New York Jets Have Nothing to be Proud of After Colts Surrender Football Game

This is not how a team would like to win a game.

Sure, a win is a win, and if you root, or work, or play for the New York Jets, you take every win you can get.

But when the greatest quarterback in the game is removed because Colts head coach Jim Caldwell is willing to treat the remaining games as preseason, you can’t feel good about it.

Head Coach Rex Ryan and the Jets didn’t pump their chests after the game. They were extremely happy to win and even happier that they had somehow, perhaps by way of osmosis, stumbled into the playoff picture as a possible five seed. 

This means that if the Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals next weekend, the Jets, with all of their warts, will be in the playoffs. 

The Jets were down 15-10, and the Colts were legitimately trying to win this game, when Peyton Manning was making completions to Austin Collie and Dallas Clark, when Joseph Addai split the tackles like Moses split the Red Sea for a touchdown to make it 7-0, Colts. 

Then, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell decided that he didn’t care about a 15-0 record, deciding to take the biggest gamble of his young career by removing starters from the game.

With the Colts likely to rest its starters again in the regular season finale at Buffalo, and with a bye in the first round of the playoffs, the Colts will go almost a month without playing a serious game.

In came backup quarterback Curtis Painter and the rest of the Colts’ second string playmakers.

The Jets took full advantage of the fact that Manning was out of the game, smacked around Painter and stole the game like a bully taking candy from a defenseless baby.

What the Colts did on Sunday was embarrassing.

It made a farce out of the cliche made famous by ex-Jets coach Herman Edwards, “You play to win the game.”

The Colts should have played this game as if it were an important regular season game for them, which in so many respects, it was. The Colts need to keep their momentum going if they intend to go on a Super Bowl run.

Manning knew that, which is why he appeared to be deeply annoyed on the sideline after Caldwell and offensive coordinator Tom Moore took him out of the game.

As for the Jets, we are left with more questions rather than answers.

As I listen to the radio this morning, Jet fans call up WFAN asserting the Jets “deserved” to win this game.

Jet fans had better simmer down.

Sure, it is exciting that the Jets defeated the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts, but there is only one problem: The Jets didn’t beat the 14-0 Colts, they beat the Single-A Colts.

Moreover, there is no such thing as “deserving to win” a game. The only thing the Jets deserve is to sit at home and watch the playoffs considering what a joke this team has been all season long.

This is a team that has toyed with its fan base from the start of the season. They got off to a 3-0 start, backing up the tough talk from its Ryan and players like Bart Scott and Kerry Rhodes.

Then the bottom fell out. Mark Sanchez started to look like the rawest of rookies, highlighted by a five interception performance in a 16-13 loss to the Bills.

The Jets defense couldn’t defend (e.g. Miami’s ferocious comeback on Monday night in early October).

Then, on Nov. 1, the special teams forgot how to tackle, especially the likes of Ted Ginn Jr.’s two kick-off returns for the Dolphins in the second meeting with the Gang Green.

Then there was Sanchez’s game opening interception against Jacksonville, which was later followed by the defense blowing a 22-21 lead to the Jags late in the fourth quarter.

This is the same Jets team that botched three field goals against the Falcons in week 15, only to watch Matt Ryan lead the Dirty Birds to the winning score.

And the Jets “deserve” to go to the playoffs?

I’m surprised that Rex Ryan didn’t experience a Jim Mora moment last night. “Playoffs? Playoffs?”

The Jets have been a mess in every sense of the word. Five gut wrenching losses, four of which were to key AFC opponents, should have meant nothing but doom.

Instead, the Ravens, Broncos, Dolphins, and Jaguars all decided to give the Jets a huge Christmas gift by losing their respective games.

Don’t blame the Jets for being in this position; they were essentially put in it. However, once the playoffs commence, the Jets will be a quick and easy out.

They are arguably the worst playoff team in the tournament this year.

In some ways the victory over Indianapolis, and, if Cincinnati rests its starters next week, a victory over the Bengals could create a false sense of security in this team. 

A 9-7 finish and a playoff appearance will cause owner Woody Johnson and head coach Rex Ryan to back offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, whose play calling and work with rookie Mark Sanchez is so suspect that it makes one wonder if the kid is learning anything.

Remember these statistics: the Jets are No. 21 in the NFL in total offense, and No. 30 in the league in passing.

It will also allow Johnson to keep GM Mike Tannenbaum, who, with the exception of Darrell Revis and Nick Mangold, hasn’t drafted many impact players to go along with the plethora of experienced veterans: Kellen Clemens, Danny Woodhead, and Vernon Gholston.

Hello!

It will make the Jets brass believe that Sanchez is farther along in his progress than he really is. The kid threw for only 106 yards on Sunday and didn’t leave the impression that he is close to turning the corner in his development.

Keep in mind this was against a second string Colts defense. He still runs around the field with “happy feet,” looks uncomfortable in the pocket, and makes stupid decisions.

In addition, it will give the Jets a reason to re-sign Braylon Edwards, who has dropped many key passes, like the two-point conversion against Jacksonville, and a potential 85-yard touchdown pass against Buffalo.

It will give the Jets a reason to boast about their number one ranked defense, which although good, is not a dominant defense. There really hasn’t been a dominant D in the NFL this year.

A dominant defense puts a lot of pressure up front on the opposing quarterback, and they close games out. The Jets D has coughed up three games in the fourth quarter and they are in the middle of the pack with 29 quarterback sacks.

Not exactly dominating.

Finally, it will give more reason for the Jets front office to push personal seat licensing down season ticket holders throats to see a football franchise that has been more of an embarrassment than a world beater over the past 41 years.

The Jets are not a playoff team this year.

Hell, they are not even that good. They got lucky.

Consider this: if the Colts actually had demonstrated some regard for the gamesmanship of the sport, the Jets would be 7-8 right now, staring at a long offseason full of reshuffling.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Yes They Can! New York Giants Have a Shot at NFC East Crown

If you asked a Giants fan on a Black Friday that was black for reasons other than retail stores getting into the black, about their team’s chances to win the NFC East, they would tell you: Fugeddaboutit!!

Coming off a Thanksgiving night where the Giants played turkeys to the Broncos Pilgrims, and coming off five listless performances over the last six weeks, one would think that the G-Men could be dead team walking when the seemingly surging Dallas Cowboys came prancing on their high horses into chilly Giants Stadium, Sunday evening.

Fugeddaboutit, Dallas!

The Giants not only beat the Cowboys 31-24, they overmatched the Boys in the big play department, they firmly planted themselves right in the middle of the NFC East race; a race that looked unlikely to involve the Giants just hours before kickoff.

The Giants, 7-5, seemingly have control of their own destiny. With two divisional games left to play (home vs. Philadelphia, @ Washington), followed by a terrible Carolina team, and a Vikings team that could be taking the week off after clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Giants could, and will have to, run the table if they have any plans of making it to the postseason.

Granted the Giants are in third place in their division, and one should be concerned about the Giants battered D, which gave up 392 yards to Tony Romo, with Jason Witten hauling in 14 passes for 156 yards, and Miles Austin catching 10 balls for 104 more and a touchdown, it is simple: if the Giants win their games they could make it.

How is this possible? Let’s break it down carefully.

Giants vs. Cowboys: The Giants now own a huge tie-breaker over the Dallas Cowboys, having swept Dallas this season. This means if Big Blue should finished tied with Dallas at 11-5 or 10-6, that would mean that the Giants would have the edge in capturing the division, or wild card from the Cowboys.

Keep in mind, the Cowboys face a brutal schedule down the stretch. They host a red hot San Diego team next week, will visit a Saints team that is poised to go 16-0 this year, followed by a gritty Washington team that gave Dallas all they could handle a few weeks ago, and the Eagles at home.

Considering Dallas’ checkered past over the last decade, the idea that the Cowboys could go 1-3 or 0-4 in this stretch is not inconceivable. The Cowboys are inconsistent in December, 5-9 in fact under Romo since 2006. Sunday night’s performance leaves little doubt that Dallas could struggle again this Christmas.

Giants vs. Eagles: If Dallas takes another swan dive in the standings it will put huge emphasis on next weekend’s Giants/Eagles clash. In fact, one could argue that the winner of the game will ultimately win the division.

The Eagles have been playing extremely well of late. Even though they didn’t have the services of Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson against Atlanta, the Eagles still rolled up 34 points in the blow out victory.

LeSean McCoy has done a nice job running the ball, while the combo of Jason Avant, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maklin have served as incredible weapons for McNabb all season long.

The Eagles already beat the Giants on Nov. 1, 40-17, down in Philadelphia; but, if the Giants should win this game they would have a better division record then Philadelphia (4-1) vs. (3-2). Plus, the Giants would own a tie-breaker over Philly, having swept the Cowboys, while the Eagles lost to Dallas on Nov. 8.

The Giants have lost their last three to the Eagles, including last year’s divisional playoff game, the law of averages should dictate that the Giants are due for one.

The math seems very simple, and with two teams likely to make it to the postseason from the NFC East, these games will be critical.

A home playoff game could go a long way to building up momentum for the next round to face a seemingly impossible assignment in either New Orleans and/or Minnesota.

The question is can the Giants do it? The answer is Yes.

In spite of all of the problems the Giants have had in keeping their defensive players healthy this year, i.e. Michael Boley, Aaron Ross, and Antonio Pierce to name a few; in spite of constant calls to fire new defensive coordinator Mike Sheridan, and consistent questioning of Kevin Gillbride’s play calling, the Giants have one thing going for them: experience.

Two years ago, the Giants were struggling to just qualify for the postseason. They entered week 16 against Buffalo at 9-5 needing to win that game in order get a wild card spot, a loss and things could get really dicey.

The Giants rolled over the Bills in the snow, running Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward all over the Buffalo defense.

The Giants clinched the sixth seed, but even with that victory the skeptics questioned whether the Giants were going to be long tenants come postseason time.

The Giants came out inspired against the 15-0 Patriots the following week, and had them sweat out a 31-28 victory for New England. That game, as we all know, was the turning point in the Giants season.

They used that game as a measuring stick for what was possible, and went onto win their next four games, including a thrilling 17-14 victory against those same Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Plus this year’s Giants team is eighth in total offense and eighth in points scored. Eli Manning is having a brilliant year throwing for 2,925 yards and 20 touchdowns; and this is with a mediocre running attack.

Steve Smith, who has developed into Manning’s favorite target, is on pace to record more than a 1,000 yards receiving, while Mario Manningham has been a nice second option for Manning.

Defensively, the pieces are there. They still have Justin Tuck, Osi Umineyora, and Fred Robbins there to create pressure. The defense will have to play a lot better if the Giants are to win the NFC East, but the talent is definitely there.

Anything can happen. It’s a long season for a reason.

Perhaps Eli Manning’s desperate flip to Kevin Boss, who just so happened to be standing in the backfield, and turned a negative play into a 16 yard gain, was this year’s “Helmet Catch”?

Perhaps the 2009 NFC East champions were born when Giants Stadium roared with approval as Big Blue built up a 31-17 lead late in the fourth quarter?

You never know, but if you ask these Giants, they would agree, but, they would rather play a game or two at rabid and cold Giants Stadium this time around.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Who Will Win the Muddled AFC East?

Suddenly, the AFC East is no longer a shoe-in for the New England Patriots.

Once New England’s third receiver, Sam Aiken, jumped into the air to catch Tom Brady’s pass near mid-field, then got free of the corner-back and sprinted down the sideline for a 81 yard touchdown to give New England a 21-10 lead over the Miami Dolphins, it looked like the division was firmly in the hands of the Pats.

Not so fast.

Chad Henne’s seven yard touchdown to Brian Hartline cut New England’s lead to two, 21-19, and that was followed by an inept showing by the Patriots once daunting offense. New England’s only decent drive of the fourth quarter resulted in an interception of Brady, by Vonte Davis in the end zone on a go-route intended for Randy Moss.

Then, Henne and the Miami offense put together one hell of a clutch drive. Henne hit Devon Bees for 14 yards, Anthony Fasano for 13 more. On third and six, Henne had a wide open Lousaka Polite in the flat, but the pass was overthrown forcing a fourth and six.

Henne then completed a clutch 13 yard pass to Greg Camerillo to move the ball to the Patriots 28 yard line. With the clock ticking toward the two minute warning, it was becoming quite obvious that the Dolphins could steal this game from the Patriots in the final seconds.

The Dolphins kicked the go-ahead field goal with 1:03 remaining, more than enough time for Tom Brady to engineer another heroic comeback. However, as he was being sacked, Brady threw an interception into the hands of Channing Crowder, ending the game.

Dolphins 22, Patriots 21.

Just when Bill Belichick thought he was out of it, Bill Parcells pulls him back in to teach him another lesson. Now the Patriots stand at 7-5, having lost three of their last four games, with the Dolphins and the Jets right behind them at 6-6.

The question remains for this final quarter of the season: who will flinch first? It appears that 10 wins should be enough to win the division this year; both Miami and New York have to win out, respectively; all New England has to do is win three of its final four to earn their first division title since 2007.

Here are the scheudles for all three teams, followed by a synopsis of what has to happen for each team in order to win this wild division:

New England’s Schedule:

CAROLINA (5-7)

@ Buffalo (4-8)

JACKSONVILLE (7-5)

@ Houston (5-7)

New York Jets Schedule:

@ Tampa Bay (1-11)

ATLANTA (6-6)

@ Indianapolis (12-0)

CINCINNATI (9-3)

Miami Dolphins Schedule:

@ Jacksonville (7-5)

@ Tennessee (5-7)

HOUSTON (5-7)

PITTSBURGH (6-6)

All three teams have more or less favorable schedules, with the Jets facing the most difficult test of Indianapolis and Cincinnati in its final two weeks of the season.

Let’s start with the Jets and that tougher schedule. The Jets really shot themselves in the foot, or should I say the mouth, considering all of their yapping since September. Two disastrous losses to the Dolphins, and God-awful losses to the Bills and Jaguars at home have put the Jets in a difficult bind.

The Jets have a worse division record (2-4) than the Dolphins and Patriots and have a worse conference record (5-5) than those two teams. In short, Gang Green will have to sweep their last four games and get a lot of help. 

Numerically, the Jets will have to finish 2009 at 10-6 and hope against hope that the Dolphins lose one of their final four games to finish at 9-7. Why? The Dolphins own a huge tie breaker against the Jets having swept them.

The Jets then would have to pray that the Patriots lose two more games and finish at 9-7. One more New England loss won’t get it done, since the Patriots own a tie breaker over the Jets, having beaten Miami once already this year, compared to the Jets two gut-wrenching losses to the Fish.

Can Gang Green win 10 games? Never trust the Jets; for all anyone knows, the Jets could lose to the 1-11 Buccaneers next weekend, but, if the Colts and Bengals lock up their play-off spots in the next couple of weeks, those games in week 16 and 17 will mean nothing to the Colts and Bengals. Perhaps the Jets could cash in on those two teams resting their starters, but don’t count on it.

Miami Dolphins: The schedule is not easy for Miami. They have to travel to Jacksonville to play a Jaguar team that has been playing well of late, especially at home, and then they have to travel to Tennessee to face red hot Vince Young and the Titans. The Dolphins finish the year at home against what should be a desperate Pittsburgh Steelers team.

On paper, it looks like Miami could lose two of those games, but, in this league, you never know. The Jaguars are not an offensive juggernaut, and the Steelers lost two games to the Chiefs and Raiders this year. So, anything goes. 

The Dolphins will have no choice but to win all four of their final regular season games, finish at 10-6, and get some help. They don’t have to worry about the Jets, since they own the tie breaker there, but they will need New England to lose at least one more game, preferably two. If the Patriots lose one more game in conference, then Miami would own a tie breaker over the Patriots, giving the Dolphins an edge on the division title.

If New England and Miami should both finish at 10-6 with two divisional losses and four conference losses, then it will come down to common opponents. In short, Miami needs one more conference loss by the Patriots.

New England Patriots: They are still in the driver’s seat in the AFC East, albeit by a hair. The Patriots have done themselves no favor losing three of their last four, but their final four games are pretty winnable.

If the Patriots win three of their final four and finish at 10-6, they will need a Miami loss to clinch the division because they do not want to get into a battle over common opponents with Miami. If both finished at 10-6, then New England’s loss to the Jets in Week Two, plus an additional loss could come back to hurt them.

If Miami finishes at 9-7, then the Patriots will be fine.

The Pats don’t have to worry about the Jets, unless Gang Green finished at 10-6, and the the Patriots lost two more games that included losses to Houston or Buffalo; then, the Jets could win the division.

If the Jets lose one more, then the Patriots will be fine.

Best case scenario: the Patriots finish at 11-5 in order to end any talk about common opponents, giving them the AFC East title and the number four seed comfortably.

It should be a wild and crazy four weeks. There is nothing better then the stretch run of the NFL season. This is what being a football fan is all about.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The 10 Biggest Turkey’s In the NFL This Season

Ok, so it’s Thanksgiving weekend, a time when we get together with friends and family, and realize why one aunt can’t stand the other, while granddad sleeps on the couch while little imp kids are drawing on his head with a magic marker – great times.

Thank god we have blackberries and we can call/text/facebook/twitter our friends and hear about their similar sad stories.

I was thinking, since this is a huge football weekend, I had to write something up about this cherished holiday. I could go on a rant about the awful NFL Thanksgiving Day schedule, and why the league should allow other teams to host games on turkey day, but that is like writing an article about how steroids are bad for baseball – exactly, who cares anymore?

So instead here is a slide show highlighting the biggest turkeys to hit the NFL this season, before they ever hit your plate. Let the debate begin…

Begin Slideshow

Musical Chairs: Big-Time NFL Coaches Waiting for Next Gig

We are more than halfway through the 2009 NFL season, and this year, unlike others, it feels like the pressure has been on many coaches to get the job done from the get go this year. In today’s NFL, teams have to to have instant success if a coach is to be successful and maintain a long tenure of job security; if not, it’s curtains.

Eric Mangini (above) has floundered in Cleveland in less than a year on the job. Jim Zorn has been fighting for his job in Washington. Rumors are swirling that Jim Mora Jr. is in trouble in year one in Seattle. Meanwhile, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, and Carolina could all be looking for a new voice after a disappointing 2009.

Here is a list of coaches who are available, and where they could end up when another coaching carousel begins in January.

Begin Slideshow

NFL Midseason Report Card: Evaluations and Power Rankings

Believe it or not, we have reached the midpoint of the 2009 NFL season.

Halloween is over, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are now on the horizon—and with them, the stretch run of what should be a wild conclusion to the season.

So far this year, we have seen the league take a disturbing route of putting a mega assortment of mediocre, if not just plain awful football teams, on the field this year. The Browns (1-7), Raiders (2-6), Buccaneers (0-7), Rams (1-7), Lions (1-6), Titans (1-6), Chiefs (1-6), and Redskins (2-5) are all lost.

Four of those teams have first-year head coaches, and, of course, there is reason to believe that owners of those respective teams could be looking elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Raiders, Browns, Redskins, and Titans, and most likely the Jaguars (3-4), Panthers (3-4), and Bills (3-5), will most definitely be looking for new coaches when the season is over.

Meanwhile, if your team is good, then life is really good this year. The Colts and Saints are still unbeaten, with the Broncos and Vikings having chalked up only one loss. In the near distance, the Eagles, Cowboys, Patriots, and Steelers are right behind this fearsome foursome as they look to create some postseason havoc come January.

In the meantime, let’s rank all 32 teams and dish out some midterm grades for these team;, shall we?

 

32) Cleveland Browns (1-7): Grade F

Congratulations, Eric Mangini: You are the first coach with his head on the chopping block. The Browns already fired Mangini’s GM, and it is only a matter of time before the Mangenius will be looking for work elsewhere.

 

31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7): Grade F

Does the Glazer family miss Jon Gruden yet? The Buccaneers thought it was a good idea to fire the fiery Gruden last January and replace him with baby face Raheem Morris, who is younger than some of the players on his own team.

Morris could get a reprieve this year because of his young age and the fact that the Bucs do not have an idea at quarterback with Byron Leftwich, Josh Johnson, and Josh Freeman still duking it out for the starting job.

 

30) St. Louis Rams (1-7): Grade F

Steve Spagnuolo told his team after Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Lions that the win was one of the most special games of his career, and that the game ball he received from the team would be his most cherished game ball.

Wasn’t there a Super Bowl game a couple of years ago against the New England Patriot, when Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants? Hmmm. That would seem to be more special than a victory over the Lions.

 

29) Detroit Lions (1-6): Grade F

How could the Lions lose to the winless Rams? Oh wait, they are the Lions. Matthew Stafford has shown some promise as the team’s future quarterback, completing 54 percent of his passes, but the Lions are still light years away from actually being consequential. At least they will be better than last year’s 0-16 team.

 

28) Tennessee Titans (1-6): Grade F

Memo to Jeff Fisher: Start Vince Young or you’re fired. That message got through, as Young led the Titans to their first victory of the year. Just don’t boo him, Tennessee fans; we all know that Young can’t handle the pressure of being booed. If things continue to get worse in Tennessee, don’t be shocked to see a new head coach.

 

27) Kansas City Chiefs (1-6): Grade F

So does anyone believe that Matt Cassel is a legit quarterback anymore? No? Can you say product of the Patriots system?

 

26) Oakland Raiders (2-6): Grade F

JaMarcus Russell stinks. Tom Cable, luckily, has not been arrested yet for punching one of his assistants, and yes, somehow, some way, the Raiders have won two games. Wow. When will the Raiders finally “get it” and begin cleaning house? When Al Davis gives up as the sole owner of the franchise which means never?

 

25) Washington Redskins (2-5): Grade F

For weeks we have heard about Redskins head coach Jim Zorn possibly getting the ax. However, that was put down by the Redskins front office, as they endorsed Zorn for the rest of the year.

Meanwhile, former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan rejected an offer from the Skins to take over at midseason. The Skins could be competing for Shanahan’s rights come January—that is, if the rival Dallas Cowboys fall flat again come December.

Either way, the Skins need a legit coach who can get this franchise back on track and decide once and for all if quarterback Jason Campbell has the “it” factor.

 

24) Seattle Seahawks (2-5): Grade F

Talk about a mega disappointment. The Seahawks were expected to be contenders in the NFC West with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck and a new young voice in the energetic Jim Mora Jr. as head coach. Instead, the Seahawks are having a repeat of 2008. Hasselbeck missed a couple of weeks, and Julius Jones still can’t run the ball for Seattle.

 

23) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4): Grade D-

Jake Del Rio is next in line to be fired come January. Del Rio’s Jaguars have underachieved for the second straight year, fans are not coming to games, and there are rumblings that things are going to change in Jacksonville. Amazing, because just two seasons ago, the Jaguars were one of the toughest teams in the league.

 

22) Carolina Panthers (3-4): Grade D

Nice win on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. After a slow start this year, it appears that the Panthers’ ground game is starting to gain some traction as DeAngelo Williams rushed for 158 yards on Sunday and Jonathan Stewart rushed for two touchdowns and 87 yards.

Jake Delhomme, however, is the main reason that the Cats stink this year, having thrown five touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Panthers can still save John Fox’s job—they have won three of four—but will likely have to play themselves back into the wild card race for that to happen.

 

21) Buffalo Bills (3-5): Grade D+

Will Dick Jauron get fired or what? The Bills got off to a horrendous 1-4 start but managed to beat the Jets and Panthers in back-to-back weeks to get to a respectable 3-4. Then reality set in on Sunday against the Texans, as Houston put a 31 on the scoreboard.

Dick Jauron … you’re fired.

 

20) San Francisco 49ers (3-4): Grade C-

Hey, did anyone believe in the Shaun Hill 49ers? Nah, I didn’t think so. The 49ers got off to a nice start, but reality settled in, and Hill was benched for Alex Smith. Yeah, right, that decision will pay off.

 

19) New York Jets (4-4): Grade C-

So much for Rex Ryan’s Bad Ass football team. After an electric 3-0 start, the Jets have dropped four of five and have done so in a million different ways. First, it was the wildcat running all over them on a Monday night; then it was five interceptions against the Bills, and on Sunday it was two kick returns by Ted Ginn Jr. that killed Gang Green. The Jets just aren’t that good—let’s face the facts.

 

18) Miami Dolphins (3-4): Grade C+

I’m tempted to give the Fish a B-, but I will give them the C+ because they did blow a 24-3 lead to the Saints a couple of weekends ago. The Fish should be 4-3.

Chad Henne has struggled at times since taking over for Chad Pennington, but the wildcat has led the way for the Fish with Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown spearheading the Fish’s offense.

Ginn’s two kick returns for touchdowns highlighted Miami’s 30-25 victory over the Jets on Sunday. The sweep of the Jets was the first for the Dolphins over the Jets since 1997.

 

17) New York Giants (5-3): Grade C+

The Giants are overrated. Let’s face it. When a team smacks around four opponents who are a combined 5-24 and can’t beat three solid football teams, it raises eyebrows. Injuries on the defense have not helped, and the poor play of Eli Manning is shocking to say the least.

 

 

16) Green Bay Packers (4-3): Grade C+

The Packers are not good when they need to be. Sure, they can pound the Lions, but when they choke when faced with a big game, like the two prime matchups with Brett Favre and the Vikings, it is a sign of bad things to come.

 

15) San Diego Chargers (4-3): Grade C+

What can I say about the Chargers? They are soft. They have beaten the Chiefs, Raiders, and the Pennington-led Dolphins, yet they have lost to solid teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Broncos. In short, the Chargers are a weak football team that will limp toward a wild card berth, if they ever get it.

 

14) Chicago Bears (4-3): Grade C+

The Bears have been frustrating to watch this year. They got off to a hot 3-1 start, highlighted by a week two win over the champion Steelers, but since that time have suffered two crushing losses to the Bengals (45-10) and Falcons (21-14). Will the real Chicago Bears please stand up?

 

13) Atlanta Falcons (4-3): Grade B-

The Falcons got off to a great start, but two straight losses, including a horrific showing on Monday night against the rival Saints, have the Falcons at 4-3. The Falcons can still contend for a wild card, but they will have to pick up really soon.

 

12) Arizona Cardinals (4-3): Grade B-

You know, I was really buying into the Cards when they beat the Giants on the road in Giants Stadium two weeks ago, but now, after losing their third home game on Sunday, one has to wonder if the Cards have what it takes to compete for another NFC championship.

 

11) Baltimore Ravens (4-3): Grade B

The Ravens have been up and down this year. Joe Flacco got off to a red-hot start this year, throwing for 1,849 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while Ray Rice is proving to be a steady starting running back, gathering 525 yards and four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ once vaunted defense has been awful this year. They are no longer in the top five in any defensive category and seem to lack a necessary punch this year. Still, the Ravens’ 30-7 smackdown of the Broncos was encouraging.

 

10) Houston Texans (5-3): Grade B+

How about them Texans! After they got socked by the Jets in week one, the Texans have rebounded and proven that they are indeed a playoff contender.

Matt Schaub has been brilliant and could be the MVP of the league this year, with 2,342 yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has been dazzling in leading the Texans on a three-game winning streak and will lead the Texans into Indianapolis for a classic clash with the unbeaten Colts.

 

9) Dallas Cowboys (5-2): Grade B+

The Boys just keep rolling along. Tony Romo lit up the Seahawks for 256 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, as the usually frustrated quarterback is finally showing some zip and spunk behind center. Now, the Boys travel to Philly, where they take on the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, a house of horrors for Dallas over the years.

 

8) Philadelphia Eagles (5-2): Grade B+

How about that Eagle offense? Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson is becoming a lethal combination. Jackson has 501 yards receiving with four touchdowns, including a three-catch, 78-yard effort against the Giants. LeSean McCoy has done a nice job leading the ground game for Philly in place of the injured Brian Westbrook.

Oh, and as for Michael Vick, he hasn’t done much this year—the less we have to hear from Vick the better.

 

7) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2): Grade B+

The Steelers are coming off a bye week still tied for first in the AFC North. They have won four straight with their latest victory over the Vikings two weeks ago proving to be their most impressive. Can they go up to Denver and smack around the very tough Broncos? We shall see.

 

6) New England Patriots (5-2): Grade B+

Tom Brady and the Pats are alive and well. After a sluggish start to the 2009 season, the Pats plastered the Titans and Buccaneers by a combined 94-7! Yeah, that equals major smackdown. This week should be interesting when New England takes on the hot Miami Dolphins.

 

5) Cincinnati Bengals (5-2): Grade A-

The Bengals have been a surprising 5-2 this year, and if not for a screwy final play in the season opener, the Bengals could be 6-1 right now. Carson Palmer has been fantastic, while Chad Ochocinco has been simply great. Tough test over the next two weeks when the Bengals play the Ravens and Steelers.

 

4) Denver Broncos (6-1): Grade A

The Broncos have been spectacular all year. Coming into their game against the Ravens, Kyle Orton threw one interception and has provided steady leadership for the Broncos. Meanwhile, the defense has been one of the best throughout the first half.

On Sunday, Denver got a taste of its own medicine when the Ravens held Denver to seven points in a 30-7 rout. Can the Broncos rebound against the Steelers?

 

3) Minnesota Vikings (7-1): Grade A+

Hey, you think Brett Favre is still on Cloud Nine after thrashing his old team in Lambeau Field? You betcha! Favre finally got his revenge against the Packers as he was seen prancing around the locker room afterwards.

Don’t let Favre fool you with the tears he throws at the media during post-game interviews—inside, the guy is sticking his tongue out at the Packers fans, management, and players. Nah nah ne nah nah.

 

2) New Orleans Saints (7-0): Grade A+

The Saints just keep on marchong on. Their offense found a way to outscore yet another opponent as Drew Brees threw for two scores, while Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas ran for two more in a 35-27 win over the Falcons.

Caveat: The Saints still can’t stop anyone. They allowed Michael Turner to gash them for 151 yards, yet the Saints made Matt Ryan look like a rookie, picking him off three times and bringing one back for a touchdown. Saints are 7-0 and still the best in the NFC.

 

1) Indianapolis Colts (7-0): Grade A+

The most complete team in the league got a big scare on Sunday when the 49ers held a 14-12 lead into the fourth quarter. Peyton Manning didn’t have his best day; he threw for 347 yards but no touchdowns. It’s not easy being king, is it?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

No Matter What Rex Ryan Says, These Are The Same Old Jets.

Look at the photo I have chosen of Mark Sanchez. Just look at it.

Look familiar?

Richard Todd. Ken O’Brien. Glenn Foley. Neil O’Donnell. Vinny Testaverde. Chad Pennington.

What do sthese quarterback all share in common is the look of disgust.

Walt Michaels. Rich Kotite. Bruce Coslett. Pete Carroll. Herman Edwards. Eric Mangini, and now Rex Ryan.

What do these men all have in common?

Nothing but declarations of a better tomorrow, when you know, I know, and even your pets know; that bright shiny days do not exist in New York Jet land.

Once the Brett Favre/Eric Mangini era fell to pieces, only to be picked up by Ryan with his gregarious personality and jovial smile, it appeared that things were going to change. 

Ryan promised a new brand of football.

A physically domineering team that would take nothing for granted and do everything in its power to win a Super Bowl. Hell, Ryan even promised that he would one day shake the hand of Barrack Obama after the Jets won a Super Bowl!

Ryan’s bravado and the team’s cockiness claiming they would drag the Patriots through the dirt; after the team demolished the Texans in Week One; made people believers.

The coach made personal phone calls to all Jets season ticket holders asking them to come to the Patriots game in droves and drive them crazy. The fans bought into Ryan’s talk, coming to the game like a pack of maddened wolves.

The players seemed to buy into Ryan’s talk as they played a style of aggressive play that earned the title “Badfellas” from this very writer. They played with a “badass” mentality from the get-go.

But It’s amazing how so much can change in a mere three weeks.

Losing to a team like the New Orleans Saints is one thing; the Saints are a great football team that may not lose more than a game this season. However, gift wrapping two games to the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills is another thing.

Those two losses are so gut-wrenching, so inexplicable, that it will leave fans with only one conclusion: these 2009 New York Jets, Rex Ryan’s Inglorious Bastards of the Gridiron, are nothing more than the same old Jets of yesteryear. 

To hold a 13-3 lead against a Bills team that can’t get out of its own way; a Bills team that loses its promising young star quarterback, Trent Edwards, for a third stringer, Ryan Fitzpatrick; and somehow, someway the Jets still manage to find a way to lose a ball game.

First, Mark Sanchez is clearly not used to the strong winds of Giants Stadium. He was picked off five times, and a lot of his passes were badly under-thrown, or just taken away by the wind.

He has got to develop better arm strength if he has any intention of building a respectable career in New York. In order to throw in this park, a quarterback has to be able to cut the ball through the winds. Eli Manning learned that the hard way last year- when he was plain awful against the Eagles in the playoffs- and that’s a quarterback who has a Super Bowl trophy on his resume.

That being said, Sanchez has a lot to learn, and one thing he going to need to learn is that being a starting quarterback in the NFL is a privilege.

He’s 22-years-old and it may be time to force the kid to grow up a little bit and sit him down for a game. Let him get the cobwebs out of his mind and refocus. He needs to know that if you don’t take care of the football, you are not going to play in this league.

Sanchez has 10 interceptions and six fumbles this year; he clearly doesn’t get it right now, and it doesn’t help matters that he is playing on a team that expects to be a playoff team in 2009.

That is a lot of pressure on his shoulders; therefore, he needs to take a time out.

This is not to say that Kellen Clemens or Eric Ainge would fair any better. In fact, they might even be worse, but the Jets need to do something to get their young quarterback back on track mentally.

Hence the Jets biggest problem: they don’t have an identity.

The Jets want to believe they are a playoff team in 2009, and that they can win the way the Ravens and Falcons did in 2008 with a rookie quarterback. However, it takes time for a young kid like that to truly develop and become something special if he ever does.

It’s easier for a team to develop around a young quarterback when the entire team is starting over; its much more difficult when the team has stars on it like Thomas Jones, Braylon Edwards, Bart Scott, and Kerry Rhodes.

The Jets have a roster full of now players, who are at the ripe age to win a title immediately; they have a quarterback who needs to be around other 22 and 23 year-old guys learning the ropes.

In short, the Jets are putting the cart before the horse here, and, as a result, will suffer one gut-wrenching defeat after another this year. Heaven forbid that starting a rookie on a now team sets Sanchez back, but it could definitely happen.

Defense : So much for that big talk/ big hittin’ defense, heh? Rex Ryan promised from day one that his defense would be tougher to penetrate than the Red Army, and after six weeks, this group looks really soft.

They gave up 400 plus yards to the Dolphins last week and were not that great against the Bills this week, allowing Fitzpatrick to stand in the pocket and do as he pleased for most of the evening.

Where’s the pressure? Where are the blitzes and sacks that were supposed to come with this 46 defense?

Right now, it is nowhere to be found. The defense as a unit has only five sacks all season, and a stingy five team interceptions with zero touchdowns.

Not exactly the Baltimore Ravens, if you ask me.

Ryan will try to tell his fan base, his team, and his bosses, not to give up on this football team. He will try to convince everyone that these last three games are truly a aberration; and its not the Jets team that he believes will come to play every given Sunday.

He will, like every other Jets coach in the past, try to tell us that he doesn’t believe in the idea of “Same Old Jets.” He already knocked down that notion last Tuesday when he was asked about it by a reporter.

Here’s the problem that Ryan doesn’t understand, but what Jet fans do understand. Once Ryan admitted that these were not the “Same Old Jets,” he is echoing the past of the Same Old Jets, and making it present day, once again. 

For an organization that talked a big game out of training camp and came out like gangbusters in September, while adding to the talk that this was a championship football team, the past two losses are even more cruel.

It’s the type of cruelty that Jet fans have gotten used to for 40 years previous, and it won’t change in year number 41.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Octoberfest Begins: NFL Top Ten List After Week 4

October has now arrived. Halloween, tricks and treats are on the rise. It is one of the best sports months of the year, and it is the time when NFL teams begin to hit the gas peddle on making big moves in the standings that will shape the spine for the stretch run of the NFL season.

Four weeks in the books? Hard to believe, but here is the new top ten list.

Begin Slideshow

Once Again, Chad Pennington is Done For the Season

Now the Miami Dolphins know why the New York Jets couldn’t wait to remove Chad Pennington from their Florham Park training facility last summer.

The same man who won his second “Comeback Player of the Year” award last season when he led the Dolphins to an improbable 11-5 year and an AFC Eastern division title is, once again, out for the season.

This time around, it is a torn capsule that will sideline the game’s biggest excuse maker, marking the fourth time in 10 years that Pennington will miss considerable time because of an injury.

Talk about broken bones syndrome; at times, it seems like Pennington invented it.

For eight years the Jets waited, waited, waited, and waited for Godot to show up with the keys that would take them to the Lombardi Trophy room, but that never happened.

Instead, all the Jets got was nearly a decade of injury, playbook confusion, and a vanilla offense that was so feckless it would make any fan want to throw a shoe through the TV set.

Images of Pennington waving his rally towel while standing on the sideline with his arms wrapped tighter than a mummy are seared into Jet fan telememories; the vision of Pennington actually completing touchdown passes merely the stuff of perfervid delusions.

Alas, once he showed some moxi in Miami, it had to make Dolphin fans into believers that Pennington could be good enough to take them into the postseason for a second straight year. Nevertheless, they too are left at the altar, wondering and waiting to see what the future has in store for them too.

Sure, Pennington is a “good guy” and “media savy,” but those qualities don’t buy any team victories in a business fueled by consistently winning games. 

Some have pointed to Pennington’s statistics as a demonstration of his worthiness on the gridiron: he owns a 66 percent completion rating, and a QB rating of 90. But, the fact is, most of Pennington’s passes are less than seven yards. This year alone, he is averaging about five yards per pass.

In eight years with the Jets, and two with the Dolphins, the playbook was drawn to compensate for Pennington’s deficiencies as an NFL quarterback, mostly his arm strength.

He lacked the necessary zip to get passes through tight coverage, and the power to loft the ball more than 30 yards down field. Therefore, the only way to keep Pennington successful was short bubble screens and dump off passes to his running backs, full backs, and even tight ends.

Did the years of shoulder damage play a role in Pennington’s lack of arm strength? Mostly likely, the answer is yes. Any player who has to go through two rotator cuff surgeries and a surgically repaired hand is going to see most of his athletic ability shrink.

Like his time with the Jets, Pennington will tell the Miami press and fans that he is “sick to his stomach” and that he can’t help his teammates win on the field, but the fact remains that he has to be on the field to actually be a leader of men, as one CBS commentator once labeled Pennington a year ago.

What is in store for Pennington’s football future? Who knows, but one thing is for certain: his days as a starting quarterback are over. No team can afford to waste their time on banking their entire season on a quarterback who can’t stay on the field longer than a handful of games each season.

Therefore, a backup quarterback role is likely in store for Chad. If not that, then maybe the Canadian Football League or the UFL. 

In many ways, it is tragic to see this happen to one player. For all of the problems that Pennington has when he takes the field, it is unfortunate for him that he can’t catch a break and stay on the field for an extended period of time.

In fact, Pennington made his 19th consecutive start in San Diego on Sunday, which set a career high for him! Now, his career may, indeed, be near its end.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Movers and Shakers: Ranking The NFL’s Top 10

Three weeks are in the books on this young 2009 NFL season, and already we are beginning to see some patterns and stroy lines take shape for the rest of this season.

The Steelers and Patriots are not as good as in year’s past. Both teams look really, really, really old. The Ravens, Saints and Jets look like the real deal so far, and the brothers Manning, i.e. the Colts and Giants are still the kings of the show.

By the way, how about dem Lions! No I am not crazy enough throw Detroit into a top 10 or 15 list, but, this maybe my last chance to give the Lions some kudos before their next 19 game losing streak.

Begin Slideshow

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010