Hey Gang Green Nation, you may recall my work on the site last year as a staff writer. Well, John B kindly invited me back to give my opinion about the Jets today, which I was extremely excited about. Even though it's only temporary, I just want to thank John and the great fellas at GGN for inviting me back! If you're wondering where I've been, I'm currently finishing up my last year of college at Elon University and still running my personal Jets blog, the Jersey Jets Fan. But without anything further, I'll start my guest post.

What we learned in Jets vs Chargers:

• Plaxico Burress is slowly getting his grove back, as clearly evidenced by his three touchdown performance this week. It was an incredible display of skill in the red-zone for Plaxico, where he was able to utilize both fade and slant routes for TD's. While massive games like this may be a rare occasion for Plaxico in the future, the threat of another day like the Chargers experienced will likely open up the field for other Jets in the red-zone (Dustin Keller, Jeremy Kerley, etc). 
• I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Jets win and lose on the shoulder of Mark Sanchez. If Mark Sanchez can play well, we usually win the game. When Mark Sanchez looks like a rookie, we usually get embarrassed. Against the Chargers, Sanchez had a 3 TD day with only 1 interception, a solid ratio that will usually lead to a Jets victory. It surely helped that pass blocking was much improved, but Mark's overall decision making was pretty solid. Some Mark Sanchez and Jets haters out there may pronounce the QB to be awful and below-average, but if you actually watch Mark throughout an entire season, you can clearly see he is a winner even with his back against the wall. 
• Kyle Wilson is vastly improved from his rookie campaign, in my opinion at least. Yes, his interception was huge and certainly helped the Jets on their road to victory, but it's not just that. Kyle Wilson seems to be getting burned much less than he used to and Wilson is proving to be a solid tackler in the open field. Have the Jets finally found their 3rd corner-back with Kyle? It certainly appears so. Heck, he might even be better than Antonio Cromartie at times, although it's debatable. 
• Rex Ryan is going to be Rex Ryan, whether you like it or not. The media was up in arms when Rex spoke about Norv Turner and the Chargers during the week, but what did you really expect. The great thing about Rex Ryan is you always know what to expect, a brash coach who isn't afraid to speak his mind. If you don't like it, go root for another team I suppose? 
• Shonn Greene can run and run well, when he has the blocking to do so. This week against the San Diego Chargers, Shonn ran hard and with purpose. He broke multiple tackles and extended runs due to his toughness. There is a lot of debate as to whether Greene is a full-time #1 running back in the NFL and I believe he may be proving his case right, starting last week. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a string of 100+ yard games for Shonn. 
Well, I hope you all enjoyed my post. Like I said, it's great to be back on Gang Green Nation and thanks to John for the awesome guest post opportunity. Until next time, take it easy GGN and it was a pleasure to write for you again.

-Rob

Hey GGN,

As some of you might have heard, I'm no longer a Staff Writer here at GGN. I'm currently in my junior year at college in North Carolina and school became a little overbearing combined with blogging. My time as a Staff Writer for GGN was incredible and I'd like to personally thank both John B and Matt Birch for taking me in and teaching me everything. John is an excellent writer and maintains the finest Jets blog on the internet in my opinion.

I'll definitely be in the fan section here at GGN, right where I started this whole journey, which is the most interactive Jets group out there. Thanks to all of you readers for your support and encouragement, you guys are awesome.

Enough of my personal ramblings however, this off season has been about as boring as it can get. In comparison to last year in which we acquired Antonio Cromartie, Santonio Holmes, Jason Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson, we can all basically sleep through this one. Wake me up when the draft comes/lockout ends? Basically all we have had to look forward to as fans is the draft, and even that doesn't exactly bring consolation because we don't even have the certainty of a season next year. Let's all hope the billionaires vs millionaires battle ends soon so we can go back to the normalcy that is the AFC Championship game.

Lets get a ring this year,

Rob aka the Jersey Jets Fan

mortreport Chris Mortensen

Chad Pennington can't catch a break, needs ACL surgery after injury in pick-up basketball game. 

And the hits just keep on coming for Ex-Jets QB Chad Pennington. After re-injuring his shoulder in his first game action this past season, he has torn his ACL playing basketball. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Chad after his time in NY and I hate to see him end up like this. He needs to hang up the cleats and pick up coaching.

Wish you all the best Chad, hope your knee heals well. Now let the debate begin about off-season activities such as basketball, soccer, etc....

I am truly blown away right now.. If you haven't heard the news, Tiki Barber is coming out of retirement to play again in the NFL. The Giants have the rights to Tiki but they will not retain those rights, allowing Tiki to go where he pleases. Tiki retired after the 2006 season, the year before the Giants incredible Superbowl run that even now seems like so long ago. Like I said before, my mind is blown that he is coming back, I'm guessing that divorce got pretty expensive though..

Speculation has him playing in Tampa Bay with his brother, Ronde, possibly in Denver with John Fox, or maybe in New Orleans with Sean Payton. But could he wind up with the Jets? Would you fans want to pursue him?

ABSOLUTELY NOT... Just figured I'd rile up some of your feathers by even posing the question. Sound off in the comments at the ridiculousness of Tiki "Brett Favrin' it".

Per Adam Schefter's Twitter:

Jets LB David Harris signed his franchise tender tonight - 3rd player today to do so. Harris' number projects bw $10.1 and $10.5 million. -Adam Schefter

Congratulations to David Harris, as this is money well deserved in my opinion. He is an incredible run stuffer who gets the job done and didn't whine last season when everyone else wanted a deal done. Harris waited his turn and it looks like it will pay off handsomely.

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

#Jets hire Bill Hughan to replace much maligned strength & conditioning coach Sal Alosi. http://nydn.us/idIAbc 

An interesting point was raised after Hughan was hired today.. With the way the CBA deal is progressing (or lack thereof), the Jets aren't going to be having any workouts nor will we have a need for a strength and conditioning coach.

Man, I hope a deal gets done..

Mark Sanchez will not have to undergo surgery on his shoulder. - @nyjets

Big news came out quietly last night on the New York Jets official Twitter account as you can see above. Mark Sanchez will not be needing offseason surgery to repair his throwing shoulder that he hurt in the regular season matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is pretty huge in my books as I see the durability of Mark Sanchez becoming the determining factor in the success of the Jets for the near future. With some rest and rehabilitation, our QB should be 100% by camp..

For some reason, the good people over at Bing.com continually over-estimate my importance to the internet and send me some pretty cool information. Today I was contacted by a representative of the search engine with some of the top NFL search results and information from this season. I figured it was interesting enough to share and maybe it'll give some of you Jets fans a good laugh.

The Jets highlights include:

Mark Sanchez- 4th Best looking player in the NFL

NY Jets- 2nd Best tailgating city/team in the NFL

Check out the rest of the results after the jump..

Continue reading this post »

Well, I returned from Asia this Sunday and was immediately greeted with a crushing Jets defeat. I'm glad to be back in the best country in the world, but still depressed that the Jets were once again, so close, yet so far from the ultimate goal. The 2010-11 season was almost an all or nothing season for the Jets as they went out and signed multiple players with questionable backgrounds, expiring and aging NFL careers, etc. The all or nothing attitude rolled us into the AFC Championship once again with the same result as last year, even with all the free agent acquisitions. It's no doubt that this years Jets roster and next years will look very different, as the team will not be able to retain some major stars, but I do believe there will be one constant who will benefit the team for years to come.. His name? Well, you saw the title of the article right?

It's Mark Sanchez. I along with 98% of Jets nation this preseason singled Sanchez out to be essentially the only weak spot on the team. Well, there were plenty of weak spots on the Jets this year, but for most of the season spare a few games, Mark Sanchez wasn't one of them. The improvement Sanchez made from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign was astronomical. His decision making, accuracy and efficiency all improved greatly. Most of all, Sanchez proved that he is a gamer and a leader, something the Jets have lacked in a QB for years.

If you need further proof, just take a quick look at the stats of Sanchez and his jump in progress.

After watching this season, I firmly believe that we have found our QB of the future. We were one drive away last week from Sanchez becoming a legend of massive proportion in New York forever, and I know he can take us back to the promised land. It might be a bold statement but I believe Mark Sanchez will eventually win a Super Bowl(s) and dethrone Joe Namath as the best Jets QB in history.

...Now if we could just do something about that offensive coordinator huh?

It's been no secret, Joe McKnight got off to a rough start to his NFL career. He came into camp terribly out of shape and was puking his brains out during mini-camp, etc etc. However since then, Joe McKnight has quietly been contributing on special teams and making a name for himself. He has been active and successful in punt coverage, exceeding my own expectations and that of many other Jets fans. 

Today, he was given his first legitimate shot as the Jets #1 RB and he did not disappoint. After running for 158 yards with no scores, you have to feel happy for the kid. I suppose today was Joe McKnight's NFL coming out party and it was a great one. McKnight ran hard and hit the hole with power, unlike many other times during his college and pro career. I was extremely pleased with Joe's efforts, granted it was against one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

I don't want to jump the gun, but it looks like McKnight has some potential to develop into a solid 3rd down running back. Learning under LaDainian Tomlinson could work wonders for a young kid with so much potential and talent. Let's all hope that McKnight continues to develop and exceed expectations, and who knows, maybe we found a gem. 

PS: If you didn't know, I'm a 20 year old college student. I will be heading to the Philippines and China for the next 3 weeks on a study abroad trip, therefore I will most likely be missing the playoffs. Missing the playoffs also means I will not be blogging for the time I am gone. Just want to wish you all a happy New Year and a Jets Super Bowl. I return on January 24th so hopefully the Jets will still be in the mix at that point. Pray that I find a sports bar in the Philippines for me! Have a good one.

- Rob

I'm curious as to what you fans think about the Jets and their upcoming run at the Super Bowl. While I'm not disappointed in this team, I can honestly say my expectations aren't sky high. I'm not hopping on the "Same Old Jets" bandwagon of misery, but I'll venture to say that this Jets team isn't as good as hyped up to be by Rex Ryan, especially on defense.

The offense is what I thought it was going to be, a talented group of players with a QB that sometimes holds them back and other times powers the team to a win. The defense however is falling apart. It could be the opposing teams growing familiar with Rex Ryan's scheme or it could be the lack of players designed to fit the scheme, either way this defense is shaky at best. Especially after the loss of Jim Leonhard, the Jets ability this year in coverage is severely lacking.

All in all, I'm cautiously optimistic about the Jets post season chance for success. Our offense seems to be pulling it together and it appears Shottenheimer has improved his play calling. However, the defense which was supposed to be the corner-stone of this franchise is turning into the weak link. This Jets team will go as far as the defense and Mark Sanchez can take us.

Lets hear your expectations in the comments!

-Rob

Our friend Manish Mehta at NY Daily News has just reported that Mark Sanchez has torn cartilage in his right shoulder. You can read Manish's article HERE.

Sanchez has stated he will definitely be playing against the Bears on Sunday, but it is unclear how much the injury will effect him. One thing to take into account though is that he suffered the injury in the 1st quarter against the Steelers and played well afterward. Sanchez is a tough kid, he'll suck it up. Let's just hope that he can finish out the rest of the season/playoffs without a significant drop in his play because I can't see the Jets doing anything with Brunell at the helm. This is certainly unfortunate news and a huge cause for concern as the season goes on.

-Rob

In a yesterday's game, the Jets largely won the battle for field position. Most of this was due to excellent punts from Steve Weatherford. On multiple occasions Steve pinned the Steelers deep in their own territory inside the 10 yard line. While the Steelers did sustain drives of over 90 yards because of the Jets defensive inabilities, Steve's punts also resulted in a game changing safety. Without the safety, the Steelers would have been able to send the game into OT with simply a field goal.

If you haven't looked at the stats sheet yesterday, Drew Coleman recorded 10 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Those are some pretty incredible stats and it goes to a player who often times goes unnoticed. If a bigger star recorded these numbers, ESPN would probably be talking about it today.

Wayne Hunter filled in for Damien Woody and he did it well. The Jets offensive line allowed a whooping ZERO sacks to the daunting Pittsburgh defense. The offensive line in general was a huge difference maker in this game. When looking back at the Miami game to yesterday's game, there was a huge improvement. Sanchez was on his butt for half of the Miami game, but when the Jets gave him time against Pitt, he proved he can make smart decisions.

I don't know if Brad Smith can necessarily go as unsung, but he is damn good. Rex Ryan was right yesterday, Smith absolutely does deserve a spot in the Pro-Bowl for his special teams efforts this season. He is a terrific player that always manages to give the Jets a spark in a variety of ways.

-Rob

So take the poll below and let Gang Green Nation know who you think the Unsung Hero of Jets vs Steelers was!

Apparently this game has boosted Rex's playoff hopes as it has mine as well. If you didn't capture the post game handshake between Rex and Tomlin, the two exchanged some kind words as they look forward to a future post season match-up:

-Video via Barstool NY

My heart is still pounding from that win. The Jets never cease to amaze me. It's a roller coaster ride every week of the season. We may very well end up playing the Pittsburgh Steelers again during the playoffs, and this win definitely gave the Jets the confidence they needed to make a playoff run. There are two huge games left that could put the Jets in an excellent spot to make a Super Bowl run. There are some concerns that went along with this game but I got what I wanted for Christmas, a Jets win. Merry Christmas Jets fans, merry fricking Christmas!

-Rob

I'll admit, after the past two losses I've acted a little bit like the world was coming to an end. It's not end though, and neither is the Jets season. At 9-4 this team is still very much alive. Granted we have difficult games approaching against some pretty stout opponents, but we didn't make it to 9 wins from pixy dust.

People are acting this week like we are going to get romped in Pittsburgh. Yes, they have a pretty solid defense but there are exploitable holes. Trying to run against the Steelers is kind of like trying to run through a brick wall, it just doesn't work. However, passing against the Steelers isn't nearly as difficult as people try to make it seem. The Steelers got ripped apart by Tom Brady and the Pats for 39 points and they should have lost to the Bills if God didn't do Stevie Johnson wrong all the time. If we spread the Steelers out, we can exploit the huge holes they have in their secondary. Santonio, Braylon and Dustin Keller all provide match-up problems that the Jets can use to their advantage.

I don't know if anyone has been paying attention either. But the Steelers offense has been playing as bad as the Jets offense lately. The only difference is the Steelers defense has been putting points on the board and the Jets hasn't. We really do have a shot at beating the Steelers right now. Heath Miller is out, Polamalu is out and those are two huge blows for Pitt.

You gotta believe Jets fans...

-Rob

On the Jersey Jets Fan today, I wrote an article asking fans whether they felt Rex Ryan was on the Hot Seat. It seems like the positive feelings about this season are disappearing faster then anyone thought possible. Yet, it is almost comical when you look at the record because the Jets are still 9-4!

Something that has been bothering me (and I'm sure many of you fans as well) is not that the Jets have lost 4 ball games, its the way they have lost. We knew going into this season that we were ultimately going to lose a few games, but who would have thought our offense would look so inept in those games? We haven't scored a TD in each of the 4 loses! That is just absolutely unreal. Watching other football games when teams put up 4,5 even 6 TD's, and we can't even find the end-zone once is about as frustrating as it gets. 

Perhaps if we lost 4 nailbiters or at least games where we showed encouraging signs, the loses wouldn't have felt so bad. But each loss is getting worse then the next. The Jets offense has shown absolutely zero fight in any of the loses and it's almost silly to think that Brian Shottenheimer deserves a job next year. Granted I'm one of the chief "Fire Shotty" supporters here at GGN, but to think of an offense with so many weapons that scores so few points is simply mind boggling.

Rant. Over.

-Rob

The time for positivity is long gone. The Jets need to fire Brian Schottenheimer immediately. The predictable play calls are an absolute joke. And to those Jets fans out there who say we need the continuity for Sanchez, I have something for you. We haven't scored a TD in 3 weeks. Our offense can't get any worse! There is no continuity other then continually failing to put points on the board.

Fire Shottenheimer now!!! Sign the petition created by a Jets fan while you're at it. I did.

-Rob

(The above is a screen shot from the video game.. CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE GAME)

One of the writers on the Jersey Jets Fan found this and I thought it was hilarious. It's a Rex Ryan video game where you basically just run around and eat junk food while dogging Bill Belicheck's laser beam video camera, Ines Sainz and Tom Brady. The gameplay is fun but the pop culture references are spot on. Try it out. I'll warn you, Rex drops some profanity in the game, so if you don't like that, mute it or don't play.

-Rob

Last night I was getting ripped apart on my Twitter account for giving the Jets so much heat after the game. People were telling me to "jump off the bandwagon", "you're not a real fan",  "you're pathetic", bla bla bla, etc. I for one, was extremely frustrated and pissed off during and after last nights game as I'm sure most of you were and I let the Jets have it in my profanity filled tirade tweets (not that any of the Jets actually follow me). But for a guy who spends more time blogging the Jets then on his college studies (pro-bono I might add), I felt like I deserved more then that performance last night. I felt like any Jets fan who drove to Foxborough to watch the game deserved more then that. And any Jets fan that has stuck by this team for as many years as you each have deserved better then last nights 43290 point blowout.

But after I cooled down a little bit, I realized it wasn't the end of the world. Yes, last nights game probably ended our chance at home field advantage and a first round bye, but we'll be okay. The Jets will still make the playoffs. And perhaps playing in the Wild Card Round is a blessing in disguise as the Jets are 9-0 this year with standard/shorter weeks rest, while they are an abysmal 0-3 with a bye/extended weeks rest.

But here lies the question, should we still be optimistic after last nights beat down? And the answer: I honestly don't know. I'm as big of a Jets homer as there is, but last night was miserable. If the Jets come out on Sunday and give it to the Dolphins and show some resilience, then yes we should be optimistic. If we lose, then I'll probably flip out and go on a similar twitter rant and blog my frustrations away. But until this Sunday, let's maintain our cautious optimism..

-Rob

Jim Leonhard was injured today during practice in a collision with wide receiver Patrick Turner. The exact injury has not been confirmed yet, but he was carted off the practice field and it is assumed to be either a broken shin or leg.

This injury is HUGE news and a major loss for the team, defensively and in special teams. Jerricho Cotchery will be taking over as the punt returner and we may also see two-deep punt return packages including Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie. I'll have more news for you Jets fans as time develops.

UPDATE: According to Jets beat writer Manish Mehta, Jim Leonhard will indeed miss the rest of the season.

 

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

Breaking: Jets Jim Leonhard will miss rest of season with lower leg injury, per source. #nfl

3 minutes ago 

-Rob

In the Jets week 2 matchup against the Patriots, the team was without WR Santonio Holmes, who was absent due to a substance abuse suspension. The Jets enjoyed a successful passing game performance on TD receptions from Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller. It appeared in the 2nd half of week 2, that the Patriots secondary did not have enough skill to match up against the Jets offensive firepower..

Well that was all before Santonio Holmes suited up in week 5. It is arguable that Santonio Holmes is now the Jets #1 receiving threat, surpassing Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller. Yet with the addition of Holmes, will it give the Jets a sizable advantage against the Patriots in Foxborough?

I believe it will. The Patriots definitely have a star in the making in NJ native Devin McCourty, however, the rest of their secondary isn't too strong. They are ranked 32 overall in pass defense and Santonio Holmes should be able to exploit the defense with his quickness. Lets hope that Brian Shottenheimer opens up the playbook for Mark Sanchez so that he can find some quality targets, especially on those killer slants.

I don't think I've been this excited for a regular season Jets game in a long time.

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

From what I'm hearing, #Jets likely won't make a change at kicker before #Patriots gm. Not written in stone though. #nfl #nyj

1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

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TheJetsStream Manish Mehta

#Jets are working out PK Kris Brown today, a source confirms. #nfl #nyj

1 hour ago 

Looks like Nick Folk's time in New York might be done soon. The Jets have worked out former Chargers kicker Kris Brown. The downside of the Jets search on the open market for a new kicker? The kickers on the market are unemployed for a reason.

-Rob

Some might agree with me here, some might not. But I 100% view next Monday Night's game as THE marquee game of the year. Here are my 5 reasons why:

1. The Rivalry- The rivalry between the Jets and Patriots is one of the top rivalries in the NFL for certain. Unfortunately, for much of the past decade, we've been on the losing end of the rivalry, watching the Patriots hold up multiple Lombardi trophies. This coming match-up is definitely a chance for the Jets to finally turn the tide in the rivalry.
   
2. Danny Woodhead- It literally pains me every time I see Danny Woodhead scoring a touchdown in a Patriots uniform. I knew he had such potential and I was so glad to see the Jets give him the shot to play pro football like they did. However, you know the announcers are going to beat the Danny Woodhead story over and over until it makes you want to jump off a tall building. My Christmas wish was to see Woodhead in Green and White again one day, guess it won't happen now that Danny signed a contract extension with the Patriots last week.
3. Both teams are 9-2- The Jets and Patriots are the two best teams in the NFL judging by records. You can feed me the statistical BS that the Chargers are the best because they have the #1 Offense and Defense, but they don't consistently win. The Jets and the Patriots have done that all season long, win games. They have gotten their records in strangely different fashions, yet nonetheless, they are both 9-2 and atop the NFL.
4. Rex Ryan vs Bill Belicheck- Two completely different coaching styles, yet two proven winners. Granted Rex has not raised a Super Bowl trophy yet, but he has done admirable in his first and second seasons. The game doesn't have the coaching rivalry and cold post game handshakes that Mangini and Belicheat did, but it's still a fierce battle to win and a chess match of great football minds.
   
5. Home Field and a Bye- It's not guaranteed, but the winner of the Jets vs Patriots will likely go on to win the AFC East and receive a first round bye and home field advantage. It's possible that the winner of this game might have a late season collapse and lose control of the division, but it is not probable. Monday Night holds absolutely HUGE playoff implications, If the Jets were to win the game and ultimately the AFC East, it would force the Patriots to take the wildcard and test them on the road in the playoffs. 

Well, that's it for now. Obviously more storylines will develop as the week plays out and GGN will fill you in on all of them. Hope you enjoyed reading my quick synopsis of why the Jets and Patriots Monday Night matchup is the 2010 regular season game of the year.

I attended my first Jets game this season, sitting in section 101, which was coincidentally the end zone where Nick Folk shanked a FG attempt and almost botched a PAT. So as I sat in my seat in frustration over the kicking game, I was wondering what on earth should we do about this.

It's really to the point where I don't have any faith in Nick Folk. If you DO have faith, either you are blindly optimistic, or a little crazy. But does anyone here seriously trust Nick Folk with the game on the line? We are 9-2 and a team that is primed for a Super Bowl run. Can we depend on Folk to hit a clutch game winner in the playoffs? With the way the Jets play teams close, we need our kicker to hit the gimmes and make most of the tough ones. Our kicking games needs to be spot on and it just isn't right now.

So I turn to you Jets fans. What do we do about Nick Folk? Do we drop him like a hot potato and find someone who we can depend on in the clutch? Is there even anyone out there that is an improvement on Folk? Or do we just stick with Folk and hope we can ride his shaky confidence to the Super Bowl?

My final thoughts? There is nothing better out there right now, so like it or not, we have to hope that Nick Folk's inconsistency does not bite us in the butt. We play in close games, so I expect that Folk could cost us a big game this year, lets just hope it's not in the playoffs or against the Pats.

-Read my other prospective on Folk at the Jersey Jets Fan

I just want to take the time to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving at GGN! I hope it is filled with lots of good food, family and turkey. O, yeah, and a huge Jets victory. I'll be at the game today, my first and only game of the year, so I'm extremely excited for it. Can't wait to see Gang Green in action live!

I'd also like to thank all the Jets fans for my warm reception here at GGN in my first month as a staff writer, you truly are the best fans in the world. I'm looking forward to increasing my role on the site in the near future and give you guys a lot more stories. 

-The Jersey Jets Fan

Jerricho Cotchery is participating in light positional drills today and his status is still up in the air for Thursday's game, although the current news seems encouraging.

Damien Woody does not look anywhere near as hopeful. His status for the game is apparently a No-go. According to sources, Woody has a legitimate knee sprain. Don't expect to see Damien Woody on Thanksgiving.

-The Jersey Jets Fan