Heels in the Huddle » New York Jets

Week 3 (2010) — New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins

Nat — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:44:43 +0000

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PREVIEW

The Miami Dolphins are 2-0 yet no one is talking about them. That should change if they get the win today and retain top spot in the AFC East. The Jets did make some strides last week but have a ways to go before matching the hype.

Sanchez was finally let loose last week and he had a career day against the Patriots. He seems to have built a good chemistry with Keller and will have to rely more on that today. Why? Because Braylon Edwards got busted for a DUI and will not be starting for the Jets. The bread and butter still has to be the power running game. The Dolphins have been exploited by the ground game and that needs to be the point of attack. Tomlinson is proving his doubters wrong and has re-established himself as a force, but the Jets need Shonn Greene to keep doing what he did last week. On the other side of the ball, the defense needs to be prepared for a Miami’s wildcat plays. They use Ronnie Brown effectively at that spot. Aside from the rush defense, missing Revis is going to hurt. Cromartie has some big shoes to fill in order to keep Marshall at bay.

It may be early in the season but the Dolphins need to be respected. Both their wins came on the road including last week against a good Vikings team. They upgraded their offensive core this summer, adding Brandon Marshall but that has yet to pay off. The team still relies heavily on the ground game and has found success going with the wildcat. While the offense is coming along slowly, it is their defense that has carried them through the first 2 weeks. Forcing turnovers and limiting opponents has been the story all without Jason Taylor who now plays for the Jets. Taylor faces his former team for the first time and hopes they don’t get the last laugh.

While the Dolphins are looking good and the Jets look a little scattered, this is a statement game. I am calling the Jets to pull it together and get one on the road.

My Prediction: New York Jets 20 – Miami Dolphins 17

Week 2 (2010) — New England Patriots @ New York Jets

Nat — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:14:58 +0000

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PREVIEW

NFL fans tuned in weekly to watch Hard Knocks but Tom Brady refused to be one of them. He was quoted in the off-season saying, “I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show.” Well, it’s week 2 and the Jets look undeserving of all the off-season hype. As the saying goes — Time to put up, or shut up!

Tom Brady had quite the week to start the season. A new contract, a TMZ worthy car accident and more importantly, a win. Brady settled in the pocket and amassed 258 yards and 3 TD’s in the win against the Bengals. A target for 2 TD’s, Wes Welker was back on the field earlier than expected. The Patriots offense was clicking like it was 2007 but the same can’t be said for the defense. They seemed to be a step slow against the Bengals but the young secondary has time to get better. Luckily they face the Jets this week and should be able to push Sanchez and his receivers around some.

If the Jets plan to become a dominant force in the AFC they first need to go through teams like the Patriots. For starters, they need to have a better plan on offense. Sanchez had an up ‘n down year last season and looked hesitant all game long in week 1. Rex Ryan needs to show some confidence in the kid and allow him to throw. The offense managed to get just six 1st down’s all game and never converted on 3rd down — absurd! Shonn Greene was pinned on the sidelines after two early fumbles but they are going to need him. LT needs a wingman. Defensively a sound team, the Jets were served a blow when they lost Kris Jenkins to an ACL tear last week. Revis should be blanketed all over Moss this week but the rest of the D needs to step up and help get the offense going.

I expect the Jets to bounce back from week 1 but not enough to topple the mighty Patriots. Expect Brady to spread the love and with one too many weapons, New England should walk out of the Meadowlands Stadium with a 2-0 record.

My Prediction: New England Patriots 28 – New York Jets 20

The Morning After — 10 Things I Learnt In Week 1

Nat — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:27:36 +0000

The season started as I expected. Teams’ defensive units are way ahead of the offensive counterparts at this point. The games were generally low scoring, injury filled and at times more like FLAG football. Click through the headings below to see what I picked up in week 1.

Fuck the "PROCESS": Calvin Johnson got robbed. Plain and simple. The weekend was marked by one word... Process. He did not complete the process of the catch. Are you kidding me? It may be an existing rule but one that needs to be looked at. The Lions lost more than just the game -- one they would have won if it wasn't for the process. They head into week 2 with an injured QB Stafford and a 0-1 record.
Vick — Still got it: Michael Vick has come a long way in the last 18 months. On Sunday he got to show the football community that he can still play with the best of them. After an injury to Kolb (who was booed hard by Philly fans), Vick stepped in and showed us a little of what made him a household name in the first place. The Eagles may have lost the game but Vick may have won a starting QB job. He showed maturity on the field and if he can keep it going, this may be the perfect fit for Philly.
Cowboys — Should they be worried?: If the road to Super Bowl started in week 1, they Cowboys bus already took a detour. This game was filled with flags and some of the worst play calling I have ever witnessed. It is not like they are a totally new team. The Redskins managed to contain the run game and with that the Cowboys were left calling the same plays over and over -- unsuccessfully I might add. This should be a wake up call and the Boys should be ready for week 2.
Texans — They on to something: A lot of experts and fans alike picked the Texans to turn the corner and be the surprise team in the league this year. They were on to something. The Texans got what they wanted against the MIGHTY Colts. RB Arian Foster picked up where he left off and was soon running circles around the Colts' D. Matt Schaub needs some better protection (2 sacks) but after game 1, I think they are a legit threat for to win the AFC South.
Colts — Manning needs more: If you look at simply the numbers -- they look great. Most quarterback's with those numbers would probably have gotten the W. This was not the case as the Texans had an answer for every Colts attack. This game may have been the beginning of the end for the Colts who had a great run. Their division got tougher and they are not getting any younger. Manning needs support from his D if they want a shot in hell to stay an elite team.
Jets — All talk no action: Rex Ryan and his unfiltered personality got a ton of love on this season of Hard Knocks. He came into game 1 doing a lot of talking. Giving guarantees and even a little back n forth with Ray Lewis. The Jets couldn't convert a single 3rd down as the Ravens had the perfect gameplan. Sanchez needs to be allowed to screw up or all that talk about winning the Super Bowl will be used as comic relief soon. Its time to PUT UP or SHUT UP
Vikings — We talkin' bout practice!: It may have helped if Favre did his un-retiring a little earlier in the summer. He has not had enough practice with the team. The lack of trust in his receivers was visable throughout the game. Missing Sidney Rice, Favre basically hesitated throwing at any of them and it probably cost them the game. Adrian Petersons effectiveness is hindered when Favre is not attacking aerially. It should be interesting to see if 1 week helps build some chemistry between the QB and his WR's.
Haynesworth — It's time for a new address: The Redskins have a new swagger about themselves but some things stayed the same. The dominant story line of the offseason carried over onto the field against the Cowboys. Albert Haynesworth and Mike Shanahan's issues are very much still a problem. Haynesworth was told he would be involved but was looking on for most of the game. If week 1 was an indication of things to come, it is time for him to find a new home.
Team X — Better or Worse?: Power Rankings in the off-season are a load of crap in my opinion. Start talking when they have played a game. Week 1 had its share of upsets and there were definitely some teams that didn't deserve the hype. The Cowboys, Saints, Jets and Vikings all looked like they may have been over-hyped. On the other hand, after just one game it looks like the Chiefs, Titans, Jags and Lions will be better than I expected. Then there are the Raiders who actually looked like they got worse -- if that's even possible.
Patriots — Paging the defensive unit: Yes they got the win but it wasn't pretty. That defensive unit felt like they were aging by the minute. They almost made the Bengals D look good -- one that has clearly regressed from last season. They get the Jets next week and need to get their act together quickly otherwise no matter what their 100 million $$ QB does, it won't be enough.

Week 1 (2010) — Baltimore Ravens @ New York Jets

Nat — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:23:48 +0000

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PREVIEW

Moving the focus from Hard Knocks, the New York Jets take their act to a new home. The Baltimore Ravens come into the new Meadowlands Stadium for our first MNF game of the season. Both teams consider themselves favorites to reach the Super Bowl after each team surpassed expectations last year.

Rex Ryan has been doing a lot of talking and we saw some of his vibrant personality on display this off-season on Hard Knocks. Coming into the game he fully believes his team can win it all and did a bit of trash talking towards Ray Lewis. Ryan built his reputation as the defensive coordinator for said Baltimore Ravens and should have an edge when it comes to knowing what they are running. Coaching aside, LaDainian Tomlinson makes his Jets debut tonight and begins the road to redemption. He will split time at back with Shonn Greene. With wide receiver Santonio Holmes serving a four game suspension, the Jets will need other guys on offensive to pick up the slack. Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith and Dustin Keller should be up for the task. On the other end, the question is… Will the Ravens even throw at Revis?

While Rex Ryan may have an edge with knowing defensive plays it works both ways. The Ravens know his MO and it will be interesting to see who can make best use of the knowledge. Baltimore has the better offense, with 3rd year QB Joe Flacco in the pocket. He has a slew of new weapons to throw to including recently signed TJ Houshmanzadeh. Rex Ryan will be bringing the blitz early and often so expect to see a heavy dose of Ray Rice and screen passes. With the Ravens missing Ed Reed and Lardarius Webb, they have the weaker defense going in.

Low-scoring has been the theme of the weekend and I expect it to continue. This match up should serve up some old school, hard hitting football with a healthy side of trash talk.

My Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 13 – New York Jets 20

Week 4: New York Jets @ New Orleans Saints

Nat — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:44:28 +0000

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PREVIEW

Mark Sanchez has been near perfect as a rookie QB – 4 TD’s and over 600 yards with only 2 interceptions. On this date he will need to be even better in order to compensate for the challenge the Jets D is going to be facing up against the NFL’s best offensive team who also happen to be 3-0. The Jets also need to get the running game going as they are going to need all the offensive weapons they have.

The Saint’s on the other hand, have never trailed in a game this season. A total of 15 touchdowns and a NFL-best 40 points per game makes them a nightmare for any defense. Drew Brees threw 9 touchdown passes over his first 2 games but was shut out against Buffalo. It didn’t affect the team as they managed to get things done on the ground last week.

You can’t stay perfect forever… or atleast that’s the case for one of these teams after today’s match up.

Sundays are cool – Week 2

Nat — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:27:03 +0000

Before getting hooked up with football I never thought Sunday could be so much fun! Somehow my cable provider haven’t figured out yet that people from Toronto might like NFL and didn’t blackout the games sending us price-tags instead, which meant I could watch 3 games in a row every Sunday! I guess it’s a little blow for my hubby who’s had to go through the March Madness and NBA playoffs with a screaming maniac already…

Anyways, it was the second Sunday of the regular season, but the first one I could really appreciate because of terrible migraine that blurred my last week’s experience. So first things first – I got a football jersey – and this was just the beginning of fun. It didn’t fall down to my knees like some of the basketball jerseys I have (like the Garnett’s from Minnesota, which I usually use as a bathrobe), but seemed to be broader in the chest, although certain ‘female attributes’ still looked rather funny, but who cares?

Next picking up the games. I’m not such a vet like in basketball to watch 4-5 games in the same time and know what’s going on. So one game at 1pm, another at 4, and last at 8. Also, not all of them are available – so I chose: Patriots – Jets, Bills – Buccaneers and Cowboys – Giants. As a freshman I knew I could pick any team to root for in each match-up, with an unbiased, cold judgment. So:

1. Jets over Patriots. Reason? The bitter taste after the Bills’ loss to the Pats last week. I was so sure Bills were going to win, and the loss was just heartbreaking! And on the top of that I read that the Buffalo’s losing streak against NE is 12 games! I hated the Pats straight away! By the way, Sanchez looked for me more likable than Brady – so why shouldn’t they win? And I was completely right – NY won 16-9, and Brady looked kinda bored during this game.

2. Of course Bills over Buccaneers! Bills are my favorite team! There was a moment of doubt – the Bucs defense line looked so big – maybe it’s their colors, but they somehow looked twice bigger than the Bills. Poor skinny Trent Edwards… But they did it! They did it! And Terell Owens got his first TD with Buffalo. The final score was 33-20.

3. Cowboys – Giants. Difficult choice. But then I noticed Mr Bush watching the game and he was certainly rooting for Dallas, which meant I couldn’t do it. Adding Tony Romo dating Jessica Simpson – NO WAY! Giants had to win. And again my pick was correct – 33-31.

I knew it. I should have gambled a dollar or two on the outcome of the games. Somehow, without reading the statistics and in depth analysis I managed to pick the winners correctly. But seriously, I am gonna read a little bit more about numbers before next Sunday, so I’ll be able to make serious recaps.