New York Jets Club Blog

Behind the Scenes: Locker Room Sounds Off

Real Sports: 2009 — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:14:21 GMT

The hype over Brett Favre arriving in New York City overshadowed everything and everyone once the season began. Yes, he is a legend, a future Hall of Famer and everything else in between but his attitude seems to have drifted south... According to a veteran Jets player who wished to be remain nameless there was a lot of resentment towards Favre. Although Brett seemingly bought some "bounce" to the team with his arrival his attitude off the field wasn't as "bouncy" as it would seem. According to the same vet, Favre was more secluded from the team than anything else and never "intergrated" with the team. Many in the locker room thought ex-Coach Eric Mangini's firing was not needed... when the Jets aquired Favre from Green Bay it was his "Me first" attitude that ultimatly cost the Jets playoff contention not Mangini.

Strong words from the locker room but Favre has to realize that he isn't with the Packers anymore, he isn't with the team that really knew him but probably even more so the reason why the Jets were hurt was because everyone of them worked hard to get were they are and Favre comes in thinking he has ll the answers and he doesn't really need too much backup. This whole situation was a mess from the start but Woody Johnson was only looking at the small picture and told GM Mike Tannenbaum to what he can to bring Favre to the Big Apple. And now here we are with a vacant coach seat -some unwilling to coach Favre- and a quarterback who may not even be back for the next season. The Jets problems are continuing to increase even more so than before because now if Favre decides to leave, then the Jets just screwed themselves with the trade for Favre. Releasing Chad Pennington was a stupid move because although happy I feared something like this may happen and now the Jets are stuck.

Kellen Clemens is a good quarterback but his performances aren't enough to keep him on the team let alone lead the team, the disastrous past two season the Jets have had are from poor judgement and flat out stupidity. So if Favre is out, that leaves Clemens, Ratliff and Ainge. Erik Ainge although can't really be counted on because we haven't seen him play much in the big leagues, Ratliff though is a possible candidate as he showed excellent skills in the preseason and has the potential of doing something great for the team but whoever comes in needs to explore the backups immediatly before the Jets go drafting a quarterback...AGAIN. It was a gamble and for the times that Favre brought happiness I'll take it but now it seems the gamble is coming back to haunt New York. The fact of the matter is its time for change of ownership (resign Johnson) and finally fix the problems caused by Eric Mangini's firing which created this whole domino effect.

Tying Up the Loose Ends: 2009 Roster Clean-Up

Real Sports: 2009 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:37:38 GMT

Here is the roster status for the upcoming 2009 season and a laundry list before the Jets get even more involved in their current situation...

Unrestricted Free Agents: 50 Eric Barton ILB, 31 Ahmad Carroll CB, 22 Jesse Chatman RB, 3 Jay Feely K, 88 Bubba Franks TE, 22 Ty Law CB, 69 C.J. Mosley DE, 1 Mike Nugent K, 23 Hank Poteat SS/CB, 32 J.R. Reed SS, 49 Tony Richardson FB, 53 Cody Spencer ILB.

Comments on Unrestricted Free Agents: Barton is probably coming back for his ability to make tackles, Carroll is also a possible candidate for his special teams contributions, Chatman as well looks to be like a keeper for third RB. Feely may be back but look for the Jets to go "kicker hunting," Bubba Franks might be gone while Ty Law is up in the air. C.J. Mosley will most likely be back, Don't be surprised to see Nugent ousted along with Poteat and J.R. Reed. Tony Richardson will probably be back along with Cody Spencer.

Restricted Free Agents: 27 Abram Elam FS.

Comments on Restricted Free Agents: Elam made some key plays on defense during the 2008 season it would not be surprising to find him back on the team in 2009 but he'll need to prove that his quitness in the final few games was a result of the last minute collapse.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents: 17 David Clowney WR, 94 Marques Murrel OLB, 5 Brett Ratliff QB, 15 Wallace Wright WR.

Comments on Exclusive Rights Free Agents: The David Clowney and Brett Ratliff duo are must return for the Jets, their preseason success should have rung some bells. Wallace Wright might be back but like Murrell there will be cuts soon so it will be a fight for their job deal for both players.

Coming off the Injured Reserve List/Practice Squad from 2008: 9 Erik Ainge QB, 55 Brad Kassell ILB, 35 Danny Woodhead RB, 98 Kareem Brown DE, Jehuu Caulcrick FB/RB, Kenwin Cummings ILB, Stanley Daniels G, 14 Marcus Henry WR, 79 Ropati Pitoitua, 47 Brendon Renkart, Ryan Keenan G, Brandon Schaefering.

Others to consider Ousting or Demoting: Wayne Hunter, Vernon Gholston, Brad Kassell, James Inhedigbo, David Barrett, Laveranues Coles.

Cold Hard Reality: In a hole, the Jets need to dig Out

Real Sports: 2009 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:04:53 GMT

The firing of Eric Mangini only increased the mass hysteria that has been brewing in the Jets organization for some time now. Blogs, newspapers and reporters alike have varying opinions on the situation at hand but all have come to the same conclusion: the Jets are in hell right now with everything "running amok." But the cold hard reality is the Jets yes are going to have been damaged from this but they will make it out alive as long as they make wise choices. We already know that there are going to be various stories on this "crisis" since this morning, the Jets have been looking for a new HC to take over Mangini's position and all signs have pointed to Cowher of course it could be hard if GM Mike Tannenbaum is in the way. According to John Clayton of ESPN as of this morning Bill Cowher would remain in CBS Studios because of Tannebaum being in the way however now reports say that Tannenbaum is willing to have a smaller part with the organization should something like this happen. What seemed like fantasy is now becoming more and more a reality.

But the question is, Is Cowher a good fit for New York, does he still have that ability to "go big" and win it all. In addition to Cowher the Jets have also set up a meeting with Steve Spagnuolo which wouldn't be a great fit because as earlier mentioned by a fellow blogger, Spag is using a 4-3 scheme for D and he is coming into a 3-4 scheme not exactly a great combination considering the Jets have grown at least accostmed as best as they can to the 3-4. ESPN also remarked that the Jets are considering offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer and O-line coach Bill Callahan. But there is Mike Westoff don't forget. Westoff the special teams coach only needed four kick returners over the period of the last seven years (Morton, Carter, Miller & Washington) and as www.nyjetsfan.com's Angel N. put it, everyone on SP has gone in horrible and come out better under Westhoff. He also gave us more to think about if Cowher is instilled as HC, the Jets would be borrowing "another team's legend" first Favre and then Cowher. More importantly to think about is how long Bill would last in New York as Angel mentioned, it took him 15 years to win a Super Bowl with the Steelers and the fans and organization may not be willing to grant him that much time.

So maybe the Jets need to go within the organization on this one and Westoff seemingly is an ideal choice for the job but we'll leave that to the guys up front after all the fans seem to know more than the execs but hey we can't all be in suits can we....

Concerning the rest of the team there have been split opinions from all as to whether or not they want Brett Favre back next season taking into account his age and shoulder strength both of which have been hampering him for a time now. Although his production this season wasn't "Vintage Favre" partially because of his unhappiness with Eric Mangini and partially because of the obvious aging, he was able to give New York that boost they needed to keep their heads up during the season. Personally I wouldn't be quick to toss Favre on the streets just yet, I'd give him another year (if he comes back to play) and see where it takes the team and if the organization likes what they see they can try and hammer something out to keep him as long as possible but of course now would be the time to start looking for a quarterback because whether he leaves or not his tenure will be temporary. As for the rest of the team whoever comes in needs to clean parts of the house and get rid of the unneeded and only keep whats necessary. At the same time they also need to get others more involved that have shown they can make an impact if given the time and the chance.

However this ends, it is going to be a rough road for the Jets during this offseason and there are going to be some major changes, I'm not going to lie but like I said the cold hard reality is they will somehow survive.

The Radar: Favre will not need major surgery on his Shoulder, Dick Jauron will remain the Bills HC, Mangini to talk with Browns, Crennel interested to stay with Browns, 49ers rid Mike Martz, Shanahan Out in Denver. Finally, confirmation has just been recieved from Roger Goodell that the Lions will be allowed to videotape all opponent signals next season.

Last Minute Ramblings on the 2008 Season

Real Sports: 2009 — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:14:16 GMT

When I logged on FanNation few hours ago, I was surprised to find a "misery" piece about the Jets on the front page, and the picture couldn't describe things any better, "40 Year of misery" one caption on a paper bag read. Alright so the Jets 08' season wasn't all bad news but it sure needed a last minute boost. During the offseason things were looking up for the Jets they added many free agents such as Faneca, Jenkins, Richardson, Favre, Woody, ect... that were filling up all the holes that needed to be filled. It was only a matter of time before we would see the results pay off which wasn't long, during week one Favre would lead his first victory with the Jets over the Dolphins that marked the beginning of a new era. Meanwhile Mangini's 2006 season seemed to have been revived with the arrival of the "big men." We also saw some more seasoned players improve such as Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis, Ferguson even the rookies Dwight Lowery and Chansi Stuckey (missed rookie season) were getting involved but I think around the time the Jets went to the West Coast for the first time when they went head to head against Oakland things began to "break apart." The West Coast Drought as I like to call it plagued the Jets the entire season and was the ultimate downfall and reason why they did not make the playoffs. But it was also because some bad calling made by the coaching staff would also affect the outcome of the Jets season.

***

Reports were swirling that Favre wasn't happy with Mangini and although management fired Mangini because they wanted to pursue a different direction it was probably more for Favre to make a deal look more "attractive" if he decides to return next season.

***

With all the positive press the Jets were recieving at the start of the season, Eric Mangini was probably the last person expected to be in the hot seat or out of a job for that matter. However something was no doubt brewing within the organization this was Mangini's "make or break" season he had already been with the team two years previously and with all the holes filled up the organization expected much more than what they got out of the season and the coach. So, here we are a day later after the Jets were officially elminated from Playoff contention wondering why for these forty long years no one can finally put a stop to the misery. But I suppose it isn't all bad the progress the Jets made this season far exceeds what they (or I for that matter) had expected to have done and the fact that the organization has put together a solid team will be good for who ever takes over as HC but what is a little troubling is who will become the HC. The change could cost the Jets what they have already established forcing them to wait a few years before getting back to where they are (new coach, new schemes, playing style...) but then again it could be a coach who is willing to adapt new plans yet is able to keep the team in the direction they were orginally set in.

Maybe the change from the "Mangenius" era to the new era will help Gang Green of course that is what some thought when Mangini rolled into town. But even though it's tough waiting forty years for another shot at the Super Bowl, I'm not giving up yet... Call me a stubborn fan but if you are a "true" fan you will stick by your team besides come 2009 New York will begin with a clean slate.

Here's a nice little picture I found thanks to Josh Madison...

The Notebook: Floored

Real Sports: 2009 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:03:55 GMT

Utter disbelief is still wrangling me like a snake, I'm at a huge loss for words and have no explanation for what the Jets did except screwup. The Jets would start off first with the ball and Tony Richardson would play a big role in gaining some big yards for New York but the Jets would only come up with a field goal on the drive. The Seahawks would come out slow and punt the ball after a few plays. Both teams would see-saw back and forth until with about three minutes left in the second quarter the Seahawks would score on a pass from sent to the tight end John Carlson. Back in the third quarter down 3-7, Seattle would put the Jets in the hole even farther with Orlando Mare field goal with crunch time closing in fast the Jets began to hurry things up and began to find a rhythm they finally get into field goal position once again and Jay Feel's kick would be good from 45 yards but a delay of game penalty would push it back for a 50 yarder which Mangini declined to make much to the dismay of me, Jets fans and Jay Feely was blowing fumes.

The Jets would get multiple chances to get back in the game but between carelessness from earlier on and turnovers late in the game the Jets would succumb to the Seahawks 13-3 after an Orlando Mare kick sealed the deal and a Josh Wilson interception would be it for the game. But I have to say congrats to Mike Holmgren who won his last home game coaching the Seahawks...

Still I have to go back to Mangini's decision to not have Feely kick a fifty yarder. That could have been the worst thing he had done the whole game it was bad enough when the Jets were struggling to make it through to try and win but denying Feely his kick that he could have made is just plain stupid... It would have given the guys some confidence and put the Jets a mere few points away from taking the lead (until the last Mare FG). But that call was absolutly the worst mistake Mangini could have made and he will be getting heat all week particulary since now if the Jets still want to make the playoffs they will need to win next week against the Dolphins and pray hard that New England will somehow fall to the Bills because if not the season is done. Everything and everyone who was brought in to make the team better will be for nothing. Maybe the Jets have gotten better but costly mistakes may have just prevented them from a playoff birth something that looked so close early on.

Seattle vs. Jets Awards

Player(s) of the Game: Seneca Wallace, the Seattle Defense and Tony Richardson

Game MVP: Seattle Seahawks

Goat of the Game: Eric Mangini

"E" for Effort: Thomas Jones & The Jets Defense

Side Fact: With this loss, the Jets dropped to 0-4 on the West Coast and looking back on it at least three or even all four of the games played should have been won.

Pro Bowling

Real Sports: 2009 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:26:34 GMT

No not actual bowling -- the Pro Bowl where... well you know how it works. Anyway, the rosters were officially released today and to check them out you can go to NFL.com or check below for your favorites...

Offense: Brett Favre (Reserve QB), Thomas Jones (Starting RB), Alan Faneca (Starting G), and Nick Mangold (Reserve C).

Defense: Kris Jenkins (Starting DT), and Darrelle Revis (Reserve CB).

Special Teams: Leon Washington (Starting KR).

Not only are the Jets sending seven players but they also have the highest amount of players going to the 09' Pro Bowl which says a lot about a team who only sent one in 2007 (Justin Miller) and no one last year. Even beyond this it proves how far they have come collectivly exceeding expectations set for them at the beginning of the season.

The Notebook: Putting on for their City

Real Sports: 2009 — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:55:04 GMT

Before we begin with our weekly program, I would like to inform the public that President George W. "Dubya" Bush, was nearly hit by a Iraqi journalist with two shoes unfortunately the Presidents "ducking" skills were too great which is why he wasn't hit but the guy nearly nailed him, take notice how security was slow to react possible because they hate him as much as the rest of us do. Now back to our regular programming....

Okay, back to the subject at hand the Jets arrived back home salivating for a win, just waiting for the right time to strike but their antics would keep us all watching until the clock hit 0:00. For the past two weeks now the Jets have been "smudged by opponents who were considered sure wins after the way the Jets survived through teams like the Patriots and Titans yet they came into this game downed by two straight losses no thanks to either side taking care of the ball. Today was redemption day for New York as they came out from the tunnels of the Meadowlands, the Jets would get things ready by getting the ball to start and would get hot early, Favre threw a bomb to Coles that picked up 22 yards to start the drive. Afterwards Tony Richardson would basically finish off Buffalo's defense taking the Jets within striking distance but Thomas Jones would finish off the deal with a quick touchdown run that would put the Jets up early on seven to nothing. Buffalo slightly dazed from the quick score would attempt for one of their own but Lynch wouldn't be able to pick up the extra yards needed forcing the Bills to settle for a field goal. The Jets would se up again at their own 30 and mix up things with some pass and run. Favre would throw another long ball to Coles that would pick up 20 yards that would set Favre and Friends up for a Favre to Cotchery touchdown increasing the Jets lead to eleven points.

J.P. Losman would get into a groove this drive and begin to pick up first down after first down but would result in a Brian Moorman punt to begin the second quarter. With the Jets hot streak still gaining steam New York would take a huge step backwards as a pass intended for Coles bounced off a Buffalo Bill and Paul Posluszny would pick off Favre's pass that gave the Bills great field position setting up J.P. Losman's scrambling touchdown after the defense couldn't shut down Buffalo. With the Jets hanging on with only a four point lead and the ball at their own 14 after Ihedigbo threw an illegal block which erased a decent gain by Leon Washington. The Jets offense would remain cold on this drive and Reggie Hodges was forced to come out and punt meanwhile Buffalo began to gain more momentum at the expense of the Jets and their fans sorrow and put New York in the hole with a touchdown pass from Losman to St. Johnson. But the Jets fought back and Leon Washington pulled out a 47 yard touchdown out from under his helmet and similar one against Tennessee that gave the Jets the lead again and would end the quarter as the Jets defense would be able to shut down Buffalo in last few minutes of the first half. The Bills would get the ball to start the second half but would nearly lose it after Losman is sacked and fumbles the ball but the offense of the Bills would be able to recover but the Jets defense would force them to punt the ball back.

The Jets go back to the pass and run again and then on first and ten Favre goes to throw one out their and David Clowney (you know the guy who was outstanding in the preseason) out of nowhere bobbles the football but is able to catch with his left hand and switch it to his right to take the Jets 26 yards almost to midfield (Due to the injury of Brad Smith, Clowney returned). But on the next set of downs the offense would big time screw up after a penalty on Ferguson, Favre went to pass on third and seventeen but was hit while in motion causing the ball to be intercepted by Terrence McGee which once again gave Buffalo fantastic field position. The Jets defense would come through this drive only allowing a Buffalo field goal but Buffalo was on the verge of taking over down by one point. After collecting another first down on the next drive the Jets would be forced into a three and out to end the third quarter and with Buffalo beginning to gain momentum again, the fourth quarter wasn't going to be pretty. To start the fourth Losman's first pass of the drive would come down as a Hank Poteat interception at the Bills 22 unfortunately the Jets would be unable to capitalize resulting in a Jay Feely field goal.

Feely's kick to Leodis McKelvin would result in a 100 yard kick return but before the boos could commence (or a little after anyway) the refs called foul on the Bills Corto for holding which nullified McKelvin's run. The Jets defense would be able to wreak havoc on Buffalo's offense and forced J.P. Losman to throw the ball away on second down which was called for intentional grounding, which would end in another Brian Moorman punt. Back on offense Lindell's kick to Washington convince Leon to let it go but Buffalo defenders would down it at the Jets three yard line and after three pass attempts that led to nowhere (well nearly a safety) the Jets would punt again. Losman would find yet another groove and hit his targets right at one point the commentators were comparing him to Peyton Manning (which I find unbearable to hear or even believe for that matter). Finally with the ball at the Jets eleven yard line the Bills set up to run with Fred Jackson and with five defenders trying to take him down, Jackson is still able give Buffalo the much needed touchdown and the Jets defense would get booed off the field. The Jets would be forced to suffer another crushing blow with less than six minutes left they would quickly be forced into a three and out not before a Buffalo defender was caught for defensive holding placing the ball at the Bills ten yard line but at this point it seemed the damage had been done.

Sean Ellis' TD run that would be the game winner for the Jets.

Buffalo began running the ball to wear down the Jets D to cement the win but they made one mistake that everyone will be pointing out... they decided to pass the ball after a timeout called by New York with 2:06 left on the clock in the fourth. Although the two minute warning six seconds away this timeout would prove to be the Jets greatest gift for themselves. Losman faced defensive pressure and Abram Elam the very same man who picked off Edwards just weeks before that went for a 97 yard TD, forced Losman to fumble the ball and Sean Ellis would lose it once but pick it up again and hustle in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Jets a 31-27 lead and put the pressure back on Buffalo (The Ref Jeff Triplette was injured on the play while a Buffalo defender pushed him to try and make a play on Ellis, Jeff was okay). Even after the booing the Jets defense came back and won the game for New York. The next drive the Bills were hustling to make a quick score but as in other games we have seen in previous weeks Darelle Revis picks off Losman and gives the Jets a chance to eat up some clock with 1:37 left. After turning the ball over on downs, the Jets defense had to come through again to make sure the Bills couldn't score. Losman was beginning to get hot again but with ten seconds left Kerry Rhodes would intercept the ball to finalize the Jets win securing their place in the AFC East.

Revis' INT ensured the win for New York but Kerry Rhodes would reensure the team with his INT with ten seconds left.

Finally snapping their two game losing streak with this win this afternoon over Buffalo, if the Jets can win their next two games the Jets will be able to win their division and cement their spot in the playoffs. Of course that should come with some degree of difficulty considering the three times they have been to the West Coast namely California they have lost all three games and the Seahawks seem to have gotten better because they were able to keep the Patriots down until the last minute and they were able to beat the Rams (but mostly everyone has beaten the Rams) still it should be an interesting test for New York and finally they face Miami for the last time this season during their final home game which should also prove to be another tough test considering Miami has not only have the same record as New York but are hot on their heels for the first or second place spot. Even with their recent drought, the Jets have already proven their team has gained more experience now its time for them to win big in these last games.

I'm about to lose it: Thoughts on Jets vs Broncos

The Jets Fan 2425 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:01:37 GMT

Not to get to down on one loss with an easy remaining schedule and all, but I do now finally understand the saying same old Jets. Here are some side notes of what I thought of the game:

The Jets wanted an energetic crowd and they got one that's for sure, but they have to remeber they're the ones who have to tackle peyton hillis and cover the tight ends, we can't do that for them.
I don't know where the big Jinx's head was yesterday but he was almost non-existent and they really need to stop rotating their d-line so much, ex. denver goes on five minute scoring drive and the jets come trotting on Mike Devito, Sione Pouha, and kenyon Coleman. nice.
RUSHING 4 MEN IN A 3-4 DEFENSE ISN'T A BLITZ!!!!!!!!! I had to get that one off my chest. Never in the history of nfl football has rushing three men ever worked. ever.
When a team consistently has 8 to 9 guys in the box throwing the ball on first down won't kill you.
That was one of Favre's worst games of the year finsishing in a tie for second with Oakland.
The Broncos displayed horrible tackling that whole game so when it comes to third down and about ............................... that much you can run the ball with the AFC leading rusher.
My new favorite quote on OC Brian Schottenheimer, "the wheel is round, so stop trying to re-invent it.
I didn't realize how large and obnoxious denvers fan base really is.
The Jets need a deep threat really bad, Cotchery and Coles are both good recievers but we should try running someone else with excellent speed down the field a la Clowney, Wright, Stuckey.
For those of you not at the game and didn't hear the "Leon" chant or the "Lets go jets" chants during that thrid quarter it was probably one of the coolest excpirences of my life.
Vernon Gholston, c'mon man you could have sneezed forward to sack Cutler at the goaline.

What do you think the refs were saying throughout all the close plays? Well I have the downlow and what was discussed on the Cotchery fumble, enjoy.

Scene 1: *Cotchery fumbels ball falls on it, lays on it and then gets it knocked out of his body, touchdown denver.*

ref 1: did anyone see it?

ref 2: yea I did he was practically taking a nap on the ball, he was clearley down, why wasn't the whistle blown?

ref 3: You see he wasn't down with full possesion of the ball even though both elbows and knees are down on the ground with the ball in his arms (ref 3 then winks at shanahan and puts $100 bills further down in pocket)

(Mangini tries to fly down to throw challenge flag, but realizes penguins can't fly, and waddles down)

*ref 1 explains the ruling to Mangini, who waddles down in disbelief. Refs meet up in one big huddle again.*

ref 2: Man it's going to be funny to see the reaction of the jet fans after this one, hey you know what would really make them even madder after this call, we should continually rip them off by not calling recievers out of bounds, giving them horrible field position calls on punts, and then completley ignore late hit calls.

*ref 4 goes over to chat with shanahan as ref 1 makes the announcment over the loudspeaker*

*shanahan slips ref more $100 dollar bills*

shanahan: this is for when we fake injuries during drives in which the jets are gaining momentum, and there's more where this came from.

The Notebook: High to Low

Real Sports: 2009 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:12:08 GMT

The New York Jets came in this afternoon against the Denver Broncos after beating the last of the undefeated teams. Of course Denver has Jay Cutler, Marshall and Hillis but their defense hasn't exctly been "up to code" yet even so Denver was able to muster up enough strength on both sides of the ball to end the Jets five game winning streak. Much like the Jets offense the previous week, Denver's defense would get hot early and force the Jets to go three and out on the first drive. The Jets defense would have a wakeup call when Peyton Hillis came through like a bull but would control him and Cutler to force the Broncos to punt. Thomas Jones would fumble on the first play of the drive but recover to salvage the drive but it would prove to be useless, in the wildcat formation Brad Smith would fumble the ball, Cotchery would get a hand but it would slip and lead to a touchdown run by Fox. Soon Denver is up 7-0 but Thomas Jones would strike back just as quick on the first play of the Jets drive Jones would break free from the defense and run for a 59 yard touchdown. But between a combination of the Broncos offense and defense, the Jets would not be able to recover from this point on.

Cutler would get to work on the Jets defense with a quick pass to Sheffler that picked up nine yards followed by a four yard run by Hillis; Cutler would find Eddie Royal fast enough to score another quick touchdown but Denver still had more work only up by seven points. Plagued by a Brandon Moore hold the Jets would be forced to punt unable to create anything on offense with the exception of sporatic runs by Jones. Cutler and Hillis would tear up the Jets defense getting down to New York's nine but a penalty on Hillis would move Denver back but gave the Jets D a break only giving up a field goal. Still back on offense there would be some continous problems with the pass but Thomas Jones would take care of it "for the moment" with a 29 yard touchdown run. The Jets defense would be able to shut down Denver once again but "Vintage" Favre would return taking a gamble slinging it downfield only to be intercepted by Dre Bly leading up to a Peyton Hillis touchdown. Another three and out for the Jets still left me scratching my head as to how this same team who beat the Titans are getting "smoked" by the Broncos. Before halftime the Jets defense would come through only allowing Denver a field goal but by then the damage had been done with the Jets down 14-27.

The Jets defense had been horrible this whole game, hoping halftime had given them some rest and a bit of hope along with it I came in to the second half optimistic for my team but would soon enough head out early for all that hope was crushed by Cutler. The Jets would hold off Cutler's passes but would not be able to get anything going for themselves as they stalled on Denver's 46 yard line forcing yet another Hodges punt. The Broncos would score another touchdown but it would be nullified due to a penalty... Just when Denver was about to find the end zone, Dwight Lowery caught his first career interception off Jay Cutler which would lead up to a Jay Feely field goal. As the story goes though those would be the last points the Jets would score while Jay Cutler would hit Brandon Stockley for a final touchdown by the Broncos dropping the Jets 34-17. Throughout this whole game I learned a few things; Jay Cutler is going to be a great quarterback for sure even be called a "Young Favre" which would be accurate considering he has a nose for the ball and can hit receivers at the right time and make a block for his 'mates. I also learned that the Jets offense and defense was really off base but no doubt it was more mentality because of that big win over the Titans with Denver's D ranked one of the lowest in the league (which did show it's color's: Thomas Jones huge run) they figured they had it made for them but the Broncos really came out punching and to be honest I don't mind the lost we all knew it would happen but it also gave us fans and the players and coaches things to learn from.

Even with this loss to one of the hottest teams in the AFC, the Jets still have a decent schedule left in which they can pick up the last of their wins. New York will play San Francisco next Sunday which managed to hold off Buffalo but the Jets might be another story... Buffalo will be next up which after today seems to be a win but I won't bet on it because nothing is ever set in stone for any team... Afterwards Seattle will be next and that will be an interesting game think back to the Jets - Rams game when you watch Seattle. Finally the Jets will face the Dolphins who have greatly improved from the beginning of the season but more so since last season this matchup could go either way but whatever happens it appears New York has cemented themselves as a playoff contender and this year things will be different for Jets fans. The Jets may have underperformed today however they aren't out just yet.

Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets Game Awards

Game Ball: Jay Cutler, the Denver defense & Thomas Jones

Key Fact: The Broncos defense which was ranked one of the lowest in the NFL saw a significant bounce back against the Jets but was it more because of the Jets players mentality or just a bounce back?

Pros and Convicts

AutoMattic322 — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:55:56 GMT

Sorry that this is a little late...

Here are my pros and convicts from the Jets win over the Titans

Pros

1. Legitimate Contenders

The Jets win over the previously unbeaten Tennessee Titans proved to the world that they are contenders in the AFC. Now that the Jets have beaten both Tennessee and New England, a case could be made that they are the best team in the AFC. The win had huge ramifications beyond just adding a win to their total.

2. Jets Run D Stays Strong

The Jets defensive line proved that they are among the league's elite, holding the league's highest scoring running tandem in Chris Johnson and LenDale White to 45 yards and no touchdowns. Some experts were skeptical of how good this D-line really was, but there should be no doubt that the d-line is for real after their impressive performance on Sunday.

3. Big Offensive Game

Here's a little tidbit: when Thomas Jones scores a touchdown (rushing or receiving), his teams have won the last 16 games. Jones had a receiving touchdown, and Leon Washington added two on the ground to complement Brett Favre's 224 yard, two touchdown day. Although Favre threw a pick, his rushing game was able to pick up some slack and provide when they were needed. Amassing over 400 yards against one of the best defenses in the league can only mean good things for gang green.

Not much to complain about here, as the Jets ended the Titans' undefeated season.

Convicts

1. Less-than desirable performance from the secondary

Even though the Jets defense as a whole played well, the secondary played below standards. They did not record a pick, and gave up 230 yards to Kerry Collins, even with the running game struggling. The Jets secondary needs to force more turnovers for the Jets to go far this year.

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-AutoMattic22-