Football Jets

The 2011 New York Jets season is finally here. After the lockout and the crazy free agency period the games are on and the NFL is ready to entertain us every week for months. The Jets are living the high profile life right now. People everywhere are talking about them, of course that is almost automatic when you have Rex Ryan as head coach, but still people everywhere are putting the Jets in the conversation as possible champions.

And why wouldn’t they? The Jets have won 4 playoff road games the past two seasons, they have competitive AFC Championship games, they boast one of the leagues best defenses and they of course have a throng of high profile players.

One of those high profile names was the free agent acquisition of Plaxico Burress. Here is where I throw out the lame joke, “I hope the Jets didn’t shoot themselves in the foot” with this signing. Opinions vary widely on what will be Plaxico’s production during the 2011 Jets season but he did make a high-light reel catch during the pre-season but he is 3 years removed from making his last touchdown catch, albeit it was a Superbowl winning touchdown catch.

Most of the other big names are back again with LT, Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes powering the offense and Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Bart Scott locking down what could possibly be the NFL’s best defense. The defense finished ranked third in the league last year which followed the number one ranking during Rex Ryan’s rookie year as head coach. The offense can at times look great, and at times look very pedestrian. This has been the case with the offense throughout the preseason and pretty much throughout the Mark Sanchez era. Sanchez is young though, most third year quarterbacks are just getting their first opportunity to start in year three, Mark Sanchez has already tied the NFL record for most playoff victories by a quarterback.

So the 2011 New York Jets season will be exciting. The New England Patriots are going to be very good again, the Buffalo Bills should be vastly improved, and the Miami Dolphins… well let’s just say Tony Sparano has done a magnificent job keeping the Dolphins mediocre – which has been an absolute delight to see for New York Jets fans.

As for my 2011 New York Jets season prediction I am going to concur with Head Coach Rex Ryan and say that the Jets are going to the Superbowl.

In a Monday Night Football game that will be remembered for a lot of different reasons, the New York Football Jets intercepted a late fourth quarter pass from Brett Favre and return it 26 yards for the game icing touchdown to beat the Minnesota Vikings 29-20. It was pouring rain at times making offense a bit harder for both teams and keeping the score low until late in the game when all hell broke loose and the excitement really started.

The Jets seemed to dominate the Vikings for the first 3 quarters, stifling Adrian Peterson and making Brett Favre look old and lost. The offense of the Jets couldn’t punch it in the end zone and over and over had to settle for Nick Folk field goals, 5 times. But you knew you couldn’t hold Favre down, and he led a frantic comeback connecting with his 500th career touchdown to newly acquired Randy Moss and then twice to Percy Harvin making it an edge of your seat game. But Mark Sanchez, LT, Shonn Greene and the Jets defense were able to pull this game out with help from a sweet kickoff return from secret weapon Brad Smith.

The Vikings are screwed at 1-3, and now face a matchup with another 1-3 team who were equally hyped as Superbowl favorites, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jets, on the other hand, go to 4-1, take over the outright lead in the AFC East and have shown the world on a national stage during Monday Night Football that they have weapons on offense, defense and special teams.

Oh, and they have a fantastic coaching staff.

FYI, Mark Sanchez has 8 touchdowns on the year and 0 interceptions. Error free football has led to a huge turnover differential for the Jets which has surely contributed to putting them in the envious position of reeling off 4 consecutive victories. Sanchez was plenty aggressive tonight, firing the ball down field on many occasions showing that he has a relatively powerful young arm.

This was a great win for what appears to be a great team playing in front of a great fan base inside a great stadium.

The Jets 28-14 absolute thrashing of the New England Patriots was awesome.

Tom Brady said he hates the Jets. Guess what, the Jets and their legion of fans hate New England and Tom Brady.
I know I am sick of the

Oh Brady is so perfect, he has the perfect wife, the perfect looks, the perfect passes.

Give me a break you Brady loving media. I know you media types are all upset, with now having to throw out those pre-written articles about the big talking arrogance of the Jets team, the fraternity house coaching style of Rex Ryan and the Mark Sanchez shows so little promise.
You were all wrong. And now you have to write the TRUTH! Can’t handle the TRUTH! Well, here it is for you. The Jets are for real, their quarterback is for real, LT still has plenty of game, the offensive and defensive lines can push people around, the Jets secondary isn’t only Revis Island and the head coach and offensive coordinator have real game plans that give this team a great chance to win every week.

Now that you have thrown away those bury the Jets articles, consider recycling them next time for another team whose headlines catch readers, the Dallas Cowboys.

Now break out the creativity in your thrashing of the New England Patriots whom you were so eager to dub AFC East champions after one lousy week in which they beat a team the Jets knocked out of the playoffs last year. Here are some headlines to start the thought process…

Tom Brady is Great… Against Bad Defenses

Bill Belichick is Great… When He is Able to Cheat

Randy Moss and Tom Brady Look Great… When Sulking Together on the Bench Late in the 4th Quarter

Jets D Shuts Out Patriots So Called High Powered Offense in 2nd Half… Without Revis

Mark Sanchez Leads the Jets to Victory with 3 Touchdowns… Looks Like a Potential Superbowl Winning Quarterback

Next Week’s Game is Huge… Dolphins Verse Jets for the AFC East Lead

The 2010 New York Jets team is a blend of talent and intrigue you would only dare ensemble if you were directing the next Hollywood blockbuster.

1. A star who once shined so bright on the biggest stage, known for one of the greatest catches in Superbowl history, Santonio Holmes. Holmes won’t make his appearance during the opening credits, he has a 4 game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
2. 2009′s most fast rising star, Darrelle Revis is holding out for more money despite a $120 million offer.
3. One of the greatest stars of all time, LT is trying to rediscover his former glory.
4. Another fresh face and troubled star, Antonio Cromartie has tabloid written all over him as he arrives in NY. The drama begins when you have seven kids in five states, and child-support issues.
5. The trash talking funny man Rex Ryan whose quotes are so entertaining.
6. Charismatic young quarterback Mark Sanchez who has a bit of Brett Favre recklessness to his game.
7. Over-paid and under-performing first round draft pick Vernon Gholston who doubtfully will ever live up to his hype for even one play.
8. Braylon Edwards who evidently has seriously more memorable dropped passes than passes he has caught
9. There is also some real TV talent in Jason Taylor, his moves on “Dancing With the Stars” should help land him a starring role in this show.
10. The fans who love them.

The entire NFL world is talking about the New York Jets moves during the 2010 off-season in which several marquee players have been added to the roster. It seems the Jets are on the verge of winning a Superbowl, and the Jets management have added several pieces that might put them over the top.

Ladainian Tomlinson was added as a free agent to replace Thomas Jones. At first it appeared he would be signing with the Minnesota Vikings backing up Adrian Peterson. But after visiting New York, LT was wined and dined by Rex Ryan and decided to hopefully revitalize his Hall of Fame career wearing green.

Teammate of LT and one of the players in the Charger’s doghouse following the upset loss against the Jets in the playoffs was Antonio Cromartie. The Chargers traded Cromartie to the New York Jets at the begin of the off-season. Cromartie is a superb athletic specism whom the Jets hope to regain his pro-bowl form opposite Darrelle Revis. As a cornerback, Cromartie had a bunch of interceptions a couple years ago when the Chargers played more man-to-man defense but his impact was minimal last year when the Chargers played more zone defense.

Santonio Holmes won a Superbowl with the Steelers, even earning Superbowl MVP honors for his amazing fourth quarter that included a diving catch from Ben Roethlisberger that gave the Steelers the lead for good. Holmes fell out of favor with the Steelers with several off the field incidents including substance abuse problems for marijuana. The league has imposed a 4 game suspension which will be served the first month of the season. Holmes only has a 1 year left on his contract, but he should be a huge offensive weapon for Mark Sanchez. With Holmes opposite Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery in the slot and Dustin Keller at tight end the Jets seemingly should have a strong passing game in 2010.

Jason Taylor signed as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins. Taylor has said some pretty awful things about the Jets and their fans in the past while playing for the Dolphins. A very controversial signing, hopefully the Jets faithful can welcome Taylor after he sacks a few quarterbacks.

Kyle Wilson was drafted by the Jets in the first round. Wilson was arguably the best cornerback in the draft, and played a pivotal role for the very successful Boise State program. Along with Cromartie and Revis, Wilson gives the Jets an unbelievably talented secondary in what is now become a passing league.

Joe McKnight, the USC running back, was drafted in the third round by the Jets. Jets cut Thomas Jones after the season ended and cut Leon Washington immediately following the Joe McKnight draft pick. McKnight will be a force on kick returns and is very similar to Washington’s skill set. Washington will be missed, but coming off a terrible broken leg the Jets felt it better to move on and traded him to the Seattle Seahawks, ironically coached by ex-USC and ex-NY Jets coach Pete Carroll.

All of these players plus the entire Jets team will be featured in this year’s Hard Knocks show on HBO.