Hey all, sorry I've been gone for a while, I've been all kinds of busy and thinking of good things to write about. I've had some cool experiences and am now living a more exciting life for my career choice. Sorry for the absence, I'm back now and that's what matters...right?
So we left off in the middle of the Yankees quest for the playoffs, and the beginning of the Brett Favre Era with my Jets. The Yanks are done, and sadly have been for a while, but Brett and the Jets are alive and kicking.
With just the Monday night AFC South Showdown left, Week 8 is wrapped up and the Jets are sitting at 4-3. Teams they've lost to include the Pats, the Chargers, and the dreadful Raiders. Teams they've beat: the 'Fins, the Cardinals, the Bungals and most recently the Chiefs. Their last three games have been against teams with a combined record of 3-17...and the Jets haven't looked all that better than their opponents in those games.
Yes the pass rush has been better than it's ever been. And yes the offense has moved the ball more efficiently than they have in recent history. The Jets are definitely better in 2008 than they were in 2007, but i don't really think that's saying much. After Favre had the best single game performance of any Jet quarterback, ever, in week 4 against Arizona, these Jets have come out stale and have played down to their pitiful opponents.
And I think it starts with Brett. Since throwing 6 touchdown passes in week 4, Bretts thrown just three, compared to a ludicrous SEVEN interceptions! This was what i was talking about before the Jets got Favre. He's very prone to mistakes, he takes a lot of gambles, and sometimes just doesn't know how to sit on the ball, he has to try to make a play. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have the ball in the hands of someone who wants to make a play, and who is also very capable of making incredible plays, but sometimes it's just not possible. And Brett never got that memo, which hurts him and the Jets now that he's in his late thirties. Watching Favre sometimes is like watching John Starks. They show flashes of greatness, but sometimes they're just so off that it hurts. However, Favre is a bazillion times the football player that Johnny was the basketball player, he just needs some help.
Not to sound like a hypocrite, but this is also because of the coaching. Yeah, Favre has thrown picks and has tried to make plays that weren't there, but the coaching staff needs to utilize Favre's capabilities so that he isn't overcompensating. With a guy like Favre you don't need to be ultra conservative, throwing short pass, after screen, after short pass. Favre has clearly built up some chemistry with the Jets receivers, and the offense has looked flat out incredible at times, but the play calling has to cater to the talents of the players, not to the system.
I feel the same way about the defense. To this day I don't get why Mangini insists on running a 3-4 defense. Granted it helps the less than stellar secondary, but the Jets really don't have ends for the 3-4. And i guess I'm bitter that the Jets have severed ties with guys like John Abraham and Jon Vilma, standouts on defense who made stops. The Jets defense isn't exaclty renowned for making big stops, and those two guys were two of the best that I've seen in my years as a Jets fan. I feel that with the personnel the Jets have and have had on defense, a 4-3 would better utilize their talent.
It doesn't make sense to me that the running game put up over 200 yards last week and barely even ran the ball today...against a miserable Chiefs run defense. Tyler Thigpen, who has less than a handful of starts under his belt threw for 280 yards with two touchdowns today...that is unacceptable. In a season where the Jets could have the most talent in their division, they need to play better and not just squeak out wins against bad teams.
The Jets get the Bills next week, which will really be a statement game. After three straight games against less than average teams, it'll be a good test to see how they play against one of the better teams in the conference. And after losing 2 of their last 3 I doubt the feisty Bills are going to come out weak. This team has shown glimpses of a good ball club. They're getting to the quarterback, stopping the run, and the offense really has looked impressive for the most part. They need more consistency and better play calling, oh yea, and to keep #4 protected.
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