Where Do The Jets Go From Here?

January 4, 2012 by 3 Comments

Rex Ryan's guarantees failed

Just like many Jet fans, I am wondering what direction the team will be heading towards the 2012 campaign.

From being considered Super Bowl contenders to not even making the playoffs, I can’t even say the mighty have fallen because the Jets were not even able to dominate.

Lets outline what has happened since the beginning of the Jets season and how quickly the perception has changed for this team.

To narrow it down, I will divide the season into four quarters:

1st quarter (2-2) - The Jets got off to a good 2-0 start. They received a gift from Dallas when Romo forgot the fact that Darelle Revis plays for the Jets.

However, the first “bump” in the road occurred when Pro Bowl Center Nick Mangold suffered a high ankle sprain. Mangold was out for 2 weeks and the Jets suffered badly without him, getting crushed by Oakland and humiliated by Baltimore.

2nd Quarter (3-1) – After their 3-game losing streak, the Jets turned around with a 3-game winning streak. After losing in New England, the Jets had good wins against Miami, San Diego, and an impressive victory against Buffalo.

Sitting at 5-3, the Jets seemed primed to overtake the division from the struggling Patriots.

3rd Quarter (2-2) – The Patriots and Broncos crushed the Jets spirits in my opinion.

Both times the Jets were handed heartbreaking losses. The Patriots set the Jets straight and let them know that this was THEIR DIVISION.

Tebow took flight with a 95 yard drive to seal the Jets fate. The Jets would rebound with wins against Buffalo and Washington but the losses to New England and Denver still loomed.

4th Quarter (1-3) - The Jets saved their worst for last.

The Eagles destroyed the Jets, and Santonio Holmes played awful committing two turnovers on his own (1 returned for touchdown). The Jets than lost their battle for New York when the Giants completely outplayed and outcoached the Jets.

Sanchez was awful and the Defense gave up a back-breaking 99 yard touchdown reception to Victor Cruz.

Finally, in Jason Taylor’s last game, the Dolphins sealed any hope for the Jets by embarrassing the Jets 19-17.

The Jets went from being a solid pick for the Super Bowl to an average 8-8 team with MAJOR leadership problems.

This Dolphins loss not only sealed the Jets playoff hopes, but it could seal the fate for Holmes, Schottenheimer, and Sanchez as Jets.

I do not know how Holmes can step foot in that locker room again after quitting on his team. What’s worse is that no team will trade for Holmes, so the Jets are stuck with a horrible contract.

Santonio Holmes quit on his team

Holmes is due $12 Million and if the Jets cut him, $12 Million will go against their cap and Holmes will be a free agent. It’s a tough pill to swallow but it will be VERY interesting to see what exactly the Jets do with Holmes.

How  Brian Schottenheimer is still an Offensive Coordinator is beyond my comprehension. I love Rex, but this is beyond idiotic, it simply does not make any sense. His influence on Mark Sanchez seems only hazardous to be honest, especially when you have Tom Moore there for you.

For those who do not know Tom Moore, he molded Peyton Manning into the player he is today. Peyton Manning is pretty good, (4 MVPs, 1 Super Bowl Ring) but why do that?

Yeah, same old Jets.

Mark Sanchez.. I don’t know where to begin, I almost feel bad for him. Sanchez in his young career has acquired 30+ wins and a good playoff record but has just looked horrible this season. I feel he just tried to do too much.

Schottenheimer completely undermined him with awful play calling. However, that does not excuse awful decision-making on Sanchez’s part. I feel like more defensive lineman picked him off than cornerbacks.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:

1.) FIRE SCHOTTY – Seriously! You have Tom Moore, I would give Moore a blank check and beg him to be the Offensive Coordinator. He is more than qualified and from Rex’s perspective, you will not have to worry about the Offense AT ALL, you can completely focus on the defense.

The Jets need a new Offensive Coordinator

2.) Veteran Leadership - Talent is not everything. You need guys that are respected. I feel that Rex tried to be the figure-head of the locker room. Rex is trying to do so much, and he should focus more on his job.

Sign guys that will back you up.

Players such as Tony Richardson, Damien Woody, Jericho Cotchery were sorely missed in the locker room and it showed.

3.) 2012 Draft - the Jets will have a top 20 pick, it is CRUCIAL that they hit a home run with this pick.

The Jets needs include a Free safety,Right Tackle, linebacker and defensive lineman.

There will be impact players for the Jets to take with their pick, so they better get it right.

4.) No guarantees/No Excuses - I love Rex’s confidence, but I hoped he learned his lesson this year.

Football is the one sport with no guarantees (not even players contracts are, you think Superbowls are?)

Some Jet fans might say, “well Namath guaranteed a Superbowl victory and backed it up.”

Yes, He did guarantee a Superbowl victory, but the Jets were already IN the Superbowl. He didn’t guarantee anything during the regular season.

And one more thing.

Please stop with the excuses, Rex.

Just take the failure of the season and deal with it. I am a huge Ryan fan, but you have to sit back and lick your wounds (or grab a snack?)

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Will Dan Marino’s Passing Record Be Broken In 2011?

December 19, 2011 by 9 Comments

There are 2 quarterbacks with a realistic shot of breaking the passing record set in 1984 by the Dolphins Dan Marino (5,084). There are 2 games left in the season. Lets take a look at each QB and which one has the greater chance of breaking the record

Dan Marino

 

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints. Yards To Go: 304

4,780 yards this season. He needs an average of 239.0 yards per game(YPG) to tie the record. Brees is currently averaging 336.0 YPG. With 3 games left in the season Brees is leading an offense which ranks 1st in total offense and 1st in passing offense.

In week 16 the Saints are home one Monday Night Football against their divisional rival, the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta will be more of a challenge for Brees, they rank 14th in the NFL against the pass, unlike the dreadful Vikings. I still don’t see the Falcons holding Brees under 239 yards when the Falcons are right behind them in the battle for the NFC South.

The Saints wrap the season up with a divisional game against the Panthers at home. The Panthers rank 20th in the NFL against the pass. If Brees maintained the 239 the past few weeks, he will break Dan Marinos single season passing record.

Drew Brees is too good of a passer not to break this record. He has all the tools he needs to do it. With the best statistical offense in the NFL and the match-ups that he has it seems inevitable that he’ll break the record before the season is over.

2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots. Yards To Go: 491

4,593 yards this season. Needs an average of 270.7 passing yards per game. Currently averaging 328.7 YPG.

With these stats Brady is a prime candidate to break Marino’s record.

Brady and Rob Gronkowski are on pace to connect for 20+ TDs this year. The most ever for a tight end in NFL history. Brady has been on fire this season. Not too many defenses can stop him!

This Sunday, the MIGHTY Miami Dolphins (25th against the pass) come into New England for an intense divisional chess match! NOT. The Dolphins are in pathetic shape and have just fired their head coach, Tony Sparano, for the lack of competition shown from the Dolphins this year. (Sparano is one of 3 NFL coaches fired so far this year). You can expect Brady to surpass 270.7 yards this game.

Brady ends the season at home against a lousy 5-8 Buffalo Bills team (16th against the pass). I don’t see the Bills stopping Brady. The game will probably hold some importance to the Patriots so Brady will most likely be playing despite the Patriots playoff spot.

If both Brady & Brees continue to play at the level they are playing at, they will both break Dan Marino’s record.

But this is the NFL and anything can happen…lets enjoy the ride.

2 Honorable Mentions:

     1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers. Yards To Go: 724

        I really don’t see Rodgers breaking the passing record this year. With the Packers at 13-0, it would be dumb not to sit your franchise quarterback when you have the first round bye and homefield advantage locked up for the playoffs. To make matters worse, WR Grege Jennings, who is a main target for Rodgers, is out for probably the remainder of the regular season.

     2. Eli Manning, New York Giants. Yards To Go: 713

The Giants have a tough schedule to end the season (Redskins, Jets, Cowboys). I’m not a big Giants fan but I know Eli Manning is a pretty good passer. I’ve learned to never count him out of anything because even though he isn’t a top 5 QB, he is a baller. Lets see what he can do.

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Can Rob Gronkowski Score 20 Touchdowns Before The Season’s Over?

December 16, 2011 by 13 Comments

Gronkowski Celebrating One of The 16

 3 GAMES LEFT. 4 TOUCHDOWNS TO GO.

With 16 total touchdowns this year, Rob Gronkowksi has a very realistic chance of becoming the first tight end in NFL history to put up 20 total TDs.

He’s already broke the total touchdown record for any TE ever. Now it’s all about SHATTERING the record.

Let’s take a look at the key factors that will most likely ensure Gronk 20 TD’s:

  • Tom Brady. This week Tim Tebow is presented with a different challenge called The New England Patriots. Honestly, I’m rooting for Tebow, I’m a DIE-HARD Jets fan….and how could you root against Tim Tebow?! (I know he isn’t that great of a quarterback but, he’s a BALLER and he finds ways to win football games.) Denver’s defense is the strong point of the team but Tom Brady has faced good defenses before. Gronkowski will remain to be Tom Brady’s main target. Not too many defenses have been able to stop Gronk this year and you shouldn’t anything different from the Broncos. I’m not predicting Gronk embarrasses their defense, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a few catches and a TD grab.
  • Week 16: The Patriots play the 4-9 Miami Dolphins at home. The Dolphins just fired their head coach Tony Sparano due to the lack of competition shown in the team throughout the year. Brady and Gronk will probably put on a show for an entire half before being pulled for backups at halftime after taking a 40 point lead.
  • The last game of the season the 5-8 Buffalo Bills come into New England to face a Patriots team that will probably have Gronks “20″ in mind if he does not already have it. Bill Belichick does not care about his players personal goals, but he does like to break records….anyone remember the 2007 season? 16-0. One GIANT loss.Come week 17 and Gronkowski is stuck on 19, he will score a TD in this game.

The big 2-0 is there for the taking. If he want’s it, he’s got it. Rob Gronkowski is about to go down in NFL history for having the greatest year a tight end has ever had.

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Let The Children Play: Top Rookies in The NFL

December 6, 2011 by 6 Comments

The 2011 season has been one full of key injuries to top veteran players.

Kenny Britt went down early in the season giving room for Nate Washington and Damian Williams to step in and make an impact.

Peyton Manning hasnt played a snap all season giving Curtis Painter a chance to….go win less.

Andre Johnson has missed a chunk of the season along with Arian Foster and Matt Shaub. Matt Forte just went down last week with a knee injury, and Miles Austin has missed a majority of the season with a hamstring injury.

I can probably go on and on with this list, but lets discuss the more impressive part of the season, the rookies.

This is who I believe are the top rookies of 2011:

Julio Jones

In the 2011 draft, the Atlanta Falcons traded away multiple draft picks for an early first round pick to grab Julio Jones.

His Performance in the combine was simply amazing, and he did it all with a broken bone in his foot. He has been one of Matt Ryan’s most reliable receivers catching 30 passes for nearly 500 yards and is Atlanta’s main deep ball threat.

I am sure you all remember the show he put on against the Colts a couple of weeks ago.

5.WR  Torrey Smith: Baltimore Ravens

Remember what Torrey Smith did to the St. Louis Rams in week 3?

In the first quarter he caught 3 passes, all for touchdowns and a total of 130 yards. These were his FIRST three catches of his career. Talk about a confidence booster.

This rookie has topped 150 yards TWICE this season. He made himself into one of the most feared deep ball threats in the league, and i am sure Mr. Flacco loves having him on the squad.

4. RB Demarco Murray: Dallas Cowboys

Demarco Murray made his first appearance when Felix Jones went down in the middle of the season. He seems to break a 50 plus yard run every game he’s played.

He is very fast and agile which makes him extremely tough to wrap up. He hits the holes better than any rookie running back that I have seen in a while. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in three games, and in his first start as a running back, he surpassed 250 yards rushing.

Not to mention Murray broke Emmitt Smiths Total rushing yards in a single game record.

3. LB Von Miller: Denver Broncos

Von Miller

VON MILLER IS NASTY!

The rookie linebacker in Denver can easily win defensive player of the year. He along with Champ Bailey make up an extremely dangerous defense. With 11 sacks and 58 tackles, Von Miller is becoming the Ray Lewis of the Denver Broncos defense.

Its simple, Von Miller is a huge part of Tim Tebow’s success.

2. WR AJ Green: Cincinnati Bengals

AJ Green is the top receiver on the Bengals, pairing up with another amazing rookie QB that I haven’t mentioned yet.

He has 745 yards and 6 touchdowns, leading all rookies in both categories. You can easily mix those stats up with that of an 8 year vet. He has developed  very strong and early chemistry with his quarterback.

Can you say Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison?

AJ Green can be compared to Julio Jones and other rookie wide receivers, but what puts him on a different level is his consistency. He is a FREAK OF NATURE and he dares any corner back to line up in front of him.
 
1. (a) QB Cam Newton: Carolina Panthers  (b) Andy Dalton: Cincinnati Bengals

(b)  Thanks to Carson Palmer and his stubbornness, Andy Dalton has himself a starting position as the Bengals quarterback.

He lead the team to a 7-4 record, and has played some very impressive games. Like I mentioned before, He has an amazing relationship with wide-receiver AJ Green and it seems like they will be tearing the NFL up for the next 10+ years.

Dalton is so dangerously accurate and has been doing it consistently. With Green and Dalton being so consistent, all NFL fans should be excited to watch the next best duo.

Congrats to Dalton on becoming the future of the Bengals organization.

CAM NEWTON SHOCKED THE FOOTBALL WORLD:

Cam Newton

Who would have thought that the College style quarterback would be 7th in the league in passing yards. Last week he broke the record for most rushing touchdowns for a quarterback in a single season in NFL HISTORY. When you make history as a rookie, you should be recognized.

He does have more interceptions than touchdowns and turns the ball over a lot, but so did Peyton Manning in his rookie year. His ability to tear up defenses as a rookie is just boosting his confidence.

I would bet any amount of money that in the near future Cam Newton will be making a run towards the Superbowl, possibly seeing Andy Dalton on the other sideline. I have a good feeling they will be seeing each other in a couple of big games.

My only problem with Cam Newton is that he does run a lot and he tends to lower his shoulder at linebackers. If he doesn’t change this habit, he eventually will run into one of the leagues bad ass linebackers and lose his head.

Just slide dude!

As a colt fan this season has obviously been a huge disappointment, but I do enjoy watching the future class of the NFL tear it up in their rookie year.

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