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My Rookie Year In Fantasy Football
Published: December 30, 2009
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Three months on, and I look back and laugh at my views then.
In the Boarders Breakaway League draft, Brett Favre was taken after Trent Edwards and Shaun Hill; Ray Rice didn’t find a home until Round Eight, and Matt Forte went with the third pick overall!
My team contained Dustin Keller, Felix Jones and Devery Henderson. All three were outlined as potential sleepers. All three are still asleep.
It soon became painfully obvious that my fantasy skills needed some serious honing. In the opening week I posted a pitiful 61 points, with Reggie Wayne accounting for over a third of the total.
The season-ending injury suffered by Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez served as an omen: I was in for a long year.
My first victory came in Week Three, when my big guns finally turned up. DeSean Jackson exploded; Aaron Rodgers threw all over the Rams; and the Cowboys’ D terrorized Jake Delhomme.
I led the entire league that week with 124 points. Perhaps I’d gotten the hang of this after all.
Over the next few weeks, my team either racked up the points or bombed without a trace.
If Lady Luck had frowned at me when I selected Gonzalez, she wore a terrifying scowl when I was pitted against a team containing Tom Brady in Week Six.
The New England Patriots’ quarterback found the end zone six times before being pulled out at the half. By that time he’d accumulated 51 points and insured my team’s efforts were in vain. I also had the misfortune of meeting Roddy White when he totaled 210 yards and two touchdowns in Week Five.
My forays into free agency reminded me of rummaging in bargain bins, as I entered with hope and vigor, only to leave with slim pickings. My team, The Jet Squad, resembled a revolving door in its first few weeks as Earl Bennett, Byron Leftwich, Rashard Mendenhall and Kerry Collins all departed after contributing very little.
I also seemed to develop a nasty habit of closing the barn door long after the horse had bolted. In this respect I never quite got the full benefits of Jeremy Maclin, Mohamed Massaquoi, and Malcom Floyd.
The trading block was a daunting place, and I instantly regretted the only trade I executed. Sick of his miserable performances, I traded my prized first round pick Michael Turner for Joseph Addai and Derrick Mason.
With more time, I became more astute and my gambles started to pay off. Ricky Williams was a revelation; LeSean McCoy was a solid back; and Visanthe Shiancoe would often be in the right place at the right time. Only three of my original team lasted the full 14 weeks, and it’s no surprise that Aaron Rodgers, DeSean Jackson and Reggie Wayne have been the focal point of my team throughout.
I finished strongly with a 7-7 record, missing out on the playoffs where my team may well have gone all the way. Like the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans, my season has been a case of too little, too late.
But, I have been firmly bitten by the fantasy bug, and the experience has not put me off, but opened a new world of opportunities. Fantasy football has given games like Oakland-Kansas City a meaning.
I don’t care who wins, but suddenly every yard Cleveland manages to squeeze out of Jerome Harrison is all-important to me.
I’ll be back again next year, determined not to make the rookie errors that blighted me this time. The task in 2010 will be how to avoid the proverbial sophomore slump.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: The New York Jets at Mid-Season
Published: November 5, 2009
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Once again it’s been another rollercoaster season for New York Jets fans and we’re only halfway through.
After an electrifying, pulsating start which included a huge scalp in New England, the Jets were surprising everyone as optimism spread like wildfire across the Big Apple.
But as they head into their Week 9 bye, the Jets stand at 4-4 after being 3-0. The team may have peaked too early or the bye may come at a crucial time for Coach Rex Ryan and his squad. Either way, there have already been plenty of ups and downs for the Jets.
The good
– The Jets lead the league in rushing yards with an average of 177.6 yards per game.
It was clear from the outset that the offense would be heavily rush-orientated and running backs Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and rookie Shonn Greene have all contributed.
The Jets have run the ball more than any other team so it is encouraging that it is proving effective. Statistics can sometimes only tell you so much but it is heartening to know that the Jets are also tied first for rushing touchdowns with 12 scores so far.
– Rex Ryan has clearly stamped his authority on this defense.
Only Denver has allowed less yards and the Jets’ D has the mean, aggressive, stingy streak that many thought they would have. Sacks may have been a problem early on, but in the last two games they have begun to get to the quarterback.
Cornerback Darrelle Revis is maturing into a defensive linchpin in the team and if he continues in this rich vein of form, the Pro Bowl surely beckons again.
– The week five acquisition of Braylon Edwards seems to have been an astute one.
He has already produced some outstanding catches and his chemistry with quarterback Mark Sanchez will be important for this team’s future success. Edwards seems to be loving life in New York and his rejuvenated attitude is paying dividends on the field, too, where he has looked a completely different player than the man he used to be in Cleveland.
– The only side that has comprehensively beaten this team is the 7-0 New Orleans Saints.
In that game, the explosive Drew Brees was kept to less than 200 yards and the Saints didn’t tie this one up until late in the fourth quarter. Had Sanchez not thrown three interceptions, the Jets may well have been looking at 4-0 and a very different attitude coming into this bye week.
The bad
– Starting 1-3 against divisional opponents with the defeats coming against back-up quarterbacks.
Chad Henne started both games for the Dolphins in the absence of former Jet Chad Pennington and Ryan Fitzpatrick was substituted in for Trent Edwards early in the Buffalo game.
The Jets fumed that they made Henne look like Dan Marino in the original match-up but they contained him superbly in the return fixture. Fitzpatrick did nothing of any great note against the Jets but he didn’t turn the ball over which in the end, was the difference.
– Miami doing a sweep over the Jets was certainly not in the script
Both games, particularly the home fixture, could quite easily have gone New York’s way. The games were lost for different reasons. The Wildcat ran wild in Florida whereas back in New York, Ted Ginn Jr’s electrifying pace accounted for two scores. Come Week 17, the Jets may well rue these missed chances.
– In different games, different elements of the team have failed to step up.
Against Buffalo it was the offense, in Miami it was the defense and when Miami came to the Meadowlands it was the special teams unit which ultimately cost the whole team.
Perhaps if there was a more specific problem, it would be easier to pinpoint where the Jets need to improve. As it is, all three parts need to be functioning correctly for the Jets to come out on top.
– The loss of Kris Jenkins may well prove to be the biggest disappointment of the year.
Jenkins was pivotal in the 3-4 defense and his ability to stop the run was central to Ryan’s plans. His loss is not being felt so far but down the stretch this may really hurt the Jets.
The ugly
– When faced with less than perfect conditions, Sanchez threw five interceptions against Buffalo.
The Californian kid may be used to the sun kissed beaches back home but in New York he better get used to the cold blustery afternoons. During the game, his pale face and gaunt expression were worrying.
He was far more at home in Oakland the next week but this is the east coast and he’ll be wishing for a warm cup of soup rather than a hotdog most of the time.
– The botched field goal attempt against Buffalo could well have won the Jets the game.
In a scrappy affair which neither side looked comfortable in, Jay Feely’s 50-yard attempt could have won it for the Jets. As it was, Steve Weatherford couldn’t handle the snap and the Bills made their field goal later on.
Feely has been outstanding this season and he showed last week that he can make 50-yard attempts when called upon. This was a sickening defeat for the Jets.
– The special teams unit handed the Dolphins the victory last Sunday after conceding two kick-off returns to Ted Ginn Jr.
The first may well have taken the Jets by surprise but the second was inexcusable particularly when you consider the array of missed tackles on Ginn. He should have been stopped on the 20 yard line. As it was, that unit twice gave Miami back the momentum and heaped enormous pressure on Sanchez and the offense. A certain Jason Trusnik will no doubt have been watching and shaking his head.
– Rex Ryan has been experiencing teething problems as head coach.
Ryan isn’t a young guy and he’s been around the league a long time but he has often looked like a rookie when making some calls. He persisted to call two-point conversions last Sunday and his team didn’t succeed in making them. His reluctance to use timeouts in a hectic fourth quarter in Miami may well have also cost the Jets that night too.
The conclusion
Overall there is a lot of growing up to do on both sides of the ball. This is a young team with confidence in abundance but to get anywhere in this game, they will need to show maturity. The trash talking needs to transcend onto the pitch before this team can be truly feared.
Jets fans are famed for their glass half empty philosophy but there are plenty of positives to take from what they’ve seen so far.
Perhaps this season will merely be remembered as the beginning of the Sanchez era or perhaps it will just be consigned to the history books. The next nine weeks will decide just which way it will go.
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Why Defeat to the Buffalo Bills Could Define the New York Jets’ Season
Published: October 20, 2009
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At the start of the season many were predicting that the New York Jets would be lucky to scrap a play-off place. The Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots were predicted to take the AFC East and a possibly a Wildcard berth between them. With a rookie head-coach and a rookie quarterback, pundits believed the Jets would take time to establish themselves as a dominant force.
Three games in and those opinions were quickly squashed as Gang Green shot to 3-0. Now, three weeks later, reality has kicked in and the Jets are fighting to get their season back on track.
Perhaps part of the problem was that the perennial off-season optimism which greets all Jets teams was transformed into belief after the impressive start. Quarterback Mark Sanchez and head-coach Rex Ryan were making life in the NFL look easy and the players were backing up their trash talking off the field with big performances on it.
But as we enter week seven, that swagger has disappeared and the optimism has quickly vanished.
The Jets were beaten by the high-flying New Orleans Saints and they then lost two games at the death by small margins. However small margins can have a massive impact on the season, particularly when you consider that those two narrow defeats came against fellow AFC East rivals.
The impact of the Buffalo game could be huge. They were a side that the Jets should have easily beaten especially with Thomas Jones rushing for 210 yards to break the franchise record. Instead this only made the loss even more frustrating as a Buffalo field goal decided it in over-time.
The game may well be remembered as the game which saw Mark Sanchez hit the proverbial rookie wall. He threw five interceptions and fumbled once in his worst outing to date. The most worrying thing for fans had to be Sanchez’s general demeanour. He looked cold, uptight and tetchy and cut a forlorn figure when he sat on the bench.
The conditions were nothing like the California sunshine he would have enjoyed last year but the weather’s only going to get worse as we head into November and December. It is ludicrous to suggest that Sanchez be benched in favor of back-up QB Kellen Clemens mainly because it may destroy the former USC man’s confidence.
The depth at wide receiver must also be a concern. Sanchez only targeted Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller outside of his running backs on Sunday. It seems clear that with Jerricho Cotchery injured and Keller out of form the newly acquired Edwards is the only trusted recipient of Sanchez’s throws.
It is therefore no surprise that the Bills were so pick-happy when it was quite obvious the ball would most probably be heading in Edwards’ direction. Cotchery has been sorely missed and his return will certainly be a boost for Sanchez.
The schedule is kind to New York but after falling to the Bills, will the Jets now toil against the likes of Oakland, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay? Furthermore, the injury sustained by nose-tackle Kris Jenkins in Sunday’s game is almost as big as the man himself. Jenkins is the fulcrum of the 3-4 defense and without him, the much hyped aggressive defense doesn’t look anywhere near as threatening.
The Jets are already tied last for number of sacks this season despite their blitz happy style. This defense was supposed to strike fear into the hearts of opposing offenses but even with Halloween just around the corner, there’s nothing particularly scary about this defense right now.
Ryan may well have pencilled in a win for the game at Oakland this Sunday but after their shock victory against the Philadelphia Eagles he may need to think again. Oakland will be a hostile environment and their confidence will have rocketed after taking down such a strong team. In contrast, the Jets are a rabbit caught in the headlights, desperately searching for answers.
At the start of the season, a 3-3 start would have been viewed as about par for the course and it’s easy to forget that. It is however also easy to remember the results of the last three games rather than the first three. For Ryan the task is now to get his team back to the form they showed in those opening three matches and he had better do it fast.
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Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals Keep Finding Ways To Win
Published: October 16, 2009
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The Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals faced off against each other in the first round of NFL fixtures last month, and few expected either side to mount a serious challenge this term.
After the game, not many changed their views, but in truth that match told us a lot about how the two teams have since put themselves in contention for the playoffs.
The contest itself was a dour affair, lit up by a remarkable penultimate play which saw a deflected pass fall into the grateful hands of Denver wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who completed an 87-yard touchdown.
Since “The Immaculate Deflection,” both sides have remained unbeaten, defeating some big guns along the way. Both defenses were resolute that day and have formed a basis of success for both franchises.
In Denver, rookie head coach Josh McDaniels hardly eased himself into his new position, and his treatment of quarterback Jay Cutler, arguably his best player at the time, was shambolic and a mistake.
Since then, however, McDaniels has shown he has the nous to win football matches. His passion for the game is evident and by outwitting former mentor Bill Belichick this past week, giving him a serious scalp to his credit already.
McDaniels and new quarterback Kyle Orton have not been asked to turn this franchise around. The tools were in place for a successful season after finishing 8-8 last time around, but fine-tuning was required to ensure they built upon that.
What McDaniels really needed to address was his porous defense, which allowed on average 28 points per game last year. This time around, teams are averaging only 8.6 points per game against Denver, and this includes the explosive offenses in Dallas and New England. The addition of safety Brian Dawkins has helped, but so has the efficiency of the offense.
Orton has only thrown one interception, and in Knowshon Moreno the Broncos have a promising running back that can gain first downs and keep the ball moving. Their fourth-quarter, 90-yard drive against the Pats may not have been spectacular, but it was typical of how Denver uses this offense to control games.
The Bengals have also turned things around, but in a very different way. The problem in Cincinnati was an attitude one, and head coach Marvin Lewis needed to change the mentality if he was to have success in Ohio.
In recent weeks, the Bengals have looked sharper and more deadly. They’ve always had big-time offensive players like Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer but have been complemented brilliantly this season by a stingy defense.
So far this season, Derrick Mason, Greg Jennings, and Braylon Edwards, all legitimate number one receivers, have failed to haul in a single reception against the Bengals.
Unlike Denver, Cincinnati finds itself in an ultra-competitive division that contains the two teams who contested last year’s AFC Championship game. But by winning all three of their games against their fellow AFC North teams, the Bengals sit atop of the division.
Palmer’s ability to get it done in key situations has proved crucial thus far for the Bengals, giving them a quarterback capable of shredding teams through the air.
The important factor so far, though, is that both of these teams have managed to find ways to win games in any manner possible.
The Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns with a field goal that did not even go through the posts, and Denver can point to a miraculous deflection for victory in Week One. Denver and Cincinnati both have shown a knack for winning games late in the fourth quarter or overtime, and that’s is an invaluable weapon to have.
Neither side have torn teams apart with its offensive firepower, but, crucially, they have consistently found ways of sticking with their opponents long enough to win.
Many have been waiting for the wheels to come off the bandwagons in Denver and Cincinnati, but instead the Broncos and Bengals seem to be accelerating at an alarming rate.
Every year, one or two teams come from nowhere to shock us all and make themselves serious contenders. After beating New England and Baltimore, it is time to take both Denver and Cincinnati very seriously.
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Did the New York Jets Get the Right Man in Braylon Edwards?
Published: October 11, 2009
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By trading up to acquire Mark Sanchez in the previous NFL Draft, the New York Jets showed they were not afraid of making aggressive moves to better their football team. After a blistering start, the Jets and Sanchez hit a bump in the road against New Orleans and the response was swift and decisive.
Sanchez needed help and he got it when the Jets traded for Braylon Edwards to solve their wide receiver woes.
Two players and two picks went Cleveland’s way and despite giving up a lot, both teams could end up benefiting from the deal.
The Jets have been linked with a host of wide receivers from Pro Bowlers Anquan Boldin and Brandon Marshall to rookie Michael Crabtree. And despite the strong start, the tough time Sanchez had against New Orleans further emphasised the need for a number one receiver, a go-to-guy.
The running game has stalled on too many occasions for Coach Rex Ryan to pin his hopes on Thomas Jones and Leon Washington and the attention Edwards warrants will hopefully free up space for Pro Bowlers Jones and Washington to replicate last year’s numbers.
Edwards himself is hardly an angel. Like many of his fellow wide-receiver colleagues, he has been involved in his fair share of off-field incidents. The latest involved him allegedly punching LeBron James’ good friend Edwards Givens. It may well have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Edward’s career in the NFL has peaked and troughed. He has notched up 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns in a season and he has been to a Pro Bowl. Wide receivers like that don’t grow on trees.
However he also led the league in drops last season and for a number three overall pick, his numbers have been modest. So is that a result of playing in a poor team or a result of Edwards not having the required commitment? The jury remains out on that one.
Edwards has spoke of becoming disillusioned with life in Cleveland. He has played in a poor team with neither Derek Anderson nor Brady Quinn able to nail down the quarterback spot. It has therefore been difficult for him to find consistency too and even more difficult for him to develop a strong relationship with the chosen quarterback.
Edwards has spoken of trying to finding a receiver/quarterback bond similar to the one which Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning have. Edwards and Sanchez are both young but they will need to have the same commitment and desire that both Manning and Wayne show to get anywhere near to their level.
It will take time to see who benefits most from this trade. The Browns are a re-building team and the addition of four players will help them grow. Edwards was clearly unhappy and Coach Eric Mangini has removed a big headache.
As for the Jets, Edwards could well be the missing piece in the jigsaw. He should be able to stretch the field, he should be able to be the number one receiver Sanchez so desperately needs and his presence will also draw attention away from Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller. All of this is of course dependent on him returning to his 2007 form.
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Crabtree Is Symbol of This Year’s Struggling Class of Wide Receivers
Published: October 7, 2009
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The 2008 NFL Draft made history by becoming the only draft not to have a wide receiver selected in the first round. In this year’s draft, six were taken in the first 32 picks but so far this year’s group have not set the world alight.
The standout star of this group of receivers was supposed to be Michael Crabtree. A star at Texas Tech, big things were expected of Crabtree when the 49ers took him with the 10th overall pick.
Crabtree has since hogged the headlines without even setting foot on the field. After only recently signing a contract with the team, Crabtree has yet to put on a gold helmet and play a single down in the NFL. It is laughable that he still hasn’t taken to the field, but in truth, he won’t have much to do to catch up with some of his fellow rookie receivers.
Last year’s group performed admirably, even with no receiver being taken in the first round. DeSean Jackson and Eddie Royal both had over 900 receiving yards in their rookie seasons. The year before, Dwayne Bowe was five yards short of 1,000 and in 2006, Marques Colston did surpass the magical 1,000. So why has this group not really started up yet?
Well, there are a multitude of reasons. In the case of Hakeem Nicks it has been other players stepping up. Without Plaxico Burress, Nicks was suppose to be Eli Manning’s go-to-guy, but it looks as though the former Super Bowl MVP has found other avenues more appealing.
Steve Smith leads the NFL in receiving yards and Mario Manningham exploded onto the scene in the first few weeks. The Giants are a rush first offense but have found the aerial route just as devastating.
Daririus Heyward-Bey has had the dire JaMarcus Russell at quarterback and has been the most disappointing of the entire group.
As the first wide receiver taken off the board, Heyward-Bey is earning the most but producing the least. The Raiders were roundly mocked for selecting him with the seventh overall pick, and so far, the critics have been proven right.
Heyward-Bey has said that he is doing his job by distracting defenders and allowing others to get open. Oakland spent far too much on him to just pose as a distraction.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin is perhaps the most unfortunate of the three as he has seen the least playing time. Couple this with the injury to quarterback Donovan McNabb, and at least Maclin’s statistics are understandable.
Going into week five, Nicks, Heyward-Bey, and Maclin have a combined total of 11 receptions and 153 yards with one touchdown. A poor return for players with the potential to be among the game’s elite.
Fortunately, there have been a few encouraging performances. Percy Harvin at Minnesota and Kenny Britt at Tennessee are also first round draftees, and they have been performing like it.
The reason?
Experienced quarterbacks.
Harvin has flourished under the 39-year-old Brett Favre and Kerry Collins, four years Favre’s junior, has a brilliant weapon in Britt.
As for the surprise package, well that has to be fifth round pick Johnny Knox. Knox has been the diamond in the rough and has racked up more receptions and yards than Nicks, Heyward-Bey, Maclin, and Crabtree combined, proving that sometimes the best players don’t always get picked first.
As for Crabtree, the waiting is finally over and he is an official 49er, but it will take time for him to learn the playbook. And it will take something seriously special if any of Nicks, Heyward-Bey, Maclin, or Crabtree reaches the numbers posted by some of the previous rookie wide-outs.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Crabtree Is Symbol of This Year’s Struggling Class of Wide Receivers
Published: October 7, 2009
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The 2008 NFL Draft made history by becoming the only draft not to have a wide receiver selected in the first round. In this year’s draft, six were taken in the first 32 picks but so far this year’s group have not set the world alight.
The standout star of this group of receivers was supposed to be Michael Crabtree. A star at Texas Tech, big things were expected of Crabtree when the 49ers took him with the 10th overall pick.
Crabtree has since hogged the headlines without even setting foot on the field. After only recently signing a contract with the team, Crabtree has yet to put on a gold helmet and play a single down in the NFL. It is laughable that he still hasn’t taken to the field, but in truth, he won’t have much to do to catch up with some of his fellow rookie receivers.
Last year’s group performed admirably, even with no receiver being taken in the first round. DeSean Jackson and Eddie Royal both had over 900 receiving yards in their rookie seasons. The year before, Dwayne Bowe was five yards short of 1,000 and in 2006, Marques Colston did surpass the magical 1,000. So why has this group not really started up yet?
Well, there are a multitude of reasons. In the case of Hakeem Nicks it has been other players stepping up. Without Plaxico Burress, Nicks was suppose to be Eli Manning’s go-to-guy, but it looks as though the former Super Bowl MVP has found other avenues more appealing.
Steve Smith leads the NFL in receiving yards and Mario Manningham exploded onto the scene in the first few weeks. The Giants are a rush first offense but have found the aerial route just as devastating.
Daririus Heyward-Bey has had the dire JaMarcus Russell at quarterback and has been the most disappointing of the entire group.
As the first wide receiver taken off the board, Heyward-Bey is earning the most but producing the least. The Raiders were roundly mocked for selecting him with the seventh overall pick, and so far, the critics have been proven right.
Heyward-Bey has said that he is doing his job by distracting defenders and allowing others to get open. Oakland spent far too much on him to just pose as a distraction.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin is perhaps the most unfortunate of the three as he has seen the least playing time. Couple this with the injury to quarterback Donovan McNabb, and at least Maclin’s statistics are understandable.
Going into week five, Nicks, Heyward-Bey, and Maclin have a combined total of 11 receptions and 153 yards with one touchdown. A poor return for players with the potential to be among the game’s elite.
Fortunately, there have been a few encouraging performances. Percy Harvin at Minnesota and Kenny Britt at Tennessee are also first round draftees, and they have been performing like it.
The reason?
Experienced quarterbacks.
Harvin has flourished under the 39-year-old Brett Favre and Kerry Collins, four years Favre’s junior, has a brilliant weapon in Britt.
As for the surprise package, well that has to be fifth round pick Johnny Knox. Knox has been the diamond in the rough and has racked up more receptions and yards than Nicks, Heyward-Bey, Maclin, and Crabtree combined, proving that sometimes the best players don’t always get picked first.
As for Crabtree, the waiting is finally over and he is an official 49er, but it will take time for him to learn the playbook. And it will take something seriously special if any of Nicks, Heyward-Bey, Maclin, or Crabtree reaches the numbers posted by some of the previous rookie wide-outs.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
The New York Jets’ Divisional Rivals: A Sneak Peek
Published: September 7, 2009
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This Sunday, Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez will compete in their first NFL regular season games as head coach and quarterback respectively. The rookies will be under pressure to get a victory in that opening day fixture against Houston because some difficult contests await them shortly thereafter in the AFC East.
The division looks to be very competitive again this year and filled with star studded names. This year Ryan will become acquainted with Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Jason Taylor and Terrell Owens.
You get the feeling Ryan relishes a challenge.
He will definitely be in for one this year.
Once again New England will start the season as favourites to win the division and with good reason. A certain Tom Brady will return.
The Pats may have added strengthened on one side of the ball, it is a completely different scenario on the other.
The offense may look imperious; but the defense is in a transitional stage. The Super Bowl stalwarts are gone and a new era is being ushered in. Mike Vrabel, Teddy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour have 11 Super Bowl rings between them but this summer, all four have departed.
On the flipside, the Patriots have freshened up. Had they continued to use the veterans, there would have been questions about whether they could have handled the rigours of an NFL season.
One the other hand, losing that much experience is going to damage a team. There are large voids in the Patriots defense and someone needs to step up.
One player who will have a big burden on his shoulders is Jerod Mayo. Mayo is an excellent player on a good team but he needs to become a great player. The loss of Bruschi means the Pats have lost a leader and Mayo may need to fill that role as well.
Mayo has the potential but he will need to quickly establish himself in the same group as Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis. It’s been five years since the Patriots won a Super Bowl and the defensive unit in particular will look for a leader to carry them there this time around.
Offensively, much depends on Brady’s health. Will the knee hold up? In preseason, linemen and linebackers got to Brady and you can be sure this will be a recurring theme in the first few weeks.
Teams will be keen to test out Brady’s durability and with no established backup, New England will be praying he stays healthy.
Their success this season depends on it.
From the Jets’ perspective, the rivalry with New England will once again be fierce. Eric Mangini’s departure from New York to Cleveland has changed nothing. The animosity still exists. Rex Ryan has targeted the Patriots in the preseason and claims the Jets will not be intimidated by them. Week Two’s encounter between the two sides will be hotly anticipated.
This time last year, few would have predicted that Miami would be the eventual winners of the AFC East but the Dolphins were the surprise story of the season.
They were led by Jets reject Chad Pennington and behind the scenes former Jets Coach Bill Parcells masterminded a remarkable turnaround. They even captured the title against the Jets, ruining Brett Favre’s retirement (at least that’s what we thought) in the process.
This year, the pressure will be on Miami to replicate last year’s form. This time around nobody will underestimate what the Dolphins can do. Everyone is now fully aware of the Wildcat formation and fully aware of the danger the Dolphins pose.
The main question for the Dolphins will be the effectiveness of the Wildcat system particularly after they drafted quarterback Pat White out of West Virginia University. Last season, the formation bamboozled New England. The Dolphins’ season appeared to be heading in the same direction as the previous years until Ronnie Brown’s prowess in the Wildcat formation changed it all.
It is a rare sight to see Bill Belichick tactically outclassed but on that day, he had no answer to Miami’s innovative plays. That set the precedent for the season and Miami cruised to the title. Then they faced Baltimore. Rex Ryan’s defense was superb and limited the Dolphins to just nine points forcing Pennington into four turnovers.
Will Ryan mastermind another victory over Miami or will Pennington continue to haunt the Jets? Will the Dolphins continue to effectively run the Wildcat on offense?
Another interesting factor for the Dolphins this year will be the return of Jason Taylor. Taylor had a terrible time in Washington, DC with the Redskins last year. Was it a result of being home-sick or old age catching up with the former Defensive Player of the Year?
He will try and form a formidable partnership with Joey Porter and their reputations alone should strike fear into opponents. Porter’s form steadily declined in Pittsburgh and his first year with the Dolphins was equally poor. Will last year prove to be a one-off or is Porter flourishing once again?
As the champions of the AFC East, the Dolphins were not exempt from Ryan’s jibes this off-season. His war of words with Channing Crowder provided some light relief in a period filled with trash talking. Ryan won’t be taking the Dolphins easy.
Ultimately the Dolphins win over the Jets on the final day of last season cost New York a place in the playoffs. That will not have been forgotten by the men in green.
For the Buffalo Bills, 2009 will be a make or break season. Coach Dick Jauron has not experienced a winning season since 2001. The Bills have not made the playoffs for nine years and that is a hard pill to swallow. Quarterback Trent Edwards is also due a break-out year. After being handed the starting role last year he was distinctly average, throwing 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
This off-season hasn’t passed without incident in Buffalo either. Enter Terrell Owens.
Owens is enigmatic, controversial and temperamental. He is a brilliant receiver with a point to prove. Are his off-field antics worth the hassle? Can he prove to the world that he’s just misunderstood? Will Owens cripple the confidence of Edwards if he doesn’t get the ball?
Opposite T.O. will be the fantastic Lee Evans. Buffalo possess two of the finest receivers in the game but keeping them both happy will not be easy.
Keeping Edwards upright could prove to be even harder.
The addition of Owens was a massive coup but the loss of Jason Peters was a huge blow. Arguably the best left tackle in the league is now plying his trade in Philly and Edwards could face a long, hard season on the run if the reformed offensive line cannot protect him.
Ryan will be fully aware of this and his blitz happy packages may be the key when the Jets and Bills lock horns. On the other hand, this may leave the secondary exposed to Evans and Owens and is veteran corner back Lito Sheppard up to the task of stopping them?
A dismal preseason spelled the end for the Bills’ offensive coordinator Turk Schonert and it remains to be seen if this late, radical move will work for or against the Bills.
Their season will certainly be fascinating to watch. Whenever T.O. is in town there are bound to be fireworks and much rests on the shoulders of Messieurs Jaron, Edwards and Owens.
Once again the AFC East will be one of the strongest divisions around. The team who finishes second is likely to obtain a Wildcard berth but everyone will want to be top of the table come January.
The Jets face a difficult trip to Houston on opening day but it is the games against the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills which will once again shape their season.
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June Is When It All Really Kicks Off for Rex Ryan’s New York Jets
Published: June 24, 2009
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June is probably the quietest month in the NFL.
There are no games played, very few free agency signings, and the draft has been and gone. Maybe this is why rookie head coach Rex Ryan chose this month to make sure his New York Jets team is making all the noise in the fiercely competitive AFC East.
Whilst most rookie coaches have kept their heads in their clipboards; Ryan has been telling everyone who will listen that his team will be a force to be reckoned with.
His swagger and confidence may not have been well received by others but there is something refreshing about Ryan’s approach. He has not only helped install a new system to his team but a new attitude too.
The methods imparted by previous coach Eric Mangini starkly contrast Ryan’s views and perhaps this has kept the new man’s tenure in the spotlight.
Mangini, a Bill Belichick disciple, guarded his team from the media and seemed far less approachable than Ryan. The new coach has given his players license to express themselves off the field and hopes this will transfer onto it.
Ryan has been criticised for his public outbursts but you cannot help but feel its how the former Baltimore man talks in private too. With Ryan, what you see is what you get. His honesty will serve as a valuable weapon should any media volleys head his way.
Behind the happy-go-lucky, larger-than-life exterior, there is a serious core to Ryan’s work.
He knows that his job is under more scrutiny than most, particularly from the New York media. He is also inheriting a much stronger team than other rookie coaches such as Jim Schwartz or Todd Haley. Add an expensive rookie quarterback into the mix and it soon becomes clear that there is much expected of Ryan.
He will not be required to re-build the Jets but instead build on a team coming off the back of a 9-7 season.
The whole Channing Crowder affair has been more comical than malicious. These verbal spars tend to be hyped up in an extensive offseason bereft of any action on the field.
Aside from the absurd threats of violence, there was an interesting point to come out of the dispute. Ryan’s admission that you win titles in June is partially true if it’s not taken as literally as Crowder took it.
Preparation is undoubtedly important, particularly for a rookie coach. The Jets need as much time on the practice field as possible; the physical and mental work done in June will have a big bearing on how the season pans out.
As the saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Whatever happens this season, the Jets will be Ryan’s team and he has made it clear he will not shy from confrontations.
There is something admirable about a man who puts himself on the line like Ryan does. These men are the ones who are showered with praise when things go well but they are also the first to face the music when things go wrong.
Only time will tell if the man making all the noise in June will still be as vocal come January, but the confidence Rex Ryan has displayed in his team is encouraging.
