as it was last season, but he was also banged up in preseason so we'll see how he progresses on that side of the ball as the season wears on.

4. J.R. Smith (Last: 3) - Smith has really cooled off since his great start to the season, but he's continued to rebound and play defense well throughout his shooting struggles. He has 17 rebounds in his last two games, including 10 in a double-double performance against Detroit in the Knicks' lone win of our rankings period. Whatever that "Oh I have a 50/50 chance at a layup but I'll dribble back to the 3-point line and try this" thing he did against the Nets needs to never happen again.

5. Raymond Felton (Last: 4) - Like Smith, Felton is hitting a rough patch of his own. I don't think I was alone in not loving the fact that Felton was taking a lot of shots down the stretch against Brooklyn - on designed sets from Mike Woodson - while he was clearly off all game. He finished a ghastly 3-for-19 against the Nets, and it's also worth noting that he was destroyed on the defensive end by Deron Williams (which can happen to anyone). Did put up a solid 14 and 10 asissts with no turnovers against the Pistons, though.

6. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 7) - Should we be concerned that 'Sheed is probably the sixth or seventh best Knick right now? I mean, it IS 2012. Regardless, he's found a niche on this team. Went for 15 against his former mates on the weekend and pulled in 8 boards in 23 minutes against the Nets. Still, would really like to see him shoot just a tad bit less.

7. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 5) - Brewer has settled into the role he's likely to play the rest of the year, one the Knicks probably envisioned when they signed him, which doesn't include the hot shooting he started the season with. Still, Brewer is good for about a three a game. He remains in the starting lineup, but his minutes have diminished a bit.

8. Steve Novak (Last: 10) - Sunday against the Pistons was a return to form for Novak as he hit 5-of-7 threes and dropped 18 points. Although he has struggled to get consistent open looks for most of the season, Novak has done enough on defensively, and his presence on the offensive end warrants minutes. He can still get hot at any time.

9. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 9) - Prigioni didn't play against Dallas and played a combined 39 in the Knicks' last three games. We'd like to see him earn some more meaningful minutes at least until Iman Shumpert returns, because Felton and Kidd need rest.

10. James White (Last: 11) - White played more minutes in our rankings period than Marcus Camby. That's weird. He also got some emergency minutes against the Nets when Brewer left with a hand injury.

11. Kurt Thomas (Last: 12) - Thomas earned a start by default against the Nets when Kidd couldn't play, but he only played eight minutes (did grab two boards in that span!). Has only played in two of the Knicks' last five games.

12. Marcus Camby (Last: 8) - Camby didn't play against Dallas or Houston and just five apiece against Detroit and Brooklyn. Whatever's up with Camby, he needs to get healthy. The Knicks, who have been an awful rebounding team most of the season, are going to need him to be able to play at least 18 minutes a game as the games get more important later in the year.

13. Chris Copeland (Last: 13) - You're gonna have to do more in garbage time, Cope, in order to get out of our rankings basement.

Jets vs. Cardinals, first look: Jets likely playing out the string

Chris Celletti — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:52:34 -0000

After another team-wide, and perhaps franchise-wide, meltdown on Thanksgiving night, the New York Jets are left at 4-7 before we've hit December. It's not exactly where the Jets thought they'd be, not after head coach Rex Ryan declared this 2012 team his most talented and best yet in four seasons as Jets coach.

But reality is reality, and unless the Jets suddenly get hot, start playing consistently and get a ton of help, the Jets will miss the postseason for the second straight year, and will play meaningless games through the rest of December. That's what happens when you're 4-7 and you've been blown out five times, thrice in your own building. And what a way to begin playing out the string than welcoming in the 4-7 Arizona Cardinals!

Those who want a change at quarterback aren't going to get it. Mark Sanchez is starting for the Jets, because Tim Tebow isn't viewed as a better option by this coaching staff, not to mention he has a broken rib. But Tebow will still suit up as the backup quarterback, not the healthy, National Title-winning Greg McElroy, because gosh darnit if Tebow is ruled out then there might be some empty seats! (Note: MetLife Stadium is going to be a morgue on Sunday, regardless.)

Do the Jets play this thing like it matters? Or do they start playing out the string, playing some younger guys and seeing what they have with their youth? Will Ricky Sapp and Demario Davis see the lion's share of the reps at linebacker, or will Bart Scott and Bryan Thomas, guys who will not be on the roster next year, continue to dominate playing time? Will the Jets give the more carries to Bilal Powell or Shonn Greene, the latter being the starter who has proved he's not a starting-caliber back and will likely be gone in the offseason too? With injuries at the already-thin wide receiver position, will Jordan White get some looks?

If the Jets have any brains, they'll start playing some of these young guys on Sunday and play them the rest of the way. Yeah, if the Jets win out, maybe they make the playoffs. But who outside of Florham Park thinks that's happening?

Jets vs. Cardinals - MetLife Stadium

TV: Fox

Kickoff: 1:00 P.M ET

Odds: Jets -4.5, Over/Under 36.5

Knicks-Nets reaction: Rivalry just getting started

Chris Celletti — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:32:31 -0000

If the battle for ownership of New York basketball between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets were a championship prizefight, the Nets would be up on the scorecards after the first round.

The Nets' 96-89 overtime win on Monday over the Knicks at the Barclays Center earned them a 10-9 round. It wasn't a one-sided, 10-8 type round; the Knicks never tasted the canvas, and they certainly were never down for the count. The corner never threw the towel in. Rather, both the Knicks and Nets tasted some leather, had some good exchanges and went back to their corners on their feet. The difference being that the Nets are now sitting on their stool breathing just a bit easier knowing that they're up, ever so slightly.

Rivalries can be created in one game but they can't be decided in one. But when you came to your senses on Tuesday morning, that's exactly what a lot of people want you to believe. Supremacy in New York is now officially up for grabs, or at worst if you're a Knicks fan, owned by the Nets.

Ian O'Connor of ESPN New York wrote in a column on Tuesday morning:

"So the Knicks should be afraid of Brooklyn, very, very afraid. They shouldn't worry so much about getting out of the East, not when there's suddenly a real reason to believe they might not get out of New York."

-via ESPNNewYork.com

With all due respect, Mr. O'Connor, that is simply asinine. What do the Knicks have to be afraid of? So since the Nets beat them on Monday, are no fans going to show up at Madison Square Garden for the rest of the season? For the rest of time, perhaps? Should the Knicks contract, fold up shop and go away forever? Even if the Nets sweep the season series for five straight seasons, are the Knicks simply not going to play the other 78 games on their schedule every year, and quit? Maybe they should just move to Kansas City, because this whole New York thing has clearly run its course.

What makes a good rivalry is that it's never really decided. For the better part of a century, those on the positive side of the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry could laugh at the Sox' futility and scoff, "Ha! Rivalry? What rivalry?" And maybe they had a case. What good was the rivalry if you always knew the Yankees were going to win, the Red Sox going to fail?

Then 2004 happened. And the Red sox won a World Series again in 2007. Finally, Red Sox fans had their moments, their legitimate leg to stand on in the debate. It was a long time coming, but it was bound to happen and now the dynamic of Yankees-Red Sox is forever changed.

Another good example, given geographic circumstances, is the ongoing battle between the New York Giants and New York Jets. Talk about one sided! What "ongoing battle", you moron!?

There's no dispute that the Giants are the better franchise on every level, by a longshot. But if we allow ourselves to rewind right before Christmas Eve of last year, when the 8-6 Jets were slated to host the 7-7 Giants, how could we have said the Giants owned the Jets completely, and that the Jets were the laughingstock of the city? Had the Jets beaten the Giants that day, that would have marked three straight seasons where the Jets made the playoffs and the Giants didn't, three years straight where the Jets were unquestionably the better team in the city. The Giants would have still owned the title count, and the most recent one of course, but their stronghold over the Jets in terms of "ownership" of the city wouldn't have been nearly as strong as it is now, after Victor Cruz's two-way, franchise-changing scamper. What last year's Giants-Jets game proves to us is that rivalries are fluid.

And so while the Nets drew first blood in this brand new turf battle, this thing isn't over. If Knicks-Nets ends up being a truly remarkable rivalry, we'll be sitting in bars, at work, at school and on blogs and social media arguing about it 30 years from now. And beyond. In that time, both teams will have had their successes and failures, both in the league and against each other.

The bell for Round 2 rings on December 11. We'll watch and then we'll argue some more, make more proclamations. Then we'll do it all over again, and again, and again. And when we think it's finally decided, it won't be. It never is.

Knicks Week Ahead: Knicks begin week with Nets showdown in Brooklyn

Chris Celletti — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 01:39:43 -0000

Hurricane Sandy delayed the start of the season for both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets, but on Monday night, the rivalry is finally set to begin. Before the season began, both New York teams had many questions surrounding them. Neither side was believed to be a real threat to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference, and even unseating the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division seemed like a pipe dream. It's very early still, but the Knicks and Nets have both proven that they're to be taken seriously, which makes Monday's rivalry kick-off even that much more exciting.

For the 9-3 Knicks (for both sides for that matter), the game has both tangible and intangible meaning. The Knicks rebounded on Sunday after a tough weekend which included losses on Wednesday and Friday in Dallas and Houston, where the Knicks gave up a combined 245 points, a number that would have made a lot more sense in the Mike D'Antoni regime. The Knicks got back to winning ways on Sunday in a mostly one-sided victory over the Detroit Pistons, but the Nets are sure to provide a stiffer test.

The Nets enter the game at 8-4, and although most of their schedule has been pretty soft, the Nets have posted impressive wins over the Celtics and most recently the Los Angeles Clippers. They have a style and they're sticking to it, and that style under Avery Johnson has been to slow it down. Through 12 games, the Nets are playing at the league's slowest pace, averaging an estimated 88.3 possessions per 48 minutes, a league low. That plays well into the Knicks hands, as Mike Woodson's wide is the league's most offensively efficient team to date (it bears noting that the Nets are fifth in the league as well).

Both teams have stars that they lean heavily on, and for the Knicks it's Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is playing at an MVP-level this season, and recently has put teams away early with killer first quarters and first halves. Against Detroit, the Knicks were able to play their star just 32 minutes, so expect a relatively fresh Anthony on Monday. The Knicks continue to get contributions form up and down their roster, as J.R. Smith continues to fill the stat sheet from game-to-game.

The game is likely to have a playoff atmosphere and the implications will feel bigger than the one out of 82 it truly is. Monday begins a brand new turf war in New York sports, one that will be the most intense intra-city rivalry in all of the major sports. The Giants and Jets play once every four years, and the Giants recent success and Jets' very recent return to poor form has made that "rivalry" - which was always manufcatured - obsolete. If the Giants and Jets' rivalry is a joke, then the Yankees-Mets rivalry is a circus. Once the Islanders move to Brooklyn, their rivalry with the Rangers will be incredibly intense, but that's a few years off.

For the Knicks, it's just one game. For the Nets, it's just one game. But the fact that it's against each other, for the first time. Yeah, it means just a little bit more.

Game time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Jets vs. Patriots analysis: The good, the bad, the ugly

Chris Celletti — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:13:06 -0000

Happy Holidays New York Jets fans!

This team has a history of ruining holidays, and you can add Thanksgiving 2012 to the list after a 49-19 demolition at the hands of the New England Patriots. The Jets are now 4-7 and likely need to win out to avoid missing the playoffs for the second straight season - a feat that actually doesn't seem impossible when you look at the Jets' easy schedule, but then you come back to reality after you closely examine this current team and realize that they probably couldn't win five games in a row if they played in the SEC. At some point, they'd end up beating themselves, which in many ways is what they did to the Patriots. Any time a team hangs nearly 50 on you and you lost by 30, it isn't just that you threw the game away; the Patriots were and are a far better team, and they do deserve credit for their performance. But the Jets essentially handed them 21 points during a 35-point second quarter, putting the game and likely the season away for good.

The Good

While it seems like there should be nothing worthy of going in "The Good" section after that debacle, lets just remember that the score after the first quarter was 0-0. Technically, it was about 7-0, as New England scored the opening touchdown of the game on the first play of the second. But either way it was an even first quarter with the Jets' defense coming up with a few good series to start as Tom Brady looked quite shaky. Actually, now that we've mentioned Brady, we should mention that he actually didn't even play that well. When you simply look at his statline, you'd think I'm crazy, but especially in the first quarter Brady was very inaccurate for his high standards. If the Jets were at all a competent, functioning football team, there's no way this game is a 30-point blowout based on how the Pats' signal caller looked.

Bilal Powell scored another touchdown, his third in the past two weeks, and looked like the Jets' best back again. With the playoffs a total pipe dream and a severe rebuilding on the way this offseason, there is zero reason Powell should not be the starter the rest of the way.

The Bad

Mark Sanchez turned the ball over twice, in key spots, both on terrible mental mistakes. This is what we mean when we say that the Jets handed the Patriots much of this game. After Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal that would have opened the scoring in the first half, Sanchez was intercepted in the red zone when the Jets were ready to take the lead (We won't mention the next turnover in specifics yet, because it deserves to be in the next section of this breakdown). Just another poor game overall for the Jets quarterback, who is now only holding on to his job because his backup, Tim Tebow, is the worst throwing quarterback in the past 50 years in the NFL.

The general non-urgency from the Jets was mystifying, and it's something we saw from them in games earlier in the season where they were also being blown out. Understandably when you fall behind 35-0 in the second quarter, the game is essentially over, but why were the Jets going into full huddles on every possession and running the play clock down to zero on about every play? Why weren't they running hurry-up and no huddle? Totally boggles the mind, and is something I will just never understand.

For instance, the sequence right before halftime was laughable. The Jets go for it on a fourth down inside the red zone with about 30 seconds left and no timeouts. They convert on a pass play, rush up to the line and spike the ball. Then, after an incomplete pass stops the clock with seven seconds left, they bring on the field goal team. Because anytime you can cut that lead from 35 to 32 right before halftime, you have to do it. I mean, really? Why go for it on fourth down, eight yards earlier, only to kick a field goal with no time left? Wouldn't you have just kicked the field goal on fourth down if you were playing for three?

Shane Vereen's 83-yard touchdown reception was like something out of backyard football. How does that happen in the NFL?

The Ugly

Sanchez's fumble in the second quarter that was returned for a touchdown and gave New England a 21-0 lead will be the lasting image of the Jets' 2012 season, and sadly, maybe of Sanchez's NFL career. It was the 2012 version of Bubby Brister's intercepted shovel pass. What makes it worse was that it was apparently Sanchez's fault altogether, going the wrong way to hand the ball off and leaving himself nowhere to go; so naturally, he slides right into his right guard's ass and fumbles the ball without being touched by a Patriots defender. You can't make it up.

Overall, this Jets season is officially beyond repair and this might be the night that it all came crashing down. After another blowout loss (that's five this season, including three on home field for the record), this one on national television to your biggest rival, there's a good chance that this team will look vastly different when it enters training camp in 2013. And it should. In a way, it might be for the best for the Jets to totally tank and finish 5-11 or 6-10, instead of rallying against their weak schedule and finishing respectable. If that happens, the Jets' front office can hide behind the injuries to Santonio Holmes and Darrelle Revis and say "See, we really weren't that far away, and if we had those guys, well..."

Well, no. This team is mediocre on defense, horrifying on offense, terrible on special teams all of a sudden, have mediocre coaches up and down the board, a bad-and-getting-worse General Manager and an owner who oversteps his bounds and has zero football knowledge. A few plays away? A player or two away?

Nope, this thing needs to be gutted.

New York Knicks Player Power Rankings: Carmelo Anthony Keeps Top Spot

Chris Celletti — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 03:09:50 -0000

So it finally happened for the New York Knicks.

What, you thought we were going to concentrate on their first loss of the season? That did happen, yes, but the Knicks also broke a streak in a good way last week, winning in San Antonio for the first time since 2003. While the Knicks were 5-0 heading into the game against the Spurs, many still believed the Knicks to be a bit of a fluke. But a rousing come-from-behind win against a full strength San Antonio squad officially put the league on notice that the Knicks could be considered among the league's top teams. Despite falling to the Memphis Grizzlies the next day, the Knicks rebounded with consecutive wins and are still tied for the lowest amount of losses in the league heading into Wednesday's games.

Here's our third installment of the Knicks' Player Power Rankings:

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - Anthony retains the top spot in our rankings, in large part to his performance in the Knicks' victory over the Spurs, despite scoring just nine points in the game. The Spurs made it a point to shut down Anthony, so he did what basketball fans have been clamoring for him to do his entire career - do everything else well and have an impact without scoring. Anthony had 12 rebounds, three assists, a number of secondary "hockey" assists, and played excellent defense in helping the Knicks to a big win. On Tuesday in New Orleans, he got back to his usual ways, going off for 23 points in the first half of a Knicks' blowout win.

2. Jason Kidd (Last: 4) - Kidd's performance in fourth quarters have been second to none, and against the Spurs Kidd hit a number of big shots that helped spark the comeback. His defense continues to be spectacular and his ball movement infectious. He's averaging just under 25 minutes per game, which is a perfect amount to keep him effective yet fit the entire season.

3. J.R. Smith (Last: 2) - Just like Kidd's fourth quarter performance in San Antonio, Smith's third quarter one was paramount, as the Knicks probably don't win the game without their sixth man's 13-point explosion in the third frame. Smith also hit the go-ahead three pointer that night, the biggest shot of his Knicks' career so far. In the four games the Knicks' played since our last rankings, Smith hauled in 22 rebounds.

4. Raymond Felton (Last: 3) - After the Knicks beat the Spurs, I wondered to myself what the narrative would have been had Jeremy Lin had the game that Felton had that night - 25 points, 7 assists in a huge comeback road win over one of the league's best teams while Carmelo Anthony only scored nine points. Something tells me it would have read like "This should be Lin's team", or something to that effect. If Felton just keeps playing his game (admittedly we are getting ahead of ourselves here), the Knicks are going to have made the right move at the point guard position.

5. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 6) - Brewer has been amazingly consistent and solid on offense all year, and kept it up in the Knicks' last four games, making 13 of 25 shots to continue his surprising start to the year. On Sunday in an ugly win over the Pacers, Brewer was +17 in just 23 minutes. Against New Orleans on Tuesday, he hit two more three pointers, and is shooting 42% from beyond the arc so far this season.

6. Tyson Chandler (Last: 7) - Chandler has been a bit disappointing offensively this season - not that his numbers are too bad, but that it feels like he's been a bit underused. Chandler and Raymond Felton have become a very good pick and roll tandem, but Chandler only had seven points in each of the Knicks' last three games.

7. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 10) - It was a nice bounce back week for 'Sheed, hitting double figures in points against the Spurs and Grizzlies and hauling in 14 combined rebounds against the Pacers and Hornets. Personally, I still believe that Marcus Camby should be ahead of 'Sheed on the depth chart, and likely will be when he's totally healthy, but Wallace has carved out a niche on this team regardless.

8. Marcus Camby (Last: 9) - Camby didn't play against the Spurs or Grizzlies as he continues to round into shape. But when he did play this week? In 23 minutes, he hauled in eight rebounds and blocked two shots. That would make for some great per-36 minute numbers!

9. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 7) - It was a pretty rough week for everyone's favorite Argentine. In the last four games, Prigioni was just 2-of-8 for four points. In his 13 minutes against the Hornets, he turned it over three times. As expected, the 35-year-old rookie seems to be in the middle of a rough patch.

10. Steve Novak (Last: 8) - Novak sandwiched a solid performance against Indiana in between some pretty poor ones. When Novak's shot isn't falling, there's just not much of a reason to have him out there, even though he's been pretty solid on the defensive end. In the last four games, Novak went just 9-of-31 from downtown. In other news, the Mayans were right.

11. James White (Last: 13) - White actually got some third quarter minutes against the Hornets, and logged 15 total in that blowout, scoring seven points and grabbing four boards, and throwing down a dunk! Finally!

12. Kurt Thomas (Last: 11) - Thomas only played in the Knicks' loss to the Grizzlies, logging nine minutes and registering four rebounds. I selfishly would like to see him get some more time, but there are only so many minutes to go around.

13. Chris Copeland (Last: 12) - Played just eight total minutes in the last four games. Seems to have fallen behind White in the battle between the last guys on the bench.

Jets vs. Rams analysis: The good, the bad, the ugly

Chris Celletti — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:44:10 -0000

A win! It had been 35 days since the Jets' last one, but New York is 4-6 after a one-sided 27-13 win over the St. Louis Rams. It's a short week with the Jets hosting the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night in a suddenly crucial and exciting game, but let's put a cap on Sunday's victory before we move forward.

[Muhammad Wilkerson unsung hero | Mark Sanchez 'sharp' in victory]

The Good

While his stat line isn't going to make anyone go crazy, Mark Sanchez played one his best games in a long time. Given his struggles and career-long ball security issues, it's pleasantly surprising when Sanchez plays a mistake-free game as he did on Sunday. He was accurate, efficient and in command all day long. His already high completion percentage would have been even better if not for a few (predictable, at this point) drops. When I was watching this game, I thought to myself that Sanchez's performance was very Chad Pennington-like. While Sanchez doesn't have the intelligence and accuracy that Pennington did, that wouldn't be a bad guy for Sanchez to emulate going forward given how he's played most of this season and last.

Bilal Powell had 42 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, again having a higher yards-per-carry than starter Shonn Greene. Particularly Powell's second touchdown, a six yard draw on third down, was a run I don't believe Greene converts for a score. While Powell isn't likely a starter in the league, he's more aggressive, more athletic and has better vision than Greene. Thinking progressively, it may not be a bad idea to make Powell the starter the rest of the season to see what you've got with him. We already know what Greene is (hint: not a starting-level back).

The Jets' defense played one of their best games of the season, causing three turnovers. Most impressively was that the Jets applied pressure on the quarterback for the second straight week. They only had one sack of Sam Bradford, but they were in his face all day. Muhammad Wilkerson is quietly putting together a very, very good second season, and is beginning to validate his first round pick status. As is Quinton Coples, who is rightly getting more playing time. There's really no reason Coples shouldn't play almost every snap the rest of the way.

Oh Brian Schottenheimer, how we've missed you! It was refreshing to see you throw 44 times against a good pass defense and totally ignore your running back who was averaging over six yards per carry. What brilliant memories returned when we saw Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson run four yard out patterns so close to each other that they could have been holding hands the whole time. Have fun with that, St. Louis.

[Complete Jets-Rams StoryStream]

The Bad

Real quickly on this whole Bart Scott media ban and what not. Some reports made it seem like it was a legitimate thing, others said it was a joke. Either way, can Bart Scott just please shut up? Thanks. Plus he's so slow that he got caught by Matthew Mulligan at the 20 yard line after scooping up a fumble with nobody to beat to the end zone. Matthew Mulligan! Probably a surefire sign that you should start negotiating your contract with the NFL network or WWE now Bart, before it's too late.

When I see Tim Tebow go for negative six total yards on five plays, the thought that comes to mind TOTALLY is "The Jets really need to use this guy more, if not make him the starting quarterback."

The Ugly

What has happened to the Jets' special teams? The usually ultra-reliable unit has been awful this season, and the futility continued on Sunday with another blocked field goal and another long kick return against. Folk also missed a makeable field goal late in the game, but its hard to get on him since he has had a great season. But in general the Jets' special teams has been a disaster this season, and to have another field goal blocked is inexcusable.

In summation, nobody is going to throw a parade for the Jets beating the Rams, but a win is a win and the Jets need 'em. If they somehow find a way to beat the Patriots on Thursday, only then can they start thinking about making any late season run towards the postseason. The biggest takeaway from this game is that when the Jets' defense plays well and Sanchez takes care of the ball, the Jets aren't half bad. But bad teams are inconsistent, as the Jets have been all season. It remains to be seen whether they can bottle up Sunday's performance and have it for the rest of the season.

Jets vs. Rams recap: Jets snap losing streak, beat Rams 27-13

Chris Celletti — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:31:57 -0000

The New York Jets kept their razor-thin playoff hopes alive with a dominant 27-13 road victory over the St Louis Rams to move to 4-6 on the season. Quarterback Mark Sanchez played one of his more solid games of the season, completing 15 of his 20 passes for 178 yards and threw for the Jets' first offensive touchdown in more than two full games when he connected with Chaz Schilens on a 25-yard score in the second quarter. Bilal Powell scored the first two touchdowns of his career, helping a Jets' rushing attack then went for 124 yards.

The Jets' defense, facing a Rams offense coached by New York's former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, stifled the Rams all day. They held Sam Bradford to 170 yards on 44 attempts, putting consistent pressure on the signal caller all day. New York forced three turnovers, one interception of Bradford by Eric Smith in the second quarter, and two fumbles, one by Bradford.

Although the final score was lopsided, it took the Jets a bit of a while to get going, and for a while it seemed like the same old story of the 2012 season. St. Louis went on top, 7-0, driving down the field with relative ease late in the first quarter, as Bradford hooked up with Brandon Gibson on a one-yard touchdown on a fourth down. Then, after Smith's interception, Nick Folk had a field goal blocked for the second time this season.

But it was Sanchez's big play to Schilens that turned the game around, and it's been a long time coming. The Jets' embattled quarterback has played poorly all season and with the media firestorm surrounding his backup, Tim Tebow (who had -6 total yards on the day), Sanchez needed a good game more than anyone else. He certainly stepped it up on Sunday against the Rams, even if his final stat line isn't going to jump out. If Sanchez can play that type of efficient, mistake-free game from here on out, he'll quell any questions about the starting job being his.

Next up for the 4-6 Jets is a Thanksgiving night showdown with the 7-3 division-rival New England Patriots.

Still unbeaten, New York Knicks face another big test with Memphis Grizzlies

Chris Celletti — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:50:48 -0000

The New York Knicks passed a big test last night with a rousing, comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs, but there's no time to celebrate. The NBA's lone unbeaten team once again will be put to the test on Friday as they meet up with another of the West's top sides, the Memphis Grizzlies.

A lot of sports fans and media talk about "statement games", and whether or not you believe in them, there's no question that the Knicks' win on Thursday said something about their depth, experience and leadership. While in past years when Carmelo Anthony may have let a poor shooting game affect his mood, a renewed Anthony played one of his best overall games since coming to the Knicks despite making just three shots and scoring nine points. Anthony had 12 rebounds, played solid defense and had three assists - not including the many "hockey assists" he had. On Friday, Anthony will have another tough test on both sides of the floor, as he'll be matched up with Zach Randolph for most of the night. Anthony may have to eschew his offense for another night, something he's proven is possible even if it doesn't often happen.

[Related: Knicks are doing everything right]

The Knicks aren't 6-0 without the spectacular and steady play of their back court. Raymond Felton had made teams pay for making him beat them, and Jason Kidd has been critical in fourth quarters all season, none bigger than Thursday. J.R. Smith continues to provide offense off the bench, and he's coming off hitting probably the most clutch shot of his career with the go-ahead 3-pointer last night.

The Knicks may be pretty gassed after last night. That would be acceptable for any team, let alone the league's oldest team. Even with a week's worth of rest, the task of shutting down Randolph, Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay is a tough one.

But the days of simply stating that the Knicks are "off to a hot start" are over. The league must now recognize that the Knicks are a very good basketball team, one of the league's best. That will remain true whether they're 7-0 or 6-1 on Saturday morning.

Jets vs. Rams, key matchup: Jets vs. themselves

Chris Celletti — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 04:17:51 -0000

While Tim Tebow, unnamed sources, named sources, Woody Johnson, Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan have been all the headlines surrounding the New York Jets this week, they're still a football team. They're a 3-6 football team, with seven games left, and a game this Sunday. Losers of three straight, the Jets head back to the road to take on the St. Louis Rams.

In the spirit of this week's coverage of the Jets, we're going to use this space to point out that the Jets' toughest opponents on Sunday may be themselves. Their season appears to be crashing down. Depending on who you believe, they're a fractured locker room who is on the verge of totally breaking apart for the second straight year - this season a lot earlier on than last. On Sunday in the Rams, the Jets have an opponent who isn't much better than them, if they're better at all. The Rams are a very beatable team, even for the Jets. But do they believe that?

It helps in every game, in every sport for that matter, to get off to a good start. For some teams it matters more, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a team that needs a good start in a specific game than the Jets do on Sunday. What happens if the Jets go down 7-0 right away? What if the offense goes three-and-out on the game's opening drive. What if - the worst case scenario - Sanchez throws an interception on the opening drive? If the Jets don't jump out to a lead on Sunday, how they react will be very telling as to if they're really as fractured and screwed up as they seem.

The Jets are rightfully underdogs. There aren't too many teams that they would deserve to be favored over at this point. But the NFL is a league in which every week most of the games are close. The Jets, however, have been getting blown out quite consistently this season. With the games just about meaningless in terms of playoff contention, will the Jets show a little fight?

If they won't do it for the team's dismally-faint playoff hopes, well, they should all be playing for their jobs at this point. Maybe that's the motivation Sanchez, Ryan and the rest of the team needs.

Tim Tebow Leak: Tomlinson points at Bart Scott, Antonio Cromartie - SB Nation New York

Tim Tebow: 'Terrible' Tebow turned on by teammates - SB Nation New York

Tim Tebow reaction: If he is 'terrible,' what are the Jets? - SB Nation New York

Some Possible General Manager Candidates - Gang Green Nation

A Silver Lining in Mark Sanchez's Clouds? - Gang Green Nation

New York Knicks Player Power Rankings: Still perfect edition

Chris Celletti — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 03:29:03 -0000

Thanks to the New York Knicks' somewhat wacky schedule, the team has only played two games since we shared our first installment of the Knicks Player Power Rankings. But still, the Knicks are the league's only unbeaten team, registering wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic to improve to 5-0. The Knicks have been wildly consistent in their five victories. Carmelo Anthony has been their leading scorer in every game, they've won all five by double digits and they've yet to yield 90 points to their opponent. Only on Tuesday against the Magic have they ever trailed in the fourth quarter.

A stern test awaits as the Knicks close the week with road games against the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies before a Sunday home tilt with the Indiana Pacers before hitting the road again. While we only have two games to work off of, here's this week's installment:

1. Carmelo Anthony (Last: 1) - Anthony continues to score consistently and has been doing so in a pretty efficient way. And in Tuesday's win against the Magic, Anthony did what he does better than almost anyone else in the league and what makes him so valuable to these Knicks: he closed. Anthony hit big shots down the stretch, helping propel the Knicks in an 18-4 run that put the game away. He also continues to rebound and play defense well enough.

2. J.R. Smith (Last: 3) - In his last two games, Smith has 22 and 21 points, shooting 17-of-30 from the field. You can make a case that the first five games of this season has been the best, most well-rounded basketball Smith has ever played. The Knicks don't beat the Magic on Tuesday if not for Smith's great third quarter where he single-handedly kept them in the game with instant offense and possession-stealing plays on defense.

3. Raymond Felton (Last: 6) - Felton's last two games showed his versatility. Against the Mavericks he wasn't asked to score, but dished out a season-high nine assists. But on Tuesday the Magic decided to try and make Felton beat them, and he often did. When Felton's jumper is working like it was on Tuesday, he's tough to stop since he's very good in the pick-and-roll. Orlando tried going under screens on him and forcing him to shoot, and he made them pay. For whatever reason, Felton just has it going when he dons the Orange and Blue.

4. Jason Kidd (Last: 2) - As long as the Knicks keep winning, you're going to find Kidd in the Top 5 or so in these rankings, despite what his stats say. He's the rare basketball player where stats just don't even begin to scratch the surface of his importance. On Tuesday against the Magic, Kidd's defense in the fourth quarter was a big reason the Knicks only gave up 13 points in the final frame. His traps and double teams are second to none. It's been a long time since the Knicks have had a player this consistently intelligent on the floor.

5. Tyson Chandler (Last: 7) - The Knicks' center still doesn't seem totally right - he needed three alley-oops from Felton on Tuesday to finally convert one - but he remains rock-solid in the defensive paint. Expect his rebounds per game of 7.5 to start spiking soon.

6. Ronnie Brewer (Last: 4) - Brewer struggled a bit on Tuesday against the Magic, as he was pulled by Mike Woodson in favor of Smith early in the third and didn't return, logging only 17 minutes. But he played a very good all around game against the Mavericks last week, finishing with 13 points, 8 rebounds and was a team-high +19.

7. Pablo Prigioni (Last: 8) - Like Brewer, Prigioni found himself on the bench for the second half against Orlando as Woodson appeared to shorten the bench in what was the Knicks' closest game thus far. He's played just 17 total minutes the past two games, but did provide a little but of offense in the first half on Tuesday against the Magic. When Iman Shumpert comes back, there's a good chance Prigioni's role will be even further diminished.

8. Steve Novak (Last: 9) - On Tuesday when the Knicks were struggling offensively, I felt like it was a perfect game for Novak to shine in, but the Knicks haven't been able to get him too many good looks recently. He's obviously one-dimensional, but has done enough on defense that he's not totally useless when not knocking down threes; he was quite good defensively on Tuesday vs. Orlando.

9. Marcus Camby (Last: NR) - In the 12 minutes he's played in the last two games since coming back from injury, Camby has been more effective than Rasheed Wallace. That's not much of an accomplishment given the way Sheed has played recently. Camby really should get the lion's share of the backup center minutes when he's totally healthy, not Wallace.

10. Rasheed Wallace (Last: 5) - Well, that was fun while it lasted. Wallace has missed his last 12 three point attempts. He should simply be a garbage time guy.

11. Kurt Thomas (Last: 9) - The minutes Wallace has gotten the past two games should be going to Thomas. At the very least he'll stay in the paint and not wander out to the three point line.

12. Chris Copeland (Last: 11) - Did not play since last ranking.

13. James White (Last: 12) - Did not play since last ranking.

Knicks-Magic recap: Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith lead Knicks to 5-0 record with 99-89 victory over Magic

Chris Celletti — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 01:19:50 -0000

It took three-plus quarters for the New York Knick's defense to show up, but New York was able to pull away late from the pesky Orlando Magic and improve to 5-0 on the season with a 99-89 victory. Carmelo Anthony had a big fourth quarter, hitting key baskets late and sparking a 12-2 run that put the game away, finishing with a team-high 25 points and eight rebounds. The Knicks allowed just 13 fourth quarter points, a respite from the first three quarters where the Magic gave the Knicks fits.

The first half was one of alternating runs. The Knicks trailed by five early, only to flip things around and take a ten point lead at 35-25 just over two minutes into the second quarter. But the Knicks' usually staunch defense softened, with the Magic erasing the lead quickly and eventually lapping New York - taking a 51-47 lead into the break. The Magic, entering the game as the lowest scoring team in the NBA, shot an uncharacteristically-high 49% in the opening half, getting a big contribution from New York native Moe Harkless who scored 10 points before the halfway point.

For the first time this season, the Knicks - namely Anthony - were visibly frustrated. In the first half, Anthony was complaining to the officials quite a bit, threw his hands up in disgust after he wasn't fed on a post-up, and was given his third technical foul of the season.

J.R. Smith gave the Knicks a much needed boost at the beginning of the third. The Knicks' sixth man came on early in the half, replacing Ronnie Brewer, and quickly scored 11 points, drew a charge and picked off an errant Magic pass. Smith's versatility kept the still-sluggish Knicks in the game throughout the third quarter, staking them to a one-point lead heading into their dominant fourth quarter. Overall, Smith finished with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

New York is now 5-0 for just the third time in their history. The other two times they were 5-0, they made it to the NBA Finals. Nobody thinks that this team's hot start means they're going to end up there, but there have been plenty of consistent positives (defense, ball security, the efficiency of Smith and Anthony) through this opening that it's hard to dismiss this as just a hot start.

Tougher tests are to come, with the Knicks staying on the road Thursday in San Antonio against the Spurs and on Friday at the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jets vs. Rams first look: Sinking Jets looking for lifeline

Chris Celletti — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:03:19 -0000

When the New York Jets visit the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, they'll be looking across the field at a man who became the scapegoat for the team's 2011 meltdown. Rams Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer led the Jets' offense for six seasons before the team let him go last offseason in hopes that their offense would turn around and that their quarterback Mark Sanchez would take the expected leap with new leadership. Tony Sparano took over, but the results have been the same - if not markedly worse.

The Schottenheimer storyline is an interesting caveat in this game, a needed one given that there isn't much left to play for for either the Jets or the Rams. The Jets have dropped three straight and are 3-6, with a statistical chance of making the playoffs just north of one percent. The Rams, aren't faring much better, only a rare tie last week with the San Francisco 49ers gives them an edge record-wise over the Jets at 3-5-1. St Louis' offense isn't much better than the Jets' ranking 24th overall in the league. So while this season has shown that Schottenheimer wasn't fully to blame for the Jets' offensive woes the past few years, he hasn't exactly lit it up in The Lou.

Rex Ryan has remained steadfast in his support of embattled starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. That might be more of an indictment on Sanchez's backup, Tim Tebow, who the coaching staff clearly does not believe is better than the incumbent. Sanchez certainly has played poorly enough this season to merit a benching, but that's only if the other option was clearly better. For all the hoopla and popularity of Tebow, the thought that he'd turn the Jets around and make them truly better is misguided. So once again it will be Sanchez, for now.

At this point, most of the Jets' players and coaches are really playing for their jobs. A win against a lowly Rams side isn't going to do much in terms of keeping the Jets' scant playoff hopes alive, or rally the team to a point where they'll be ready to go on a roll. You never want to play six meaningless games in a season, but chances are the Jets are already there. The real show is probably the ever-evolving battle at quarterback and whether Sanchez can hold on t his job, not only this season, but beyond.