NFL Week Seven: Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

I'm feeling pretty good this week after my Raiders showed up and played with pride and passion in beating the Eagles last weekend. I'm also tempering my enthusiasm for a turnaround until we see how they play this weekend.

Speaking of the Jets...

PRESSURES

New York Jets

So the "Sanchize" has come crashing back down to earth after his first three weeks in the NFL which were filled with impressive third down conversions, TD passes, GQ spreads, supermodel interaction, and Rex Ryan jokes.

Nobody's laughing now. Except maybe the Pats, Bills, and Dolphins.

The kid is a rookie, and a talented one. He's looked far more like a rookie in the last few weeks than he did in the first three, when he was coming through in the clutch and protecting the ball. He'll get back on track; but this weekend's game is crucial not only for Sanchez, but for the entire Jets team.

Rex Ryan is entertaining. He reminds you of one of your uncles, the one who's always bragging about everything because he's good at stuff and oozes confidence. He's usually drunk, and often fat like Ryan (his athletic glory days behind him). But always loud. always blustery, and always entertaining.  

After flapping his gums and motivating his team to come out of the gates hard, Ryan has been unable to pull a victory out of this team in the last three weeks. They downright blew it last weekend, wasting a phenomenal effort by Thomas Jones on the ground by turning the ball over 20,000 times and playing uninspired and often porous defense. Ryan must be so mad right now, he can barely eat a couple of briskets.

The departure of Ryan from the Ravens is having a two-fold effect. The Ravens defense is a shell of their former self, and the Jets defense isn't scaring anyone anymore. That beautiful marriage ended in amicable divorce, and now both parties are trying to adjust to life without the other.

They've also lost Kris Jenkins for the season, a huge blow. Jenkins is a beast in the middle who clogs running lanes, but more importantly occupies the big dogs up front to allow the fast and active Jets linebackers to make plays unabated. His presence will be missed in many ways by many players.

They travel across the country to Oakland this weekend to play their annual Heidi reminder against the Raiders. Don't be surprised if the talking heads spend more time (especially on CBS) showing clips and discussing the Heidi game than breaking down the actual matchup. It's a little ridiculous, actually. I digress.

The Raiders are coming off their best performance of the season so far, beating the Eagles 13-9. The Raiders offense is still struggling, but their defense is looking very solid.

With the Raiders' reputation as a terrible team, this is a must-win game for the Jets. So many people were anointing them after they beat the Patriots. Hell, they were anointing themselves. Now that they realize they're not quite an elite team yet, they need to come in and beat a team that most people feel they should beat.

With Sanchez and the defense struggling, look for Thomas Jones and Leon Washington to pound the rock. The Raiders have long had troubles stopping the run (like Lindsay Lohan has had trouble staying sober; or attractive) so it stands to reason that it'll be a heavy dose of run, run, run.

The pressure is on Sanchez to regain some of the magic of his first three weeks, and to hold onto the ball and make smart decisions. A California kid, he's coming back home to nicer weather and that may allow him to throw the ball better.

But it hasn't just been his throws; he's been so jittery, confused, and scared in the pocket that it's downright pitiful at times. And trust me, as a Raider fan, I know what I'm talking about in that regard thanks to JaMarcus Russell (whom I still support and think will be great).

The pressure is also squarely on Ryan. He talked a big game and backed it up at first. But his words are ringing more hollow every week, and nobody likes a braggart that doesn't come through. He needs this team to play better to avoid personal embarrassment.

The pressure is on this squad to show they are more like the Jets of the first three weeks than of the last. If they lose to a Raider team who I personally (for obvious reasons) think will win this game, then they will be below .500, and will have lost to a team with a reputation for being terrible.

All that will spell a very unpleasant plane ride back to New York, and depending on the role Sanchez plays in a victory or loss, the removal (for now) of the "Sanchize" tag.

Donovan McNabb

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