Movers and Shakers: Ranking The NFL’s Top 10

Three weeks are in the books on this young 2009 NFL season, and already we are beginning to see some patterns and stroy lines take shape for the rest of this season.

The Steelers and Patriots are not as good as in year’s past. Both teams look really, really, really old. The Ravens, Saints and Jets look like the real deal so far, and the brothers Manning, i.e. the Colts and Giants are still the kings of the show.

By the way, how about dem Lions! No I am not crazy enough throw Detroit into a top 10 or 15 list, but, this maybe my last chance to give the Lions some kudos before their next 19 game losing streak.

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Collision Course: 46 D Alums Ryan and Fisher To Face Off Sunday

There are many story lines out there to follow for this Sunday’s clash between the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans to feast off of, the obvious being New York coming off the ecstasy of walloping the New England Patriots 16-9 last weekend to improve the Badfellas (Jets) to 2-0 on the year.

Meanwhile, the Titans were just two or three plays away from being 2-0 and not 0-2. Tennessee’s two losses to Pittsburgh and Houston were by a combined six points, making it quite clear that Tennessee has to win this weekend against the feisty Jets, if it wants to get its season back on track.

Yet, there are other story lines that are worth following, one of which has to do with the two coaches. Both Rex Ryan and Jeff Fisher hail from Buddy Ryan’s famed 46 defense. Fisher used to play under the elder Ryan, when he was a safety for the Chicago Bears in 1985, the year the Bears went 15-1 en route to Super Bowl XX triumph.

Rex, was there as well, much younger, just out of college, watching his father create one of the most ferocious monsters in NFL history; a monster that has spawned off menacing clones in Baltimore, Tennessee, and, now, New York.

Therefore, one would have to expect that neither team should be very surprised in what they see from the opposing defenses;  this could be a total street brawl. Just look at last year’s Divisional playoff game between the Titans and Baltimore Ravens as evidence, when Ryan was the defensive coordinator for Baltimore.

The score was 13-10 in favor of Baltimore, and the game was most famous for its violent hits and absolute mayhem, as neither the Titans nor Ravens’ offenses could move the ball.

The score was tied at seven heading into the fourth quarter, with the kickers, Matt Stover for the Ravens and Rod Bironas for the Titans figuring to be the only difference on the evening.

The Titans couldn’t muster much of a ground game against Ryan’s 46 D. Chris Johnson, who had 284 total yards last week against Houston, was held to just 72 yards rushing by the Ravens that day, and, Kerry Collins’ inability to handle the blitz played a big part in the Titans defeat.

It is also worth noting that Fisher’s defense held its own as well. The Titans gave up only nine first downs and 211 yards of offense a good Ravens offense; one would figure that Ryan and his coaching staff used that Titans/Ravens game as a key source for their players to study.

Thus begs the question as to what should people expect this weekend, when Fisher leads his Titans into New Jersey to take on Ryan’s Jets? Lets go inside this match up:

QUARTERBACK: Mark Sanchez has gotten off to a brilliant start to his NFL career. He has withstood the heavy blitz packages of the Patriots and Texans in the first two weeks, leading the Jets to two victories in the early season. Sanchez has thrown for 435 yards and has completed 60 percent of his passes, something that is very unusual for a rookie quarterback. Sanchez has a lot of promise, and like Joe Flacco in Baltimore, should only get better with time.

Kerry Collins on the other hand has been around a long, long time, and is making his return to the Meadowlands, the place he called home for five years, when he played for the Giants from 1999-2003. He is still the starter in Tennessee, if for nothing else, the blatant fact that the Titans still do not trust Vince Young after his hissy fit last September.

Collins is a mixed bag. Sometimes he is very good, and other times he is just awful. Last year he was a godsend for the Titans leading the team to a 13-3 record, but fell victim to Rex Ryan’s blitz happy Ravens defense in the divisional playoff game. How Collins handles the Ryan’s schemes this time around will go a long way in determining a winner here. EDGE: JETS.

RUNNING BACK: Both the Jets and Titans feature a dynamic duo at running back, but the Titans are the team seeing the most success at the position right now.

Chris Johnson ran all over the Texans for 284 total yards, and scored three touchdowns in the effort. It should be interesting to see how the Jets play him. Since the Jets blitz so much, it should create some running room in space for Johnson in the short passing game. Expect Tennessee to roll out both Johnson and LenDale White on bubble screens, and dump-off passes all day long in order to tire the Jets front seven.

As for Gang Green, their running game hasn’t really started yet. Other than a 38 yard touchdown run by Thomas Jones late in game one at Houston, Jones and Leon Washington have been non-existent. Jones and Washington were shut down by the Patriots last week, and it will be key for the second ranked rush defense to stop this dynamic duo. If Washington and Jones find a hole, either is a sure bet to take it to the house, especially Washington.

Last year when the Jets went to Tennessee, Washington had a huge afternoon, rushing for 82 yards on eight carries, including a 66 yard touchdown run to put the game away for the Jets. Washington will be a key to the game if the Jets are to win it. EDGE: TITANS.

WIDE RECEIVER: The Jets may not have the tallest receivers in the NFL, but they certainly have a nice group of fast receivers. Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey and Dustin Keller have provided Mark Sanchez with sure hands, and terrific speed after the catch. Last week as the Jets were driving for the go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter against New England, Cotchery made the catch on the slant, stutter stepped, and sped past two defenders, and nearly outran everyone for a touchdown. All three receivers have over 100 yards in receiving, and each are a threat to break it open for a touchdown.

As for Tennessee their receiving corps has always been looked down upon as one of the worst in the league, however Rutgers University rookie Kenny Britt is looking to change that. Britt leads the Titans in receiving with six catches for 107 yards. The Bayonne, N.J. native has terrific size (6’3″) and speed to become a legit number one receiver in the NFL. Meanwhile Justin Gage has done a nice job, while Algee Crumpler is splitting time with last year’s standout Bo Scaife at tight end. EDGE: JETS.

DEFENSE: Ah, now for the bread and butter of this game. This game features two doctors from Buddy Ryan’s 46 D University, so people should expect to see a very tight chess match from start to finish.

The Jets have been unbelievable. The fact that a group of players, most of whom never played the complicated 46 defense, have picked the scheme up this quickly speaks volumes about Ryan as a teacher. He has schooled his defensive players from day one in the 46, and has been able to get this group to gel just in time for the regular season, as result, Ryan’s Jets are the number one defense in football yielding only 241 yards per game.

The Jets have only two quarterback sacks, but they put tremendous pressure on Tom Brady and Matt Schaub through the first two weeks, knocking both of them to the ground during passes, and forcing both to throw on the hurry without a clear open receiver.

In the secondary, Darrelle Revis had his way with Andre Johnson and Randy Moss, holding both receivers to just four catches respectively. It should be interesting to see how he does against a rookie in Britt, this will be a challenge for the rookie to go up against the best corner back in football.

As for Tennessee, they are usually one of the best D’s in the league, but not this year. The Titans are 26th in total defense, and 32nd in the league in pass defense. Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger ripped the Titans secondary to shreds in the first two weeks, which is a big reason why Tennessee is 0-2. Oddly enough the Titans are second in rushing defense, surrendering 49 yards per game; however, when opponents see red in the secondary, why run? EDGE JETS.

COACHING: If Rex Ryan is a master motivator for his players with his boastful trash talking, and exuberant confidence, Jeff Fisher is one better. Nobody knows how to play the “us against the world” card better than Fisher. He always finds a way to get the most out of his team in crucial situations, and that should not change here. Fisher knows that this is a great opportunity for the Titans to walk into a loud building and turn the lights out. Can Ryan match emotions with Fisher? We shall see. EDGE TITANS.

UNIFORMS: Yes, I have uniforms as a category; the only reason for this is because this game is tapped as an AFL 50th Anniversary game. The Jets will wear their throwback N.Y. Titans uniforms, a navy helmet, and jersey with gold pants and numbers. The uniform looks like a poor man’s version of the Pittsburgh Steelers uni’s, but keep in mind the Jets are 3-1 in those uniforms since bringing them into vogue in 2007.

The Titans will be wearing one of the many versions of the Houston/ Tennessee Oilers uniforms. They will be wearing a sky blue helmet with a white oil rig on each side of the helmet, along with a white jersey with sky blue lettering. This is slightly different from the typical Oilers uniforms that fans have grown used to seeing in years past. Those uniforms had a white helmet with a red and blue oil rig decal, with bright, sky blue jerseys, and red piping. EDGE: EVEN, GOTTA LOVE THROWBACK JERSEYS!!

INTANGIBLES: Can Jet fans rev it up like they did against New England for the second straight week? Can the Jets continue to play with reckless abandon week in and week out? That is the question as we tick down to kickoff.

If Jet fans are as loud as they were last week, then for sure it could be enough to carry the team. However, there is a difference from the Patriots and Titans. There is a blood flowing hatred for New England among Jet fans, that same hatred does not exist for Tennessee. The fans will be there, but they won’t be as loud from start to finish, unless the Jets are winning the game. 

The Titans badly need this game. They are 0-2, and could easily be 2-0, if it weren’t for a couple of late field goals that killed them. Expect to see a motivated Tennessee team waltz into Giants Stadium, knowing that they can get their season back on track if they shut up the Jets fans and end talk about how good Rex Ryan’s Big Bad Jets have been this year. EDGE: TITANS.

PREDICTION: This figures to be a dog fight from start to finish. Expect Sanchez and company to face their first difficult afternoon against a desperate football team. Remember desperate teams are always dangerous. If the Jets win this game, they have got to jump off to a big 10 or 14 point lead in the first quarter. If Jets allow Tennessee to hang around heading into the fourth quarter, it will give the Titans a ton of confidence, maybe enough confidence that it carries Tennessee to victory. TITANS 24, JETS 21.

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Kiss This Belichick! New York Jets & Fans Take It To New England

It is not often that a head coach of a NFL franchise takes the time during his busy 18 hour a day schedule to record a message encouraging season ticket holders to come to the game locked and loaded, pumped up and ready to go.

That is what Rex Ryan did last Monday, and the coach who has found a way to connect with 53 men in a locker room, has found a way to connect with over 80,000 angry as hell Jet fans.

Giants Stadium? Not today. Jet fans were so loud from the start to finish of Sundays 16-9 Jets win over the despised New England Patriots, that the game was more reminiscent of a soccer game in Europe. Fans were jumping up and down in their seats, causing the joint to shake, rattle, and roll at several points during the game. Nobody sat down in this game; fans stood, cheering on Rex Ryan’s 46 D to smack around Tom Brady and the vaunted Patriots offense.

Defensively, the Jets didn’t get a whole heck of lot of pressure on Brady; they never sacked him and only hit him twice, but the Jets made him uncomfortable in the pocket, forcing him to overthrow his receivers all afternoon.

The fans played an even bigger role on defense with constant chants of “De-fense,” “Brady Sucks”, and profane hoots and hollers that only a Division I college football school crowd would echo, making it very hard for Brady to call audibles at the offensive line and impossible for him to hear the offensive coordinator in his helmetphone.

The Jets never allowed Randy Moss to do any damage. Moss had a measly four catches for 24 yards, as Darrelle Revis played extremely well in tight bump-and-run coverage on the all-pro receiver. Revis even snared a interception off Brady, thanks to his terrific coverage of Moss.

Whenever New England got inside Jets territory, the Jets D stood up and forced Brady to make some rather uncomfortable throws, sometimes off the back of his foot, sometimes in a hurry to avoid a sack, always leading to huge incompletions. The Patriots never scored a touchdown on Gang Green; the Jets forced the Patriots to kick three field goals in the first half and cling to a 9-3 halftime lead.

Offensively, Mark Sanchez and company did absolutely nothing in the first half. The Jets had only five total net yards of offense in the first quarter and didn’t record a first down until midway through the second quarter. Sanchez appeared a little uneasy against the Patritots blitz early on, but the fact that the Jets had no ground game was no help to the rookie.

However, once the second half started, it was a different Jets offense. On the first play of the third quarter, Sanchez hit Jerricho Cotchery on a crossing slant at the New England 45. Cotchery broke free from the coverage and sprinted to the Patriots 11 yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez hit a wide open Dustin Keller in the back of the end zone to give the Jets a 10-9 lead. The Jet fans exploded in jubilation, and the party was getting started.

On the next drive, Sanchez had completions of nine, seven, and 22 yards to move the Jets to the Patriots seven yard line. He then hit Chansi Stuckey in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, but after a Bill Belichick challenge, the touchdown was negated because Stuckey did not have both feet in bounds. The Jets settled for the field goal and a sudden 13-9 lead.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Jets defense was put to the ultimate test. With less then two minutes to go, Brady had the football, down by seven. This is usually Brady’s time to pick the opposition apart and lead the Patriots to victory, but the Jets sent so much pressure at Brady that the quarterback threw four straight incompletions. After the last one, the Jet players jumped into the air as if they had just won the Super Bowl; fans went completely nuts, and the Jets ended a eight game home losing streak to New England. Box Score.

NOTES: Rex Ryan dedicated the game ball to the fans for their incredible support. The ball will be displayed in the Jets trophy case in Florham Park, NJ. The Jets and Patriots came into the game with the series tied 49-49-1. This was the 100th meeting and a rubber game. The Jets won and now lead the series meetings 50-49-1.

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Rex Ryan’s Dirty 11: Badfellas of the Gridiron

This is not your father’s New York Jets. Hell, this is not even your brother’s New York Jets! If one thing was clear on Sunday afternoon as the Jets stomped all over the highly touted Houston Texans by a score of 24-7, it is this: Rex Ryan has clearly brought an edge to the Jets that has not been seen from the franchise in its entire history.

Over the past 40 years of futility since Jan. 12, 1969, fans of Gang Green have grown accustomed to seeing their defense give up chunks of yards, fail to blitz the quarterback, and allow opponents to storm back to steal the game in the final quarter.

Fans have made ritual trips to the bathroom to vomit after watching another horrific performance from their starting quarterbacks: Richard Todd, Ken O’Brien, Neil O’Donell, Glenn Foley, Rick Mirer, Chad Pennington, Brooks Bollinger, Kellen Clemens, and Brett Favre. It just doesn’t matter; the results have always been the same.

This time around, Jet fans are seeing a different team. They see it on the sideline, moving from the top with Ryan down to the the last man listed on the 53-man roster. This team plays with a brand of violent aggression, sacking, pushing, punching, hitting and clipping their opponents without fear of foul.

This group cares about only three things: (1) Victory, (2) Sending a message that this version of Gang Green will not be pushed around, and (3) Victory. 

Coach Rex Ryan has to take credit for this transformation. From day one, Ryan has instilled a brash, no-holds-barred attitude in the locker room, and it is apparent now that his message has gotten across pretty quickly.

In the Texans game, the Jets held star receiver Andre Johnson to a mere 35 yards on four catches, and they even knocked him out of a few plays after a nasty hit by Donald Strickland in which he smashed Johnson to the ground like a bull striking at Pamplona.

They confined Pro Bowl running back Steve Slanton to a stingy 17 yards on nine carries, exposing the Texans as rather a vanilla football team.

The Jets’ harassment of Matt Schaub was not only unexpected but a graphic display of the Jets’ new approach. On the opening drive of the game, David Harris broke free on the blitz and launched himself seemingly through Schaub, drilling him to the ground as he released the ball. The pass floated incomplete; the Texans had the punt and Schaub limped off the field.

Hitting and rushing the passer is something Gang Green is not known for, but, this team rendition will not only get after the quarterback, they will go after him like a falcon diving at red meat. They hit Schuab over a dozen times on Sunday, even getting away with a couple of late hits, and sacked him twice, including an obvious horse collar sack by Harris, when he yanked Schuab down to the ground by the back of his shoulder pads.

The Jets’ aggressiveness appeared on offense, too. With the clock ticking down in the second quarter, quarterback Mark Sanchez rolled out of the pocket and appeared to have the first down in his sights; at the last minute, he caught sight of Dustin Keller breaking free of coverage; Sanchez drilled the ball across his body to Keller, who made the catch and was tackled after a 25-yard gain.

After the tackle, the Houston linebacker was jawing at Keller. Keller suddenly snapped, got up and pushed the surprised backer away from himself. Soon, most of the Jets sideline marched onto the field and started pushing and shoving other Texan players in defense of their tight end.

Ryan and his coaches had to pull his players off the field to protect them, but the die had been cast that this group was playing with one large chip on its shoulders.

Later in game, after Sanchez threw a costly pick that cut the Jets lead to 17-7, the young quarterback showed true grit. Sanchez released a bomb down the sideline to Keller, who made the catch in stride and dashed 40 yards to the Texan 38-yard line.

Two plays later, Thomas Jones burst through the trenches and scored on a 38-yard sprint to give Gang Green an insurmountable 24-7 advantage.

 
For the past week, the Jets have trash-talked about what they plan to do to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Trash talking is usually cheap, and it is new to see it coming from the Jets who were one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL over the past 12 years.

Those days are gone. Kerry Rhodes, Kris Jenkins, and others have told the media that the Jets plan to make Brady into a Raggedy Ann doll on Sunday afternoon, and I am sure that Ryan is pumping up the troops tonight with another profanity laced stump speech.

In case you didn’t know, several Jet players told the New York Post that Ryan’s speech before the Texans game was so motivational that they were ready to strap on pads and smack into someone right then.

In fact, kicker Jay Feely was quoted as saying that Ryan used “the F-bomb 52 times” during the speech. Imagine what he could be saying tonight. It might sound a little like Geroge C. Scott’s speech at the beginning of Patton, if not more profane.

It is becoming clear that Ryan’s die is cast: This Jets team will play the role of the anti-hero and love it. They will trash talk, illegally kick, trip and tackle anyone who stands in their way, and, somehow, find the means to win ball games with their solid NFL talent.

Talk about being the bad guy; this is a talented group of players who not only win, but win dirty.  

Whatever the case may be, the Jets will have to back up their new coach and prove to the nation once again that they are indeed a different franchise on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Anything less will be considered a disappointment.
Ask any Jet player or coach; the mantra is “Make my day.”

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N.Y. Jets Lucky As Mangini Fumbles Celveland QB Competition

Jet fans, consider yourselves lucky: You could still have Eric Mangini as your head coach.

Ever since Rex Ryan was hired to replace Mangini, people have highlighted the differences between the two. Ryan has given his players, fans, and bosses confidence in his firm ability to make key decisions for the Jets. He changed the culture from timid to bold, and his strong belief this team can win at any cost is an inspiration to his players—who would do anything for “their coach.”

Mangini was always different, retiring behind the mantra of Bill Belichick’s disciple. He rarely showed faith in his team as he mumbled and stumbled through press conferences, finding it difficult to say anything positive about his players. Worse yet, he posed solemnly on the sidelines, arms folded across his chest in a state of apparently deep concentration, concern etched on his furrowed brow before the axe fell.

Now, less than a week before opening day, the former poker-faced coach of the Jets continues to find a way to frustrate the Cleveland Browns.

The latest: Mangini has royally screwed up his quarterback competition. Spring OTAs, summer training camp, and four preseason games were not enough for Mangini to decide between Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson to be his starting quarterback.

Earlier today, Mangini said that he still had yet to make a decision on the competition, and—most disturbingly—has yet to tell either Anderson or Quinn about his decision. In fact, Mangini plans on keeping silent on the situation all the way until kickoff on Sunday, when the team squares off against the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre—the very man who got him canned in New York last January.

Mangini’s logic: He wants to keep the Vikings in the dark as long as possible.

“It is more difficult to plan for two (quarterbacks) than it is to plan for one,” he said. “I’m not saying that’s going to be the difference or not the difference, but I know that there is time allotted to that and you can’t put the same amount of time into focusing on one player,” Mangini said at his afternoon press conference.

Gee, Eric, the Vikings only had two weeks to prepare for the Cleveland Browns. I think there is enough film of the Browns for the Vikings to study both quarterbacks.

Plus, Minnesota has one of the NFL’s top defenses. I don’t think it matters who is under center for Cleveland. Football is football; it’s not astro-physics.

Once again, this is an example of Mangini outsmarting himself. Just think, this could have been the Jets that endured a highly ballyhooed quarterback competition this summer between rookie Mark Sanchez and veteran Kellen Clemens. Even though Sanchez clearly outplayed Clemens, you can certainly picture Mangini performing the same Hamlet-like indecisiveness if he were still in New York.

He would likely keep the progress of the competition mute until game day, allowing young quarterback Sanchez, frustrated veteran Clemens, and 51 other players to twist in the wind until he decided—not unlike the William Windom character at the beginning of Planes, Trains and Automobilies, who couldn’t tell Steve Martin and Lyman Ward which magazine cover to use in a planned advertising campaign, setting off the movie’s hilarious chain of events.

There is a reason why Rex Ryan came to a decision on the quarterback before the third preseason game. He wanted to give his first-string offense time to gel with its new starting quarterback. He wanted to make sure his quarterback had the opportunity to work with the offense, improve continuity with receivers, and get the offensive line accustomed to the cadence of a their new leader.

It makes sense. In order for a team to be truly successful with a competent offense, the organization has to know weeks in advance who their starting quarterback will be. The quarterback is the field general of the team, counted on to lead in crucial moments.

Rex Ryan knows this. He sees that Mark Sanchez has the desire and ability to take a team on his back and lead it. That is why he made a swift decision. He wants to make sure the franchise is ready to succeed.

As for Mangini, the only things he understands are mind games. His refusal to name a starter is counterproductive. Not only will the Vikings be in the dark about who the quarterback starter will be, but so will the Browns!

Hence, the big difference, the chasm exists between Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini. Jets fans drew the right hand. This news has to give Jet fans heart that the franchise might very well be in good hands.

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Let It Rock! 2009 NFL Season Is Ready To Take Center Stage

Six months ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on top of the world. Trailing 23-20 in the finial minutes of Super Bowl XLIII, Ben Roethlisberger entered the status of one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks when he lofted a pop up to the corner of the end zone into the golden hands of Santonio Holmes, who made a spectacular catch while getting pushed out of bounds.

The final quarter was a thriller in what had been heretofore a dull football game, and made for a fine conclusion to the 2008 season. The Steelers faced the league’s toughest schedule in 2008, and, with all due respect to the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers were the number one team in the league from start to finish.

Now a new season is on the horizon and with it tantilizing questions: Can the Steelers repeat as champions? Can Tom Brady return to his form of two seasons ago when he led New England to a perfect regular season? Can the Giants regain their momentum from the last year and a half and become a champion once again? How will Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez do in their initial year with the Jets? Will Michael Vick be a factor or a bust in Philly?

These questions will be answered over the next 22 weeks, with the culmination coming at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida for Super Bowl XLIV. But for now, here are my predictions before the games begin.

AFC EAST:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 12-4: Heeeeeeeeeee’s baaaaaaacccckkkkkk! Tom Brady is back in town, and he is ready to wreak havoc on the entire NFL. It was a huge loss for the Patriots when Brady went down on opening day, but the fact that this team still went 11-5 without him says a lot about Bill Belichick and the depth of this ball club.

The Patriots added some key pieces to join Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Joey Galloway, the veteran speedster who made his name in Seattle years ago, will be the team’s fourth wide out, as long as he and Brady can get on the same page. The two have struggled to connect in pre-season. Adding Galloway gives the Pats two legit deep threats with being the other.

Fred Taylor wasn’t wanted anymore in Jacksonville, and the Patriots picked him up to help out Lawrence Maroney and Kevin Faulk, in what figures to be a very deep backfield for New England.

The one caveat is the defense. Gone are Teddy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour. The Pats are moving toward a more youthful look on defense; it should be interesting to see how quickly a new group gels, and whether they can be as dominant as Patriot defenses of the past. Look for New England to feast off the AFC East this year and be in contention for a top playoff seed.

BUFFALO BILLS 7-9: I was once thinking that the Bills might have a good team this year; maybe they could compete for a wild card berth, and they still may contend, but when a team fires its offensive coordinator before the season even kicks off, the absence is quite ominous. The Bills desperately need Terrell Owens, as weird as that sounds, to return to the field and provide Buffalo with that lethal passing game that they could posses.

Owens and Lee Evans working together should give opposing secondaries headaches and furnish Trent Edwards one of the best one-two punch receivers to target.

Still, potential doesn’t always spell success. The Bills will have to wait three weeks before Marshawn Lynch returns to the backfield; in the meantime, they hope that Fred Jackson can develop into a top running back that could eventually replace Lynch.

In addition, fans can’t be encouraged that Dick Jouran is still coaching this team. They went 5-1 at the start of the year, and Jouran watched his club win only three games the rest of the way. He should have been fired, but he is still in Buffalo. Eventually, Bills management has to move on from one of the leagues most overrated coaches.

NEW YORK JETS 6-10: Jet fans are on pins and needles. They are ready to jump out of their seats and scream with excitement after watching Mark Sanchez torch a beat up Giants defense, and especially after listening to Rex Ryan’s immodest proclamations of immediate success. Yet, they have to curb their enthusiasm a whole heck of a lot.

A young team is a young team. The Jets new 46 Defense, which figures to be incredible as the years moves by, will take baby steps in the opening weeks, especially with a difficult first month on their docket. Moreover, Sanchez will go through some growing pains this year; expect to see the Sanchez that looked lost in Baltimore rather than the Sanchez that looked like a star in the last two pre-season games for most of the regular season, as the blitzes that come at him will have the goal of taking his head off. It will be a rough year, but the future looks really bright for Gang Green.

MIAMI DOLPHINS 6-10: If you believe that Chad Pennington can have another successful season without dislocating his shoulder, or breaking a leg, or even stubbing his toe, then you might believe that pigs can fly. In other words: get a life if you are putting money on the Fish to be a playoff team again this year.

The Dolphins shocked everyone last year with their wild cat offense, but expect that to change big time this year. Teams are scheming for it this time around, so don’t expect Ronnie Brown and company to have as much success running the Cat this year.

The Dolphins have a rough schedule this year with games against the Steelers, Chargers, Colts, Panthers, Saints, and two with the Patriots, so a step backwards is in the offing.

AFC NORTH:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 12-4: The World Champions figure to be as good as the 2008 version; that is, if Ben Roethlisberger is fully healed from a strained Achilles tendon, and if Santonio Holmes and Willie Parker are fully healed as well from nagging off-season injuries. If all three are healthy then the Steelers will be a threat to dominate the AFC once again.

Their Blitzburgh defense is still one of the top D’s in the league, and with everyone returning for another year from that unit, the Steelers D should remain among the top three defense’s in the NFL.

Player to watch: Rashard Mendenhall should figure big in the Steelers offense. Willie Parker had a down year in 2008, and if he should stumble again this year, Mendenhall will see a lot more carries in 2009.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 10-6: Over the last seven years, four teams have dominated the AFC: New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and San Diego. Now you can grow that list to five with the addition of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens shocked the world last year with the outstanding play of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco; he helped lead Baltimore to the AFC title game. This year, Flacco should only get better. He has a terrific arm and size to be a Super Bowl quarterback, and if his performance against a good Panthers defense (23 for 28 for 247 yards) is any indication, then the Ravens are in for a big year.

Ray Rice, the former Rutgers running back, figures to get a majority of the carries for the Ravens but don’t count out Willis McGahee, who came to camp in the best shape of his life after suffering a horrific head-to-head collision in last year’s title game in Pittsburgh.

The defense? Well, even with Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard in New York, the Ravens still have Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Enough said.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 7-9: If anyone has caught an episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Cincinnati Bengals,” then one can tell that Marvin Lewis is ready to jump out of a window. In one showing, the Bengals coach is seen screaming at his players during practice because guys were coming out in sandals not cleats.

Yeah, exactly; the Bengals stink. You have to feel badly for guys like Carson Palmer, who is a very good quarterback on a terrible football team, and, yes, even Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, who, in spite of his desire to be world famous on Twitter, is a very good teammate.

CLEVELAND BROWNS 5-11: When Eric Mangini landed in Cleveland, the first thing he did to alienate himself from everyone was paint over a mural of Cleveland Browns history; he had someone paint over pictures of Jim Brown and Bernie Kosar. To top that, Mangini proceeded to distance himself even farther by making enemies with many of his players by ignoring them and even dragging them to Connecticut for his eponymous Youth Football Camp.

Still there is some talent in Cleveland to prevent this team from going totally bust, but the worst record in the league and mutiny is not out of the question.

AFC SOUTH:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 11-5: Many are waiting for the Colts to completely fall apart. They were waiting like vultures last year when it became obvious that Marvin Harrison was no longer the same player, and Joesph Addai put together a horrible season. Still, Peyton Manning threw 27 touchdowns, low for him, and 4,000 yards.

With Tony Dungy out of the picture as head coach, many are wondering if Jim Caldwell can do a good enough job to keep things stable in Indy. The one thing Caldwell has going for him is Manning; as long as Peyton is around, the Colts will be a threat to win it all every year.

Expect the Colts to have a solid season once again.

TENNESSEE TITANS 9-7: The Titans were a surprising team last year, starting off at 10-0, and finishing with the AFC’s best record 13-3. Even with that terrific record and a top ten defense, there was something disturbingly wrong with the Titans – their offense.

The Titans fielded a lackluster passing attack in 2008, led by the always inconsistent Kerry Collins, and receivers Justin Gage and Justin McCariens. If it weren’t for Chris Johnson’s breakout season on the ground, the Titans could have had the worst offense in the game. Expect Tennessee to take a natural step backwards since a lot of teams will be gunning for them. Plus, when was the last time Kerry Collins had back-to-back solid seasons as a starter? Humm … yeah … we are still waiting.

HOUSTON TEXANS 9-7: Everyone is pumping up the Houston Texans. After spending their first six years of existence as an NFL doormat, people are expecting the Texans and its high powered offense to drive right to the postseason.

The Texans have wonderful weapons in receiver Andre Johnson and running back Steve Slaton. Johnson is the one of the best receivers in the game; he put up 1,575 yards last season and remains the team’s lone deep threat. Slaton had a terrific rookie campaign, posting 1,282 yards rushing, and he should get better with time.

Nonetheless, the big problem is at the quarterback position. Matt Schaub never stays healthy, having missed a big part of each of the last two seasons. He has to find a way to stay on the field for all 16 games for the Texans to finally show their potential. In fact, even if Schaub does complete the season, we can’t predict how good he really will be.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 5-11: Which Jacksonville Jaguars team will we see this year? In 2007, experts expected the Jags to put up an uncompetitive season;,lo’ and behold, the Jaguars went 11-5 behind a rejuvenated Fred Taylor and an inspired David Garrard; the Jags marched to the divisional round of the playoffs. Last season, many thought that the Jaguars were good enough to take the next step and compete for a championship, but the Jaguars fell off the map. Garrard had a terrible year, and Maurice Jones-Drew and Taylor were non-factors all year.

What will it be this year? Garrard is not a great QB, but he is accurate, having completed 61 percent of his passes in his career. As for Jones-Drew, he is one of the game’s most highly touted running backs, but he faces a stiff challenge this year. Taylor no longer plays for the Jags, making it Jones-Drew’s team. He must regain his form of two years ago if the Jags are to be successful.

Could the Jaguars surprise this year? Sure, they have the talent; they just have to use it.

AFC WEST:

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 13-3: The Chargers had better win 13 games this year. The AFC West is the worst division in football with three teams (Broncos, Raiders, and Chiefs) all rebuilding and struggling to find an identity.

The Chargers have the most talent in the West with Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates leading the Bolts on offense. The Chargers can score at will, and they should have a field day against a soft schedule. Defensively, the Chargers welcome back Shawn Merriman to the corps. Last season, Merriman went down with a season ending knee injury, and the Chargers were never the same without him.

Look for the Bolts to seek vengeance on the AFC for years of playoff failures and capture the conference’s number one seed.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 6-10: Hey! After a 2-14 season the Chiefs move into second place! That is what happens when two other teams are even worse than Kansas City. The Chiefs are rebuilding; they brought in Scott Pioli, the brilliant GM that built the Patriots dynasty in this decade, to do the same in KC. He brought with him another Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick alum in Todd Haley to coach this team, and with Matt Cassel now at quarterback, it is clear that the Chiefs are looking toward better days in the future.

However, it will take time before Cassel ever steps on the field for the Chiefs. Cassel went down with a leg injury two weeks ago, and he will miss the first month of the season. In his place, Tyler Thigpen, who did a nice job as the Chiefs starter last year, will be under center on opening day.

For now, it doesn’t matter who is the quarterback; the Chiefs will be bad this year, but they should only get better with time.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 5-11: We move from a team that has upside to a team that has monumental downside. When are the Raiders going to figure things out? Coach Tom Cable added to the long laundry list of embarrassments when he punched out one of his assistant coaches, UFC style, during camp. To top it, the team cut quarterback Jeff Garcia because he felt he is a better quarterback than JaMarcus Russell. I think he may have a point but don’t tell that to Al Davis, or whoever is running this team into the ground.

DENVER BRONCOS 3-13: Now for the coup de grace of laugh-out loud embarrassment! Over the years, fans have gotten used to teams like the Lions, Browns, Jets, and Saints inhabiting the painful distinction of being the worst run franchise in sports; now the Broncos hold this incredible trophy.

First, the Broncos thought it was a good idea to fire Mike Shanahan after a series of mediocre seasons and decided to hire baby-face New England assistant Josh McDaniels to run the team. McDaniels, in turn, has run the Broncos into the ground in just a few months. He had a spat with Jay Cutler, and got the franchise quarterback traded to Chicago for … gulp … Kyle Orton!?!?!? Now, McDaniels is in a fight with the team’s best receiver, Brandon Marshall since the pompous wide out wants more money and the football. I am sure owner Pat Bolen calls Shanahan every day to apologize for firing the only coach to win a Super Bowl in Denver. If McDaniels accomplishes one thing this year, he will beat out Tom Cable, Eric Mangini and Wade Phillips as the first coach to get fired before Christmas.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:

CHARGERS 13-3

STEELERS 12-4

PATRIOTS 12-4

COLTS 11-5

RAVENS 10-6

TEXANS 9-7

NFC EAST:

NEW YORK GIANTS 10-6: Last season, the Giants came off the incredible high of winning Super Bowl XLII by winning 11 of their first 12 games, making the statement that the G-Men were the best in pro football. Then a gun at a nightclub seemed to change everything.

Once Plaxico Burress was caught with possessing an illegal fire arm at a N.Y. club a few days after Thanksgiving, the Giants offense was never the same. Eli Manning made all the throws, but the likes of Steve Smith and Dominik Hixon failed to make the catches, so much so that Big Blue was ousted by the hated Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional playoffs 23-11.

Today, the Giants still have concerns at wide receiver. Hixon, Smith and Sinorice Moss struggled throughout the pre-season, but it appears that there is some light at the end of the tunnel in rookie Hakeem Nicks, who had a spectacular pre-season. If Nicks can replace Burress, it will allow the Giants vaunted running game of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be even better.

Caveat: The Giants deep defense is banged up a bit. Antonio Pierce, Michael Boely, Chris Canty, Jay Alford, and Aaron Ross are a few of many players that have spent time on the DL this summer. The Giants have to get these players back if they hope to contend for another Super Bowl title.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10-6: My upset special is the Washington Redskins. Everyone is talking about the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys in this division, and no one is paying attention to Washington, which usually means that a surprise is in the offing.

The Redskins have heard throughout the off-season that coach Jim Zorn is in over his head, and the fact that owner Dan Snyder tried to replace Jason Campbell with either Mark Sanchez or Jay Cutler. Failing at both, Campbell will be back under center for Washington, and he must step it up this year.

 
The Redskins have always had the talent from Santana Moss to Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley. Now they have to put it together for the first time in a very long time. Plus, the addition of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will give the Skins much needed bulk in the middle of their defense.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 9-7: Every year experts tag a certain team to make it to the Super Bowl, and, as a result, the team falls on its face. The Eagles are such a team. They added Justin Peters to the offensive line, Jeremy Maclin to receiver and LaSean McCoy at running back. All of sudden the Eagles were Super Bowl favorites.

With the addition of the monster otherwise known as Michael Vick, the expectations are even higher. The Eagles are a team always in constant turmoil, from Donovan McNabb’s security as the starting quarterback to Andy Reid’s job security. Just a hunch … things are not going to change.

DALLAS COWBOYS 8-8: Poor Tony Romo doesn’t have Jessica Simpson and Terrell Owens to kick him around anymore; now he has to put up or shut up, as does coach Wade Phillips whom owner Jerry Jones is ready to fire at a moment’s notice. Another lost season, and this team will begin to rebuild … and fast.

NFC NORTH:

GREEN BAY PACKERS 12-4: The Packers have the opportunity to really become a super team. They have a good young nucleus of Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Ryan Grant and Donald Lee on the offensive side of the ball, and a solid, experienced defense with A.J. Hawk, Aaron Kampman and Charles Woodson set to make a big run into the postseason.

This year is all about Rodgers. He had a huge year, his first as Packers starter, throwing for 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns; this year he can cement himself as the leader of the Pack with another big season and two wins over former Packer Brett Favre and the Vikings. If Rodgers continues to develop into a pro bowl quarterback with this high powered offense, the Packers could be off and running.

CHICAGO BEARS 11-5: With Jay Cutler now in Chicago, the Bears finally have a legit quarterback. Three years ago when the Bears went to the Super Bowl, it was the defense, Thomas Jones and Devin Hester, that took Chicago to the big dance. Now with Cutler, the Bears have a guy able to put points on the board for that terrific defense.

The caveat is the receiving corps. Devin Hester is the only decent receiver the Bears have, and he is a corner back. It will be important for the other receivers to step it up big time if the Bears want to contend.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 7-9: Oh, so now that the Vikings have Brett Favre; this means Super Bowl, right? Wrong. Favre is washed up as a football player. Even though he claims that he is fully recovered from right shoulder surgery, it is hard to imagine that a 40 year old man can just show up, having missed most of training camp and all of OTA’s, to lead the Vikings to the promised land. At least the Vikings have Adrian Peterson to keep Viking fans from throwing their seats at Favre after each interception.

DETROIT LIONS 3-13: Here is one guarantee prediction this year: the Lions will win at least one game in 2009. After going 0-16 last season, 1-15 is actually an improvement. The Lions will likely start the year with Daunte Culpepper as the starting quarterback, but it will only be a matter of time before Matthew Stafford takes over. The Lions are years, upon years, away from actually being a factor in a playoff race.

NFC SOUTH:

CAROLINA PANTHERS 10-6: There has to be some concern for the Panthers heading into the season. Jonathan Stewart, who is the second in Carolina’s vaunted one-two punch at running back, has been bothered by an Achilles tendon strain and really never practiced at all in training camp. Stewart is expected to miss the opener, putting extra pressure on DeAngelo Williams to carry the load as the primary running back. Williams had a fantastic season last year, so the Panthers are lucky that they have one of their top two backs playing.

Injuries have been the pattern for the Panthers over the years. Whenever this team seems ready to push for a championship, they sufer numerous injuries that prevents them from contending. Is the Stewart injury the beginning of a snow ball?

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 9-7: The Saints have a very productive offense with Drew Brees leading the way. Brees was all world last year throwing for 5,069 yards on a team that didn’t have a 1,000 yard receiver. This is a big year for Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Thomas will be the feature back with Deuce McAllister no longer on the team. Thomas has 625 yards last year and should have a 1,000 yard campaign in ’09. As for Bush, he must prove that he is more than just a special team’s ace. Bush has the talent to be an every down back, but he has yet to prove it. 

Defense will be key. The most sacks a Saints player recorded was six, so if new D coordinator Greg Williams gets his way, the Saints will become more of a blitz happy unit than in years past. They will need to be in order to stop the high powered ground games in Atlanta and Carolina.

ATLANTA FALCONS 6-10: No one could have foreseen the success coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan had in 2008, so it should be viewed as natural that the Falcons stumble backwards a bit. Too much success is not always a good thing. This will be a challenging year for Atlanta as many teams in the NFC will be taking the Falcons seriously from the get-go. Can they handle the pressure?

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2-14: The Bucs are in transition. They hired 32-year-old Raheem Morris to be their head coach, which should prove to be quite interesting. Two things could happen here: the players may feel a very close connection to Morris to the point that they will fight hard for him every single week and may even pull off a lot of upsets, or the older players that are still on the team may eventually feel disenchanted with the inexperienced coach, and, in turn, turn him off.

Either way, this is about 2010, if not 2011 for Tampa Bay; they will look to ease rookies like Josh Freeman into the lineup.

NFC WEST:

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 11-5: I like what is happening in Seattle. They have re-energized the team with Jim Mora Jr. as Mike Holmgren’s replacement; they signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh away from the Bengals to become their primary receiver, and they are welcoming back a healthy Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback. Expect to see the Seahawks light up the scoreboard this year with Hasselbeck to Houshmandzadeh all season long; Julius Jones and Edgerrin James will provide a nice one-two running back punch in the backfield.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 8-8: Over the years, the team that looses the Super Bowl falls apart the following season. Expect the same to happen to the Cardinals for two reasons: 1) there is something to this pattern, and 2) they are the Cardinals!

Kurt Warner had another storybook year last year, but one has to wonder how many more miracles the 38-year-old quarterback has left to compose. At least he still has Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston to whom to throw. The key for the Cards is finding a ground game with Chris “Beanie” Wells and making certain that their defense regains momentum from the playoffs and actually plays well in the regular season.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 7-9: Anytime Shaun Hill wins the starting job at quarterback means that someone is in for a long season. The 49ers are still trying to figure out their identity as a football team, and with Mike Singletary entering his second season as head coach, it will be important for San Francisco to win eight or nine games, then go on to contend for a wild card. Let’s hope that Singletary keeps his pants on when the Niners go on an extended losing streak.

ST. LOUIS RAMS 4-12: Steve Spagnolou, the former Giants defensive coordinator, is taking his craft to the Rams, an organization that never knew how to play defense even when they were good earlier in the decade. The Rams have to develop a killer instinct if they want to return to prominence.

It will be a long year because this offense won’t score a lot of points. With Tory Holt now playing in Jacksonville, the Rams no longer have a number one deep threat to receive, and on top of that, Mark Bulger needs to show people that he can stay healthy for a full season.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:

GREEN BAY PACKERS 12-4

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 11-5

NEW YORK GIANTS 10-6

CAROLINA PANTHERS 10-6

CHICAGO BEARS 11-5

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10-6

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Taking a Bite Out of Crime: Michael Vick Will Be Back By Week Three

Whatever your opinion is about Michael Vick and his personal issues, it is clear that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t care what people think—he is ready to move on.

About an hour ago, Goodell ruled that Vick will be eligible to play football again by week three of the regular season. That means that Vick won’t have to serve the six week suspension that many thought he would face when he was released from prison back in July.

The Eagles, now, have the ability to bring Vick into the fold offensively when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Lincoln Financial Field on September 27.

Vick will definitely add a dimension to the Philly offense. Vick’s deceptive ability to both run and throw the football will make him extremely dangerous in the Wildcat offense—that is if NFL defenses’ haven’t figured out how to scheme against the Wildcat at this point.

That being said, protesters will follow Vick and the Eagles all season long; the hard lesson that he has to pay for his horrific actions two years ago. Vick has to consider himself lucky—if this experiment should fail in Philadelphia, it will likely be the last time Vick plays in an NFL uniform, since most teams wouldn’t want a run down version of Vick with his tarnished public image.

This is his shot. This is his chance. Now Vick has to take full advantage of it, and prove to the country that he can be a decent citizen, as well as a excellent football player once again.

Mark Sanchez and Jets Show Poise In Win Over Giants

JETS 27, GIANTS 25

Oh, what a night!

Sure it was preseason, but don’t tell that to the New York Jets, who put on one heck of a show in their annual end of summer clash with the New York Giants.

Coming into the game, the Jets needed to give Mark Sanchez some much needed reps, and in return, receive some positive results after last week’s debacle in Baltimore; positive results are exactly what they got and more.

Unlike last week when Sanchez looked lost in the world of Ray Lewis and the blitz-happy Baltimore Ravens defense, Sanchez withstood the blitz tonight from the Giants and delivered a veteran-like performance, going 13-for-20 for 149 yards and a touchdown. 

In the second quarter, with the Giants on top 13-7, the Jets had the ball at their own 38 yard line facing a second and 10. Sanchez rolled to his left, avoided the pass rush and drilled the football to a wide open Chansi Stuckey for a 29-yard gain to the Giants 31 yard line.

Two plays, later, Sanchez rolled right into the blitz; with Osi Umineyoria and Fred Robbins bearing down on Sanchez, the rookie heaved the ball down the sideline to Stuckey, who made the catch, re-established himself inbounds, and dashed into the end zone to give the Jets a 14-13 lead.

Most of time it is ill advised for a quarterback to heave the ball up under such pressure, but the play displayed two things: 1) Sanchez has enough poise to make a quick read and decision on a broken play, and 2) his accuracy is really good. It takes a very strong arm to get rid of a football accurately under such duress, and Sanchez passed the test with flying colors.

From there Sanchez seemed to be in a groove. Standing in the pocket, Sanchez delivered a couple of strikes; one, a nine-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery to move the chains.

Later, Sanchez delievered a laser to Cotchery in the end zone that hit the receiver in the numbers while he was double covered. Cotchery dropped the touchdown, but the message that Sanchez and Jets wanted to send was load and clear. 

Defensively, the Jets got stronger as the night wore on.

Even though they never sacked quarterback Eli Manning, they put so much pressure on his receivers in tight bump-and-run coverage that it probably contributed to the series of drops and overthrows for the Giants offense all night.

The Jets new 46 Defense was so fast to the football on many different occasions that it was hard for any Giants offensive player to make adjustments in space, as they were tackled as soon as the football got to him.

As for the Giants, they continued to struggle offensively. Eli Manning continues to have timing issues with his receivers; it doesn’t help build chemistry either when just about everyone in a blue jersey is dropping the football.

Late in the first quarter, Steve Smith was wide open down the middle of the field, Manning hit him in stride. It would have been an easy 85-yard touchdown pass, but Smith dropped the football once it landed in his hands.

Next, Manning’s pass was tipped and bobbled by Dominik Hixon, instead landing in the hands of Jets linebacker David Harris to set up the Jets first scoring drive of the evening.

Overall Manning was 9-for-21 for 92 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The stats lie because a lot of Manning’s incompletions were not his fault.

Defensively, the Giants got some pressure on Sanchez, but without Chris Canty, Antonio Pierce, Michael Boley, and Jay Alford, the Giants pass rush seemed to miss something.

Also, it appeared that the Jets took full advantage of the absence of corner back Aaron Ross, as Jet receivers were open all night long to make one big play after another.

The only positive the Giants could take out of the night was the play of David Carr and Hakeem Nicks. Even though it was against the Jets second string defense, the pair almost brought the Giants back from a 20-13 deficit to win the game.

Carr’s 22 yard pass to Nicks in the corner of the end zone brought Big Blue to within 20-19. Later, Carr connected with Nicks, again, on a 71-yard touchdown down the sideline to cut the Jets lead to 27-25. The Giants failed to convert on two different two-point conversion plays costing them the ball game.

WHAT THE JETS CAN TAKE FROM THIS WIN: Their offense may be better than advertised. With Sanchez’s ability to scramble, combined with the speed of the Jets receivers, the Jets could create many matchup problems for opposing defenses.

A deceptive offense is very hard to scheme for, and if an opposing defense has trouble discerning when Sanchez is going to get rid of the football, it will likely leave a man wide open for Sanchez to connect with, like it did tonight with Stuckey. Speed kills, especially in the NFL.

That being said, the Jets have to remember that they faced a beat up Giants defense. In a couple of weeks the bullets will be flying for real at Sanchez, so how he adjusts to the speed of a regular season game, and how he readjusts to the adjustments different teams will make in defending him and the Jets offense will go a long way in telling the tale about this rookie quarterback.

The big conundrum for the Jets: penalties. They committed 12 penalties in this game, 10 of which came in the first half.

The Jets had a lot of stupid penalties that killed them tonight. For example, deep in their own territory on a third and five, Sanchez dumped the ball off to Leon Washington, who dashed for the first down, but guard Brandon Moore was called for a 10-yard holding penalty, killing the drive.

Also, Lito Shepard was called for three pass interference calls, one of which cost the Jets 31 yards to help the Giants set up a cheap shot field goal to take a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. If the Jets don’t discipline themselves, they are going to penalize themselves into a loss at some point this year.

WHAT THE GIANTS CAN TAKE FROM THE LOSS: They need more work. A lot more work, especially in the passing game.

With the Redskins and Cowboys waiting to play the Giants in the near future, the Giants have got to get their receiver situation figured out. Unfortunately the Giants have run out of preseason games to fix this problem, since the starters won’t play the fourth preseason game against their Super Bowl XLII rival, the New England Patriots.

If Eli Manning cannot get on the same page with Hixon, Nicks and Smith, this Giants team is going to be in big trouble. Hakeem Nicks displayed his astute ability to become a game-breaking receiver with his two touchdowns late in the game, but, that was when Manning was out of the game. Continuity between Manning and Nicks will be key to this 2009 campaign.

Defensively, the Giants need everyone to get healthy in a hurry, especially at linebacker. The Giants can rush the passer better than any team in the league, but they need their backers and corners healthy and ready to go in order to cause turnovers, and break up any desperate passes from opposing quarterbacks.

With three preseason games now in the books, it is time to get ready for the regular season. Bring it on!

Stand & Deliver: Giants Vs. Jets Has Meaning This Year

What a difference nine months make.

It was late November 2008; families were getting together for a Thanksgiving Day feast, Christmas was on the horizon, and the Jets and Giants were kings of the NFL. After twelve weeks the Jets were in first place at 8-3. Brett Favre had reignited a dead franchise, and it appeared that the Jets would roll to an AFC East title and possibly a bye week after knocking off the once undefeated Tennessee Titans 34-13 in Nashville.

The Giants were 11-1. They were rolling to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and, less than a year separated them from their miraculous Super Bowl XLII victory, looked poised for a possible repeat.

The success of both franchises was so palpable that, indeed, New York and New Jersey fans were talking about the possibility of a Subway Super Bowl. The scenario seemed right. The Jets had Favre. The Giants had the bling, and the Jersey boy himself, Bruce Springsteen, was scheduled to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XLIII. It had to be in the cards, right?

That was then. This is now.

As we all know, the Jets and Favre crashed in the season’s final five weeks to finish at 9-7. Eric Mangini was fired, and Brett Favre retired so he could un-retire to destroy the Vikings season this year. The Giants, on the other hand, got blasted 23-11 by rival Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional playoff game, ending their dreams of a repeat.

Since that time, both teams have gone through some vast changes. The Jets are rebuilding for the future with a boisterous and overzealous new head coach in Rex Ryan, and an inexperienced rookie from Hollywood in Mark Sanchez. They have gone from perennial contender to a team hoping for better days in the next decade.

Many Jet fans want to believe that Mark Sanchez can take the Jets to the postseason in his first year the way Joe Flacco did in Baltimore and Matt Ryan did in Atlanta last season. But keep in mind, rookie quarterbacks who have immediate success are freaks of nature. The most common circumstance for a rookie QB is Peyton Manning’s first year when he threw 28 interceptions and won a mere three games.  If Sanchez’s awful performance against the Ravens is any indication, then he is in for a very long season.

On the other hand, the Giants have had a rude awakening to life after the Super Bowl. The man who caught the game winning touchdown in that game, Plaxico Burress, will be serving a two-year jail sentence for shooting himself with an unlicensed gun. This leaves Big Blue desperate to find his replacement among a group of unproven receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, and Dominik Hixon.

In recent weeks, the Giants are starting to feel a lot like … well … the New York Mets. The Giants have suffered numerous freak injuries to their fantastic defense, leaving it with lingering questions whether the starting group will be ready to go come opening day.

It usually doesn’t make sense to say that a preseason game is a must win for both teams, but, considering all of the problems on these two teams, they need to show something this week if either is to move confidently into the regular season.

What the Jets need to prove against the Giants:

The Jets need to prove that their offense is not as bad as many think. With a rookie quarterback and lack of depth at wide receiver, the Jets could easily be one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year. Therefore, continuity will be key for the Jets starting Saturday.

Sanchez has only thrown 12 passes this summer and has not had a chance to play behind the entire Jets pro bowl offensive line, with guard Alan Faneca missing parts of the first two preseason games due to a hand injury. The Jets need to use this game against a beat up Giants defense as an opportunity to give Sanchez 35-40 snaps with the entire first-string offense. Unlike last week in Baltimore, the Jets need positive results from this young group.

They need Sanchez to show some poise in the pocket and actually look off his intended receiver and check down and around to see if anyone else is open downfield or in the flat. If nothing else, it will prevent Sanchez from telegraphing his throws like he did last week when he could have thrown an interception to Ray Lewis.

The Jets can do two things to improve Sanchez’s confidence in this game:

They can run the football with Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, and Shonn Green all night long, and even throw to this trio on bubble screens and dump off passes. However, the best way the Jets can get Sanchez ready to play on Sept. 13 is to have Sanchez throw to his receivers outside the numbers.

Even though Sanchez does not have a great arm, he can scramble. Brian Schottenheimer needs to take advantage of this, too, and get Sanchez out of the pocket and to pass to open receivers down the side on Saturday, especially with the Giants missing both Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips.

Secondly, the Jets must establish their No. 2 receiver. To date the Jets have not made a move to trade for an established wide out, so it is still between David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, and Brad Smith in the battle for the No. 2 slot.

Clowney is the favorite since he has two touchdown catches in preseason and even caught Sanchez’s first NFL pass, but coach Rex Ryan has yet to write Clowney into the starting lineup. Clowney needs to show off his excellent skills set in this game if he wants this starting job.

What the Giants need to prove against the Jets:

This season is getting weird, and it’s not even September!

The Giants have terrific talent on the defensive side of the ball, but this summer has been brutal, medically speaking, on the defense. Before the Giants 17-3 loss to Chicago last Saturday, Big Blue was missing nine players from the starting lineup.

Linebacker Antonio Pierce has missed time due to a foot injury, but he is expected back soon; Kenny Phillips had a sore knee but returned to camp this week; linebacker Michael Boley is on the PUP list as he recovers from hip surgery; defensive tackle Rockey Bernard is suffering from a hamstring injury and could conceivably play this week, but who knows for how long.

Then there are the more serious injuries. Jay Alford tore his MCL in the Bears game and will likely be lost for the season. Meanwhile, cornerback Aaron Ross re-injured his torn hamstring in camp this week and it is uncertain when he will return to the Giants this year. And, just recently, defensive end Chris Canty suffered a torn hamstring as well, and it is unknown when Canty will return to the field.

Add those injuries to nagging injuries to Chris Snee and Rich Sheubert of the Giants offensive line, and the G-Men have one large mess on their hands. Things have been so bad that Coughlin criticized the media for pumping up his team’s depth.

“I just think that for so long we’ve … (read that) … we’ve got so much depth. I don’t know what you’re watching, but the guys that are supposed to be the depth have hardly even practiced,” Coughlin said on Sunday. “I think you’re talking about something that looks good but hasn’t really materialized. Until we get this thing straightened around with everybody on the field, this rotation and this depth that we’re talking about really is a non-factor right now.”

Coughlin is correct in one assessment. People have lauded the Giants depth on defense too much this summer; therefore, the Giants have to use this game as a moment to iron out their problems on defense and find out who can stand and deliver.

Obviously Ross, Canty, and Boley probably won’t be active when the Giants match up against the Redskins come September 13, but the likes of Pierce, Phillips, Snee, Sheubert, and Bernard should be ready to go come opening day. If this group of dependable veterans enjoy a field day against the Jets, then the Giants can take some solace as the calendar approaches September. 

However, this will be a huge gut check for back-up corner Terrell Thomas. Thomas had only 45 tackles in his rookie year with the Giants in 2008, and he will need to step it up big time in this game, especially if he wants to instill confidence in his coaches that he can get the job done in place of Ross.

The game should also be an excellent opportunity for the Giants young linebackers. Clint Sintim, Chase Blackburn, and Gerris Wilkinson can show that they can play with the big boys if either Pierce or Boley should miss any more time this season.

Offensively, the Giants are still waiting to find the chemistry between Eli Manning and his receivers. In the Bears game, Manning had a hard time working with this group. There were tons of drops and misreads that night, so much so that the Giants managed only 62 yards through the air.

Expect to see a lot of Hakeem Nicks and Dominik Hixon starting at flanker, with Steve Smith lined up in the slot position. With the Jets still trying to grasp Rex Ryan’s complex 46 defense, this might be a good time for the Giants to build some consistency in the passing game. Plus, having Nicks and Hixon square off against pro bowl corners like Darrell Revis and Lito Shepard should be a great test for the Giants young receivers.

Casting Call For “Brett Favre The Movie”

For the last year and a half, America has watched one of the greatest sports soap opera’s to come in a generation. Brett Favre.

Favre’s inability to come to a decision about his retirement versus his ultimate desire to stick it to the Green Bay Packers for making Aaron Rodgers the starting quarterback last summer will be remembered by this generation of sports fans for years to come.

His entire career has been one long drama, and with the latest episode all ready underway in Minnesota, it is time to figure which Hollywood actors should star in a biopic about the legendary quarterback.

Note: the film should be rated R for a quarterback’s disturbing career of indecision and time consuming self reflection while dragging three different franchises into the dirt.

Thank you Brett for making yourself into a punchline!

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