The Good, the bad, the Jets

One morning you’re Superbowl favorites and the next you’re just contenders. Jets were riding a 5 game winning streak and were looking almost unstoppable after the Tennessee win. But teams are figuring out Gang Green’s weaknesses and their inabilities (like to convert on 3rd or 4th and short). I think these wet dreams of a Jets/Giants Superbowl started to get in some peoples heads (possibly even the Jets themselves). Giants are without a doubt the best team in football, even without Burress (but Pierce on the other hand, now that’s a different story) so a Superbowl between the two would be a lobsided victory for the Gmen. Jets may have found their identity, now they just have to figure out how to maintain it on a week-to-week basis. But I don’t understand how after one loss this team loses all credibility as an elite contender in the AFC. You know, no team is perfect. In fact, the Massholes got manhandled by the Steelers and yet experts are not throwing the towel on them like they’re the Jets. Here are a few things Jets need to work on:

- COACHING – If it weren’t for some bad tackling by the Broncos on defense it almost looked like they had a copy of our offensive playbook. Every first down the Broncos stacked 8 in the box and stuffed the Jets running game. On 3rd and short they were ready for the short passes, cutting the slants and swinging linebackers out to cover the short dump offs. Schottenheimer’s play calling had been really good until today’s game and he didn’t make any of the necessary judgments in the 2nd half. Mangini and Sutton could not generate a pass rush. The Broncos double teamed Kris Jenkins and played 2 gap all game. Every play he was eaten up and was completely ineffective. The defenses big weakness has been the pass. Teams are throwing away from Revis and Rhodes and it clearly shows. Ty Law was great against the Patriots but the last 2 weeks he's been shaky. Abram Elam might not be the solution at Free safety. Corner and safety should be needs in next years draft.

- OFFENSE - All the money paid to that offensive line to help the running game and yet on 3rd, 4th and shorts the Jets still throw the ball. Run that ball up the middle behind your best players (Faneca, Mangold, Moore)!

I have a bone to pick with the NFL committee. If a man is on the ground and down covering the football the play needs to be whistled dead. Instead 3 seconds after Cotchery covers up the fumble 2 Bronco defenders jump on top of him and the ball pops out. Why did they have to throw all their body weight down on him like that? I find that unfair.

And another thing; everytime Favre was getting in some kind of rhythm it seemed like a different Bronco player went down with an injury. They did this 5 times in the 2nd half and all of those injured players came back on the field in the next few plays. THAT'S BULLSHIT! Mike Shanahan has always been praised as a good coach, but that is just F'in dirty on his part. Guys like him and Belichek take advantage of bad rules like these and it seriously pisses me off.

Either Favre's arm is still hurting him or Schottenheimer is taking away the deep ball. You traded for a QB with an arm and yet you still keep throwing the dink and dunk passes to the TE's and RB's? I think Pennington has more deep ball completions than Favre does this season.

Jets need to win with superior execution, not with these trickery plays all the time. Until they learn this simple maxim they will not get far in the playoffs and will be outsmarted by the dumbest and inexperienced of NFL coaches.

- DEFENSE - Eric Barton, you have been in the league for 10 years and yet you still act like in immature college punk. You're so lucky that it was 4th and long or those 5 yards really would of hurt the team on that drive. Start playing smarter. I can't wait until David Harris comes back and Barton can just sit back and only have to worry about not putting a late hit on the QB. Corners need to bump the receivers more on the line. They did a lot in the first half but the Jets d-line was not getting any QB pressure. Cutler was just simply picking them apart. Sutton and Mangini need to devise so more blitz packages, especially when your overall defensive scheme is just not working.

This clearly was a bad game but there is a brightside to this; that was probably the toughest opponent the Jets have left on their schedule. Doesn't mean they should take the next 4 games lightly. The loss by the Massholes keeps the Jets atop the AFC East but still only by 1 game. As long as they win won of their last 2 division games against Buffalo or Miami they will have the conference record advantage if a tie in first place were to ocurr. But this shouldn't be an option in their minds. They need to win out and win big. They need to prove that the team last week against the Titans was for real and that they can play some ball. As I see it right now the Jets can play against the physical teams. The 3 AFC teams that scare me are the Steelers, Colts and Titans. If they don't fix their problems with the play calling and their secondary, I can almost guarantee a first round exit.