Matt Hasselbeck Via Twitter: ” Going to Be Alright”

The world of Twitter has become a new phenomenon for sports players, coaches, agents and just about everyone.

Thanks to Matt Hasselbeck he’s let Seahawks Nation know his condition after being taken out of the Seahawks-49ers game with a reported “rib injury”.

Here is what Matt Hasselbeck said via Twitter about his injury update.

“Going to be alright. Thx to staff at Stanford and Dr. McAdam for snapping this photo.”

Hasselbeck has flown back with the Seahawks team to Seattle so he will be fine once he gets a little more rest. It’s not as bad as originally thought which is good news for the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th man.

Here is what ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter had to report about Hasselbeck.

“Hasselbeck discharged from a SF hospital and allowed to return to Seattle with Seahawks. Wouldn’t have happened if he were seriously hurt.”

Hasselbeck might miss one day of practice but most likely will play next week at home against the Chicago Bears in what will be a very important game for the Seahawks if they want to make the playoffs.

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The Enigma That is Jacoby Jones

Could Jacoby Jones be the perfect embodiment of the Houston Texans?  Filled with talent and potential, Jones has yet to make meaningful impact in his three NFL seasons.  Sure, he did have  two punt return touchdowns in 2008.  But he hasn’t done much else since.

Similarly, the Texans have accumulated NFL caliber talent. But they have yet to take the next step and become a playoff team. The answer as to why the team, or Jones, has not taken the next step is not clear cut.

Jacoby Jones, out of Lane College, is blessed with speed to accompany his 6’2″ frame.  He can beat almost any defensive back in the league in terms of speed. In addition to running like a deer, Jones is quick and can leap.

But, Jones has hands made of stone. In 32 career games, Jones has 20 catches. He also has seven fumbles and countless drops. 

On back to back plays against the Tennessee Titans, Jones dropped one pass and scored on the next play. Even on the touchdown, the ball rolled loose as Jones rolled into the end zone.

Every time he’s involved in a play, I hold my breath. I hope for the best, but I often cringe for the worst. We all remember his jumping for a punt and turning the ball over.

Even the game in which Jones scored his first offensive touchdown, Jones nearly caused multiple Houston Texan fans to develop blood pressure problems. Calling for a fair catch inside the ten yard line, Jones muffed the catch.

The Titans recovered and the game seemed nearly over. By a stroke of luck, seemingly, the officials returned the ball to the Texans because of an obscure fair catch rule.

The player signalling for the fair catch must be allowed an opportunity to catch the ball.  So, in essence, until the ball touches the ground, nobody but the return man can touch the ball. Had the call not been made, Jones could have cost the Texans the game.

Luckily, the Texans were not harmed by Jacoby’s special teams gaffe. His offensive plays were somewhat better.  But when Kevin Walter and Andre Davis return, expect Jacoby to return to a substitute package role.

In an overall analysis, I think it’s fair to say that Jones has not developed into the playmaker the Texans envisioned when drafting Jones in 2007. Is he still worth a roster spot? Can Jones be “coached up” to become a productive player? 

In my opinion, I believe this is the last season Jacoby Jones will be a Houston Texan.  What do you think?

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BREAKING NEWS: Redskins OL Randy Thomas Likely Out For Season

According to the Washington Post, Redskins OL Randy Thomas is likely gone for the season. The Post reported that the team will comment on Thomas’ status on Monday, when he is expected to undergo an MRI.

The loss of their starting right guard is a huge blow for a team with huge expectations. Center/guard Will Montgomery, who has played in 13 NFL games, finished the game in place of Thomas Sunday against St. Louis. The team selected Chad Rinehart in the third round in the 2008 draft, but he has yet to see any regular season action.

If Thomas does miss the remainder of the season, this will mark the second time in three years. Thomas tore his left triceps in 2007, almost exactly two years ago to the day. While he remained on the roster for much of the season, he only played one more game before being placed on injured reserve in December of that year.

Pete Kendall, who was the team’s starting left guard last season, remains a free agent. It is not known whether or not the team will contact him or any other available player.

The team did not draft any offensive linemen in 2009.

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Cedric Benson Coming Up Big For Bengals

This time last year, Cedric Benson was a forgotten man. Another former first-round draft pick with a bust label, and little more value than last week’s garbage.

Cut by the Chicago Bears, Benson was unemployed for four weeks before being signed by Cincinnati. The Bengals had no illusions about the kind of player they picked up. They weren’t looking for a Pro Bowler. They were simply desperate for a warm bodied running back.

Benson gave the Bengals that much-needed depth at running back and by the end of the season proved to be more than just a warm body. By training camp, the Bengals felt like they had a legitimate weapon.

On Sunday, Benson showed why Cincinnati was so high on their reclamation project. The former Texas Longhorn was simply dominate, ripping a good Green Bay defense for 141 yards on 29 carries. Benson didn’t just pick up yards, he wore down the Packers and by the fourth quarter, he was in complete control.

Benson’s play is vital to the Bengals’ success in 2009. Without a strong running game last year, the Bengals struggled to put up any kind of offensive numbers. Sure, Cincinnati had trouble at nearly every offensive position, but running back seemed to struggle more than the rest.

Last week’s season opener against Denver showed just how vital Benson and a strong running game is to the Bengals’ success. The Broncos, deathly afraid of Cincy’s long-ball ability, blanketed the receivers on the edge effectively taking Chad Ochocinco, Lavernues Coles and Chris Henry out of the game.

What the Broncos did do was leave the middle of the defense wide open, a strategy that would be suicide if the Bengals were able to exploit it. With no reliable tight end threat and a running game that was stymied, the Bengals struggled all game.

On Sunday, the Bengals had no such problems. Emphasizing the running game right from the beginning, Cincinnati sliced through the Green Bay defense time and time again. Nearly all of those rushes came by Benson, who never seemed to tire.

Of course, the offensive line must take a lion’s share of the credit. Playing much better than it did a week ago, the big fellas dominated the men in front of them, not only blowing open holes for Benson, but keeping quarterback Carson Palmer upright.

With Benson effectively running the ball, Cincinnati was able to take advantage of its other weapons. Palmer suddenly looked like the franchise quarterback he is, using all areas of the field and hitting three different receivers for touchdowns. Simply put, an effective running game suddenly makes the Bengals much more dangerous.

There are still 14 games left in the season and the Bengals face three-straight AFC North games starting with Pittsburgh at home next Sunday, but Cincinnati suddenly looks like a legitimate contender.

The Bengals still must show it can run against stalwarts Pittsburgh and Baltimore, but if it can, Cincinnati could have the best offense in the division.

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Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Two Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

So it was an ugly win, but I will take it.

First off, “Good as Gould” is the greatest clutch kicker in Chicago Bears history. The man is money… Takes notes Jeff Reed.

Second, whatever was up with Soldier Field, either they need to fix the turf or the Bears should have been wearing longer cleats because people were slipping and sliding as if they were on an ice rink.

Third, THAT IS THE JAY CUTLER WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. God that was nice to see.

On to the grades:

OFFENSE
Quarterbacks: A

Like last week, I go overboard except this time it is for the better. The first couple drives were pitiful and caused some personal anxiety.

After that though, Cutler really picked it up. He seemed to see the field better than last week and used some check down options. He also managed to avoid the rush and make good decisions under pressure.

And he led them down the field with three minutes left to set up the winning field goal. He gets an A in my book.

Running back: D+

Listen, I know that the Steelers run defense is amazing, but Forte/A.P. were mostly invisible.

A.P have one nice run but also dropped a pass and Forte was shut down for the most part but on the one play where he took the screen pass pretty far, he fumbled.

There isn’t to much to say here. Hopefully we can get it going next week in Seattle but it seems to me that Ron Turner is pretty much intent on getting off the bus throwing the football.

Wide Receivers: B+

There were some drops but overall this unit made plays when it needed to.

And by this unit, I mean Johnny Knox. If we were grading players, Knox would have gotten and A/A- and the rest of the receivers would have gotten a C.

The game ball goes to Knox in my opinion. He was open all over the field, he made some difficult catches and he just looked ridiculous. Knox finished with 70 yards and a touchdown.

Hester had a key first down reception on the final drive but heard little from both him and Earl Bennett this game.

Tight Ends: B-

Olsen had SEVERAL drops but made up for it with a couple nice catches on both the last touchdown drive and the winning field goal.  Kellen Davis’ touchdown was huge and he stepped right in and filled the void left by Dez Clark’s injury.

This could be the changing of the guards in terms of the tight end position. Davis looked solid and reliable as a competent No. 2 next to Olsen. As long as his blocking improves, he should be in the tight end rotation consistently.

Offensive line: C+

Another fairly unspectacular performance. While they managed to give Cutler just enough time to throw the ball, the lack of a running game falls mostly on their shoulders. Pace still looks a step to slow at times and there were a couple more penalties on the O-Line then there were last game.

On the flip side, Cutler was sacked only once. Against the Steelers D, that is a major success.

DEFENSE
Cornerbacks: C

I know Tillman had the interception and that they played the cover two for most of the time, but Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward were open a lot.

Zachary Bowman, in his first pro start, was not overly impressive but he did not give up the big play, so that’s a plus.

It just seems that this soft cover two leaves much to be desired… and by that I mean, it sure seems like wide receivers are open on almost every play.

Safeties: C+

OK, seriously for that first half I was screaming at Danieal Manning through the TV. It wasn’t even funny. If you watch the replay of the first Steelers touchdown, he bit hard on the play action and let the tight end, his only responsibility, run right past him. Unacceptable.

Kevin Payne looked alright although he missed a couple tackles in the secondary.

Al Afalava still looks like a stud. He was unable to shed a block every now and then, but he fills the hole nicely.

Grade would be higher if it wasn’t for the fact that the Steelers peeled off some big runs there in the second half.

Linebackers: B

I give a B because this group stepped up and played big despite missing two starters. Hillenmeyer showed emotion and played hard.

Lance Briggs was the Bears leading tackler and Nick Roach did pretty well considering that Steelers tight end Heath Miller only had three receptions.

While the Steelers did eclipse 100 yards rushing, you still didn’t hear a lot from “Fast” Willie Parker. I will say that Rashard Mendenhall looks to be dangerous for the next couple of years.

Defensive line: B-

I know this might be a little harsh. We held the Steelers to 14 points. We chased Big Ben around a little but really, the Bears front four should have been all over him. There were plays when Roethlisberger had all day to throw. I mean he could go through his progression and had enough time to look at every receiver twice before he got rid of it.

Props to Alex Brown for two big sacks before he got hurt. That marks the second week in a row when a Bears defensive end recorded two sacks.

Points did get taken off for several penalties including a couple offsides and a bad unnecessary roughness call on Mark Anderson after a play was dead which was also inexcusable.

SPECIAL TEAM
Punter: B

Maynard was his usual reliable self although some of his punts did not get the hang time needed because Steelers return man Stefan Logan had a couple decent returns.

Kicker: A+

Robbie nailed the winning field goal and also kicked the ball nearly out of the end zone. “Good as Gould”

Returners: C

Hester/Knox didn’t make in insane plays. But they didn’t cough the ball up either and for the most part ran the ball forwards.

Coverage: B-

As I said, Logan had a couple decent returns but Rashied Davis has the strip on the final kickoff and Craig Steltz recovered, so all is forgiven.

Coaching: B-

The defense started on their heels and when Big Ben had time, he normally found the right guy to throw the ball too. But they held fast and admittedly, got lucky when Jeff Reed missed two field goals.

The offense started slow but picked up as the game progressed. But the lack of run game is still a little disturbing. Turner needs to make this a focal point in this weeks practice.

Overall: B-

It was a tough, hard fought win, with a little luck to boot. But a victory against the defending champs is a plus in my book.

Bear Down

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Cleveland Browns Doomed By Dumervil, Missed Opportunities

In almost a repeat performance of last week’s loss to the Vikings, the Browns were methodically taken apart by the Denver Broncos, 27-6.

 

In the end, the Browns were plagued by lost opportunities, and Elvis Dumervil in the form of the Tasmanian Devil.

 

Dumervil sacked Brady Quinn four times on the day as John St. Clair did his best imitation of a Spanish matador.

 

Despite Dumervil’s dominance, this was a game of missed chances for the Browns.

 

As in the Minnesota game, the Browns played a respectable first half, down just 10-6. The difference in the half was that while Cleveland settled for two field goals when inside the red zone, the Broncos managed to hit paydirt.

 

The game started with the Browns recovering a fumbled kickoff return. They proceeded to kick away opportunity number one when they had to settle for a Phil Dawson boot.

 

After forcing a Bronco punt on the next possession, the Browns decided to return the favor when rookie center’s bad snap was recovered by Denver. Denver wasted no time in making the Browns pay on a quick slant to Tony Scheffler.

 

They took advantage of a mix-up on defense, which forced rush-linebacker Camerion Wimbley into covering  Scheffler.

 

Scheffler initially lined up tight, but split out wide in the formation. The Browns defense appeared confused and it turned into a match-up that Scheffler would easily win.

 

A promising drive for the Browns stalled after a strike over the middle from Brady Quinn to Braylon Edwards for 20 yards. Another missed opportunity ensued when Quinn checked down to Joshua Cribbs for a short gain on third and long.

 

This play turned out to be an omen, as both Quinn and Cribbs on several occasions throughout the game failed to find the sticks.

 

The Browns did manage to get another field goal from Phil Dawson. But those turned out to be the last points the Browns offense would put on the board.

 

Hank Poteat got beaten on a quick slant that Brandon Stokley turned into a big gain of 37 yards. Denver settled for a field goal to go into the half with a 10-6 lead.

 

Once again, the second half turned into a disaster. The Browns wasted numerous opportunities to continue drives, while the Broncos converted several second- and third-and-long opportunities.

 

The offense attempted to open up the playbook in the second half, but Quinn misfired on two separate occasions on plays that have to be made to win games.

 

After Edwards made a spectacular 24-yard catch over Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey, Quinn overthrew a wide open Mike Furrey over the middle.

 

Later in the game, Quinn and Edwards hooked up for 16- and 12-yard gains. But Quinn under-threw Mohammed Massauoi who was matched up with a linebacker and no safety help over the top. If either of these plays are made, it changes the entire complexion of the game.

 

After a short run put Denver up 20-6, the Browns had one more opportunity to make something happened.

 

But instead of answering with a drive of their own, they followed with the following sequence: Screen play for loss; false start to open drive; Dumervil sack; Dumervil sack; and punt.

 

Denver put the game completely out of reach on the back of Knowshon Moreno and a Correll Buckhalter cutback for a 45-yard touchdown run. Game…set…match.

 

Denver did what they had to do to win the game. They bottled up Josh Cribbs in the return game, they put pressure on Quinn, and they made plays on offense when they had to.

 

The Browns defense did not play particularly bad until the fourth quarter. But they appeared out of gas as Denver started to have success running the ball late.

 

The fact is, the offense just did not sustain drives and forced the defense to be out on the field too long. When the offense is put in a position to score, their red zone offense resembles a Chinese fire drill.

 

That has been the story of the Browns for most of 2008, this preseason, and the two opening games.

 

The usual playmakers showed up for the Browns: Braylon Edwards on offense and Shawn Rogers on defense. But their efforts were wasted.

 

Different team…different day…same result.

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Broncos 27, Browns 6: Denver Improves to 2-0 in Home Opener

The Denver Broncos made Shannon Sharpe Day worth the future Hall of Fame tight end’s while today as they defeated the 0-2 Cleveland Browns 27-6 and improved to 2-0 on the season.

After Peyton Hillis fumbled and lost the opening kickoff, things were looking a bit bleak for the Broncos.  Their defense stopped Cleveland from scoring a touchdown with a 22-yard field on the opening possession of the game, and Cleveland’s 3-0 lead was short-lived.

Behind the stellar play of their revamped defense and a vastly improved offense, the Broncos easily handled and continued their historic dominance over Cleveland.

 

Game Recap

The game started off with a fumble on the opening kickoff return by Peyton Hillis that was recovered by Cleveland.  Fortunately, the Broncos were able to hold the Browns to a short Phil Dawson field goal, and Denver began the game with a three-point deficit.

The Broncos followed with a drive that resulted in a nice punt by Brett Kern, pinning the Browns deep in their own territory.  Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn fumbled a snap and Darrell Reid fell on the ball at the nine-yard line, putting the Broncos in optimal scoring position.

After two unsuccessful tries by Knowshon Moreno to punch the ball in, Kyle Orton threw a perfect strike to tight end Tony Scheffler for a two-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead 7-3.

Cleveland answered right back with a lengthy drive that resulted in yet another Phil Dawson field goal to cut Denver’s deficit to 7-6.

The Broncos then answered with a very long drive of their own that was capped off by a short Matt Prater field goal to make the score 10-6.

The score remained the same until halftime, as Prater was unable to connect on a field goal for the Broncos just seconds before both teams headed to the locker room.

On the opening drive of the second half, Brady Quinn hit Josh Cribbs on a short out route and he was blindsided by Elvis Dumervil, who forced a fumble that was recovered by Brian Dawkins, setting the Broncos up with great field position. 

Denver had to settle for a field goal once more, extending the lead to a touchdown at 13-6.

The score stayed the same until the fourth quarter when the Broncos got two big scores by Peyton Hillis and Correll Buckhalter and those two touchdowns provided the final score of 27-6.

This was the most complete game from a Broncos team that I have seen in a long time.  Aside from the field-goal kicking blunders, this team played an excellent game overall.

 

Elvis Dumervil

Dumervil really stood out on Denver’s defense today when he finished the game with four sacks and a forced fumble. He has really stepped up in his new role as a rush linebacker in the Broncos’ 3-4 defensive scheme.

 

Offense

The Broncos’ offense improved greatly from their poor week one performance, more than doubling their first downs and total yardage.  In all, the Broncos had 25 first downs and 449 yards of total offense.

After somewhat of a slow start to the day, the offense really got going for the Broncos in the second half, and was led by the running game and smart decision making by Kyle Orton.

The Broncos’ running backs totaled 186 yards on the ground, 75 from Knowshon Moreno and 76 from Correll Buckhalter including a 45-yard scamper that put the Broncos ahead for good.

 

Defense

Denver’s defense continued its dominant play from the first game against Cincinnati and had four sacks, three turnovers forced, and they held the Cleveland offense to only 11 first downs the entire game.

The Browns were also only able to make one red zone appearance, and the only reason they were able to get inside the Broncos’ 20 was because they recovered a fumble at the 22-yard line.

I am consistently impressed with the Broncos’ run defense, which has significantly improved from the 2008 unit. 

Denver was able to bottle up Jamal Lewis and hold him to 2.5 yards per carry after holding Cedric Benson (who had 140 yards against GB) to only 3.6 yards per carry in the previous week.

The pass defense has also stepped up, and today they made Brady Quinn and the Browns’ passing offense non-existent in a sense.

Andra Davis had a big day today against his former team, leading the Broncos with 10 total tackles.

The Broncos have allowed only 13 points in two games, and are about to face an anemic Oakland offense in week three. 

 

Josh Cribbs

The Broncos bottled up Josh Cribbs and he had almost no impact on the game at all.  He returned a couple of kicks and was taken down almost immediately, and did virtually nothing in the punt return game.

It was also surprising that the Browns did not operate out of the wildcat even once in this game, but that could also be due to the fact that the Broncos were playing stellar run defense.

 

Other Random Thoughts

I wrote in my preview that the Broncos needed to be able to run the ball effectively and control the game clock to win this game, and they did exactly that. 

As a team, they rushed for nearly 190 yards and two touchdowns, and that really set up the passing game.

While Kyle Orton was not staggering, he was solid and did not make any mistakes.  He even looked elusive at times and made smart choices under pressure despite the fact that his completion percentage suffered because of it.

The Broncos have not gotten Peyton Hillis as involved as I anticipated before the season started, but he did have a touchdown today which was promising.

Denver has a lot of momentum right now.  They are playing inspired on defense, and the offense is finally picking it up.  When the Broncos are able to get Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal fully involved in the offense, they could be very dangerous.

Next week, the Broncos will travel to Oakland for their first divisional contest of the season after sweeping the state of Ohio and taking an early 2-0 lead on the AFC North division.

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Colts Face Golden Opportunity in Monday Night Game at Miami

Since realignment and the creation of the AFC South in 2002, only two teams have ever won the division: the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. 

The Titans have won two division championships. Every other title has been claimed by the Colts.

What’s truly astonishing about the Colts’ dominance in the division is this stat: only once, in 2002, have the Colts had a one-game lead in the division and failed to claim the title.

Only once.

Sure, a one-game lead isn’t a lot in the NFL. Even a three-game lead wasn’t enough for the 2008 Denver Broncos. Once the Colts get the slimmest of leads in the division, history suggests that the Colts will win the division.

Now, before you steal from your kid’s college fund to get money ready for playoff tickets, I’m not suggesting the division is wrapped up before the second game even kicks off.

But…look at the rest of the division.

Jacksonville is an atrocious team.

The Colts tried to gift wrap a win in Week One, and the Jaguars politely declined.

In Week Two, the Jags hosted the Arizona Cardinals, a team that went 0-5 in Eastern Time Zone games in 2008. Jacksonville looked like the team in the wrong time zone in an ugly 31-17 loss.

In two games, David Garrard has yet to complete over 54 percent of his passes. Jones-Drew is barely averaging 80 yards rushing.

When the Jacksonville owner is already discussing draft options—he was quoted as having some interest in Florida’s Tim Tebow—you have to wonder if the Jags have a better chance of being in the market for a new coach at season’s end than they do at being a playoff contender.

Then, of course, there’s the curious case of the Tennesse Titans. In most preseason publications, the Titans would have at least been considered co-favorites with the Colts heading into the 2009 season.

After two games, though, the Titans suddenly find themselves at 0-2 with the bottom-dwelling Jaguars.

What’s most bizarre is the way the Titans have lost. First, they lost a 13-10 slug match with the Steelers, and then they lose a 34-31 barn burner with the division rival Texans.

Though a professional player would never admit it, I can imagine that every Colt is happy that the Titans have stumbled out of the 2009 gate.

So, how about those Texans, defeaters of the defending AFC South champions? Well, like the team they beat today, the Texans have been a bit of a puzzle early on.

In Week One they looked absolutely horrible in the loss to the New York Jets. Sure, the Jets suddenly look like a legitimate contender after their huge win over the New England Patriots, but this was the Texans’ home opener. They were the sexy darkhorse playoff pick.

Playoff darkhorses aren’t supposed to lay eggs in home openers.

This week the Texans traveled to Tennessee and came away with a huge win against the Titans. Tennessee isn’t exactly the type of team built to score 31 points and put up over 400 yards of offense.

It’s the maddening inconsistency you typically see with teams that don’t have a history of winning.

How will Houston respond if they suddenly find themselves in a playoff race come December? Remember, the Texans had an opportunity to earn the franchise’s first winning record last season, only to lose to a putrid Oakland Raiders squad.

And so, the Colts head into their Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins with a chance to be 2-0 Tuesday morning and own sole possession of the division lead.

Like the Colts’ offense, the franchise’s philosophy has been to play with the lead. The Colts want the rest of the division looking up at the them all season long, keeping the pressure on Houston, Tennessee, and Jacksonville to keep pace.

A win Monday in Miami will be just one victory, but it could be a huge psychological boost that the Colts could use to sprint out to another fast start.

In four of their title years, the Colts started the season with at least five consecutive wins.

With Miami’s famous Wildcat attack struggling after an opening-season loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Colts have an excellent opportunity to win the game and set the pace.

A win tomorrow, and the rest could be history.

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Not in The Cards: Jaguars Put Down Early in 31-17 Loss To Arizona

NFL.com’s play-by-play account of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals does little justice to the first of two second-quarter plays that broke open a back-and-forth contest.

3-12-ARI 28 (11:57) (Shotgun) 9-[David] Garrard pass incomplete short left to 81-[Torry] Holt.

On the play, which reads like a garden-variety misfire by Garrard, Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson hit Holt before the football did. This run-of-the-mill pass interference call, however, was missed by an otherwise nitpicky officiating crew in a game where 15 penalties were called—a number well above the league average.

In context, the non-call came on a drive that started with Jacksonville’s first stroke of luck on Sunday.

The Jaguars forced Arizona ball-carriers into two fumbles on their first two drives—handing the Cardinals a first-and-goal on the one-yard line on one, and watching the ball roll harmlessly out-of-bounds on the other. Between those two possessions, Arizona scored a touchdown and a field goal for an early 10-3 lead.

But karma seemed to have consoled Jacksonville when Adam Podlesh’s first punt glanced off Arizona’s Greg Toler and was recovered by the Jaguars’ Sean Considine.

Two pressure-packed plays and two lost yards later, though, the Jaguars faced third-and-12 on their bonus drive. Given time by his pass protection, Garrard found Holt open near the sideline behind Wilson and delivered the throw on the money.

Or he would’ve, at least, had Holt been free of Wilson’s grasp.

Holt appealed to a referee for the pass interference call as he rose from the ground. Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio threatened to challenge the non-call before being reminded that interference calls are non-reviewable.

Begrudgingly, the Jaguars sent kicker Josh Scobee onto the field to cut the Cardinals’ lead to four.

Arizona special teams coach Kevin Spencer and defensive end Calais Campbell deserve equal credit for the block that ensued. The Cardinals overloaded the gap to the right of Jacksonville left tackle Eugene Monroe, forcing him to throw himself at three surging defenders and leaving Campbell free to launch his 6’8″ frame at the kick.

Scobee’s foiled attempt ricocheted off Campbell’s hand high into the air, landing in the outstretched arms of safety Antrel Rolle who returned it 83 yards for a touchdown.

In two plays—one illegal, one exceptional—Arizona had turned a potential close game into an early 14-point lead.

Playing with house money from that point on, the Cardinals were able to conservatively kill clock with a dink-and-dunk passing game and their grinding rushing attack.

Defensively, they committed eight and sometimes nine defenders to clamping down on running back Maurice Jones-Drew and Jacksonville’s ground game, willing to risk a big play or two with a two-score cushion.

With their defense on its heels and their offense smacking into a wall, the Jaguars fell behind 31-3 before mounting a too-little, too-late rally to achieve the final tally of 31-17.

Granted, having those 10 points back wouldn’t have made Monroe’s day against Arizona defensive end Bertrand Berry much easier. The Cardinals’ veteran pass-rusher had his way with Jacksonville’s rookie tackle for most of the game, on runs as well as passes.

Had the Jaguars managed a game-tying touchdown on the drive halted by the non-call, they would still have been hard-pressed to handle quarterback Kurt Warner, whose hot hand completed 24 of 26 passes en route to 246 yards and two scores in under three quarters of action.

But Jones-Drew, who touched the ball only 17 times for 83 total yards after getting 26 touches in Week 1 against Indianapolis, might have had a chance to get on track as well had the Jaguars not been behind the eight ball from early in the second quarter.

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Kiss This Belichick! New York Jets & Fans Take It To New England

It is not often that a head coach of a NFL franchise takes the time during his busy 18 hour a day schedule to record a message encouraging season ticket holders to come to the game locked and loaded, pumped up and ready to go.

That is what Rex Ryan did last Monday, and the coach who has found a way to connect with 53 men in a locker room, has found a way to connect with over 80,000 angry as hell Jet fans.

Giants Stadium? Not today. Jet fans were so loud from the start to finish of Sundays 16-9 Jets win over the despised New England Patriots, that the game was more reminiscent of a soccer game in Europe. Fans were jumping up and down in their seats, causing the joint to shake, rattle, and roll at several points during the game. Nobody sat down in this game; fans stood, cheering on Rex Ryan’s 46 D to smack around Tom Brady and the vaunted Patriots offense.

Defensively, the Jets didn’t get a whole heck of lot of pressure on Brady; they never sacked him and only hit him twice, but the Jets made him uncomfortable in the pocket, forcing him to overthrow his receivers all afternoon.

The fans played an even bigger role on defense with constant chants of “De-fense,” “Brady Sucks”, and profane hoots and hollers that only a Division I college football school crowd would echo, making it very hard for Brady to call audibles at the offensive line and impossible for him to hear the offensive coordinator in his helmetphone.

The Jets never allowed Randy Moss to do any damage. Moss had a measly four catches for 24 yards, as Darrelle Revis played extremely well in tight bump-and-run coverage on the all-pro receiver. Revis even snared a interception off Brady, thanks to his terrific coverage of Moss.

Whenever New England got inside Jets territory, the Jets D stood up and forced Brady to make some rather uncomfortable throws, sometimes off the back of his foot, sometimes in a hurry to avoid a sack, always leading to huge incompletions. The Patriots never scored a touchdown on Gang Green; the Jets forced the Patriots to kick three field goals in the first half and cling to a 9-3 halftime lead.

Offensively, Mark Sanchez and company did absolutely nothing in the first half. The Jets had only five total net yards of offense in the first quarter and didn’t record a first down until midway through the second quarter. Sanchez appeared a little uneasy against the Patritots blitz early on, but the fact that the Jets had no ground game was no help to the rookie.

However, once the second half started, it was a different Jets offense. On the first play of the third quarter, Sanchez hit Jerricho Cotchery on a crossing slant at the New England 45. Cotchery broke free from the coverage and sprinted to the Patriots 11 yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez hit a wide open Dustin Keller in the back of the end zone to give the Jets a 10-9 lead. The Jet fans exploded in jubilation, and the party was getting started.

On the next drive, Sanchez had completions of nine, seven, and 22 yards to move the Jets to the Patriots seven yard line. He then hit Chansi Stuckey in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, but after a Bill Belichick challenge, the touchdown was negated because Stuckey did not have both feet in bounds. The Jets settled for the field goal and a sudden 13-9 lead.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Jets defense was put to the ultimate test. With less then two minutes to go, Brady had the football, down by seven. This is usually Brady’s time to pick the opposition apart and lead the Patriots to victory, but the Jets sent so much pressure at Brady that the quarterback threw four straight incompletions. After the last one, the Jet players jumped into the air as if they had just won the Super Bowl; fans went completely nuts, and the Jets ended a eight game home losing streak to New England. Box Score.

NOTES: Rex Ryan dedicated the game ball to the fans for their incredible support. The ball will be displayed in the Jets trophy case in Florham Park, NJ. The Jets and Patriots came into the game with the series tied 49-49-1. This was the 100th meeting and a rubber game. The Jets won and now lead the series meetings 50-49-1.

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