12/23/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

I hosted "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports" solo on Long Island's AM1240-WGBB.  I started discussing the Giants and their blowout loss to the Ravens and if they can make the playoffs.  I talked about the Jets loss to the Chargers.  Who will be their next QB? What happens with Mark Sanchez?  I talked about the rest of the NFL and the playoff situation.  I talked about the Knicks success and Amare's return coming up as well as the Nets recent struggles.  Callers commented on Eli and the Giants and what they need to do, Michael Vick as next Jets QB, and Andrew Luck's success this season.

12/23/2012 The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Sanchez Days in New York are Over

Monday night in Tennessee was the last straw for Mark Sanchez.  Don't expect the fourth-year quarterback to ever see a snap in a Jets uniform again.  The Jets announced today that they will be looking to trade him this offseason.  The Sanchez era is New York is finished. 

It has just been a nightmare season for Sanchez.  Monday night was the icing on the cake.  Sanchez cost the Jets not only the game, but a chance at the playoffs. Rex Ryan gave him all the opportunities in the world week after week and he continued to let down his coach, his team, and the fans.  Monday night's loss all falls on the shoulders of Sanchez.  It was a performance worse than any of his prior disasters.  Sanchez threw for an embarrassing four interceptions and if that wasn't enough, he couldn't handle a snap in the final minute costing the Jets the game.  Five turnovers, all on pitiful decisions made by a quarterback who has lost all confidence that he once had.

The quarterback who led the Jets to two straight AFC Championship games is long gone.  His performance last season was bad.  This season, it has been disgraceful.  While he has had nowhere near the talent on offense that he did the past three seasons, his play has been brutal.  He has made throwing decisions that you would see from a rookie, not a guy who has been in the league for four seasons.  His 17 interceptions and seven fumbles lost this season say it all.  24 turnovers from your quarterback won't get you to .500, let alone a spot in the playoffs.  Sanchez has led the NFL in turnovers the last two seasons with an astounding 50.

Rex Ryan has finally made the decision to go with Greg McElroy at starting quarterback Sunday when the Jets return home to play the Chargers.  The Jets will see what McElroy has and determine if he could be the answer at quarterback for the future.  Clearly, the Jets aren't very fond of Tim Tebow taking over as the starter as he still has not been given the chance.  Tebow is now requesting to be released or traded as he deserves a shot somewhere else.  This team brought in Tebow and didn't use him.  A guy who helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs last season deserves a shot to play and for some reason, the Jets felt Sanchez deserved it more.

Sanchez is due to make just over $8 million next season.  The Jets will be looking to trade him this offseason.  The question remains who will take over.  Reports have said that the Jets are interested in Michael Vick and Vick would be willing to play for Gang Green if Sanchez is gone.  There's a very good chance that Vick will be the New York Jets starting quarterback next season.

So where will Sanchez go? Where will Tebow go? Will Vick be the Jets starter in 2013?  Get ready for another dramatic Jets offseason folks.

Ground and Pound Keeps Jets Playoff Hopes Alive

The Jets realized Sunday that if they want to win...the ball needs to stay out of Mark Sanchez's hands.

Gang Green finally established the ground and pound Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville.  Their rushing attack helped lead them to a 17-10 victory over the Jaguars.  The Jets needed to establish the run game with their quarterback struggling mightily.  Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell both had a big day.  Powell ran for 78 yards and a touchdown and Grenne ran for 77 yards and a touchdown.  A combined 39 carries and 155 yards carried the Jets in a game where Sanchez only threw for only 111 yards.  Sanchez only had 19 passing attempts as Tony Sparano kept the ball on the ground for most of the day.  

The defense was huge for the Jets against a terrible Jaguars offense.  The Jets got to face another brutal offense for the second week in a row.  Jags quarterback Chad Henne was just 21 for 43 for 185 yards to go along with two interceptions.  In a game that saw 15 combined punts and a lot of bad football on offense, the Jets squeezed out the win in the end.  

So the Jets took the pressure off their struggling quarterback Sunday.  His replacement last week, Greg McElroy was inactive as Tim Tebow was the backup.  Many questioned Rex Ryan's thinking in not keeping McElroy active after leading the Jets to their only touchdown last week.  Tebow didn't see the field once on Sunday.  Coach Ryan is clearly adamant about Sanchez has he has said over and over.  While Sanchez did fumble a ball in the second quarter, he avoided throwing any picks, which has been his demise this season.  If the Jets want to have continued success in the last three games of the season, they need to keep running the ball effectively.  

With the win, the Jets improve to 6-7.  Suddenly, they are still alive in the playoffs.  It sure doesn't roll off the tongue easily, but the New York Jets are still in a playoff race.  After all this team ahs been through this season, they still have hope for the 6th seed in AFC.  The Steelers and Bengals both lost Sunday making it a very interesting race for that last AFC Wild Card spot.  The Jets would need to win their final three games, have the Steelers lose two of their three games, and the Bengals lose one of their three games.  The Steelers finish the season at Dallas, home against the Bengals, and home against the Browns.  The Bengals remaining games are at Philadelphia, at Pittsburgh, and home against the Ravens.  

The Jets have to play at Tennessee, home against the 5-8 Chargers, and in Buffalo against the 5-8 Bills.  They need to take it one game a time now.  While it is definitely a favorable schedule, the Jets haven't proved to anyone that these games will be easy.  They'll head to Tennessee next for a big Monday night game against the 4-9 Titans.  The key for the Jets once again will be running the ball with success and avoid letting Sanchez make mistakes.  Good defense and mistake-free offense could keep the Jets alive.  Any hope for the playoffs begin with a must-win next Monday in Tennessee. 

Let The McElroy Era Begin

Rex Ryan finally made the switch in the 3rd quarter Sunday.  It wasn't Tim Tebow that took over, but third string quarterback Greg McElroy.  While the decision might have come a couple of weeks too late, it's time the Jets head coach moved away from Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez was horrific once again on Sunday throwing three interceptions in the first half.  He was just 10 for 21 for 97 yards and was also sacked three times.  It has been an absolute nightmare this season for the fourth-year quarterback who signed a $58.25 million extension this past offseason.  The Jets owe Sanchez a lot of money, but if that is what they are concerned with, they're not going to be winning many football games.  The focus should be on who gives this team a chance to win and Sanchez just has not proved he is capable of that this season.  He has regressed as a quarterback the past two seasons after making the AFC Championship in his first two seasons.  Those Jets teams also had dominant defenses.  This Jets team has nowhere near the talent that those Jets teams had.

While the sample size is very small for McElroy, Coach Ryan needs to give the 24-year-old quarterback a chance.  It's not going to get much worse than what Sanchez has brought to the table to the 5-7 Jets this season.  McElroy came in and provided the Jets and their fans with a spark at MetLife Stadium Sunday.  Sure, it came against a Cardinals team that is starting one of the worst quarterbacks of all time in Ryan Lindley, but it was a much needed win for Gang Green.  McElroy threw for his first career touchdown pass and the only one of the game on his first drive taking over for Sanchez.

The guy has won his entire life.  McElroy won a championship at Alabama and now may be inserted as the Jets starting quarterback Sunday when Gang Green travels to Jacksonville to take on the 2-10 Jaguars.  Tebow's health has been in question as it is still unsure if he will suit up Sunday.  Tebow just never got a real chance here and might have damaged any chance of future success for Sanchez.

While it's just too early to say that McElroy is the Jets answer at quarterback for the future, he is the guy who needs to get the chance now.  The Jets play the 2-10 Jaguars, the 4-8 Titans, the 4-8 Chargers, and the 5-7 Bills to finish the season.  The Jets slim hopes for a shot at the playoffs are still alive.

It is time for the Mark Sanchez era in New York to come to an end.

Jets Stuffed and Embarrassed on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving didn't give the Jets or their fans much to be thankful for.  Thursday saw one of the most pitiful and embarrassing performances in the history of the franchise.

The Jets were destroyed by the Patriots Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, 49-19.  After a scoreless first quarter from both teams, the second quarter saw the Jets look more like a pee wee team that an NFL one.  The Patriots had a 7-0 lead when the Jets playoff hopes would vanish in a 52-second span.  Shane Vereen would catch a short pass from Tom Brady on the first play of the drive and proceed to take it to the endzone for an 83-yard touchdown.  Alright, blown coverage and a long touchdown.  That happens.  14-0 Patriots.  Then, the embarrassment began.

On the second play of the Jets drive, Mark Sanchez might have proved that "J-E-T-S" might just stand for "Just End The Sanchize."  After what seemed like a blown play on an attempted hand off, Sanchez ran right into his own offensive lineman Brandon Moore falling to the ground and fumbling the ball.  Steve Gregory picked up the ball and ran it 32 yards into the endzone for a touchdown making it 21-0.  The struggling quarterback somehow ran into his 305-pound right guard and cost the Jets a touchdown.

But wait...there would be more.

The very next play coming on the kickoff return, Joe McKnight would fumble the ball and it would never hit the ground.  The ball popped out right into the hands Julian Edelman, who returned it 22 yards for the touchdown.  It was 28-0 Patriots with 8:51 remaining in the second quarter.

In a span of 52 seconds, the Jets gave up an 83 yard touchdown, a 32 yard fumble return thanks to Sanchez's blunder, and another fumble return on the very next play.  That 52 seconds essentially summed up the Jets 4-7 season so far.  It was a nightmare-ish series of events that had Jets radio announcer on ESPN Radio NY, Bob Wischusen, saying "are you kidding me?"

While it looked like a comedy show for many, it was real what the Jets had just done.  The Patriots would score three more touchdowns in the game.  49 points off seven touchdowns later, the Jets had their 7th loss and the worst of them all.  The loss basically ended any hope this team had in making a late run for the playoffs.  It also lost any confidence they may have had after beating the Rams in St. Louis.

It appears that not even Tim Tebow could come in now and help this team.  Tebow, who had two broken ribs, could have played if Sanchez went down, but would have trouble throwing the ball.  The Jets left Sanchez in for too long.  The fourth year quarterback has been given all the chances from coach Rex Ryan.  If this team continues to be manhandled as they were Thursday, it's hard to imagine Rex and Sanchez are back next season.

The talent just isn't there this year and a lot of the blame can go to GM Mike Tannenbaum.  While Sanchez has been awful, he also hasn't had many guys he can throw to.  This team doesn't have the talent or the depth to be a playoff team.  That showed on Thursday night.  Gang Green has lost all the confidence and swagger that this trash-talking team used to have.  It has become a nightmare for Jets fans to watch.

The Jets look to avoid further embarrassment when they are back at MetLife Stadium next Sunday to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

Enough is Enough With Sanchez

Sunday was just another frustrating day of New York Jets football.  It was another horrific game from starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.  It's about time Tim Tebow takes over.

The Jets fell in Seattle to the Seahawks Sunday, 28-7.  It was the Jets third straight loss dropping them to 3-6 on the season with seven games remaining.  Gang Green would have to go 6-1 in their remaining games to have a slim chance at a playoff spot.

It was just another horrid game from the Jets offense, which appeared completely lost on Sunday.  The offense did not put up a single point Sunday.  Sanchez was just 9 for 22 for 124 yards with a costly interception and a fumble.  It was hard to watch the fourth-year quarterback once again as he looked absolutely abysmal.  In a tie game in the 2nd quarter, Sanchez made a very poor throw intended for Dustin Keller that was picked off in the endzone.  It cost the Jets a chance to take the lead with at least a field goal.  Then in a 21-7 game in the 4th quarter with the Jets driving in Seahawks territory, Sanchez cost his team once again fumbling the ball giving it to the Seahawks.  Seattle would score a touchdown on the drive to put the nail in the coffin.

Enough is enough with Sanchez taking the ball under center.  Week after week he continues to fail and it seems as the pressure has gotten the best of him.  Having Tebow over his shoulder and playing this two quarterback system at times seems to have gotten in the head of Sanchez.  His play has been affected mightily as he is at the lowest point of his career thus far.  Rex Ryan said after the game that Sanchez is still his guy at quarterback saying he gives them the best chance to win.  That decision has to be changed by the end of the week.  Sanchez has turned the ball over an alarming 15 times this season and his completion percentage is 52.9, which is a career low.

It all starts with your quarterback on offense and while the Jets might not have the best receiving unit out there, Sanchez has been an absolute nightmare for most of this 2012 season so far.  His play has been unacceptable and if the Jets care about their fans and care about winning football games, they need to insert Tebow at quarterback.  Tebow has proven he can win in the NFL as he did last season with the Broncos.  It's time that the Jets give the the former Heisman Trophy winner a chance to run this offense.  It can't get much worse than what Sanchez has put out there this season.

Tim Tebow needs to take over immediately before this season gets uglier than it already is.  He gives Gang Green a better chance to win than Sanchez does right now. The Jets will travel to St. Louis next Sunday to take on the Rams as they look to end this three-game losing streak.

Jets Drop Heartbreaker to Rival Patriots

The Jets had all the opportunities in the world to leave Foxboro Sunday atop the AFC East standings with a win.  They scored 13 points in the 4th quarter after trailing 23-13.  They held a 26-23 lead with 1:37 to go, but found a way to lose the game and hand the Patriots their 4th win and first place in the division.

The Jets dropped a heartbreaker to the Patriots, 29-26, in overtime Sunday.  For once, the loss should not go on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez.  While the game ended with Mark Sanchez fumbling the ball in overtime to finish off a heartbreaking loss, this was a team effort.  After establishing the run game last week against the Colts, the ground and pound was not affective against the Patriots.

The Jets ran the ball for a combined 106 yards after running for 252 yards last week.  Once again, Tim Tebow hardly saw any carries after the Jets said he would see some time at running back this week.  4 carries for 12 yards isn't going to cut it if the Jets want to win football games.  They brought this guy in to help them win games and he has not been given the chance.  It's one play and he's out.  Offensive Coordinator Tony Sparano needs to get the ball in the hands of Tebow more than four times a game.  He can make plays and shake up the defense from the conservative offense with Sanchez on the field.  The Jets NEED to run the football.  On 3rd and 2 at the Patriots 2 yard line on the Jets first drive to start the second half, Sparano decided to throw the ball instead of running the ball after Shonn Greene was running the ball effectively the whole drive.  That is a position where the Jets have got to run the ball up the middle for the score.  The reason the Jets brought in Tebow was for an exact play like that.  Terrible playcalling Sunday in Foxboro.

Sanchez threw the ball 41 times for 328 yards, a week after throwing the ball just 18 times for 82 yards.  It was a solid performance from Sanchez, but his receivers hurt him with some pivotal drops.  Stephen Hill dropped a pass that might have cost the Jets a chance at a victory Sunday.  On 3rd and 4 late in the 4th quarter, Hill dropped a perfect pass from Sanchez that would have gave the Jets a first down in the redzone.  The ball went off his hands and the Jets were forced to go for a field goal for the tie.  Hill has struggled all season catching the ball.  Chaz Schilens also had a couple of key drops that proved to be costly.  Jets receivers need to hold on to the football.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Jets in a game that they had plenty of chances to win.  It's a loss that completely changes the season.  Instead of being 4-3 returning home to face the 3-3 Miami Dolphins, the Jets drop to 3-4 on the season.  Rex Ryan will need to make sure to get this team back to running the ball effectively.  Sanchez should not throw the ball 40+ times again this season.  It becomes a recipe for disaster if the "Sanchise" has to carry the Jets on his back.

Ground and Pound Gives Jets Dominant Win

Sunday afternoon, the Jets finally didn't need to worry about any sort of quarterback controversy.  They let their running game do the talking.

Rex Ryan's "ground and pound" offense finally made an appearance against the Colts Sunday leading the Jets to a dominant win over Indianapolis, 35-9.  Shonn Greene had a career-high 161 yards rushing to go along with three touchdowns.  The Jets rushing attack combined for 252 yards, which was the most all season.  Mark Sanchez didn't need to do much thanks to the success on the ground.  Sanchez was just 11 for 18 for 82 yards to go with two touchdowns.

The Jets did what they were looking to do all season on Sunday.  They ran the bell extremely effectively allowing Sanchez to be more comfortable in a limited role seeing him throw a lot less passes.  Gang Green let Shonn Greene and even Joe McKnight do the talking in the week six win over the Colts.  McKnight had a big 61-yard run in the third quarter that would lead to a Jets touchdown before leaving the game with an ankle injury.  That came right after the Jets had lost running back Bilal Powell  to a shoulder injury.

Not only did the Jets running game destroy the Colts, Gang Green's Revis-less defense held rookie quarterback Andrew Luck in check all afternoon.  Luck was just 22 for 44 for 280 yards and two interceptions.  The most important thing that the Jets defense did Sunday was pressure the quarterback. We finally saw a pass rush from the Jets defense as they sacked Luck four times.  The rookie was hurried all day long as the Jets defense made it extremely difficult for him to become comfortable in the pocket.

And what's a Jets win without a little bit of Tim Tebow?

On a 4th and 11 from the Colts 40, Tim Tebow executed the fake punt to perfection as he received the snap and threw the ball to a wide open Nick Bellore.  It came at a great time and was perfectly executed by Tebow and would lead to a Jets touchdown to give them a 21-6 lead in the second quarter.

It was refreshing to see the Jets do what they wanted to do since day once...run the football successfully.  There was no controversy needed over the quarterback position.  The Jets had their best all-around performance of the season thus far.  They were successful on the ground, in the air when they needed it, on defense, and even on special teams.

The win propels the Jets to a 3-3 record and their 2-0 division record puts them atop the AFC East.  All four teams are tied at 3-3.  That will change next week as the Jets will next travel to Foxboro to battle their division-rival New England Patriots.  The Pats are coming off a devastating loss to the Seahawks in Seattle.  If the Jets could have continued success on the ground and continue to bring a pass rush, we could see some more winning football from Coach Ryan's team this season.

Is it Tebow Time for the Jets?

No Darrelle Revis.  No Santonio Holmes.  No Dustin Keller.  Mark Sanchez coming off one of the worst games of his career.  It all spelled disaster for the Jets Monday night.

Despite all the injuries, the Jets had the ball with a chance to win the game at the two minute warning.  That's until Mark Sanchez's pass to tight end Jeff Cumberland went off his hands and into the arms of Kareem Jackson.  The Jets lost Monday night to the undefeated Texans, 23-17.

While the fault does not go directly to Sanchez, it was another poor showing from Gang Green's quarterback.  Sanchez was 14 for 31 for 230 yards and two picks.  His QB rating was 10.0.  Has the 4th year quarterback reached the breaking point?

Sanchez heard boos from the fans at MetLife Stadium all night.  Jets fans seem ready to move on and put Tim Tebow behind center.  Every time Tebow came off the field and Sanchez came on, the boos emerged.  How long until Jets fans give up and start showing up?  While the attendance was announced at 79,088, there were nowhere near that many people there Monday night.  Selling tickets will be a hard thing for Woody Johnson's team to do for the remainder of the season...especially after Johnson publicly stated he would rather have Romney win the Presidency over the Jets winning games.

It has become a nightmare in Jets land.  Their owner is making comments that should not have been made.  GM Mike Tannenbaum did not do much this offseason to improve a team that missed out on the playoffs last season.  The quarterback that was given a $58 million extension this offseason has been abysmal since his impressive week one performance.  The injuries are clearly the major issue at hand, but Sanchez's play is not going to put people in the seats.  While it is only week six, and the Jets are just 2-3, it might be time for Tebow to take over.

It's Tebow time for the Jets.

Murder at The Meadowlands

A sea of red could be seen throughout MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon.  San Francisco 49ers fans were out in full force at the Meadowlands in what was a Jets home game.  It sure didn't look or hear  like one Sunday.

It was all 49ers Sunday as they destroyed the Jets, 34-0.  Gang Green played awful football in every facet of the game.  Mark Sanchez was abysmal all afternoon.  Sanchez was 13 for 29 for 103 yards to go with an interception.  His quarterback rating was a microscopic 2.8.  He was also sacked three times against a superb 49ers defense.  If that wasn't enough, the Jets' rushing attack was just as brutal.  They had a combined 45 yards of 17 rushes.  The longest rush was for five yards.  

To add injury to insult, Santonio Holmes went down with a foot injury after making a reception to start the 4th quarter.  He fell to the ground in pain, and proceeded to throw the ball up to Carlos Rodgers, who took it 51 yards to the endzone for a touchdown.  It is not known how long exactly Holmes will be out for, but it does not look good.  He is expected to be out at least for a couple of weeks.  This comes a week after the Jets lost their best player, Darrelle Revis, for the season with a torn ACL.  Now, the Jets are left without their best offensive and defensive playmakers...and it's only four games into the season.  

Can it get any worse for Gang Green?  This team was already in a ton of trouble after losing Revis for the season.  Without their two best players, the Jets are expecting contributions from a lot of bench players, who just are not good enough.  The Tebow chants began Sunday in just the second home game for the Jets.  Sanchez struggled once again.  After an impressive week one, Sanchez has been hard to watch for Jets fans the last three weeks.  

The talks of Tim Tebow taking over have already begun.  Will Tebow's time come soon? If Sanchez continues to play as he did Sunday, it may be sooner than later.  It also doesn't help when owner, Woody Johnson, says publicly that he would rather see Mitt Romney win the Presidency than the Jets win football games.  Good that the owner has the team's back right? 

Things could get ugly quick for Rex Ryan's squad.  They take on the 4-0 Houston Texans next Monday night at MetLife Stadium.  

Jets Escape Miami With Overtime Win

The Jets were given a gift Sunday afternoon by the Miami Dolphins.  Kicker Dan Carpenter missed his second field goal of the game in overtime giving the Jets yet another opportunity.  They would finally take advantage with 6:04 left in overtime as Nick Folk nailed a 33 yard field goal to propel the Jets to a 23-20 victory.

It was in no way pretty, but Mark Sanchez and company left Miami with their second win of the season.  While Sanchez ended up throwing for 306 yards and a touchdown, his overall numbers and a lot of his throws were ugly.  He was 21 for 45 with an interception and an awful quarterback rating of 32.4.  Sanchez had a lot of overthrown balls and a lot of open receivers he could not get it to.  The Jets' starter missed a wide open Chaz Schilens for a touchdown and a wide open Jeff Cumberland in the endzone.  Also, on a 1st and goal at the one, Sanchez and the Jets failed to get it in the endzone and were forced to go for a field goal.  Luckily, Santonio Holmes had a clutch performance catching 9 passes for 147 yards for Gang Green.

The Jets running game was ineffective with just 88 yards on 33 carries.  A major issue was the lack of use in the redzone of Tim Tebow.  The Jets brought in Tebow to score touchdowns for them in the redzone.  He had two carries all day.  One of those carries was a game changing fake punt where Tebow ran it for five yards on 4th and 3 to get the first down.  It was a perfect playcall and the Jets would get a field goal in the drive.

The other big offseason acquisition, LaRon Landry had a pivotal interception that he ran back 18 yards for a touchdown in the first minute of the second half.  It was a momentum changer and a spark the Jets needed after an abysmal first half of football.  The two newest Jets helped to lead them to ten points that would change the game entirely.  It was a game the Jets needed with the 49ers and Texans coming up next on the schedule.

While it was a big win to improve to 2-1, they suffered a huge loss with their star cornerback Darrelle Revis tearing his ACL.  Revis will be out for the remainder of the season leaving the Jets with a huge hole on defense.  Kyle Wilson will have some big shoes to fill at cornerback.  The Jets will be heavily relying on Wilson and Antonio Cromartie to have big time seasons if they want a chance at the playoffs.  Trying to replace the best cornerback in the league is impossible, but the team needs to come together and step it up on defense without the Pro Bowl defender.

The team will have to rally around each other and find a way to win without Revis.  They return home for three straight games starting with the 49ers Sunday, who are coming off a bad loss to the Vikings.  Gang Green's offense is going to have to see much better production from Sanchez and the running game if they want to win games.  They were given a gift wrapped victory by the Dolphins Sunday that good teams won't allow to happen.  The Jets will need to have some sort of pass rush and see the offense get the ball in the endzone if they want success down the road.  Tebow will be a big part of that happening.

Jets On The Mark in Rout of Bills

Sunday at the Meadowlands was proof that the preseason just does not matter.

The Jets' offense exploded for four touchdowns in the season opener this afternoon against the Bills.  Gang Green crushed Buffalo, 48-28 in a wild game at MetLife Stadium.  Mark Sanchez had a sparkling debut throwing for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Rookie Stephen Hill caught 5 passes for 89 yards to go with 2 touchdowns.  Jeremy Kerley had a breakout performance with a 12 yard touchdown catch and a 68 yard punt return for a touchdown.  Tim Tebow came in for the wildcat and carried the ball 5 times for 11 yards.

The Jets' offense was in cruise control and their defense was absolutely dominant for the first 40 minutes of the game.  After Sanchez made a poor throw that was intercepted on the Jets' opening drive, it seemed like the "Te-Bow" chants were on the way.  That would be the only mistake Sanchez would make all day.  Darrelle Revis would intercept Ryan Fitzpatrick and it was all Jets from there.  

Sanchez was spot-on with his passes all afternoon.  It was something that Jets fans hope to get used to.  Hill, Kerley, and Santonio Holmes were his main targets on the day catching a combined 13 passes for 202 yards.  Tight end Dustin Keller was not very effective, but is expected to have a major role in the offense this season.

The ground and pound was successful as Shonn Greene carried the ball 27 times for 94 yards and a touchdown.  Tebow came in as a tight end on the first offensive play of the game.  He carried the ball for 11 yards.  The run game complemented the pass game very well Sunday afternoon.  Tebow should see more carries and more options in the wildcat as the season goes on.

Most importantly, the Jets' secondary was very impressive for the most part.  They started to fall apart in the fourth quarter, but for the most part they held Fitzpatrick in check.  They forced him into three interceptions with one of them turning into a pick six from Antonio Cromartie.  Revis left the game with an injury, but will be fine to play Sunday.

It was an electric atmosphere at the Meadowlands Sunday.  The crowd was ready for a fresh start.  The beginning of the season always brings new hope.  Not one person out of the 79,088 people expected a 48-point performance from the Jets, which happens to be the most in franchise history in the season opener.  It was a good showing in a season where the Jets are looking to redeem themselves and get back to the playoffs.

It was definitely a good performance by the offense, defense, and special teams, but there are definitely a lot of things the Jets need to work on.  Their defense had trouble stopping C.J. Spiller and the running game allowing him to run for 169 yards and a touchdown.  Also, the pass rush was awful for Gang Green.  Fitzpatrick had all day to throw allowing him to get some of those late touchdowns.  Pass rushing was the Jets' weakness last season and could be this year.  Look for Rex Ryan's team to put some more pressure on the quarterback throughout the season if they want to be successful.

The Jets head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers Sunday.  Ben Roethlisberger should play, unless the birth of his child ends up happening that day.  While the Jets still have a lot to work on, their performance against Buffalo was a good sign.  The offense can put up points and move the ball.  The defense can force turnovers with their impressive secondary.  Let's see if Sanchez can go on the road to Pittsburgh and have a repeat performance of his brilliance in the 2012 season opener.  

2012 Jets Season Preview

There's more to the New York Jets in 2012 than Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez.  There actually is 51 other players on this team.

The talk of Jets' training camp thus far has been the lack of offense that they had in the preseason.  The starting offense with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow under center were scoreless throughout the preseason.  Gang Green did not see a fully healthy squad though.  The wildcat formation was also not broken out.  This offense will be good enough to win them some games.

The Jets will be running the ball a lot this season.  Shonn Greene will be getting most of the carries with Joe McKnight backing him up.  Tebow will be a big playmaker with the wildcat under new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano.  Sparano will provide the Jets a more aggressive playbook that they did not have under Brian Schottenheimer.  Sanchez does not have many targets, but he still has Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller.  Expect Holmes and Keller to have career years this season.  Both will be Sanchez's favorite target.  Gang Green hopes for Jeremy Kerley, Stephen Hill, and Chaz Schilens to be solid contributors after Holmes.

The Jets are heavily relying on their defense to lead them in the 2012 season.  Bart Scott said that his could be the best Jets' defense ever.  Their secondary is improved with new safeties LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell.  Their pass rush is improved with rookie Quinton Coples at defensive end.  Their linebackers, Bryan Thomas, Bart Scott, David Harris, and Calvin Pace are back and ready to lead this 3-4 defense.  Most importantly, they have the best cornerback in the NFL in Darrelle Revis.  This defense is one of the best in recent memory.  Expect them to carry the Jets throughout the season.

Prediction
10-6
6th seed in AFC
Beat Ravens in Wild Card Round
Divisional Round loss to Patriots

Jets' O Will Flow

After the third straight preseason game without the offense scoring a touchdown, Jets fans are ready to pull their hair out.  It's about time everyone calms down and understands the situation.

Here's 5 reasons why there is no need for concern:

1) It's preseason.  These games are completely irrelevant.  The results do not count.  How many points this team scores in preseason will have absolutely zero effect on the season.

2) Santonio Holmes just played his first game on Sunday.  The offense has been playing with some injuries at receiver so far in preseason.  Holmes has not played as well as Jeremy Kerley.  Those are the Jets top two wide receivers.  Sunday was their first chance to get out there and get acclimated to the offense in an actual game scenario.

3) Tim Tebow is playing a role in preseason that is nowhere near what he will be actually doing in the regular season.  Tebow is not on the Jets to throw 10+ passes every game.  He is here to come in for the wildcat and help out on special teams as well.  What we have seen in preseason will not be seen come September 9th when the Jets kick off the season at MetLife Stadium against the Bills.  Mark Sanchez will be the guy under center throwing the ball.

4) Sunday was their first game without Wayne Hunter at starting right tackle.  Hunter was a big reason for the Jets struggles in the prior two games.  Austin Howard saw his first action with the starters Sunday and did quite well.  The guy was just inserted as a starter.  Howard will fill in very nicely to a Jets offensive line that will be extremely important to the Jets offensive success in 2012.

5) This team is adjusting to a new playbook.  Brian Schottenheimer and his conservative offensive playbook is no longer in town.  Tony Sparano has brought in a completely different playbook that the players are still learning.  It is "training" camp for a reason.  The team is still training to get ready for the season, which is still 13 days away for Gang Green.  These last two weeks leading to the season are vital for Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow to get some repetition in.

So until the buzzer sounds on September 9th following the Jets-Bills matchup at the Meadowlands, let the regular season play do the talking.  Not training camp.  Not the preseason.

Quarterback Isn't Jets Concern

Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.

Those two names have been stealing the headlines every single day thus far in training camp.  The New York media has fallen in love with Broadway Tebow and the so-called "controversy" at quarterback for the Jets.  The problem is that Gang Green's issue does not come at that position.  The real concern right now should be who these two quarterbacks will be throwing to this season.

After Santonio Holmes, the Jets depth chart is fairly depleted in terms of proven, experienced wide receivers.  Antonio Cromartie's controversial statement claiming himself to be the second best wide receiver on the team may actually be 100% correct.  The receivers behind Holmes consist of Jeremy Kerley, Chaz Schilens, Patrick Turner, and rookie Stephen Hill.  Kerley is entering just his second season where he caught just 29 passes for 314 yards last season.  Schilens had 23 receptions for 272 yards with the Raiders last season.  Turner also did not do much in limited playing time last year catching 8 passes for 96 yards.  Hill, a rookie out of Georgia Tech, has a lot of upside and could play a major role in the Jets offense, but is still unproven.  Cromartie is definitely going to see some playing time on offense.  Having the stamina to play cornerback and come back out and play receiver is not easy though.  Gang Green also has Dustin Keller at tight end who will have a chance to have his best year becoming a huge part of the offense now.

There is not much to write home for Sanchez and Tebow there.  Everyone seems to be worried about who the quarterback will for this team and whether Tebow will take Sanchez's job.  The Jets starting quarterback is Mark Sanchez.  That is not changing barring an awful start to the season.  Tebow will come in for the wildcat and certain package plays as well as help out on special teams.  This is Sanchez's job to lose after signing an extension this offseason that brought his contract to a hefty 5 years and $58.25 million.

The Jets need to go out and get a wide receiver before they open the season September 9th at home against the Bills.  Chad Johnson is completely out of the question.  This team has enough distractions already with local and national media in Cortland every day.  A guy they could use is someone like Percy Harvin.  The Jets have been rumored to be interested in acquiring Harvin, but nothing appears imminent as of now.  The Vikings star wide out had an impressive year last season in Minnesota catching 87 passes for 976 yards to go with six touchdowns.  Harvin would completely change the Jets offense giving them a second deep threat to keep the defense from double covering Santonio Holmes.

This team needs another veteran wide out to complement Holmes and teach the younger receivers.  With an improved defense, but a suspect pass rush, the Jets are going to need some help from an offense that was not very explosive last year finishing 25th in the NFL in total yards a game.  The ground and pound will be in full effect this season, but Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight, and Tim Tebow cannot carry an offense themselves.  Sanchez needs guys he can trust to get the ball to if he wants to improve on his 2011 season where he missed the playoffs for the first time in his three years in the NFL.

Right now, Rex Ryan's squad has the talent on defense in their secondary, and an offense that is going to run the football a lot this season.  That is enough for them to possibly see a 9-7 season.  If GM Mike Tannenbaum can go out and get a proven receiver, it turns the Jets into a playoff contender that can be a threat in the playoffs.  The Jets are going to need to win some games if they want fans filling their seats at MetLife Stadium. They have already dropped some season tickets to just $50 a game.

Broadway Tebow

The Jets are back on the covers of newspapers stealing the headlines once again.  In a crazy day Wednesday, the Jets made a trade for Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  Hours later, the trade was off for the moment because of a clause in Tebow's contract.  Hours later, the trade was back on as the Broncos and Jets agreed to each pay around half of the five million dollars Tebow would be owed.  The Jets traded a 4th and 6th round pick for Tebow and a 7th round pick.

When Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos, it was almost a lock that Tebow would be traded.  Not a single person thought of the Jets as a possible landing spot for Tebow until Tuesday when it was rumored that the Jets were in talks with the Broncos.  Tebow grabbed all the headlines in the NFL last year with his incredible fourth quarter comebacks.  Tebow led the Broncos to a playoff appearance and a playoff victory over the Steelers.  Once Manning signed the huge contract with the Broncos earlier in the week, Tebow's time in Denver would be over.  The Jets had signed their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, to a big contract assuring him to be under center for the Jets for at least a couple more seasons.  With all the drama and attention around the Jets, this one topped it all. 

The reaction of Jets fans has been all over the place.  Many fans are scratching their head believing this may become a huge distraction.  Mark Sanchez will have a bit more pressure to succeed.  As soon as Sanchez starts to struggle, you are going to start hearing the chants for Tebow.  The key is that Mark Sanchez is still the starting quarterback of this team.  The signing of Tebow helps the Jets in several ways.  It gives the Jets a great backup in case Sanchez goes down with injury.  We have seen Sanchez suffer from several injuries his first couple of seasons.  He has not missed much time, but he has played banged up a lot.  Also, Tebow will work well with the new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano.  Sparano took the "wildcat" to a whole other level with the Dolphins.  Tebow can come in on select plays and surprise the defense switching it up from the Jets normal offense.  It gives the Jets another option on offense to help a team that struggled at times offensively last season.  

Yes, the Jets stole the headlines once again.  For all the opponents of this trade, it needs to be realized that this is still Mark Sanchez's team.  Tebow is another piece to try and help the Jets get back to the playoffs.  He is a winner and a guy who can and will make big plays for the Jets.  The key for the Jets right now is filling in other pieces that they need to achieve success.  This team still needs a big time pass rusher, some help on the offensive line, and another guy that Sanchez can throw to.  That should be the main concern for the Jets right now.  Tim-sanity might bring in a lot of media attention, but that is something the Jets are used to.  This team already gets enough attention for all the talk that goes on in the locker room.  Get ready Jets fans....it's Tebow time. 

Sanchez Strikes it Rich

This might just say it all.....Mark Sanchez will be making two million dollars more than Aaron Rodgers next season.  The Jets extended Mark Sanchez's contract three more years.  The total deal comes out to be five years, $58.25 million.  The deal includes $20.5 million in guarantees in 2012 and 2013.  It includes $40.5 million in "new" money and Sanchez can make an additional $10 million in escalators.  The deal gives Sanchez the seventh highest overall contract amongst NFL quarterbacks.  This obviously bows the Jets out of the Peyton Manning sweepstakes as well as Manning had no desire to play for the Jets.

Jets fans are sitting around scratching their heads wondering why GM Mike Tannenbaum is throwing more money at Sanchez, who looked to have regressed as an NFL quarterback last season.  The Jets did not beat one team that finished over .500 the entire season.  After going 8-5, Sanchez and the Jets lost their final three games to finish with an 8-8 record and missing out on the playoffs.  Sanchez was hard to watch throwing seven picks in the final three games as the Jets saw their playoff hopes fade away. 

Sanchez did have a good start to his career leading the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championships.  Sanchez did have a tremendous defense and running game as well those first two seasons.  Sanchez was extremely clutch in the playoffs both seasons playing mistake-free football and nearly getting the Jets to the Super Bowl.  Many thought that Sanchez would continue to improve this season, but he seemed to have gotten worse and faced much scrutiny from the media.  

In all fairness to Sanchez, the Jets did not have as good of a supporting cast as Sanchez had the prior two seasons.  The Jets defense clearly was nowhere near what it was the prior two seasons.  The offensive line also was extremely disappointing this season and injuries troubled the Jets as well.  The Jets defense struggled mightily forcing nearly no pressure on the quarterback after losing defensive end Shaun Ellis to the Patriots in the offseason.  The offense was forced to do more than it had to in their two seasons making the AFC Championship game.  

There are many Jets fans who are frustrated right now.  Jets fans need to realize that there are bright spots to look forward to.  Yes, the Jets may have overpaid a guy who struggled last season, BUT they did free up over six million dollars in cap space for 2012 from this deal.  Also, they will have a fresh start and a new playbook offensively as Brian Schottenheimer will not be back next season.  Schottenheimer was very conservative with his play calling at times and in the matchup against the Giants had Sanchez throwing an astounding 64 times.  A new season and a new playbook and some time to develop in the offseason will be pivotal for Sanchez in getting better and helping the Jets get back to the playoffs again.  

There has been a lot of ups and a lot of downs with Mark Sanchez under center.  Jets fans need to take a deep breathe and give Sanchez a chance next season.  The Jets have some cap room and will make this team better any way they can, especially on that defensive line as well as the offensive line.  Tannenbaum, Woody Johnson, and company believe in Sanchez.  Jets fans need to have some hope and confidence as Sanchez will be under center for at least the next couple of seasons.  

Tebow's Magic Hands Jets Pivotal Loss

Tim Tebow might not have the greatest arm.  He may not be the most accurate passer. He might not be the most fundamental quarterback.  With that being said, Tebow does do one thing very well.  That is winning football games.

Trailing 13-10, the former star at the University of Florida led a magical drive down the field late in the fourth quarter to win the game, 17-13, and hand the Jets their second straight demoralizing loss.  Starting at their own five yard line with 5:54 remaining on the clock, Tebow led his best drive of his short NFL career to win the game for the Broncos.  Tebow, who has predominately ran himself or handed the ball off in the games he has started, was forced to throw more than usual on the drive and was extremely successful.  The drive would end with “Tebow magic.”  On a third down and four at the Jets 20 yard line, Tebow would have a miraculous run to the left side running 20 yards into the end zone with just 58 seconds left on the clock.  The defense came blitzing and Tebow read it perfectly scrambling to the left finding a hole and finding the end zone.  It was one of the best and most clutch plays seen all season.  The play put Denver on top, got them to 5-5 on the season, and gave them their third straight victory putting them right in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC West.  Since taking over for Kyle Orton as quarterback, Tebow is 4-1 in just his second NFL season.

The Jets really hurt themselves in this game.  There is a lot of fingers that could be pointed in this one, but it was a team effort and a very sloppy performance by the Jets in a game they should have won.  The Jets came out playing very poorly on offense in the first half.  It has been the same story all season for the Jets.  They come out of the tunnel and never have a great first half.  They have to play from behind put themselves in a position they should not have to be in.  There is not one specific finger to point for this.  The coaches have to do more to prepare the team early to come out of the gate firing.  In the Jets last four games they have three total points in the first quarter.  They cannot expect to be a playoff team if they cannot play four good quarters of football a game.  Mark Sanchez needs to come out making smarter throws as well.  Sanchez made a throw that should not have been made in the third quarter that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.  Also, last night special teams play was very poor.  T.J. Conley punted a ball for a measly 13 yards.  It would lead to a field goal by the Broncos. Kicker Nick Folk missed two field goals as well.  That is a nine point swing that completely could have changed the outcome of this game.  All these mistakes costed the Jets an important football game not only for the standings, but for the Jets morale as well.

The Jets really needed to win this game and they came out with one of their worst performances we have seen this season.  In order to win, this team has got to play mistake free.  It starts with the coaches.  Rex Ryan has to prepare his team better than he did as well as all the other coaches.  Offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer has been questioned all year for his questionable play calling.  The Jets have been very conservative and predictable offensively this season.  A lot is going to need to change if the Jets want to get one of the two wild card spots in the AFC this year.  They are currently 5-5 with six games remaining.  They will return home next Sunday to face the Bills.  The Jets are in dire need of a victory as their playoff hopes start to slip away with each loss.

AFC East Falls Out of Jets Hands in Crushing Loss to Pats

The Jets may be loaded with talent defensively, solid receivers, and a good running game, but they do not have the one man that can make the difference to put them over the edge. That man is Tom Brady. 
The Jets came into Sunday night's game against the Patriots with a great opportunity to get a win that could get them into sole possession of first place.  They were riding a three game win streak coming in.  They were at home where they were 4-0 on the season.  The Pats had come in losing two straight games and struggling defensively.  The Jets were looking for revenge for their 30-21 loss at New England in week 5.  The winner would stand alone in first place.

The Patriots handed the Jets a crushing loss, 37-16 to essentially take a two game lead in the AFC East.  They hold the tie breaker by defeating the Jets in both games this season.  The Jets had no way of stopping Brady, the three time Super Bowl champion.  The future hall of famer had an extraordinary amount of time in the pocket to throw the ball.  The Jets defensive line was atrocious in forcing Brady into any bad throws.  Brady's offensive line was remarkable in allowing him all the time he needed to get it to his receivers.  The extra time allowed him to hit his tight ends alone for 12 receptions and 154 yards.  Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were unstoppable down the middle of the field.  Pats receivers also had big games against a Jets secondary who is considered one of the best.  Wes Welker and Deion Branch had 104 yards and 11 receptions combined.  Even Chad Ochocinco, who has been ineffective this season had two catches for 65 yards.  The Jets had no problem stopping the rush.  They only allowed 60 rushing yards total.  Brady was just too good throwing for 329 yards to six different receivers.  The Jets had no answer for arguably the best quarterback in the league. 

The turning point of the game came in the second quarter with around 1:20 to go in the half instead of letting the clock run down all the way then using a timeout, Sanchez called a timeout with plenty of time still on the play clock.  The Jets would score the touchdown on the next play, but they left the Patriots 1:20 on the clock and two timeouts to drive down the field.  Rex Ryan told NBC at the half it was "The stupidest thing in football history." Clearly, Ryan was in fuming that Sanchez used a timeout with so much time remaining for a Patriots team that is known for their offensive capabilities.  The Patriots would end up scoring a touchdown with nine seconds left and go into the half with all the motivation in the world.

The Jets were outplayed and out-coached by Bill Belichick and the Patriots Sunday night.  This was a demoralizing loss for two reasons.  One being that the Patriots looked dominant in both games this season against the Jets.  The second being that the Patriots remaining schedule is one of the easiest in the NFL for the final seven weeks.  Of their seven remaining games, the only team above .500 that they play is the last game of the season at home against a Bills team that has lost three of their last four after starting 4-1.  The Jets will only play two more teams with a winning record as they face the Bills and Giants.  Five of the Jets last eight games will be on the road.  When asked if his team still had hope to win the division Ryan said, "It looks doubtful right now."  The division seems to be a long shot for the Jets.  They will hope to get one of the two wild card spots in the playoffs. 

The Jets will now have a short week as they hit the road to face the Broncos in Denver Thursday night.  Tim Tebow has had the Broncos playing well of late and still in the race in the AFC West. It is going to be a tough road for the Jets from here on out.  The key will be to come out strong Thursday night with no signs of a hangover effect from a pivotal loss Sunday night. The Jets will need to avoid any "Tebow magic" and head back home with a victory under their belt as they face Buffalo the following week at the Meadowlands.

Jets Surge Into First With Dominant Win over Bills

Sunday might have been the best all around performance we have seen by the Jets all season.  They finally played the lights out defense that everyone expected to see all season.  The Jets beat the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium 27-11 Sunday afternoon.  The Jets played an all around impressive performance not only defensively, but offensively as well.

The key early in this game was turnovers.  Both teams were turning it over early and had trouble putting up points.  The first half's only points was a 49 yard field goal by Nick Folk.  It was all about defense early.  In the second half, the Jets offense would kick it into gear.  They would get a 50 yard field goal from Nick Folk early in the third quarter.  The Bills would then fumble on the first play of their drive giving the Jets great field position in Bills territory.  They would get a nice catch and run by Plaxico Burress followed by a 1 yard touchdown run by Ladanian Tomlinson to take a 13-0 lead.  The Bills would finally score on a field goal making it 13-3.

From there on, it was all Jets.

They would have a 1:20 drive ending in a gorgeous play action touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes making it 20-3.  They would put the dagger in the Bills in the fourth driving and ending it with a 1 yard touchdown run by "the terminator" John Connor.  That would make it 27-3 and put the Bills away.   They would add on a touchdown late to make it 27-11 after converting the 2 point conversion. That would be all. The Jets closed it out with the final being 27-11.

The key to the game was the Jets dominant defensive performance.  They forced three Bills turnovers with one leading to a Jets touchdown.  The Jets finally put pressure on the quarterback allowing Ryan Fitzpatrick to be completely shut down.  Fitzpatrick was 15 for 31 for 191 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  They only allowed 96 combined rushing yards as well with 82 of them coming from starter Fred Jackson.  The Jets defense was aggressive and played their best game defensively.

The offense was solid as well. Mark Sanchez played one of his better games besides the early interception he looked like a veteran in the pocket.  Sanchez threw for 230 yards and a touchdown.  The Jets ran for 126 yards combined by Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight and Tomlinson.  The offense had a chemistry that we have not seen all season.  They looked very comfortable playing a Bills team who has been a pleasant surprise this year.

Next comes the game everyone has been waiting for.  The Jets and Patriots will face off in New Jersey on Sunday night.  The Pats beat the Jets at home and now with both teams being tied for first place in the AFC East, the Jets look to break the tie and continue their winning ways on Sunday.