03/17/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

It was our special NCAA Tournament preview show on The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240-WGBB. We previewed the big dance and gave our predictions on who would win. We discussed the Knicks four game losing streak and injuries plaguing them as the Nets and Celtics creep up on them. We then did our new “Something or Nothing” segment of the show before the break. After the break, we talked about the Nets possibly winning the Atlantic and the Lakers recent success sliding into the 8th seed. We then dived into baseball talk discussing the World Baseball Classic and the need to have the best players playing to take it seriously. We talked about the hobbling Mets and Yankees and previewed their possible opening day lineups. We finished the show with NFL free agency talk and everyone leaving the Jets and Darrelle Revis possibly on his way out. We ended the show with our final four picks and our national champion picks.


 3/17/13-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

The 5th Quarter in New York Sports-2/24/13

On this edition of The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240, I took the mic solo with plenty to talk about.  I started the show with the Knicks recent slide and what they need to do to get back to their winning ways.  I recapped their victory over the Sixers.  I then talked Nets and their recent success and chances at winning the Atlantic Division.  I gave the NBA trade deadline moves and who won and lost at the deadline.  I talked Curtis Granderson going down with injury and who will replace him and how the Yankees will do in 2013.  I then talked Zach Wheeler and his chances of being called up in 2013.  Also, I discussed the Mets outfield and their chances of doing well this season.  I finished the show with Jets talk and whether they should trade Darrelle Revis.


02/24/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

The 5th Quarter in New York Sports-2/10/13

It was a special Grammy edition of the The 5th Quarter in New York Sports on AM1240 as me and Ty gave out our NBA midseason Grammy Award winners.  We talked plenty of Knicks and Nets and the rest of the NBA.  We previewed the NBA trade deadline and our predictions of who may get traded, including Iman Shumpert trade rumors.  We also recapped the Mets and Yankees offseason and what their 2013 roster will look like.
Our guest was Knicks beat writer for the Bergen Record Steve Popper.  We talked about the possible Shumpert trade as well as any other moves the Knicks might make.  We also discussed the loss to the Clippers earlier in the day and what went wrong for the Knicks.

02/10/2013-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

1/27/13-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

On Sunday’s show on AM1240, we previewed Super Bowl XLVII aka the “HarBowl.”  We then talked about the Jets new OC and GM and the talk of them possibly trading Darrelle Revis.  We then gave our reactions to the bizarre Manti Te’o story.  In the second half of the show we gave our All Star snubs.  We then discussed the Knicks win over the Hawks and the Nets hot start to 2013.  We talked Rondo going down and the Celtics playoff hopes in jeopardy.  We talked Dwight Howard trade talks and the Lakers possibly turning the season around.  We finished with some Mets offseason discussion and gave our Super Bowl picks.

1/27/13-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

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.

12/02/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Check out my show from Sunday night on AM1240-WGBB.  On “The 5th Quarter in New York Sports” we discussed the Jets win over the Cardinals and who will start next week at quarterback.  Legendary sports broadcaster Ed Ingles joined us to give his take on the Jets and talk to us about his broadcasting career.  We debated on whether Mark Sancez or Greg McElroy should start next week, whether the Mets should sign or trade R.A. Dickey, and whether David Stern’s decision to fine the Spurs was right.  We gave our “5th Quarter Standouts” in the NFL.  We talked about the wild week in the NFL as well as previewing the Giants-Redskins matchup.  We also talked Knicks and Nets and their success so far this season.

12/02/2012 The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

11/25/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Listen in to my show from Sunday night.  On the show, we talked all about the hot topics in NY sports.  We started with Nets talk followed by Knicks talk and previewed the big matchup in Brooklyn between the two newest rivals.  Knicks beat writer for Newsday, Al Iannazzone, joined us at the 15 minute mark to talk Knicks and which team in New York he believes is better.  The second half of the show, I labeled the Jets as dead this season with no chance to make the playoffs.  We talked about the Giants as well as the rest of the big week 12 NFL games and headlines.  Listen in to myself and Ty Hardamon.

11/25/2012 The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

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.

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

10/07/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Listen to the podcast from my show "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports" Sunday on AM1240-WGBB.  We discussed the Giants win over the Browns, the Yankees-Orioles playoff matchup, the MLB playoffs, the struggling Jets, and the rest of the week 5 NFL games. Callers discussed Eli Manning, the Giants, the Yankees, and Andrew Luck with me.

09/16/2012-The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

Here is the podcast of the debut of my sports radio show "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports." The show aired Sunday September 16th from 9:00-10:00 PM on AM1240-WGBB and online at SportsRadioNY.com.  Me and my co-host Ty Hardamon discussed the Giants comeback win, the Jets loss in Pittsburgh, the rest of the NFL week two games, and the Yankees playoff chase, while responding to caller's questions and comments.

09/16/2012 The 5th Quarter in New York Sports

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.  

Jets Playoff Hopes Still Alive

The Jets season has come down to a game by game scenario.  Each and every game has their playoff hopes  on the line. The Jets control their own destiny the rest of their way as of right now.  They hold the six seed in the AFC playoff race.  The problem is the tie breakers are not in their favor.  The easy way in for the Jets would be to win their last three games and finish the season 11-5.  That would give them the six seed and a chance to make a playoff run like they have the past two seasons.  The problem is that the Jets have to play on the road against a talented Eagles team, home against a Giants team with all the motivation in the world, and on the road against a Dolphins team who loves to play spoiler against the Jets in the last week of the season. (cough cough Brett Favre days)  It is not going to be an easy road for Gang Green, but if they keep playing the style of football we have seen the last couple weeks out of them, the Jets look like they can be a team to be reckoned with come January.

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.