Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Cohen

Who Will Win the Muddled AFC East?

Michael Cohen — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:32:33 -0500

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.

The 10 Biggest Turkey's In the NFL This Season

Michael Cohen — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:27:45 -0500

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

You're Fired: Rex Ryan Must Be Canned If Jets' Stumble Continues

Michael Cohen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:36:30 -0500

"Another one bites the dust! Another one gone! Another one gone! Another one bites the dust!"

So goes the 2009 season for the New York Jets.

Correction: So go 41 years of nothing but mediocrity and misery in the long, tortured history of the NFL's version of the Chicago Cubs.

There is not much to say after the Jets allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars to walk into Giants Stadium and slap them silly, 24-22. Sure, the Jets held a 22-21 lead, but did anyone really feel that the Jets were going to hold on and win? Really?

Mark Sanchez played 60 minutes of totally stupid football, throwing two interceptions that killed the Jets' momentum early and often.

Braylon Edwards fumbled away a 41-yard reception and dropped an easy two-point conversion.

Dustin Keller dropped a couple of huge passes that could have set the Jets up nicely in field position.

And the defense had no answer for David Garrard, Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jaguars' usually feckless offense.

Add that to the fact that Rex Ryan, the king of boastful proclamations of change and better tomorrows, wasted away all three of his timeouts in the second half. This in turn permitted Jacksonville to put together a brilliant game-winning drive that culminated in Jones-Drew unselfishly taking a knee at the one-yard line, enabling the Jaguars to run the clock on any potential Jets comeback.

As if Sanchez were going to pull a John Elway-like miracle in the final seconds.

Ever since Ryan joined the Jets, he has put his team on a pedestal as one of the best football teams in the NFL.

He has talked, and talked, and talked about how nobody would score on "his" defense.

He talked, and talked, and talked about how "his" team would find a way to make it to the playoffs this season, even with a rookie quarterback.

When Ryan's Rebels got off to a fast 3-0 start that was highlighted by a 24-7 smackdown of the Houston Texans and an emotionally charged 16-9 victory over the New England Patriots, the expectations for the Jets from the outside matched those of its coach.

The Jets could become the best; they could be a championship contender...today.

They made it into every expert's top 10 list. People talked about how refreshing it was to see a team that could talk the talk and walk the walk. Fans dreamed that Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, and company would finally, eventually, deliver that coveted second Super Bowl trophy to Florham Park, New Jersey.

That may still happen...one day...one year...maybe.

Maybe before we all "shuffle off this mortal coil."

But the fact remains that for the past six weeks we have seen this team turn from trash-talking winners into a bunch of blabber-mouthed losers.

When the Jets lost in Miami on a Monday night, Ryan's excuse for not using his timeouts as the Dolphins drove to the game-winning score was that he never thought the wildcat (an offense that Ryan's chatty linebacker Bart Scott called a "gimmick" offense) would score on "his" defense. They scored, easily, and the Dolphins won the game.

Problem is that Ryan forgot that the Jets are not the Baltimore Ravens. Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs are not going to walk through that door to make Rex Ryan look like a genius anytime soon, but the coach still wants to believe that his philosophy will make the Jets D into something special.

So far, it hasn't.

This past week the Jaguars ransacked that so-called great defense for over 300 yards of offense, including 123 rushing yards by Jones-Drew.

Ryan's on-field failures include not reeling in Sanchez. He should have benched his young star in the Buffalo game when he went off on a five-interception tailspin. He should have sat him down in that game to teach him the lesson that it is a privilege to start in this game, not a right.

A coach is supposed to have a feel for a game; when his quarterback doesn't have it, take him out and put someone else in who can win the damn game.

He should have never allowed Sanchez to childishly eat a hot dog on the sideline between series in Oakland, and he should never have allowed the quarterback to come across as a pissed-off college student when he told the media to talk to his hand after the Jaguar game.

Usually the great coaches ride their young QB, especially if they don't get it. Bill Parcells was famous for yelling and chasing after Phil Simms back in the day when Simms was a young and rising star; Parcells taught him how to be a professional.

Clearly, Ryan isn't getting through to his young star.

Ryan is also responsible for not insisting his special teams coach, Mike Westoff, not kick-off to Ted Ginn Jr. a second time, shortly after the speedy kick returner burned his team for a 100-yard kick return in the second Miami game.

He is also to blame for not realizing that he had 12 men on the field at several points in the Jacksonville game, prompting the team to waste timeouts.

Finally, Ryan is to blame for giving the team a midterm vacation during the team's bye week, a week that could have been used to iron things out and move his team back on track after they had lost four of their previous five.

Because of that extra week off away from any football activity whatsoever, Ryan's "invincible" defense looked rusty in the first half of the Jags game, as Jacksonville scored 21 points before anyone could say "boo." Usually, a coach gives his players a couple of days off during a bye...not seven!

If the buck stops with Bill Belichick this week for his team's failure to execute a 4th-and-2 on the 28-yard line, then the buck has to certainly stop with Ryan when his team fails to match his lofty expectations.

To make matters even more interesting, a story leaked out to the New York Post late last night that Ryan was seen crying in the Jets locker room on Monday morning.

"He didn't bash us at all; he was just very emotional...he was crying," right tackle Damien Woody told the Post. "Rex believes in our team so much, I can't even put it into words, and it would be a shame if we didn't capitalize on our opportunity.

"He was talking about the situation—this upcoming game with New England and how we're still there; how we still have a pulse," Woody said. "He said it's all about us, that nobody believes in us and that we are the only ones who believe we can get things done.

"He said, 'I believe in you; I believe you get can get this thing done,' and that's when he really got emotional."

Two things come to mind:

1) It is good to see a coach who believes in his team.

2) That being said, there is no reason for Ryan to pull this Dick Vermeil moment in the locker room. Vermeil used to pull those stunts in Philadelphia, and it didn't exactly win him any fans. Ryan has to get hold of himself; losses happen in the NFL, and bad coaching decisions happen, too.

Think Belichick was crying and sucking his thumb like a baby in the Patriots' locker room after the Colts game? Think any coach who is working with a struggling unit breaks into tears in front of his team?

I find it hard to believe.

Sure, coaching an NFL franchise is a pressure job, and there are a lot of hours and stress involved, but coaches suck it up and take the heat. They set an example for the franchise by pushing them to fight through the struggles, and if a player can't handle the heat, then they are asked to leave the field. Crying makes Ryan look weak.

How are players supposed to react to that?

Then there is another story from the Post that Ryan would seek counsel from many coaches in the NFL, including Dolphins GM Bill Parcells?!?! What? Parcells is going to help out a division rival? Please, give me a break. Why should the man steering a division rival that went out to become the Jets' "daddy" this season help Ryan and his Jets?

It makes no sense. Division rivals do not help each other; they don't talk to each other about strategy; they don't advise each other. If Parcells ever returns a phone call from Rex Ryan, it might sound like this:

"Rex? This is Bill Parcells returning your call. The only advice I can give you is to do your best and wish you good luck. By the way, who's your daddy?"

In spite of all the zaniness that has surrounded the Jets this month, this much is clear: They are at a crossroads in their season and, perhaps, at a crossroads in Ryan's head coaching career.

With a pool of experienced, winning head coaches on the market, Rex Ryan better get this team back to .500 and finish strongly, or it could be over before it ever started.

Of the Jets' final seven games, only two look winnable: at Buffalo on Dec. 2 and at Tampa Bay on Dec. 12. Outside of that, the Jets play at New England (6-3), Carolina (4-5), Atlanta (5-4), at Indianapolis (9-0), and Cincinnati (7-2). That is a combined 31-14 record for those five Jet opponents.

With their inconsistent style of play of late, the Jets could conceivably find themselves at 6-10 by season end. To many people, that would seem about what you can expect from a team with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback.

However, when a majority of the fans feel that this Jets team could win 10 games and compete for a playoff spot; when the owner boastfully guarantees playoffs before the Jaguars game; when players talk a big game all season long; and when Coach Ryan talks the talk about this year's version of the Jets from day one of mini-camp until today...6-10, 5-11, or, dare I say, 4-12 would be considered a colossal failure.

Let me ask the fans on the site: If you were the owner of a team that got off to a 3-0 start and sat and watched the team go 1-12 the rest of the way, does that head coach deserve a second chance? Even if he is a rookie? Especially when Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and maybe Jeff Fisher are all out there waiting for the phone to ring?

For years the Jets have gone the route of hiring the rookie coach in the hope that he would turn out to be the next great one. Walt Michaels, Bruce Coslett, Pete Carroll, Herman Edwards, and Eric Mangini were all rookie head coaches when the Jets hired them, and all failed.

Coslett was average with the Jets and went on to an average stint in Cincinnati.

Carroll was fired after one 6-10 season in 1994 and went on to a few more average years in New England before becoming a football god at the collegiate level at USC.

Edwards was successful at the Jets, taking them to the playoffs three out of five years, but his erratic coaching decisions did him in. Subsequently, he was a disaster in Kansas City, while Mangini went from Mangenius to dope in a New York minute.

There is nothing wrong with going after a coach with experience. The times this franchise went after experienced head coaches, they were the better for it. Weeb Ewbank was an established winner when he came to the Jets and took the team to its lone Super Bowl title. Parcells took two different teams to the Super Bowl in his career and almost took the Jets to one in 1998.

If Woody Johnson cares about winning, if Woody Johnson cares about selling out those 2010 tickets that have been advertised online and on television all month, then Woody Johnson is going to want to put a winner on the field.

Heading into 2010 with a big-mouthed coach, and even bigger-mouthed players like Bart Scott, who predicted big things and started 3-0 only to finish 6-10 or 5-11, is not going to put fans in the seats.

Today's NFL is predicated on winning right away. That is why Jim Zorn is on the chopping block in Washington after a year and a half. That is why Mangini might be fired after one season in Cleveland. As Vince Lombardi once said, "winning isn't everything...it is the only thing."

Many times in this city have first-year coaches been fired. The Jets have fired coaches after one year; the Yankees have fired managers after a year or two. The Giants have done it, too. Everyone has done it.

Don't think for a minute that if the Jets' season continues to spiral out of control it can't happen to Rex Ryan.

Even if he is learning on the job.

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

Michael Cohen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:47:30 -0500

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

Meet the Mutts!: A Real Plan for Making the New York Mets Respectable

Michael Cohen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:10:14 -0500

While fans throughout New York City and Northern New Jersey celebrate the 27th World Championship of the New York Yankees, there is a strong and awful odor coming from somewhere nearby.

People stop in the streets, sniff the air, put that "this-is-gross"-look on their faces, try to hide their noses underneath their shirts, and move as quickly as possible to a car or building, anything that will protect them from the smell of rotten eggs in burning garbage.

The smell wafts across the streets of Manhattan, terrorizing the people like a Godzilla stomping the citizens of Tokyo.

The smell stretches across New Jersey, causing people to run through the streets crashing onto the hoods of cars pleading for help, and jumping through windows like people trying to avoid a gas attack.

From whence is that smell emanating? New Jersey? No! Newark? No! The Governor's office in New York? No! The Giants? No! The Jets? No! A foreign power bent on world domination? No ... not yet.

That smell is coming from Flushing Meadows, Queens, in particular, from a broken down, leaking, creaking, and rusting building that is only a year old. That smell is ... the New York Metropolitans.

Yes, as the dust settles on the euphoria of another Yankee title, and as it becomes disturbingly clear that neither the Giants nor the Jets are going anywhere but home for the holidays, hot stove baseball takes center stage, and, yes, unfortunately that includes the Bernie Madoffs.

For the past three years, the Mets have wowed us with the brilliance of their own ineptitude. First, it was the Choke Job in September 2007. Seven up with 17 to play resonates with Met fans to this day.

Then, it was Choke Job II in September 2008 that was preceded by the firing of the only smart guy in the building, manager Willie Randolph, during a slump in June of 2008.

Once the calendar turned to December 2008, the comedy of errors continued; this time in the front office. First, it was the Bernie Madoff scandal, as it was revealed at the time, that the club lost nearly $400 million in the ponzi scheme followed by the near collapse of CitiBank, the corporation that has its name on the Mets new home.

The Mets denied that the financial losses would hurt them in acquiring players, but they spent the entire offseason playing scared.

They refused to sign Orlando Hudson, refused to trade for Jason Marquis, refused to take a chance at Randy Wolf, refused to throw a few extra dollars at Derek Lowe, and never thought twice about Manny Ramirez.

2009 turned out to be the cruelest of years.

Injuries galore took over, taking out almost every single player in the Mets lineup, including Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana.

David Wright suffered a concussion and started walking around with a helmet big enough to fit five people underneath it, and things got so bad on the field that Jerry Manuel started channeling Art Howe: "We battled." Nice!

The Mets tried to fool their fan base into believing that Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Nelson Figueroa, and Tim Redding were solid starting options in the rotation. And they watched the likes of Daniel Murphy, Angel Pagan, Jeff Francoeur, Omir Santos, and Luis ("I got it, I got it, I don't got it") Castillo lead the way to embarrassment in 2009.

Add to the fact the humiliating episode in which Omar Minaya's deputy, Tony Bernazard ripped his shirt off in the Mets double-A affiliate and challenged the players to a fist fight, and the even more humiliating moment when Minaya accused New York Daily News reporter Adam Ruben of lobbying for a job in the Mets organization.

Larry David, Ben Stiller, and Adam Sandler couldn't write a zanier and funnier script than the one the Mets created throughout 2009.

Will the 2009 offseason be any different? Will 2010 bear better fruits? It's up to the Mets. In the meantime, let's put those red noses and clown shoes aside, and look at a list of demands that the Mets must meet if they want to start building a solid MLB franchise.

1) Pitching, Pitching, and More Pitching

Mets cannot go into 2010 with a rotation of Maine, Perez, Pelfrey, and Redding to follow the brilliant Johan Santana ever again. Some say that the Mets need just one starting pitcher, but the fact remains, they have to add at least two starting pitchers this off-season.

John Lackey , Rich Harden and Marquis are all available this offseason. There are even rumors that the Toronto Blue Jays are still Hell-bent on trading their ace Roy Halladay. The Mets must act.

Lackey proved to be a bulldog in the postseason, and that is exactly what the Mets need. Even though he gave up five runs against the Yankees in game five of the ALCS, he frustrated the Bronx Bombers throughout the games first six innings. When Mike Scoscia tried to take him out, Lackey refused to leave the mound. That is exactly what a team wants from a potential No. two pitcher.

Lackey went 11-8 in 2009 with a 3.38 ERA; he struck out 139 in 176 innings, and walked only 47. He will command a steep price, and it is rumored already that the Yankees are willing to pay him. The Bombers could use Lackey considering that Andy Pettitte will be 38-years-old next year, and the fact that A.J. Burnett is not a reliable No. two starter.

If the Mets should lose a bidding war for Lackey, then they will have to get creative and sign two middle of the road starting pitchers. Rich Harden is not a terrible option. He went 9-9 this year with the Cubs but struck out 171 batters in 141 innings. In 2008 he split time with the Oakland A's and Cubs, going 10-2 in 25 starts. Harden is a nice power arm who hails from that original three-headed monster of Harden, Dan Haren and Barry Zito that was so feared in Oakland earlier in the decade.

Another interesting name is Jarred Washburn . Washburn is a wily veteran pitcher, who could fit nicely behind Santana. Washburn was having a great year with Seattle in the first half of the year, pitching to a 8-6 record and a 2.64 ERA. However, once he got into a Pennant race in Detroit, Washburn faltered. He went 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA with the Tigers. He could come on the cheap. The Mets should consider it, if they can find a taker for Maine or Pelfrey.

Roy Halladay. During the summer, word got around that the Mets rejected a trade for Roy Halladay. That rumor was soon proven false, but nonetheless, if the Mets balked, they blew it, because this time around the Jays will ask for much more than Bobby Parnell, and few other prospects.

In the last two years combined, Halladay won 37 games and struck out 414 batters. That is pretty damn good. If the Mets ever got Halladay and fielded a one-two punch of Santana and Halladay, they would become instant contenders again.

The question is the price. There are rumors that the Mets are talking to the Blue Jays and Cubs about a three-team trade that would send Milton Bradley to the Jays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Lyle Overbay to the Mets.

I will go more into the idea of having Overbay on the team a little later, but the Mets must be ready to sacrifice any prospects they have, including their so-called untouchable short stop in Jose Reyes to get Halladay. If the Mets deem a trade for Halladay too expensive for them again, they will be making a big mistake.

The Mets need a guy like Halladay who could take some pressure off Santana and give the bullpen a break every now and then. Halladay has 49 complete games in his career, which is very unusual for pitchers in this day and age.

Bullpen

This is kind of obvious, but the Mets have to improve the bullpen. No team in MLB has a great bullpen, but the Mets have to find someone to get the ball to Francisco Rodriguez. J.J. Putz was a failed experiment, as the former Mariners closer went down with an elbow injury. Parnell was underwhelming as a set up man, and once the Mets became noncompetitive, they never got a gauge as to who will set up for K-Rod.

Let me push for John Maine . Maine has been troubled by arm injuries each of last two years; a lot of that may have to do with the grind he took as a starting pitcher. Maine might best be served by rebuilding his career in the bullpen.

We have seen starting pitchers go there in the past and succeed. John Smoltz was a brilliant closer for the Braves when he came back from Tommy John's surgery. The Yankees had a lot of success with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes coming out of the pen for them at several points this season. The Mets should consider this: Who know's how good Maine could be coming out in relief. He was a strike out machine as a starter, and his ability to let his velocity fly for one inning every night could help the Mets in the long run.

INFIELD

We know that David Wright will return to man third base for the Mets, but there are questions about the health of Jose Reyes , the reliability of Luis Castillo, and the gaping holes at first base and catcher.

Reyes finally had surgery on his torn hamstring, but there are concerns about whether he will be healthy enough to participate in Spring Training.

For as much of a knucklehead that Reyes is on and off the field, the Mets need his legs. With Reyes stealing bases and running from first to third, it allowed the Mets to play an offense with finesse. Instead of trying to blast the ball out of the ballpark, the Mets would try to hit and run more, utilizing the running of Reyes to put extra pressure on opposing defenses.

The Mets will need Reyes this year, whether the fans like it or not.

As for first and second base, the Mets are thinking of acquiring Lyle Overbay from Toronto in a three-way trade with the Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. The Mets would rid themselves of Luis Castillo , while the Jays got the troubled Milton Bradley .

Overbay is a nice number six or seven hitter in the lineup. He had 16 homers and 64 RBI for the Blue Jays last year and is a lifetime .279 hitter, which is solid. He is no better than any free agent first baseman on the market. Plus, bringing in Overbay, will allow the Mets to finally sign Orlando Hudson .

Hudson was the leader of the Dodgers in the first half of the year. He hit .283 with seven homers and 48 RBI before the All-Star break. However, in the second half, Hudson's playing time was reduced with the acquisition of Ronnie Belliard. As a result Hudson, still hit .284, but drove in only 14 runs and hit two homers in the second half.

He is a better option than Castillo, who is infamous for sulking around the clubhouse, and dropping an easy potential game-winning pop-up in a loss to the Yankees back in mid-June.

Hudson has expressed interest in playing for the Mets in the past. The Mets have to pay up this time. Second chances don't come very often. Bringing in Hudson now will make up for the boo-boo the Mets made last offseason.

Then again, if the Mets decide not to go through with the Overbay trade, they should instead consider trading for Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres. The Padres are not going anywhere fast; they are looking for prospects to rebuild that franchise the correct way.

Gonzalez hit .277 with 40 homers and 99 RBI in a pitcher's park that is very reminiscent of Citi Field.

If the Mets can throw in Castillo, along with a handful of decent prospects, and maybe find a third team to get involved in a deal to sweeten the pot for the Padres, the Mets should do it. Gonzalez would give the Mets a legit cleanup hitter, something they did not have without Carlos Delgado in the lineup.

Gonzalez would bat ahead of Carlos Beltran, and in front of David Wright and Jeff Francoeur. Plug in Hudson behind Reyes in the No. two slot, and, voila, the Mets have a deadly lineup again.

LEFT FIELD

Matt Holliday has been tabbed as the Mets number one offseason priority once the regular season ended in early October. Holliday was once the face of the franchise in Colorado, spearheading the Rockies run to the World Series in 2007. The Rockies traded their star to the Oakland A's last winter, and, in turn, Holliday was sent to St. Louis this summer.

Holliday can still rake. He hit .313 with 24 homers and 109 RBI in his two stops in 2009. However, his season will best be remembered for dropping a fly ball in the outfield of Dodgers Stadium that cost the Cardinals game two of the ALDS, and ultimately the series.

I guess that means Holliday would fit right in with the Mets, who love to drop easy fly balls in their spare time. Even though he had a bad October, Holliday will command a steep price, much like John Lackey. The Mets must be willing to pay up if they are to land baseball's biggest free agent.

Other free agent outfielders include Jayson Bay and Vladimir Guerrero . Neither figures to be of interest for the Mets, although Guerrero was once targeted by the Mets back in 2002, when he was a free agent with the Expos. However, Guerrero doesn't have the "it" factor that he used to have.

C ATCHING

Anybody except Brian Schneider would be an upgrade for the Mets. Two years ago, they went after Ramon Hernandez and lost out to the Orioles for his rights. Hernandez is a free agent again. He is not a great hitter, batted only .258 last year, but if the Mets answer the problems in left, first and second, then they won't need an All-Star behind the plate.

Bengie Molina is available from the Giants. 2009 was one of Molina's best years, as the usually light hitting catcher blasted 20 homers and drove in 80. Molina is a nice option if the Mets fail to acquire a solid first baseman or outfielder. In short, losing out on Molina is not such a bad thing.

The Mets may be better served sticking with Omir Santos who provided some nice clutch hits in 2009, such as his two run homer off Jonathan Papelbon in Fenway Park. Josh Tohle is the Mets top catching prospect, but he is still a year or two away from being a part of the discussion.

BENCH

The Mets cannot move forward with a bench of Santos, Angel Pagan, Jeremy Reed, Nick Evans, Dan Murphy, Anderson Hernandez, and Fernando Tatis. It just can't happen.

There are a couple of Yankee free agents that should be attractive to the Mets that could help their bench: Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui .

As crazy as it sounds, having a veteran like Damon or Matsui on the bench could be a boon to the depth of the Mets outfield and leadership in the clubhouse. Damon and Matsui were as clutch as can be for the Yankees in the World Series, highlighted by Matsui's six RBI in game six of the World Series, which won him the MVP.

That said, Damon and Matsui are looking for big starting contracts, something the Mets may not be able to provide. Plus, the Yankees will likely pay up around Christmas. Finally, Matsui's knees are still a concern, as Joe Giradri never used him as an outfielder in an NL park during inter-league play and the W.S. Damon can still play the outfield, but I find it hard to believe that he will leave the Yankees.

Outside of the two Yankee outfielders, there are others who could help. Marco Scutaro had a big year as the Blue Jays shortstop. If Reyes is not healthy, having a guy like Scutaro, who can create as much havoc on the base paths as Reyes could be a plus. Scutaro could play second, short, and third, which makes him very versatile.

Mark De Rosa is an excellent bat off the bench for any team. De Rosa, who hails from Passaic, N.J., hit .250 with 23 homers and 78 RBI in split time with the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals in 2009. He has always been a solid fill-in player who can provide some much needed power. De Rosa can play both infield and outfield positions, which is fantastic.

In the outfield, the Mets could look to a Eric Hinske (F.A. NYY) or a Gabe Kapler (F.A. Tampa Bay) to provide some much needed left handed power off the bench, if they should inquire about either player.

BAD CONTRACTS

At the end of the day, the Mets have to find a way to rid themselves of the albatross that was the 2009 season. It won't be easy to rid themselves of the contracts of Castillo and Oliver Perez, but if they can get rid of both of them in some kind of trade, even it is for prospects, the Mets have to do it.

This is a big year for both Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. First, they have to succeed in improving the franchise in the winter, then they have to win. If neither happens, and 2010 turns into a replay of 2009, some guy, who did not get the Cleveland Indians job, will be waiting at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut.

That man is Bobby Valentine! If the Minaya/Manuel combo foul it up, don't be shocked to see good 'ole number two back in Flushing.

The Mets are at a crossroads. Like the poem by Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken," the Mets have to take the road less traveled by, and re-create a franchise that used to be one of baseball's premiere teams. For far too long have we seen the Mets go down the road of a loser and play the fool. It is time for Omar Minaya and the Mets, to open up the wallets, even when the economy is worsening, and pay up, or just shut up!

Riding Cloud Nine: NFL Top 10 Power Rankings

Michael Cohen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:40:48 -0500

Week 9 was probably the most wild weekend we have seen this season. With the playoff chase starting to heat up during this odd Indian Summer in early November, everyone is starting to jokey for position when Jake Frost comes nipping at everyone's nose come December. Week 9 featured a thrilling finish in the Meadowlands between the Giants and Chargers, an unpredictable new leader in the NFC East in the Philly vs. Dallas game, as well as a near upset of the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts. In the meantime, let's re-lock and load for another group of power rankings in the NFL.

Begin Slideshow

Empire State of Decline: Jets and Giants Are Two Average Football Teams

Michael Cohen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:52:51 -0500

In the recent and very popular song, "Empire State of Mind," there are the following lyrics: "In New York, concrete jungles where dreams are made of, there is nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York ..." and so on and so fourth as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys tell all of us how big dreams can come true by living or working in or near New York City.

That sounds about right for the New York Yankees right about now, as they are having a parade down the Cannon of Heroes after clinching their 27th World Championship, but don't recite those lyrics to two NFL franchises that happen to call New York City and Northern New Jersey home.

The "bright lights" are not exactly inspiring the Jets and Giants right now; both teams are mired in unpredictable and somewhat shocking slumps as we move along in the month of November.

In some respects, the Jets and Giants should thank the Yankees for their long postseason run, because without the Bronx Bombers, the Jets and Giants would be getting plastered on the talk radio circuit on a 24/7 loop.

Funny, too, considering almost a year ago, fans were going gaga over the possibility of a Subway Super Bowl, and just two months ago when the Jets and Giants were undefeated, fans were starting to get that perky feeling once again.

Don't get me wrong, I am a life long Jets fan, and when the Giants are on, I will watch and root for them too; having two winning football teams in New York is better than having one or none.

But the fact is that neither team is very good right now.

Let's start with the Giants.

Big Blue got off to an incredible 5-0 start, pounding the life out of the likes of the Raiders, Chiefs, Buccaneers, and Redskins. Only problem is those four teams are currently the dregs of the NFL. Even Rutgers could beat the Skins, Raiders, Bucs, and Chiefs now.

Since that time, the Giants have faced a great deal of adversity. They suffered blowout losses to the Saints and Eagles, along with a disturbing home loss to the Cardinals two weeks ago. Many have begged the question whether new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is in over his head, but the fact remains it isn't easy to lead a group that is missing a bunch of its key players.

Jay Alfred is out for the year with a knee injury. Kenny Phillips is lost with a hamstring tear. Michael Boley, the prized off-season free agent signing, has missed a lot of time due to various injuries, Chris Canty and Aaron Ross are lost for the year as well. Add to that the fact that Justin Tuck has been hobbled by a arm injury for most of the year, and more recently, wide receiver Mario Manningham has been bothered by a bum shoulder.

Hence, the formula for disaster.

It makes one wonder about the legitimacy of the Giants medical training staff. The G-Men use the same hospital that the New York Mets use for their players, the same Mets who lost every single starting player in its lineup this year due to various bizarre injuries.

The health of the Giants is a huge concern moving forward toward the stretch run. If none of the lost players return, it could spell doom for Big Blue when it comes time to clinch a playoff spot.

In two of the Giants last three losses, the defense has been carved up for a combined 884 yards of offense, while surrendering a combined 88 points. The Giants, who used to have one of the games most punishing D's in football, have looked pretty ordinary.

On the offensive side of the ball, Eli Manning has been shockingly awful. Against the Eagles, Manning was sacked twice and picked off two more times in the 40-17 defeat. He just hasn't looked like the Eli that torched the Dallas Cowboys in week 2.

One reason for Manning's struggles is the fact that the Giants have gotten away from their bread and butter: the running game. Last week against Philly, Brandon Jacobs carried the ball only 20 times, while Ahmad Bradshaw got nine touches. Against the Cardinals, Jacobs had 13 carries, while Bradshaw got 12 carries. If the Giants are going to turn things around, they have got to get the ground game going.

Another reason could be the injury that Manning suffered in Kansas City. Manning injured his foot on a bomb down the sideline and played only sparingly in the Giants 44-7 win over the Raiders the following week.

Since that Raider game, Manning has thrown six picks and doesn't look comfortable at all. The Giants can't afford to sit him, which is basically conceding the season. He will have to tough this one out and get better treatment for that injury during the winter.

Caveat: the schedule.

The Giants schedule is very difficult. They play San Diego this week, Atlanta after the bye, and Denver on Thanksgiving night. The Cowboys, Eagles and Vikings will soon follow in December, so the Giants will have to turn things around in a hurry. If not, Big Blue could be staring at a failed season.

Meanwhile, the Jets have once again found a way to take the rug out from underneath its fan base.

Throughout the months of July, August and September, Rex Ryan graced his fans with declarations of a better tomorrow, with a team full of misfits who would play with reckless abandon from start to finish. He touted that his team would not kiss Bill Belichick's rings and would fight their way to the top of the AFC East.

Things looked good early.

The Jets new 46 D lambasted the powerful Houston Texans offense, and took it to Tom Brady and the Pats in week two. Mark Sanchez was playing above and beyond rookie expectations, fielding nearly flawless football in the Jets 3-0 start. The Jets were playing so well that many began to buy into Ryan's boisterous talk, and his team's hard-nosed attitude.

Alas, the Jets soon came crashing down to earth.

First, it was Sanchez's rookie coming out party against the Saints, when he threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He even fumbled a ball in the end zone, which was recovered by Will Smith for a touchdown.

From there, things just got worse for Gang Green.

They were exposed defensively as frauds against the Miami Dolphins on a Monday Night in Miami, as the Wild Cat ate up the Jets defense.

Then, Sanchez put on his worst performance of the year throwing five picks in an unacceptable 16-13 overtime loss to the Bills, which was backed up two weeks later by a special teams meltdown against the (dare I say) Miami Dolphins yet again.

It doesn't help matters that the Jets lost Kris Jenkins, their stout defensive tackle, and Leon Washington, their explosive tail back to season ending injuries.

Many have complained that the Jets never shut up. Bart Scott is the best example of this. When Miami beat the Jets the first time around, Scott played down the exceptional play of the wild cat, calling it a " gimmick offense." Those words were backed up by Ryan, who called the wild cat a gimmick offense that is used in college football.

After Miami plastered the Jets last week, Scott cynically said that the Dolphins were a "Super Bowl contender." Clearly, the Jets have little respect for the Dolphins, or anyone for that matter in the AFC East. However, as the old saying goes, the Jets have a lot of bark, but little bite.

Whenever they have been faced with a stiff challenge this year, the Jets have come up snake eyes. They allowed Miami and Buffalo to pull back into the divisional race—not exactly the earmarks of a winner if you ask me.

Then, there is Sanchez.

Not only is the quarterback having trouble understanding the simple philosophy of protecting the football, he is earning the reputation as a big cry baby.

Against the Bills, Sanchez was seen sullen on sideline and looked like he was about to explode into tears during his first professional meltdown.

Against the Raiders, a game the Jets easily won 38-0, Sanchez was seen eating a hot dog on the sideline between series; not exactly the kind of professionalism that one wants from its franchise quarterback.

Finally, against the Fish last week at the Meadowlands, Sanchez was very distraught after failing to complete a potential game winning drive in the final minute. Photos of him afterwards show him crying in the arms of Braylon Edwards.

Grow up kid.

The question remains which team can be fixed the fastest in order to make a postseason run this year.

The answer is the Giants.

Their problems are not only injuries, but strategy. If Big Blue can run the football and dedicate themselves to pounding the rock, then they should be fine.

Eli Manning has to do a better job of protecting the football, and a more conservative approach would not hurt the Giants to get back on track offensively.

Defensively, the Giants will have to make do with what they have. These guys are professional football players for a reason; the back-ups on the defense have to find a way to develop good communication and chemistry with the likes of Antonio Pierce, Tuck and Osi Uminenyora if the Giants are to get anywhere. The pressure will be upfront from the Giants D', but if the secondary continues to slip, it will only make things harder for them.

The Jets are learning once again what life is like with a rookie QB. It will take two years at least for Sanchez to truly grasp what is required in the NFL—just look at Eli Manning, who Giant fans were ready to run out on a rail before he won the Super Bowl two years ago.

Like the Giants over the past few years, the Jets have a lot of good veteran talent, but they will have to wait for Sanchez to grow some more before they can truly contend.

That is easier said than done, of course, the Jets, themselves, have to at some point convince themselves that playing for 2010 is not such a bad idea.

For the past seven-plus months, Rex Ryan has preached that this team is playoff ready, right now. That is not the case and it is time for Ryan to realize that over the Jets' bye week.

Either way, things must turn around quickly for both the Jets and Giants, or we are staring at two 8-8 football teams in 2009.

NFL Midseason Report Card: Evaluations and Power Rankings

Michael Cohen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:39:59 -0500

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?

Why the Yankees vs. Phillies Might Become the Greatest World Series Ever

Michael Cohen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:01:03 -0400

We should have known.

Back in late May, during Memorial Day weekend, as people were lighting up the BBQ, cuing up the music, and opening up swimming pools, a series was being played in Yankee Stadium.

In a rare and intriguing interleague match up, the world champion Philadelphia Phillies paid a visit to the new Yankee Stadium to play the Bronx Bombers. At the time, both teams had identical records coming in; the Phillies were 23-17, and struggling to take off on the 2009 season.

In fact, the Mets were in first place at that time!

The Yankees were 24-18, far behind the Red Sox, who got out of the gate quickly in the American League East. Even though it was an early summer series, it was a great one.

The Phillies took two of three, as two of the games were decided by one run apiece. Both teams combined for 11 homers, and there were flares of dramatics from Alex Rodriguez's walk off homer in Game Two, and Carlos Ruiz's game winning double in Game Three to take the series.

Since that time, both teams came back with a vengeance in their respective divisions.

The Yankees won 103 games and blew away the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in the East. The Bombers' ability to win games in their final at bat became a staple of team victories. Images of A.J. Burnett smacking people in the face with shaving cream became sweet visions dancing in the heads of the Yankee faithful.

The Phillies became a winning machine as the summer wore on.

They, too, found ways to come from behind in games, even after their shaky bullpen blew the game in the later innings.

Once the Phils developed a large lead over their closest challenger, the Florida Marlins, they picked up Cliff Lee from Cleveland, and the lefty quickly became staff ace No. 2, going 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts.

Since postseason time began, the Phils turned it up to a even higher level. They rolled over the Rockies and Dodgers with clutch hitting, and even big time pitching from its closer Brad Lidge, who did not have a good regular season.

Now, both the Yankees and Phillies are ready to meet again in the fall classic.

Sure, the World Series is home to many spectacular moments, but very rarely have we seen a match-up where there is clearly no favorite. The New York Yankees will make their return to the fall classic for the first time in six years when they square off against the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies.

In short, this figures to be one of the greatest World Series ever played! The New Jersey Turnpike Series. Congrats, Jersey, you are now a part of history.

Let's dissect this match-up and find out who will be crowned king.

FIRST BASE: Ryan Howard (PHI) vs. Mark Teixeria (NYY). EDGE: EVEN.

Here is a match-up to make fantasy baseball owners mouths water. Two of the best hitting first basemen the game has to offer in Teixeira and Howard will square off in this series.

Teixeria spearheaded the Yankees through the regular season with clutch hitting, superb defense, and strong clubhouse leadership. He had a fantastic regular season, blasting away 39 homers and driving in 122.

It has been Teixeria's superior defense that makes him so valuable to New York. In the ALCS, Teixeria made a handful of spetacular defensive plays to save the inning for the Yankee pitchers. His glove will be key in any Yankee victory.

As for Howard, he is a monster offensively. He hit 45 homers and drove in 141 runs to lead the Phillies offense. 2009 marked the third straight year of 45 plus homers and 135 plus RBI seasons for Howard, who is easily one of the best offensive first baseman in all of baseball.

SECOND BASE: Chase Utely (PHI) vs. Robinson Cano (NYY). EDGE: Phillies.

Chase Utley is one tough cookie. Defensively, Utley is a gold glove second baseman, having made three trips to the All Star game. However, it is Utley's bat that is most impressive.

Every year, the second baseman becomes more lethal with his sweeping left handed swing. This year alone, Utley hit 31 homers and 98 RBI; the RBI total a low for him, since he usually drills in over 100 in a season.

As for Cano, he earned the reputation as a knucklehead in 2008, with lackluster play in the field. 2009 has been a different story however.

Cano hit .320 with 25 homers and 85 RBI in the regular season, and he played in all but one game this year. He is hitting .229 in the playoffs but is still a dangerous bat to deal with in the Yankee order.

SHORT STOP: Jimmy Rollins (PHI) vs. Derek Jeter (NYY). EDGE: EVEN.

Arguably the two players are the game's two best short stops; they will square off in the series. Rollins is building a Jeter-like reputation for big hits at key moments; his strong on the field/off the field presence and his swagger make him the clear captain of the Phillies.

Rollins is the king of swagger. He boastfully predicted that the Phillies would beat the Yankees in five games. Predictions are not new for Rollins who predicted that the Phillies would beat the Mets for the NL East crown in 2007, and he was right.

He then went on to rip the Mets after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. If the Phillies win again in 2009, he will not only rip the Mets, he will also unleash his biting tongue on the Yankees as well.

As for Jeter, he is the king of professionalism. No player comes up bigger in the clutch than Jeter does in October; in fact, he is hitting .297 with three homers and five RBI in the playoffs this year.

He never puts up flashy statistics, but no batter strikes more fear in opposing pitchers than this guy. Jeter will likely have a couple of big hits in this series, and, if he does, the Yankees could romp.

THIRD BASE: Pedro Feliz (PHI) vs. Alex Rodriguez (NYY). EDGE: Yankees.

With all due respect to Pedro Feliz, who hit over .300 for most of the year, Alex Rodriguez can trump any third baseman head to head in the game. Not only did Rodriguez put up impressive numbers after hip surgery and the steroid mess in April, he has exorcised his postseason demons.

In the playoffs, A-Rod is hitting .438 with five homers, 12 RBI, nine walks, and only five strikeouts. He has been in the zone all month, and one would have to think that the addition of Teixeria in the lineup has taken a lot of pressure off A-Rod, who used to be "the big out" in the Yankee lineup.

If A-Rod continues to rake in this series, the Yankees should win it all; if not, it could be another long series for the Bombers, and questions about A-Rod when the lights are brightest will rise once again.

CATCHER: Carlos Ruiz (PHI) vs. Jorge Posada (NYY). EDGE: Phillies.

This is a tough debate, but Carlois Ruiz is turning into a fantastic clutch hitter for the Phillies. When he last faced the Yankees in late May, Ruiz killed New York, batting .750 with a homer and three RBI; he even had the game winning hit in Game Three of that regular season series.

The kid can hit when it matters. In the regular season he was not flashy, hitting .255 with nine homers, but when the schedule turned to October, Ruiz turned it on, batting .346 in the NL playoffs with a homer and seven RBI. Ruiz could be that silent, but deadly bat that could kill the Yankees in this series.

As for Posada, the grizzled veteran still has something left. Even though his defensive skills are not what they used to be, Posada's bat is still something to be feared.

He hit .285 with 22 homers in the regular season and blasted two more in October. He won't catch A.J. Burnett in Games Two and Five, which will make him a lethal pinch hitting threat off the bench in this series.

CENTER FIELD: Shane Victorino (PHI) vs. Melkey Cabrera (NYY). EDGE: Phillies.

The Flyin' Hawaiian is as old school as they come. Shane Victorino is the definition of a scrappy player.

He can drill balls into the corner and take off on the base paths for triples; he can hit home runs, he can make tough catches in the outfield, he can do it all, and to top it off, Victorino is a cocky player, and he is cocky for a reason; he led the Phillies in batting average at .292, and led them in triples with 13.

If Victorino has a big series, that will be bad news for the Bronx Bombers.

Melky Cabrera got off to a great start this year; he had a couple of walk off homers early in the year to help lift the Yankees in April, but really hasn't done much since. Sure he had 13 homers and 68 RBI, but Cabrera is the de facto automatic out in the Yankee lineup. In the playoffs, Cabrera had four RBI, all of which came in one game.

LEFT FIELD: Raul Ibanez (PHI) vs. Johnny Damon (NYY). EDGE: EVEN.

Great match-up. Raul Ibanez got better with age when he spent time with the Royals and Mariners early in his career, and this trip to the series is something very special for him.

The veteran outfielder hit 34 homers and 93 RBI this year for the Phillies; in fact, he had 20 homers by the end of June! The guy didn't hit at all in October this year, but his big bat in the middle of the order should be a challenge for the Yankee pitching staff.

Johnny Damon has had a very weird postseason. He wasn't hitting at all with runners in scoring position, until he delivered a two run single against the Angels in Game Six that spearheaded the Yankee victory.

Damon is still a threat with the bat with his swooping left handed swing that is perfect for both Yankee Stadium and Citizen's Bank Park. His bat behind Jeter will be a key to the series.

RIGHT FIELD: Jayson Werth (PHI) vs. Nick Swisher (NYY). EDGE: Phillies.

Nick Swisher is really struggling. He hit only .125 in the AL playoffs and his goof ball antics are becoming tiresome for the Yankees, especially for a guy who doesn't do anything.

Jayson Werth is turning into a superstar. Werth hit .282 with five homers and 10 RBI in the postseason and has proven to become a nice right handed complement to Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez in the Phillies lineup. The guy is money with the bat and solid defensively.

STARTING PITCHING: Cliff Lee (PHI) vs. C.C. Sabathia (NYY) EDGE: Yankees.

Two former Cleveland Indians will go at it in Games One, Four and, possibly, Seven. Cliff Lee was traded to Philadelphia this year and took over as staff ace, winning seven games for the Phillies in the regular season. In the playoffs, Lee has been brilliant, going 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA.

Cole Hamels is one tough customer, but he has struggled in the playoffs this year, pitching to a 6.75 ERA. That said, Hamels always finds a way to keep his Phillies in the game and will grind it out against the Yankees even when he doesn't have his best stuff. When Hamels is on, the guy is one of the best.

Pedro Martinez has a chance to win his second World Series ring. Just think, in his final year in Boston, he won a title, and in his first year in Philly he could win another. What happened in between? That farting sound you hear is Pedro's four years with the Mets.

C.C. Sabathia , the other former Indian, has been brilliant for the Yankees this year. He struggled early but managed to get it together as the summer wore on and won 19 games for the Bombers.

In the postseason, Sabathia won three games and pitched a 1.19 ERA. The guy pitched like he was in a rocking chair this month, mowing down his opponents with incredible ease.

A.J. Burnett should scare the Yankees. He was lit up against the Angels, and Burnett is not exactly the most mentally tough pitcher in the world when it comes to winning big games.

Andy Pettitte , like Jeter and Mariano Rivera, is captain clutch. Pettitte owns five series clinching victories in the postseason and 16 overall. He could, once again, be pitching the Bombers to a world championship if this series goes six games.

BULLPEN: Brad Lidge (PHI) vs. Mariano Rivera (NYY). EDGE: Yankees.

Even if Philadelphia had the Brad Lidge who locked down 48 consecutive saves in 2008, he would lose out to Mariano Rivera.

Rivera is the definition of the Terminator. The guy has ice in his veins and always finds a way to close out the game in calm, cool, and collected fashion as if it were an Apr. 23 afternoon against the Royals and not the World Series.

Rivera is the greatest closer of all time—no questions asked.

MANAGERS: Charlie Manuel (PHI) vs. Joe Girardi (NYY). EDGE: EVEN.

These two guys could easily put their respective teams in position to lose the series in embarrassing fashion. Both Giradri and Manuel are known for making odd moves, like Giradi's decision to pinch run A-Rod in Game Five against the Angels, and his call to remove David Robertson from Game Three for Alfredo Aceves.

Whoever makes the fewest managerial mistakes will win this series. Memo to Girardi and Manuel: Let the kids play, and just watch!

HOW IT WILL PLAY OUT: It's a cliche to say that the first two games are important in a seven game series, but in this one, the first two games at Yankee Stadium are critical.

If the Phillies grab one of the first two games, they will put the Yankees in the awkward position of trying to win baseball games in the wacky and wild confines of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Phillies home is a bandbox, and when the Philly crowd gets into it, it is usually a very long evening for their opponents. The Phillies not only love jumping up on people early in that ball park, they will step on their throats from start to finish.

Therefore, sweeping the first two games is a must for the Yankees. They have to go to Philadelphia up 2-0, putting all of the pressure on the Phillies; otherwise, the series could get really ugly, really fast.

PREDICTION: New York Yankees in seven.

Week 7 NFL Top 10 List: Halloween Edition

Michael Cohen — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:59:56 -0400

It's getting real spooky for some teams out there in the NFL. Week 7 was a great example of how bottom heavy the league is as six different games were decided by more than 20 points. Meanwhile a few unbeatens got a huge fright this week, which has shaken up the top ten standings. Be forewarned you are entering another dimension; a dimension unbeknownst to any person crazy enough to play for the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders. You are entering the top ten list...

Begin Slideshow

Week Six NFL Power Rankings: Who Dat at No. 1?

Michael Cohen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:29 -0400

Things are a changing in the National Football League. For five weeks the New York Giants have sat atop the NFL charts as the "best team in football," however after Sunday's debacle in New Orleans, it is now open season on the top spot in the NFL power charts. Take a gander at the top 10, and let the debate begin...

Begin Slideshow

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

Michael Cohen — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:33:05 -0400

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 these quarterbacks 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.

New York Jets: What We Learned from Their 31-27 Loss on Monday

Michael Cohen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:32:21 -0400

This was ugly.

This was the equivalent of watching "Halloween" movies on a 24-hour loop.

If you are Rex Ryan and the New York Jets on a very long flight home, you might look out the window of the plane, look at the night's sky turning to day, and begin to ask yourself: "What is wrong with this football team?" and "Can I fix this, and fix it fast."

Hence, Ryan's first real challenge as head coach of the NYJ. His Jets were exposed like a baseball player caught for using steroids last night in Miami, as the Dolphins ran all over the Jets "vaunted" defense for 409 yards, with Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Chad Henne doing all, if not most, of the damage.

The Dolphins ran a ton of plays out of the wild cat formation, with either Brown or Ricky Williams lined up behind center. When this happened, either Brown or Williams would take himself right down the middle of the Jets defense for chunks of yards, or flip and lateral the ball to someone else, who would streak down through space and stretch for a first down.

Defending the wild cat is no easy task, but there is no reason to not eventually figure it out and put a stop to it. Hence the problem, the Dolphins used max protection on the offensive line. They doubled up Kris Jenkins, sent an extra man, i.e. the fullback to block the outside linebacker, and created slivers of penetration for Brown and Williams.

At times, it looked like a Jets defender would get to either back and tackle them for no gain or a lose, but then Brown and Williams would kick it into a second gear, and, snap, they were gone dancing into the secondary. It doesn't help matters either when the opposing offensive line does a great job in help, by pushing Jet players out of the way at the last second to make a tiny little hole into a gaping one.

Therefore, there is reason for concern.

Any opponent the Jets play for the rest of the year, including the seemingly toothless Buffalo Bills who travel to Giants Stadium next Sunday, will likely use max protection formations on the offensive line.

Not only did max protection allow the Dolphins to run wild all night long, but it allowed Chad Henne to stand in the pocket and deliver one deadly strike after another.

Speaking of Henne, who did a fantastic job leading Miami's offensive surge, he seemed to have figured out the Jets blitz. Most quarterbacks take a seven-step drop in the pocket before delivering the football. Not Henne. At least not last night anyhow. Henne took a lot of three-step drops with quick precise releases to receivers underneath.

Ever hear of the term "Live by the Blitz, Die by the Blitz?"

Well, the Jets were an example of that all night on Monday. At times the Jets sent just about everyone after Henne, who took just a couple a drops back into the pocket and released the ball quickly, i.e. a screen pass to Williams in the first quarter that went for about 50 plus yards to the Jets 17 yard line to set up a Miami field goal and a 10-7 lead.

Where do the Jets go from here?

Everyone will now use max protection on the offensive line, and instruct their quarterbacks to release the ball as soon as possible against the Jets blitz happy schemes.

Plus, if a team has multiple running backs, like Buffalo does in Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, then it will be imperative for them to swing their backs to the outside on quick bubble screens, and to perhaps even use the "wild cat" formation against Gang Green. They just can't defend it right now, until they see Miami again in two and a half weeks.

What they should do is blitz a little less. That's right blitz a little less.

Dropping guys back into coverage, and rushing only three or four is not a terrible scheme. It forces the quarterback to look around to all of his reads, and when he can't find anything usually succumbs to the pressure up front.

Secondly, and this is the most disturbing fact about the Jets efforts in Miami last night.

They need the Jet fans' support like a overly dependent teenager.

At many times last night, it seemed that the Jets just couldn't muster up enough energy to beat up on the Dolphins, who not only had a building full of crazed fans, but Gloria Estephan, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and for some strange and odd reason, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson in the owner's booth cheering the Miami Dolphins on. I guess Ocho Cinco loves the color orange, since the Dolphins decided to dress up like the Miami Hurricanes last night.

The reason I bring this up has to do with a simple statistic. At Giants Stadium, the Jets are 2-0. Away from it the Jets are 1-2.

As a season ticket holder, I have seen how loud Giants Stadium could get when Jet fans back their football team. Against the Patriots, the entire team credited the fans for creating a hostile, loud, and totally obnoxious atmosphere in the building making it impossible for Tom Brady to call plays and communicate with his offensive coordinator. As a result the Jets beat New England 16-9, as the defense harassed Brady throughout the afternoon.

The following week, the Meadowlands was not as loud as the Patriots game, but when the Jets needed their fans to back them in the fourth quarter against a potential Titans surge, the fans once again stood up, and willed the defense to victory.

This is not exactly a good formula for success. Sure a team wants to win at home, but at some point the Jets have to show some determination on the road, look around see all of the celebrities in the visiting dug out, smirk like an assassin, and say to themselves, "Boy wouldn't it be sweat to shut these people up?"

Instead, the Jets allowed the Dolphins to impose their will against them, and never matched the intensity of the night. They can't rely on Jet fans to push them; the Jets have to push themselves if they want to be a good team.

Offensively, the Jets did a fantastic job. Braylon Edwards is a breath of fresh air that the Jets have not had in a long, long time. He made several acrobatic catches that would not have been made by the typical midget Jets receiver, i.e. his leaping catch at mid field to convert a third down in the second quarter, and his incredible goal line catch that set up a Jets touchdown.

Mark Sanchez looked comfortable in the pocket. He didn't turn the ball over, and protected the football much better than he did a week ago in New Orleans. Still, he completed only 50 percent of his passes, but that figure should go up, so there should be no worries there.

The Jets running game showed some signs of life, as Thomas Jones has 42 yards on just 13 carries with two touchdowns, while Leon Washington appeared to have a head of steam when he touched the football, rushing for 44 yards on 10 carries. The one caveat is that the Jets got away from the run, and decided to fling the ball around the ball park, and play a shoot out, instead of slowing the game down in the fourth quarter, and give their defense a chance to rest.

If the Jets had committed to run, and slowed down this football game, maybe, just maybe they could have prevailed.

Either way, this will be a big two weeks for Gang Green. They have to take the Bills and Raiders behind the proverbial woodshed, if not, then this is a flawed football team. If the Jets should win their next two games and get to 4-2, expect an all out blood bath at Giants Stadium against the Dolphins, the day after Halloween.

Jets Acquisition Of Braylon Edwards A Gamble Worth Taking

Michael Cohen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:50:13 -0400

When it comes to filling a need, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is as aggressive as any general manager in pro football. Since April's draft when Gang Green selected Mark Sanchez with the fifth overall pick, there was a glaring need for the Jets to get the young USC product a lethal weapon to whom to throw.

Sure, he had Jerricho Cotchery on the squad, and Cotchery is having a brilliant year for Gang Green, leading the team with 23 receptions for 356 yards and a touchdown. He has been Sanchez's go-to-guy on slant routes and go-routes down the sideline; however, in last week's dreadful performance in New Orleans, it was clear that the Jets were still missing something.

That something was a big threat receiver,a big name that could force opponents to put an extra man into coverage, the kind of name that would give the Jets a pretty scary offense.

Today, Mike Tannenbaum got that man.

Braylon Edwards.

Edwards has been available for some time. He has been in former Jets coach and current Browns czar Eric Mangini's dog house since April. Mangini never was comfortable with Edwards' prima donna personality, and when Edwards got into a bar fight with Edward Givens, who just happens to be a buddy of Mr. Cleveland himself, basketball superstar LeBron James, it was curtains for the troubled receiver.

Edwards was never charged, but the NFL is looking into the matter as abusive of the NFL's conduct policy, meaning Edwards could be suspended if Roger Goodell deems it necessary.

Edwards has a history of violations off the field. He was late to a team meeting because he was attending an Ohio State vs. Michigan football game. He was fined $150 and given 30 hours of community service for driving at 120 mph, and has been termed a "clubhouse cancer" by some.

But, on the field, Edwards is one of the most talented receivers in the sport. In 2007, he had a career year with 80 catches, 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns. Since that time, his production has dropped. Last year, he had only 55 catches and three touchdowns; this year he has only 10 catches and zero touchdowns and didn't get a reception in Cleveland's 23-20 loss to the Bengals.

This raises questions: 1) Can Rex Ryan tame Braylon Edwards enough that he will become a better teammate and football player? 2) Can Edwards develop a solid enough rapport with the likes of Cotchery, Kris Jenkins and Bart Scott, all dependable, good guys that the Jets have on this team? 3) Can Edwards build chemistry fast enough with Sanchez? 4) Will Edwards reclaim his All-Star status?

To answer question number one remember this: Rex Ryan loves the bad boy image, especially when it is on display on the field. His reckless, physical and downright nasty philosophy should be welcoming to Edwards who is as physical as they come at 6'3" and 215 pounds.

Keep in mind the Jets have developed a "Inglorious Basterds" reputation through the league with their consistent trash talking, cocky and hard hitting/take no prisoners play. Edwards could fit right in as the bad boy star on the Badfellas.

In addition, Ryan is an excellent communicator compared to the dour Mangini. Ryan should be able to dig deep into Edwards' soul and bring out that great player who wants nothing but to be the best on the field.

On 2): A lot of rumors have circulated of late that Edwards is a "bad teammate," and a "primadonna"; funny to hear, considering his behaviors were not as well publicized as those of Terrell Owens or Brandon Marshall. If Edwards wants to be a part of this team, and if he wants to contribute to a team with Super Bowl aspirations, he needs to lay ego aside and listen to the likes of Kris Jenkins, Kerry Rhodes, Bart Scott, and Jerricho Cotchery. All four are leaders of the team and know the ins and outs of living in the New York/New Jersey area.

They will have to teach Edwards to cut the partying out a bit, especially in New York where paparazzi swarm like locusts and curious bystanders are at the ready with cell phones, blackberries and any other form of media to take his picture. Just ask Alex Rodriguez or Plaxico Burress about fishbowl living in New York.

This will be a challenge because most receivers nowadays tend to be diva's, desiring attention, glitz, fame, and the damn football. Curbing Edwards' enthusiasm is the Jets biggest challenge, but it can be done.

Many players with bad reputations have moved on to to better teams, only to mature when presented with a bigger challenge.

Randy Moss comes to mind. Granted Moss went from the Raiders to perennial Super Bowl contenders, the New England Patriots. There was no guarantee that Moss would become a good citizen in a media frenzied city like Boston; he could have easily pouted last year when Tom Brady went down, but, instead, he became the leader of the team and has greatly matured into a good citizen in his two years in New England. Can the same happen for Edwards in New York? Give it time because it could happen.

If one needs a sign that Edwards may be ready to grow up, listen to his press conference this afternoon where he told a reporter that he is "comfortable" with his contract status and does not want to open up negotiations at this time and "become a distraction" to the team. One can only hope that he means it.

On 3): The biggest key is on-the-field production. Can Edwards develop a good reputation with Sanchez, and can he reclaim his ability to make the tough catches? Edwards has problems with dropped passes over the last couple of years and has developed an M.O. as a receiver with alligator arms.

If Edwards is focused on football, and, if a change of scenery does pay dividends for him, then one can expect that the dropped passes should go down in numbers. This is not to say that Edwards will catch every single pass, but if his motivation changes, then perhaps his play will improve.

Edwards will likely demand that Mark Sanchez deliver him the ball in big moments. Two things have to happen here: 1) If Edwards wants the ball, he better catch it. 2) This is a chance for Sanchez to grow as a leader of this football team.

Dealing with egotistical people is part of life, and it is a big part of success or failure in the NFL. If Sanchez can shut out any criticism he may receive from Edwards and create a firm understanding with the wideout that he will get the ball if open down field, then it will go a long way in making Sanchez a better quarterback.

Chemistry will be important, and if Sanchez and Edwards can operate on the same page, the Jets could have one of the better offenses in football.

How does the Edwards move help the Jets? Clearly, it will force defenses to be more honest in their schemes against the Jets. In the past four weeks, opposing defenses have put eight in the box on Gang Green and have grounded Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. In turn, it has put a lot of pressure on Sanchez to make big throws, and the pressure got to the young Sanchez who threw three interceptions against the Saints.

Finally, Edwards' presence will free up a safety in coverage on Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery should see more one-on-one coverage, giving him more opportunities to catch the football and make big plays. Edwards' presence will even create bigger receiving lanes in the middle of the field for Dustin Keller, whose production has tailed off since week one.

Some will say caveat emptor, buyer beware, when it comes to the Edwards acquisition. That is understandable. Edwards' behavior in Cleveland was uncalled for, and no one can blame any team for wanting to get rid of a person who has created a large divide in the clubhouse. Moreover, whenever a team trades its best offensive weapon, it usually raises eyebrows about the player, his personality, his motivation, and his skills set.

Edwards has the opportunity on sports grandest stage to prove his worth as a solid number one wide receiver, and a good citizen in the locker room and off the field.

Nevertheless, New York is a very unforgiving city to those who underachieve. New York chased Keyshawn Johnson out of town; it broke the reputation of Isiah Thomas; it almost sent Eli Manning packing if he didn't win a Super Bowl; it turned on Brett Favre, Chad Pennington, and Omar Minaya without a flicker of remorse and has tar and feathered Alex Rodriguez for years.

Edwards is the one who should beware — he is coming into a show bigger than himself. If he understands that, this trade will be a win-win for the Jets.

Let's Get It Started: Yankees-Twins ALDS Preview

Michael Cohen — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:46:35 -0400

This is why they play the games.

Even though this philosophy is overplayed and overhyped in just about every sport, every year, the Yankees versus the Twins is the ultimate David versus Goliath contest.

The Bronx Bombers are 7-0 against the Twins this season, and since Rod Gardenhire took over as Twins skipper in 2002, the Yankees are 23-3 against him in the regular season.

The only time the two teams squared off in the postseason, 2004, the Yankees took the series in five games, beating Johan Santana, then the Twins ace.

So what should fans expect when Minnesota takes the Red Eye to the Bronx for tomorrow night's game one for what figures to be a very loud, very pumped up Yankee Stadium?

Will the Bronx Bombers dominance throughout the 2009 regular season carry over into post-season play? Or will the Twins, whose payroll, incidentally, is a fraction of the Yankees, walk in and steal the series, breaking the hearts of Yankee fans once again?

We are about to find out, and it should be a good series; in the meantime, it's worthwhile to go inside this match up and find out how the two teams stack up against each other.

FIRST BASE: Michael Cuddyer (MIN) vs. Mark Teixiera (NYY)

With all due respect to Michael Cuddyer, he is not Justin Morneau, who provided the Twins with an important left-handed power bat in the middle of the lineup, and whose 30 home runs will be missed inside the homer-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium.

That said, Cuddyer has done a nice job filling in. He had the year of his life, blasting 32 homers and driving in 94 while batting .276 on the season.

Once Morneau went down with an injury that sidelined him for the year in September, Cuddyer moved from right field to first base and played admirably.

In 33 games at first, Cuddyer made only four errors and was a part of 25 double plays. Offensively, he finished 2009 strong, hitting eight home runs and driving in 29 runners to beef up his statistics.

He is an important right-handed bat to place between the power of Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel.

However, the edge in this matchup goes to the Yankees. Mark Teixeria has been on Planet Homer since the season started.

He hit .292, blasted 39 homers, and drove in 122, while scoring 103 times. He hustles on every play and has provided steady leadership in the Yankee clubhouse.

He will be a huge help in taking pressure off of Captain Choke, Alex Rodriguez, in this series, with his powerful swing from both sides of the plate. EDGE: YANKEES.

SECOND BASE: Nick Punto (MIN) vs. Robinson Cano (NYY):

Punto is a tough little player. He won't drive in a lot of runs and doesn't hit for average well. The Twins have problems at second; Alexi Casilla has been awful this year, hitting .198, and Mark Tolbert is hitting only .228.

Robinson Cano developed the reputation as a lazy player last year, when he hit a disappointing .272 with 14 homers and 72 RBI. This year, however, Cano has revived the Yankees confidence in him. Cano hit .320, hit 25 homers and drove in 85.

It was the kind of year that the Yankees have expected from Cano, who has great power to right field. EDGE: YANKEES.

SHORTSTOP: Orlando Cabrera (MIN) vs. Derek Jeter (NYY)

Against any other shortstop, one could make the argument that Cabrera would have the advantage but not against The Jeter. Derek Jeter passed Lou Gehrig as the Yankees all-time hits leader on Sept. 11. He had a wonderful 2009 campaign, hitting .334, blasting 18 homers and driving in 66 as the Yankees unconventional lead-off hitter.

Jeter didn't have a lot of game-winning hits in the regular season but that should change soon. Jeter loves the spotlight, and he loves the month of October even more.

Cabrera has always been a dependable veteran player and owns a World Series ring earned with the 2004 Red Sox. Since being traded to Minnesota this year, Cabrera is hitting .292 with four homers, 34 RBI, and three triples. EDGE: YANKEES.

THIRD BASE: Brendon Harris/Mark Tolbert (MIN) vs. Alex Rodriguez (NYY)

This is not even worth discussing ... unless ... unless, Mr. Rodriguez wants to make this a topic of discussion.

The Twins are missing Joe Crede, who has missed the last three weeks due to injury, leaving it up to the light-hitting Harris and Tolbert to get the job done at third. Neither player has really distinguished himself.

Harris did a decent job, batting .262 with six homers and 37 RBI, but he didn't play in the Twins final three games of the regular season. Tolbert hit only .228 this year but two of his 18 RBI came in the final weekend of the year.

As for A-Rod ... well let's just say this. Rodriguez is a great offensive player. Even though he missed all of April due to his injured hip and a bruised ego over steroid allegations, the guy still managed to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs.

Nonetheless, here is the interesting part; Alex must forget that it is October. He must forget that when the leaves turn yellow, orange and brown that it is time for him to choke up on his bat.

In Octobers past, A-Rod has been awful, hitting .177, .033 and .262 in his last three playoff appearances. If the Yankees go anywhere this month, A-Rod has to put up some solid numbers. EDGE: YANKEES.

CATCHER: Joe Mauer (MIN) vs. Jorge Posada (NYY)

Great match up, but the edge must go to Mauer. Mauer is a the reigning batting champion from 2008, and he should be heavily favored to be named the AL MVP this year.

Once he got off of the DL on May 1, Mauer went on a tear that lasted to this day. He started to show great power to both sides of the field as he hit a career high, 28 home runs and drove in 96 while hitting .364 this year.

Mauer even drew 74 walks to 62 strikeouts, which is an incredible ratio.

As for Posada, his skills are on the decline. The pitchers don't seem to like the game he calls, amd many of the Yankee starters have preferred Jose Molina.

Examine Joe Girardi's decision to sit Posada for game two as an example. He can still give the Yankees an occasional big hit, but he is not the Posada of old. EDGE: TWINS.

LEFT FIELD: Delmon Young (MIN) vs. Johnny Damon (NYY)

Johnny Damon has defied Father Time this year. The 36-year-old outfielder had a very good regular season, blasting 24 homers, driving in 82 and scoring 102 times.

He provides the Yankees with a lethal slap-hitting/left-handed bat that is perfect for the short porch in right field at the new stadium. Whenever Damon goes to bat, he is a threat to hit a home run in that park with his looping one-handed swing.

Defensively, Damon is no longer the player he used to be; consequently, the Yankees relegated him to left-field duties.

Delmon Young is a nice player for the Twins. He isn't flashy with the numbers, but he gets the job done nonetheless.

He hit .285 this year with 12 homers and 60 RBI. However, what has to scare Twins fans is the fact that Young walked only 11 times this season. SLIGHT EDGE: YANKEES.

CENTER FIELD: Denard Span (MIN) vs. Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner (NYY)

Cabrera and Gardner have been a nice two-headed monster for the Yankees in center field. Cabrera needed to have a solid 2009, and he did just that blasting 13 homers, including a handful of walk off homers this year.

Gardner is as hard-nosed as they come. He plays with reckless abandon and never takes an out for granted on the basepaths.

Gardner hit .270 and stole 26 bases in just 248 at bats. Expect Gardner to play a pivotal role in this series.

Span came out of nowhere to take the center field job away from Carlos Gomez. In 144 games this year, Span hit .312, hit eight home runs, drove in 68 and stole 23 bases.

He has been a fantastic leadoff hitter for the Twins this year, and, in turn, has been a pest for opponents. If the Yankees struggle to shut down Span, it could be a long series. SLIGHT EDGE: TWINS.

RIGHT FIELD: Carlos Gomez (MIN) vs. Nick Swisher (NYY)

Swisher got off to an incredible start to the 2009 season when he hit .312 with seven homers in April.

Since that time, his average has tailed off a bit, but Swisher still hit 29 homers and drove in 82. He is another leader in this clubhouse, thanks to his loose, fun-loving personality.

Gomez, the former Mets prospect, who was dealt to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade, really never developed into anything special.

He hit .227 and scored 50 runs, but played sparingly after Denard Span took over permanently in center field. Gomez could see some playing time either in right, or center, or as a pinch-hitter or runner in this series. EDGE: YANKEES.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Jason Kubel (MIN) vs. Hideki Matsui (NYY)

Talk about two great hitters going at it! Both the Twins and Yankees feature excellent DH's. Jason Kubel has been brilliant for the Twins this year, hitting .300 with 28 homers and 103 RBI.

He has been a steady, powerful bat in the Twins order, and even plays a decent right field on occasion.

As for Matsui, even though his legs are not strong enough to keep him in the outfield anymore, Godzilla can still swing the bat. Matsui hit 28 homers with 90 RBI and batted .274 this year.

It would be a shame if this is Matsui's final season with the Yankees because he has been one of the more consistent bats in their lineup year in and year out. EDGE: EVEN; THEY CAN BOTH BRING IT.

STARTING PITCHING

The key to any playoff series is pitching, and the Yankees have a plethora of it. Start with 19-game winner C.C. Sabathia and move on down to A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, as well as Joba Chamberlain.

The Yankees should figure to be really tough with this group leading the way for the Bronx Bombers.

However, Sabathia has to overcome his last two October performances, when he didn't pitch very well for the Indians and Brewers, respectively. As for Burnett, he can be a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde type of pitcher; sometimes he is dominant, and sometimes he can get bombed.

Andy Pettitte, who is a brillant post-season pitcher, wiill be a huge key to the Yankees success in game three. No one else should have the ball in a big swing game on the road other than Pettitte.

As for the Twins, they have a bunch of unknowns as far as October is concerned. Scott Baker led the team with 15 wins, but he won't pitch until game three. That leaves the Twins with Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, and some former Yankee pitcher, who failed to live up to a hefty contract, named Carl Pavano.

Sometimes pitchers who are not used to the pressure of the playoffs will pitch with nothing to lose and pitch very well as a result. But sometimes the bright lights can be a bit much for them. EDGE: YANKEES.

BULLPEN

Okay, okay; sure the middle relievers play a pivotal role in every playoff series, but this is all about the closers. Who would you rather have closing out a big playoff game, Mariano Rivera or Joe Nathan? That's a rhetorical question, of course.

Rivera either has ice in his veins or is a cyborg because nobody is better in the ninth inning than he. Rivera recorded 44 saves this year with a 1.76 ERA.

The guy can still bring it at 40 years old. People have wondered for years about when Rivera will run out of gas, but until it happens, Rivera will always get the edge.

As for Nathan, he is a excellent closer who doesn't get a lot of press because he plays in a small market team. Nathan recorded 47 saves this year with a 2.15 ERA. He is great, but Rivera is better in this match up. EDGE: YANKEES.

MANAGERS: Ron Gardenhire (MIN) vs. Joe Girardi (NYY)

There is a lot of pressure on Girardi to win this series. He runs the team with the highest payroll in baseball, and if he should lose, he will begin to know the wrath Hank and Hal Steinbernner put on Joe Torre two years ago.

That said, it is not easy to keep a group of All Stars together playing well. Girardi has struck a chord with this group and has them all playing for each other.

As for Ron Gardenhire, he has been here before. Five division titles, and five quick exits from the postseason, with the exception of 2002 when the Twins fell to the Anaheim Angels in the ALCS. Either way, Gardenhire is due for some post season success; he is too good a manager to keep losing. EDGE: EVEN.

INTANGIBLES

The Twins may be coming into Yankee Stadium a tired team, having played playoff baseball for the past three weeks, but the high that they are on could make them into a very dangerous team.

The Twins have won 17 of their last 21 games and are getting hot at the right time of the year. The Yankees haven't played a truly meaningful game in two weeks, thanks to their gigantic lead over the Red Sox and Rays in the AL East.

Can the Bombers kick it up a notch to match the intensity of the Twins? That will be the question. EDGE: TWINS.

WHO WILL WIN

The Yankees will find a way to win this series in four games. They ought to be able to get to Duensing and Blackburn in the middle innings of games one and two, and they will put the ball in the hands of Mariano Rivera to close the door. However, expect the Twins to be pesky throughout the series.

The Yankees will have to fight it out with Minnesota at several points in the series and could lose a game or two in what could be the final two games at the Metrodome, where the fans will be very pumped up, and very, very loud. YANKEES WIN 3 GAMES TO 1.

Octoberfest Begins: NFL Top Ten List After Week Four

Michael Cohen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:33:51 -0400

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

What Awaits Yankees? An Opportunity Of A Lifetime

Michael Cohen — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:12:40 -0400

Okay, New York Yankees; you now have the best record in baseball; you have 50 come-from-behind victories; you have a clubhouse full of likable players who seem to enjoy playing with and for each other, and, beginning next week, what does it all mean? Absolutely nothing.

Not to take anything away from the fabulous season that the Yankees have put together this year, they have been the best team in baseball since the beginning of June and have looked poised and determined to win their 27th World Championship this season, but, as all baseball afficianadoes know, October can be the cruelest month.

The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2000 when they beat the Mets in five games, and since that time, they have suffered one playoff disaster after another. There was the bloop single by Luis Gonzalez in the 2001 World Series that gave the Arizona Diamondbacks the trophy in game seven. There was the uncompetitive effort against the Angels in 2002. The shocking six game loss to the Florida Marlins and Josh Beckett in the 2003 World Series; who knew that Beckett would eventually become a Yankee killer a few years later in Boston.

Then, as we all know, there was the choke in 2004. A 3-0 series lead over the Boston Red Sox erased by Curt Shilling's bloody sock, Johnny Damon's long hair, and the big bat and the faster feet of Dave Roberts that led Boston back from the dead in seven games.

2005 was a rerun of 2002; another lackluster effort against the Angels; 2006 saw the revenge of Kenny Rogers, as he danced on top of the Detroit Tigers dugout after they slayed the Yankees in four games. Finally, in 2007, gnats and Indian bats demolished the Yankees in the divisional round yet again.

It has been one failure after another for a franchise that will fire even the water boy if it should come to pass that the Yankees should fail to win a game at any point in the season.

2009, on surface, appears to be different. Unlike past years where the clubhouse has been tighter than a drum, the players are loose and fancy free. They care about each other, play hard for one another, and back each other up if one should stumble. A.J. Burnett's "pie-in-the-face" schtick at whoever drives in the winning run, has played a big role in keeping things on an even keel in the clubhouse.

Nick Swisher's happy-go-lucky personality and Mark Teixeria's excellent leadership are other key factors creating a fresh environment in the Yankee clubhouse. This team believes that they can win no matter what the deficit, no matter where they are, no matter how gloomy and cold the night. 50 come-from-behind victories is testament to Yankee fortitude.

Therefore, credit is due to Joe Girardi.

He was the Manager of the Year a few years ago in Miami with the Marlins, and he should be a shoe-in for the honor again this year. Some will cynically look at the Yankees, and the $400 million they spent in the off-season on Burnett, Teixeira, and C.C. Sabathia and say that any manager could win with that Yankees roster.

Not the case.

It is not easy to manage a team full of all stars and overpriced players. Egos could easily raise its ugly hydra head at any moment, and players could easily care more about personal statistics instead of the concept of "team." Girardi has kept this outfit level headed all year by allowing players to be themselves. Last year, during spring training, he made his players play in a team pool tournament to create a sense of camaraderie, and it is now, in 2009, that his strategies are starting to pay off as the Yankees rock and roll into October.

That said, October is one big matzoh ball. It is one thing to play the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Oakland A's in July; it is quite another to play the Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels, and possibly, Joe Torre's Dodgers in the biting October air.

At this time next week, the Yankees will be 0-0, and questions will abound about how the Yankees veterans will handle October this time around. Can Alex Rodriguez get past his issues in the playoffs and just play relaxed baseball?

Will the Yankees get the C.C. Sabathia, who has won 55 games in the last three seasons? Or will they get the Sabathia who had two rather mediocre postseason starts in 2007 and 2008?

Will the Yankees get the dominant A.J. Burnett, who could easily pitch a no-hitter when he is on? Or will they get the Burnett who went through a terrible slump in July?

Will Mark Teixeira continue to torch pitchers in his first postseason under the big lights of N.Y.C., the way he did in the regular season?

Can Joba Chamberlain provide a couple of solid postseason outings, instead of imploding as he has at times this year?

These are all legitimate questions that will be answered when the Yankees and Tigers meet up in Yankee Stadium next week for the Divisional Series.

Over the years, the Yankees have not been as clutch in the postseason as in the glory years in the late 1990's. From 2002 - 2007, the Yankees always entered October with one of the best offenses in the league, but when it mattered the most, the bats went silent, particularly Alex Rodriguez' Louisville slugger, and Rodriguez became a sports talk radio punching bag for years.

Thus, Teixeira will be the biggest key to the Yankee offense this month. Teixeira has played in only four playoff games but owns a nice .467 batting average in October. If Teixeira can continue to rake the way he did throughout the year, it should definitely take a ton of pressure off Rodriguez, who has hit .133, .071, and .267, respectively, in his last three postseasons. A relaxed A-Rod means the Yankees should go very deep into October, so deep it could take them to Halloween!

Of course October is also all about pitching. The Yankees likely first round opponent, the Tigers, have some solid starting pitching. Justin Verlander, Jarrod Washburn, Rick Porcello, and Edwin Jackson is a solid rotation for any team with World Series aspirations. All four could match pitches with Sabathia, Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Chamberlain.

It will be imperative for the Yankee starters to out duel that foursome and get the game into the bullpens where the Yankees have a distinct and clear advantage over Detroit. Mariano Rivera vs. Fernando Rodney. Discussion over. The Yankees win the ninth inning battle, and maybe, maybe the series.

This is a golden opportunity for the Bronx Bombers. They have a chance to begin a new era of Yankee dominance that fans have not seen for a very long time. When watching this club in the latter innings through the regular season, it is hard not to believe that the Yankees will find a way to come back and win, and, like clockwork, the Yankees have found that yellow brick road to the glory of the Emeral City one night after another.

Does that make the 2009 Yankees as intimidating as the 1998 or 1999 Yankees? No, not yet. Those teams had the rings, the playoff experience, and the field knowledge that they had been there, done that when the lights were brightest in front of the biggest TV audiences.

The 2009 Yankees can get there; they can do that magic again.

They have the talent to bring back the intimidation that used to swirl around old Yankee Stadium during those radiant years. They can bring back the fear that used to exist in the back of the minds of their opponents, who would look at scoreboard and think about the possibility that the Yankees could come out of nowhere to win the game at the last minute.

This is their chance, their time, their golden opportunity. Unlike the past eight years, the Yankees have to seize the day.

Once Again, Chad Pennington is Done For the Season

Michael Cohen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:04:49 -0400

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.

Movers and Shakers: Ranking The NFL's Top 10

Michael Cohen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:34:19 -0400

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

Collision Course: 46 D Alums Ryan and Fisher To Face Off Sunday

Michael Cohen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:22:51 -0400

There are many story lines out there to follow for this Sunday's clash between the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans to feast off of, the obvious being New York coming off the ecstasy of walloping the New England Patriots 16-9 last weekend to improve the Badfellas (Jets) to 2-0 on the year.

Meanwhile, the Titans were just two or three plays away from being 2-0 and not 0-2. Tennessee's two losses to Pittsburgh and Houston were by a combined six points, making it quite clear that Tennessee has to win this weekend against the feisty Jets, if it wants to get its season back on track.

Yet, there are other story lines that are worth following, one of which has to do with the two coaches. Both Rex Ryan and Jeff Fisher hail from Buddy Ryan's famed 46 defense. Fisher used to play under the elder Ryan, when he was a safety for the Chicago Bears in 1985, the year the Bears went 15-1 en route to Super Bowl XX triumph.

Rex, was there as well, much younger, just out of college, watching his father create one of the most ferocious monsters in NFL history; a monster that has spawned off menacing clones in Baltimore, Tennessee, and, now, New York.

Therefore, one would have to expect that neither team should be very surprised in what they see from the opposing defenses; this could be a total street brawl. Just look at last year's Divisional playoff game between the Titans and Baltimore Ravens as evidence, when Ryan was the defensive coordinator for Baltimore.

The score was 13-10 in favor of Baltimore, and the game was most famous for its violent hits and absolute mayhem, as neither the Titans nor Ravens' offenses could move the ball.

The score was tied at seven heading into the fourth quarter, with the kickers, Matt Stover for the Ravens and Rod Bironas for the Titans figuring to be the only difference on the evening.

The Titans couldn't muster much of a ground game against Ryan's 46 D. Chris Johnson, who had 284 total yards last week against Houston, was held to just 72 yards rushing by the Ravens that day, and, Kerry Collins' inability to handle the blitz played a big part in the Titans defeat.

It is also worth noting that Fisher's defense held its own as well. The Titans gave up only nine first downs and 211 yards of offense a good Ravens offense; one would figure that Ryan and his coaching staff used that Titans/Ravens game as a key source for their players to study.

Thus begs the question as to what should people expect this weekend, when Fisher leads his Titans into New Jersey to take on Ryan's Jets? Lets go inside this match up:

QUARTERBACK: Mark Sanchez has gotten off to a brilliant start to his NFL career. He has withstood the heavy blitz packages of the Patriots and Texans in the first two weeks, leading the Jets to two victories in the early season. Sanchez has thrown for 435 yards and has completed 60 percent of his passes, something that is very unusual for a rookie quarterback. Sanchez has a lot of promise, and like Joe Flacco in Baltimore, should only get better with time.

Kerry Collins on the other hand has been around a long, long time, and is making his return to the Meadowlands, the place he called home for five years, when he played for the Giants from 1999-2003. He is still the starter in Tennessee, if for nothing else, the blatant fact that the Titans still do not trust Vince Young after his hissy fit last September.

Collins is a mixed bag. Sometimes he is very good, and other times he is just awful. Last year he was a godsend for the Titans leading the team to a 13-3 record, but fell victim to Rex Ryan's blitz happy Ravens defense in the divisional playoff game. How Collins handles the Ryan's schemes this time around will go a long way in determining a winner here. EDGE: JETS.

RUNNING BACK: Both the Jets and Titans feature a dynamic duo at running back, but the Titans are the team seeing the most success at the position right now.

Chris Johnson ran all over the Texans for 284 total yards, and scored three touchdowns in the effort. It should be interesting to see how the Jets play him. Since the Jets blitz so much, it should create some running room in space for Johnson in the short passing game. Expect Tennessee to roll out both Johnson and LenDale White on bubble screens, and dump-off passes all day long in order to tire the Jets front seven.

As for Gang Green, their running game hasn't really started yet. Other than a 38 yard touchdown run by Thomas Jones late in game one at Houston, Jones and Leon Washington have been non-existent. Jones and Washington were shut down by the Patriots last week, and it will be key for the second ranked rush defense to stop this dynamic duo. If Washington and Jones find a hole, either is a sure bet to take it to the house, especially Washington.

Last year when the Jets went to Tennessee, Washington had a huge afternoon, rushing for 82 yards on eight carries, including a 66 yard touchdown run to put the game away for the Jets. Washington will be a key to the game if the Jets are to win it. EDGE: TITANS.

WIDE RECEIVER: The Jets may not have the tallest receivers in the NFL, but they certainly have a nice group of fast receivers. Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey and Dustin Keller have provided Mark Sanchez with sure hands, and terrific speed after the catch. Last week as the Jets were driving for the go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter against New England, Cotchery made the catch on the slant, stutter stepped, and sped past two defenders, and nearly outran everyone for a touchdown. All three receivers have over 100 yards in receiving, and each are a threat to break it open for a touchdown.

As for Tennessee their receiving corps has always been looked down upon as one of the worst in the league, however Rutgers University rookie Kenny Britt is looking to change that. Britt leads the Titans in receiving with six catches for 107 yards. The Bayonne, N.J. native has terrific size (6'3") and speed to become a legit number one receiver in the NFL. Meanwhile Justin Gage has done a nice job, while Algee Crumpler is splitting time with last year's standout Bo Scaife at tight end. EDGE: JETS.

DEFENSE: Ah, now for the bread and butter of this game. This game features two doctors from Buddy Ryan's 46 D University, so people should expect to see a very tight chess match from start to finish.

The Jets have been unbelievable. The fact that a group of players, most of whom never played the complicated 46 defense, have picked the scheme up this quickly speaks volumes about Ryan as a teacher. He has schooled his defensive players from day one in the 46, and has been able to get this group to gel just in time for the regular season, as result, Ryan's Jets are the number one defense in football yielding only 241 yards per game.

The Jets have only two quarterback sacks, but they put tremendous pressure on Tom Brady and Matt Schaub through the first two weeks, knocking both of them to the ground during passes, and forcing both to throw on the hurry without a clear open receiver.

In the secondary, Darrelle Revis had his way with Andre Johnson and Randy Moss, holding both receivers to just four catches respectively. It should be interesting to see how he does against a rookie in Britt, this will be a challenge for the rookie to go up against the best corner back in football.

As for Tennessee, they are usually one of the best D's in the league, but not this year. The Titans are 26th in total defense, and 32nd in the league in pass defense. Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger ripped the Titans secondary to shreds in the first two weeks, which is a big reason why Tennessee is 0-2. Oddly enough the Titans are second in rushing defense, surrendering 49 yards per game; however, when opponents see red in the secondary, why run? EDGE JETS.

COACHING: If Rex Ryan is a master motivator for his players with his boastful trash talking, and exuberant confidence, Jeff Fisher is one better. Nobody knows how to play the "us against the world" card better than Fisher. He always finds a way to get the most out of his team in crucial situations, and that should not change here. Fisher knows that this is a great opportunity for the Titans to walk into a loud building and turn the lights out. Can Ryan match emotions with Fisher? We shall see. EDGE TITANS.

UNIFORMS: Yes, I have uniforms as a category; the only reason for this is because this game is tapped as an AFL 50th Anniversary game. The Jets will wear their throwback N.Y. Titans uniforms, a navy helmet, and jersey with gold pants and numbers. The uniform looks like a poor man's version of the Pittsburgh Steelers uni's, but keep in mind the Jets are 3-1 in those uniforms since bringing them into vogue in 2007.

The Titans will be wearing one of the many versions of the Houston/ Tennessee Oilers uniforms. They will be wearing a sky blue helmet with a white oil rig on each side of the helmet, along with a white jersey with sky blue lettering. This is slightly different from the typical Oilers uniforms that fans have grown used to seeing in years past. Those uniforms had a white helmet with a red and blue oil rig decal, with bright, sky blue jerseys, and red piping. EDGE: EVEN, GOTTA LOVE THROWBACK JERSEYS!!

INTANGIBLES: Can Jet fans rev it up like they did against New England for the second straight week? Can the Jets continue to play with reckless abandon week in and week out? That is the question as we tick down to kickoff.

If Jet fans are as loud as they were last week, then for sure it could be enough to carry the team. However, there is a difference from the Patriots and Titans. There is a blood flowing hatred for New England among Jet fans, that same hatred does not exist for Tennessee. The fans will be there, but they won't be as loud from start to finish, unless the Jets are winning the game.

The Titans badly need this game. They are 0-2, and could easily be 2-0, if it weren't for a couple of late field goals that killed them. Expect to see a motivated Tennessee team waltz into Giants Stadium, knowing that they can get their season back on track if they shut up the Jets fans and end talk about how good Rex Ryan's Big Bad Jets have been this year. EDGE: TITANS.

PREDICTION: This figures to be a dog fight from start to finish. Expect Sanchez and company to face their first difficult afternoon against a desperate football team. Remember desperate teams are always dangerous. If the Jets win this game, they have got to jump off to a big 10 or 14 point lead in the first quarter. If Jets allow Tennessee to hang around heading into the fourth quarter, it will give the Titans a ton of confidence, maybe enough confidence that it carries Tennessee to victory. TITANS 24, JETS 21.

Week Two In Review: NFL's Top 10 Teams

Michael Cohen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:33:32 -0400

Two weeks are in the books, and it is a little clearer as to whom is surging up to the top of the NFL charts, and whom is starting to crumble. So far this season seems to be about change. The Patriots, Steelers and Chargers are not looking too good right now, while the Jets, Ravens, Falcons and Saints seem to be making the surge to the top. What constitutes as a top 10 team? For me, it is quality of victory. Does a team beat quality opponents, or do they beat inferior ones? If a team is beating and competing hard against good football teams, then they will likely find themselves in my top 10. So, without further adu, Here is a look at the NFL's top 10 teams through week two of the 2009 regular season. Let the debate begin!!!

Begin Slideshow

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

Michael Cohen — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:54:06 -0400

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.

Rex Ryan's Dirty 11: Badfellas of the Gridiron

Michael Cohen — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:30:40 -0400

This is not your father's New York Jets. Hell, this is not even your brother's New York Jets! If one thing was clear on Sunday afternoon as the Jets stomped all over the highly touted Houston Texans by a score of 24-7, it is this: Rex Ryan has clearly brought an edge to the Jets that has not been seen from the franchise in its entire history.

Over the past 40 years of futility since Jan. 12, 1969, fans of Gang Green have grown accustomed to seeing their defense give up chunks of yards, fail to blitz the quarterback, and allow opponents to storm back to steal the game in the final quarter.

Fans have made ritual trips to the bathroom to vomit after watching another horrific performance from their starting quarterbacks: Richard Todd, Ken O'Brien, Neil O'Donell, Glenn Foley, Rick Mirer, Chad Pennington, Brooks Bollinger, Kellen Clemens, and Brett Favre. It just doesn't matter; the results have always been the same.

This time around, Jet fans are seeing a different team. They see it on the sideline, moving from the top with Ryan down to the the last man listed on the 53-man roster. This team plays with a brand of violent aggression, sacking, pushing, punching, hitting and clipping their opponents without fear of foul.

This group cares about only three things: (1) Victory, (2) Sending a message that this version of Gang Green will not be pushed around, and (3) Victory.

Coach Rex Ryan has to take credit for this transformation. From day one, Ryan has instilled a brash, no-holds-barred attitude in the locker room, and it is apparent now that his message has gotten across pretty quickly.

In the Texans game, the Jets held star receiver Andre Johnson to a mere 35 yards on four catches, and they even knocked him out of a few plays after a nasty hit by Donald Strickland in which he smashed Johnson to the ground like a bull striking at Pamplona.

They confined Pro Bowl running back Steve Slanton to a stingy 17 yards on nine carries, exposing the Texans as rather a vanilla football team.

The Jets' harassment of Matt Schaub was not only unexpected but a graphic display of the Jets' new approach. On the opening drive of the game, David Harris broke free on the blitz and launched himself seemingly through Schaub, drilling him to the ground as he released the ball. The pass floated incomplete; the Texans had the punt and Schaub limped off the field.

Hitting and rushing the passer is something Gang Green is not known for, but, this team rendition will not only get after the quarterback, they will go after him like a falcon diving at red meat. They hit Schuab over a dozen times on Sunday, even getting away with a couple of late hits, and sacked him twice, including an obvious horse collar sack by Harris, when he yanked Schuab down to the ground by the back of his shoulder pads.

The Jets' aggressiveness appeared on offense, too. With the clock ticking down in the second quarter, quarterback Mark Sanchez rolled out of the pocket and appeared to have the first down in his sights; at the last minute, he caught sight of Dustin Keller breaking free of coverage; Sanchez drilled the ball across his body to Keller, who made the catch and was tackled after a 25-yard gain.

After the tackle, the Houston linebacker was jawing at Keller. Keller suddenly snapped, got up and pushed the surprised backer away from himself. Soon, most of the Jets sideline marched onto the field and started pushing and shoving other Texan players in defense of their tight end.

Ryan and his coaches had to pull his players off the field to protect them, but the die had been cast that this group was playing with one large chip on its shoulders.

Later in game, after Sanchez threw a costly pick that cut the Jets lead to 17-7, the young quarterback showed true grit. Sanchez released a bomb down the sideline to Keller, who made the catch in stride and dashed 40 yards to the Texan 38-yard line.

Two plays later, Thomas Jones burst through the trenches and scored on a 38-yard sprint to give Gang Green an insurmountable 24-7 advantage.

For the past week, the Jets have trash-talked about what they plan to do to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Trash talking is usually cheap, and it is new to see it coming from the Jets who were one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL over the past 12 years.

Those days are gone. Kerry Rhodes, Kris Jenkins, and others have told the media that the Jets plan to make Brady into a Raggedy Ann doll on Sunday afternoon, and I am sure that Ryan is pumping up the troops tonight with another profanity laced stump speech.

In case you didn't know, several Jet players told the New York Post that Ryan's speech before the Texans game was so motivational that they were ready to strap on pads and smack into someone right then.

In fact, kicker Jay Feely was quoted as saying that Ryan used "the F-bomb 52 times" during the speech. Imagine what he could be saying tonight. It might sound a little like Geroge C. Scott's speech at the beginning of Patton, if not more profane.

It is becoming clear that Ryan's die is cast: This Jets team will play the role of the anti-hero and love it. They will trash talk, illegally kick, trip and tackle anyone who stands in their way, and, somehow, find the means to win ball games with their solid NFL talent.

Talk about being the bad guy; this is a talented group of players who not only win, but win dirty.

Whatever the case may be, the Jets will have to back up their new coach and prove to the nation once again that they are indeed a different franchise on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Anything less will be considered a disappointment.
Ask any Jet player or coach; the mantra is "Make my day."

N.Y. Jets Lucky As Mangini Fumbles Cleveland QB Competition

Michael Cohen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:24:46 -0400

Jet fans, consider yourselves lucky: You could still have Eric Mangini as your head coach.

Ever since Rex Ryan was hired to replace Mangini, people have highlighted the differences between the two. Ryan has given his players, fans, and bosses confidence in his firm ability to make key decisions for the Jets. He changed the culture from timid to bold, and his strong belief this team can win at any cost is an inspiration to his players—who would do anything for "their coach."

Mangini was always different, retiring behind the mantra of Bill Belichick's disciple. He rarely showed faith in his team as he mumbled and stumbled through press conferences, finding it difficult to say anything positive about his players. Worse yet, he posed solemnly on the sidelines, arms folded across his chest in a state of apparently deep concentration, concern etched on his furrowed brow before the axe fell.

Now, less than a week before opening day, the former poker-faced coach of the Jets continues to find a way to frustrate the Cleveland Browns.

The latest: Mangini has royally screwed up his quarterback competition. Spring OTAs, summer training camp, and four preseason games were not enough for Mangini to decide between Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson to be his starting quarterback.

Earlier today, Mangini said that he still had yet to make a decision on the competition, and—most disturbingly—has yet to tell either Anderson or Quinn about his decision. In fact, Mangini plans on keeping silent on the situation all the way until kickoff on Sunday, when the team squares off against the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre—the very man who got him canned in New York last January.

Mangini's logic: He wants to keep the Vikings in the dark as long as possible.

"It is more difficult to plan for two (quarterbacks) than it is to plan for one," he said. "I'm not saying that's going to be the difference or not the difference, but I know that there is time allotted to that and you can't put the same amount of time into focusing on one player," Mangini said at his afternoon press conference.

Gee, Eric, the Vikings only had two weeks to prepare for the Cleveland Browns. I think there is enough film of the Browns for the Vikings to study both quarterbacks.

Plus, Minnesota has one of the NFL's top defenses. I don't think it matters who is under center for Cleveland. Football is football; it's not astro-physics.

Once again, this is an example of Mangini outsmarting himself. Just think, this could have been the Jets that endured a highly ballyhooed quarterback competition this summer between rookie Mark Sanchez and veteran Kellen Clemens. Even though Sanchez clearly outplayed Clemens, you can certainly picture Mangini performing the same Hamlet-like indecisiveness if he were still in New York.

He would likely keep the progress of the competition mute until game day, allowing young quarterback Sanchez, frustrated veteran Clemens, and 51 other players to twist in the wind until he decided—not unlike the William Windom character at the beginning of Planes, Trains and Automobilies, who couldn't tell Steve Martin and Lyman Ward which magazine cover to use in a planned advertising campaign, setting off the movie's hilarious chain of events.

There is a reason why Rex Ryan came to a decision on the quarterback before the third preseason game. He wanted to give his first-string offense time to gel with its new starting quarterback. He wanted to make sure his quarterback had the opportunity to work with the offense, improve continuity with receivers, and get the offensive line accustomed to the cadence of a their new leader.

It makes sense. In order for a team to be truly successful with a competent offense, the organization has to know weeks in advance who their starting quarterback will be. The quarterback is the field general of the team, counted on to lead in crucial moments.

Rex Ryan knows this. He sees that Mark Sanchez has the desire and ability to take a team on his back and lead it. That is why he made a swift decision. He wants to make sure the franchise is ready to succeed.

As for Mangini, the only things he understands are mind games. His refusal to name a starter is counterproductive. Not only will the Vikings be in the dark about who the quarterback starter will be, but so will the Browns!

Hence, the big difference, the chasm exists between Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini. Jets fans drew the right hand. This news has to give Jet fans heart that the franchise might very well be in good hands.

Let It Rock! 2009 NFL Season Is Ready To Take Center Stage

Michael Cohen — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:00:23 -0400

Six months ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on top of the world. Trailing 23-20 in the finial minutes of Super Bowl XLIII, Ben Roethlisberger entered the status of one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks when he lofted a pop up to the corner of the end zone into the golden hands of Santonio Holmes, who made a spectacular catch while getting pushed out of bounds.

The final quarter was a thriller in what had been heretofore a dull football game, and made for a fine conclusion to the 2008 season. The Steelers faced the league's toughest schedule in 2008, and, with all due respect to the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers were the number one team in the league from start to finish.

Now a new season is on the horizon and with it tantilizing questions: Can the Steelers repeat as champions? Can Tom Brady return to his form of two seasons ago when he led New England to a perfect regular season? Can the Giants regain their momentum from the last year and a half and become a champion once again? How will Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez do in their initial year with the Jets? Will Michael Vick be a factor or a bust in Philly?

These questions will be answered over the next 22 weeks, with the culmination coming at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida for Super Bowl XLIV. But for now, here are my predictions before the games begin.

AFC EAST:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 12-4: Heeeeeeeeeee's baaaaaaacccckkkkkk! Tom Brady is back in town, and he is ready to wreak havoc on the entire NFL. It was a huge loss for the Patriots when Brady went down on opening day, but the fact that this team still went 11-5 without him says a lot about Bill Belichick and the depth of this ball club.

The Patriots added some key pieces to join Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Joey Galloway, the veteran speedster who made his name in Seattle years ago, will be the team's fourth wide out, as long as he and Brady can get on the same page. The two have struggled to connect in pre-season. Adding Galloway gives the Pats two legit deep threats with being the other.

Fred Taylor wasn't wanted anymore in Jacksonville, and the Patriots picked him up to help out Lawrence Maroney and Kevin Faulk, in what figures to be a very deep backfield for New England.

The one caveat is the defense. Gone are Teddy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour. The Pats are moving toward a more youthful look on defense; it should be interesting to see how quickly a new group gels, and whether they can be as dominant as Patriot defenses of the past. Look for New England to feast off the AFC East this year and be in contention for a top playoff seed.

BUFFALO BILLS 7-9: I was once thinking that the Bills might have a good team this year; maybe they could compete for a wild card berth, and they still may contend, but when a team fires its offensive coordinator before the season even kicks off, the absence is quite ominous. The Bills desperately need Terrell Owens, as weird as that sounds, to return to the field and provide Buffalo with that lethal passing game that they could posses.

Owens and Lee Evans working together should give opposing secondaries headaches and furnish Trent Edwards one of the best one-two punch receivers to target.

Still, potential doesn't always spell success. The Bills will have to wait three weeks before Marshawn Lynch returns to the backfield; in the meantime, they hope that Fred Jackson can develop into a top running back that could eventually replace Lynch.

In addition, fans can't be encouraged that Dick Jouran is still coaching this team. They went 5-1 at the start of the year, and Jouran watched his club win only three games the rest of the way. He should have been fired, but he is still in Buffalo. Eventually, Bills management has to move on from one of the leagues most overrated coaches.

NEW YORK JETS 6-10: Jet fans are on pins and needles. They are ready to jump out of their seats and scream with excitement after watching Mark Sanchez torch a beat up Giants defense, and especially after listening to Rex Ryan's immodest proclamations of immediate success. Yet, they have to curb their enthusiasm a whole heck of a lot.

A young team is a young team. The Jets new 46 Defense, which figures to be incredible as the years moves by, will take baby steps in the opening weeks, especially with a difficult first month on their docket. Moreover, Sanchez will go through some growing pains this year; expect to see the Sanchez that looked lost in Baltimore rather than the Sanchez that looked like a star in the last two pre-season games for most of the regular season, as the blitzes that come at him will have the goal of taking his head off. It will be a rough year, but the future looks really bright for Gang Green.

MIAMI DOLPHINS 6-10: If you believe that Chad Pennington can have another successful season without dislocating his shoulder, or breaking a leg, or even stubbing his toe, then you might believe that pigs can fly. In other words: get a life if you are putting money on the Fish to be a playoff team again this year.

The Dolphins shocked everyone last year with their wild cat offense, but expect that to change big time this year. Teams are scheming for it this time around, so don't expect Ronnie Brown and company to have as much success running the Cat this year.

The Dolphins have a rough schedule this year with games against the Steelers, Chargers, Colts, Panthers, Saints, and two with the Patriots, so a step backwards is in the offing.

AFC NORTH:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 12-4: The World Champions figure to be as good as the 2008 version; that is, if Ben Roethlisberger is fully healed from a strained Achilles tendon, and if Santonio Holmes and Willie Parker are fully healed as well from nagging off-season injuries. If all three are healthy then the Steelers will be a threat to dominate the AFC once again.

Their Blitzburgh defense is still one of the top D's in the league, and with everyone returning for another year from that unit, the Steelers D should remain among the top three defense's in the NFL.

Player to watch: Rashard Mendenhall should figure big in the Steelers offense. Willie Parker had a down year in 2008, and if he should stumble again this year, Mendenhall will see a lot more carries in 2009.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 10-6: Over the last seven years, four teams have dominated the AFC: New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and San Diego. Now you can grow that list to five with the addition of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens shocked the world last year with the outstanding play of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco; he helped lead Baltimore to the AFC title game. This year, Flacco should only get better. He has a terrific arm and size to be a Super Bowl quarterback, and if his performance against a good Panthers defense (23 for 28 for 247 yards) is any indication, then the Ravens are in for a big year.

Ray Rice, the former Rutgers running back, figures to get a majority of the carries for the Ravens but don't count out Willis McGahee, who came to camp in the best shape of his life after suffering a horrific head-to-head collision in last year's title game in Pittsburgh.

The defense? Well, even with Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard in New York, the Ravens still have Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Enough said.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 7-9: If anyone has caught an episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Cincinnati Bengals," then one can tell that Marvin Lewis is ready to jump out of a window. In one showing, the Bengals coach is seen screaming at his players during practice because guys were coming out in sandals not cleats.

Yeah, exactly; the Bengals stink. You have to feel badly for guys like Carson Palmer, who is a very good quarterback on a terrible football team, and, yes, even Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson, who, in spite of his desire to be world famous on Twitter, is a very good teammate.

CLEVELAND BROWNS 5-11: When Eric Mangini landed in Cleveland, the first thing he did to alienate himself from everyone was paint over a mural of Cleveland Browns history; he had someone paint over pictures of Jim Brown and Bernie Kosar. To top that, Mangini proceeded to distance himself even farther by making enemies with many of his players by ignoring them and even dragging them to Connecticut for his eponymous Youth Football Camp.

Still there is some talent in Cleveland to prevent this team from going totally bust, but the worst record in the league and mutiny is not out of the question.

AFC SOUTH:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 11-5: Many are waiting for the Colts to completely fall apart. They were waiting like vultures last year when it became obvious that Marvin Harrison was no longer the same player, and Joesph Addai put together a horrible season. Still, Peyton Manning threw 27 touchdowns, low for him, and 4,000 yards.

With Tony Dungy out of the picture as head coach, many are wondering if Jim Caldwell can do a good enough job to keep things stable in Indy. The one thing Caldwell has going for him is Manning; as long as Peyton is around, the Colts will be a threat to win it all every year.

Expect the Colts to have a solid season once again.

TENNESSEE TITANS 9-7: The Titans were a surprising team last year, starting off at 10-0, and finishing with the AFC's best record 13-3. Even with that terrific record and a top ten defense, there was something disturbingly wrong with the Titans - their offense.

The Titans fielded a lackluster passing attack in 2008, led by the always inconsistent Kerry Collins, and receivers Justin Gage and Justin McCariens. If it weren't for Chris Johnson's breakout season on the ground, the Titans could have had the worst offense in the game. Expect Tennessee to take a natural step backwards since a lot of teams will be gunning for them. Plus, when was the last time Kerry Collins had back-to-back solid seasons as a starter? Humm ... yeah ... we are still waiting.

HOUSTON TEXANS 9-7: Everyone is pumping up the Houston Texans. After spending their first six years of existence as an NFL doormat, people are expecting the Texans and its high powered offense to drive right to the postseason.

The Texans have wonderful weapons in receiver Andre Johnson and running back Steve Slaton. Johnson is the one of the best receivers in the game; he put up 1,575 yards last season and remains the team's lone deep threat. Slaton had a terrific rookie campaign, posting 1,282 yards rushing, and he should get better with time.

Nonetheless, the big problem is at the quarterback position. Matt Schaub never stays healthy, having missed a big part of each of the last two seasons. He has to find a way to stay on the field for all 16 games for the Texans to finally show their potential. In fact, even if Schaub does complete the season, we can't predict how good he really will be.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 5-11: Which Jacksonville Jaguars team will we see this year? In 2007, experts expected the Jags to put up an uncompetitive season;,lo' and behold, the Jaguars went 11-5 behind a rejuvenated Fred Taylor and an inspired David Garrard; the Jags marched to the divisional round of the playoffs. Last season, many thought that the Jaguars were good enough to take the next step and compete for a championship, but the Jaguars fell off the map. Garrard had a terrible year, and Maurice Jones-Drew and Taylor were non-factors all year.

What will it be this year? Garrard is not a great QB, but he is accurate, having completed 61 percent of his passes in his career. As for Jones-Drew, he is one of the game's most highly touted running backs, but he faces a stiff challenge this year. Taylor no longer plays for the Jags, making it Jones-Drew's team. He must regain his form of two years ago if the Jags are to be successful.

Could the Jaguars surprise this year? Sure, they have the talent; they just have to use it.

AFC WEST:

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 13-3: The Chargers had better win 13 games this year. The AFC West is the worst division in football with three teams (Broncos, Raiders, and Chiefs) all rebuilding and struggling to find an identity.

The Chargers have the most talent in the West with Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates leading the Bolts on offense. The Chargers can score at will, and they should have a field day against a soft schedule. Defensively, the Chargers welcome back Shawn Merriman to the corps. Last season, Merriman went down with a season ending knee injury, and the Chargers were never the same without him.

Look for the Bolts to seek vengeance on the AFC for years of playoff failures and capture the conference's number one seed.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 6-10: Hey! After a 2-14 season the Chiefs move into second place! That is what happens when two other teams are even worse than Kansas City. The Chiefs are rebuilding; they brought in Scott Pioli, the brilliant GM that built the Patriots dynasty in this decade, to do the same in KC. He brought with him another Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick alum in Todd Haley to coach this team, and with Matt Cassel now at quarterback, it is clear that the Chiefs are looking toward better days in the future.

However, it will take time before Cassel ever steps on the field for the Chiefs. Cassel went down with a leg injury two weeks ago, and he will miss the first month of the season. In his place, Tyler Thigpen, who did a nice job as the Chiefs starter last year, will be under center on opening day.

For now, it doesn't matter who is the quarterback; the Chiefs will be bad this year, but they should only get better with time.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 5-11: We move from a team that has upside to a team that has monumental downside. When are the Raiders going to figure things out? Coach Tom Cable added to the long laundry list of embarrassments when he punched out one of his assistant coaches, UFC style, during camp. To top it, the team cut quarterback Jeff Garcia because he felt he is a better quarterback than JaMarcus Russell. I think he may have a point but don't tell that to Al Davis, or whoever is running this team into the ground.

DENVER BRONCOS 3-13: Now for the coup de grace of laugh-out loud embarrassment! Over the years, fans have gotten used to teams like the Lions, Browns, Jets, and Saints inhabiting the painful distinction of being the worst run franchise in sports; now the Broncos hold this incredible trophy.

First, the Broncos thought it was a good idea to fire Mike Shanahan after a series of mediocre seasons and decided to hire baby-face New England assistant Josh McDaniels to run the team. McDaniels, in turn, has run the Broncos into the ground in just a few months. He had a spat with Jay Cutler, and got the franchise quarterback traded to Chicago for ... gulp ... Kyle Orton!?!?!? Now, McDaniels is in a fight with the team's best receiver, Brandon Marshall since the pompous wide out wants more money and the football. I am sure owner Pat Bolen calls Shanahan every day to apologize for firing the only coach to win a Super Bowl in Denver. If McDaniels accomplishes one thing this year, he will beat out Tom Cable, Eric Mangini and Wade Phillips as the first coach to get fired before Christmas.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:

CHARGERS 13-3

STEELERS 12-4

PATRIOTS 12-4

COLTS 11-5

RAVENS 10-6

TEXANS 9-7

NFC EAST:

NEW YORK GIANTS 10-6: Last season, the Giants came off the incredible high of winning Super Bowl XLII by winning 11 of their first 12 games, making the statement that the G-Men were the best in pro football. Then a gun at a nightclub seemed to change everything.

Once Plaxico Burress was caught with possessing an illegal fire arm at a N.Y. club a few days after Thanksgiving, the Giants offense was never the same. Eli Manning made all the throws, but the likes of Steve Smith and Dominik Hixon failed to make the catches, so much so that Big Blue was ousted by the hated Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional playoffs 23-11.

Today, the Giants still have concerns at wide receiver. Hixon, Smith and Sinorice Moss struggled throughout the pre-season, but it appears that there is some light at the end of the tunnel in rookie Hakeem Nicks, who had a spectacular pre-season. If Nicks can replace Burress, it will allow the Giants vaunted running game of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be even better.

Caveat: The Giants deep defense is banged up a bit. Antonio Pierce, Michael Boely, Chris Canty, Jay Alford, and Aaron Ross are a few of many players that have spent time on the DL this summer. The Giants have to get these players back if they hope to contend for another Super Bowl title.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10-6: My upset special is the Washington Redskins. Everyone is talking about the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys in this division, and no one is paying attention to Washington, which usually means that a surprise is in the offing.

The Redskins have heard throughout the off-season that coach Jim Zorn is in over his head, and the fact that owner Dan Snyder tried to replace Jason Campbell with either Mark Sanchez or Jay Cutler. Failing at both, Campbell will be back under center for Washington, and he must step it up this year.

The Redskins have always had the talent from Santana Moss to Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley. Now they have to put it together for the first time in a very long time. Plus, the addition of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will give the Skins much needed bulk in the middle of their defense.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 9-7: Every year experts tag a certain team to make it to the Super Bowl, and, as a result, the team falls on its face. The Eagles are such a team. They added Justin Peters to the offensive line, Jeremy Maclin to receiver and LaSean McCoy at running back. All of sudden the Eagles were Super Bowl favorites.

With the addition of the monster otherwise known as Michael Vick, the expectations are even higher. The Eagles are a team always in constant turmoil, from Donovan McNabb's security as the starting quarterback to Andy Reid's job security. Just a hunch ... things are not going to change.

DALLAS COWBOYS 8-8: Poor Tony Romo doesn't have Jessica Simpson and Terrell Owens to kick him around anymore; now he has to put up or shut up, as does coach Wade Phillips whom owner Jerry Jones is ready to fire at a moment's notice. Another lost season, and this team will begin to rebuild ... and fast.

NFC NORTH:

GREEN BAY PACKERS 12-4: The Packers have the opportunity to really become a super team. They have a good young nucleus of Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Ryan Grant and Donald Lee on the offensive side of the ball, and a solid, experienced defense with A.J. Hawk, Aaron Kampman and Charles Woodson set to make a big run into the postseason.

This year is all about Rodgers. He had a huge year, his first as Packers starter, throwing for 4,038 yards and 28 touchdowns; this year he can cement himself as the leader of the Pack with another big season and two wins over former Packer Brett Favre and the Vikings. If Rodgers continues to develop into a pro bowl quarterback with this high powered offense, the Packers could be off and running.

CHICAGO BEARS 11-5: With Jay Cutler now in Chicago, the Bears finally have a legit quarterback. Three years ago when the Bears went to the Super Bowl, it was the defense, Thomas Jones and Devin Hester, that took Chicago to the big dance. Now with Cutler, the Bears have a guy able to put points on the board for that terrific defense.

The caveat is the receiving corps. Devin Hester is the only decent receiver the Bears have, and he is a corner back. It will be important for the other receivers to step it up big time if the Bears want to contend.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 7-9: Oh, so now that the Vikings have Brett Favre; this means Super Bowl, right? Wrong. Favre is washed up as a football player. Even though he claims that he is fully recovered from right shoulder surgery, it is hard to imagine that a 40 year old man can just show up, having missed most of training camp and all of OTA's, to lead the Vikings to the promised land. At least the Vikings have Adrian Peterson to keep Viking fans from throwing their seats at Favre after each interception.

DETROIT LIONS 3-13: Here is one guarantee prediction this year: the Lions will win at least one game in 2009. After going 0-16 last season, 1-15 is actually an improvement. The Lions will likely start the year with Daunte Culpepper as the starting quarterback, but it will only be a matter of time before Matthew Stafford takes over. The Lions are years, upon years, away from actually being a factor in a playoff race.

NFC SOUTH:

CAROLINA PANTHERS 10-6: There has to be some concern for the Panthers heading into the season. Jonathan Stewart, who is the second in Carolina's vaunted one-two punch at running back, has been bothered by an Achilles tendon strain and really never practiced at all in training camp. Stewart is expected to miss the opener, putting extra pressure on DeAngelo Williams to carry the load as the primary running back. Williams had a fantastic season last year, so the Panthers are lucky that they have one of their top two backs playing.

Injuries have been the pattern for the Panthers over the years. Whenever this team seems ready to push for a championship, they sufer numerous injuries that prevents them from contending. Is the Stewart injury the beginning of a snow ball?

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 9-7: The Saints have a very productive offense with Drew Brees leading the way. Brees was all world last year throwing for 5,069 yards on a team that didn't have a 1,000 yard receiver. This is a big year for Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Thomas will be the feature back with Deuce McAllister no longer on the team. Thomas has 625 yards last year and should have a 1,000 yard campaign in '09. As for Bush, he must prove that he is more than just a special team's ace. Bush has the talent to be an every down back, but he has yet to prove it.

Defense will be key. The most sacks a Saints player recorded was six, so if new D coordinator Greg Williams gets his way, the Saints will become more of a blitz happy unit than in years past. They will need to be in order to stop the high powered ground games in Atlanta and Carolina.

ATLANTA FALCONS 6-10: No one could have foreseen the success coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan had in 2008, so it should be viewed as natural that the Falcons stumble backwards a bit. Too much success is not always a good thing. This will be a challenging year for Atlanta as many teams in the NFC will be taking the Falcons seriously from the get-go. Can they handle the pressure?

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2-14: The Bucs are in transition. They hired 32-year-old Raheem Morris to be their head coach, which should prove to be quite interesting. Two things could happen here: the players may feel a very close connection to Morris to the point that they will fight hard for him every single week and may even pull off a lot of upsets, or the older players that are still on the team may eventually feel disenchanted with the inexperienced coach, and, in turn, turn him off.

Either way, this is about 2010, if not 2011 for Tampa Bay; they will look to ease rookies like Josh Freeman into the lineup.

NFC WEST:

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 11-5: I like what is happening in Seattle. They have re-energized the team with Jim Mora Jr. as Mike Holmgren's replacement; they signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh away from the Bengals to become their primary receiver, and they are welcoming back a healthy Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback. Expect to see the Seahawks light up the scoreboard this year with Hasselbeck to Houshmandzadeh all season long; Julius Jones and Edgerrin James will provide a nice one-two running back punch in the backfield.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 8-8: Over the years, the team that looses the Super Bowl falls apart the following season. Expect the same to happen to the Cardinals for two reasons: 1) there is something to this pattern, and 2) they are the Cardinals!

Kurt Warner had another storybook year last year, but one has to wonder how many more miracles the 38-year-old quarterback has left to compose. At least he still has Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston to whom to throw. The key for the Cards is finding a ground game with Chris "Beanie" Wells and making certain that their defense regains momentum from the playoffs and actually plays well in the regular season.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 7-9: Anytime Shaun Hill wins the starting job at quarterback means that someone is in for a long season. The 49ers are still trying to figure out their identity as a football team, and with Mike Singletary entering his second season as head coach, it will be important for San Francisco to win eight or nine games, then go on to contend for a wild card. Let's hope that Singletary keeps his pants on when the Niners go on an extended losing streak.

ST. LOUIS RAMS 4-12: Steve Spagnolou, the former Giants defensive coordinator, is taking his craft to the Rams, an organization that never knew how to play defense even when they were good earlier in the decade. The Rams have to develop a killer instinct if they want to return to prominence.

It will be a long year because this offense won't score a lot of points. With Tory Holt now playing in Jacksonville, the Rams no longer have a number one deep threat to receive, and on top of that, Mark Bulger needs to show people that he can stay healthy for a full season.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:

GREEN BAY PACKERS 12-4

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 11-5

NEW YORK GIANTS 10-6

CAROLINA PANTHERS 10-6

CHICAGO BEARS 11-5

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10-6

Taking a Bite Out of Crime: Michael Vick Will Be Back By Week Three

Michael Cohen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:09:54 -0400

Whatever your opinion of Michael Vick and his personal issues, it is clear that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't care what people think,he is ready to move on.

About an hour ago, Goodell ruled that Vick will be eligible to play football by Week Three of the regular season. That means that Vick won't have to serve the six week suspension that many thought he would face when he was released from prison in July.

The Eagles, now, have the ability to bring Vick into the fold offensively when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Lincoln Financial Field on September 27.

Vick will definitely add a dimension to the Philly offense. Vick's deceptive ability to both run and throw the football will make him extremely dangerous in the wildcat offense; that is, if NFL defenses haven't figured out how to scheme against the wildcat at that point in time.

That being said, protesters will follow Vick and the Eagles all season; the hard message is he has to pay for his horrific actions two years ago. Vick must to consider himself lucky. If this experiment should fail in Philadelphia, it will likely be the last time Vick plays in an NFL uniform since most teams wouldn't want a run down version of Vick with his tarnished public image.

This is his last shot. This is his chance. Now Vick has to take full advantage of it and prove to the country that he can be a decent citizen, as well as a excellent football player once again.

Mark Sanchez and Jets Show Poise In Win Over Giants

Michael Cohen — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:39:11 -0400

JETS 27, GIANTS 25

Oh, what a night!

Sure it was preseason, but don't tell that to the New York Jets, who put on one heck of a show in their annual end of summer clash with the New York Giants.

Coming into the game, the Jets needed to give Mark Sanchez some much needed reps, and in return, receive some positive results after last week's debacle in Baltimore; positive results are exactly what they got and more.

Unlike last week when Sanchez looked lost in the world of Ray Lewis and the blitz-happy Baltimore Ravens defense, Sanchez withstood the blitz tonight from the Giants and delivered a veteran-like performance, going 13-for-20 for 149 yards and a touchdown.

In the second quarter, with the Giants on top 13-7, the Jets had the ball at their own 38 yard line facing a second and 10. Sanchez rolled to his left, avoided the pass rush and drilled the football to a wide open Chansi Stuckey for a 29-yard gain to the Giants 31 yard line.

Two plays, later, Sanchez rolled right into the blitz; with Osi Umineyoria and Fred Robbins bearing down on Sanchez, the rookie heaved the ball down the sideline to Stuckey, who made the catch, re-established himself inbounds, and dashed into the end zone to give the Jets a 14-13 lead.

Most of time it is ill advised for a quarterback to heave the ball up under such pressure, but the play displayed two things: 1) Sanchez has enough poise to make a quick read and decision on a broken play, and 2) his accuracy is really good. It takes a very strong arm to get rid of a football accurately under such duress, and Sanchez passed the test with flying colors.

From there Sanchez seemed to be in a groove. Standing in the pocket, Sanchez delivered a couple of strikes; one, a nine-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery to move the chains.

Later, Sanchez delievered a laser to Cotchery in the end zone that hit the receiver in the numbers while he was double covered. Cotchery dropped the touchdown, but the message that Sanchez and Jets wanted to send was load and clear.

Defensively, the Jets got stronger as the night wore on.

Even though they never sacked quarterback Eli Manning, they put so much pressure on his receivers in tight bump-and-run coverage that it probably contributed to the series of drops and overthrows for the Giants offense all night.

The Jets new 46 Defense was so fast to the football on many different occasions that it was hard for any Giants offensive player to make adjustments in space, as they were tackled as soon as the football got to him.

As for the Giants, they continued to struggle offensively. Eli Manning continues to have timing issues with his receivers; it doesn't help build chemistry either when just about everyone in a blue jersey is dropping the football.

Late in the first quarter, Steve Smith was wide open down the middle of the field, Manning hit him in stride. It would have been an easy 85-yard touchdown pass, but Smith dropped the football once it landed in his hands.

Next, Manning's pass was tipped and bobbled by Dominik Hixon, instead landing in the hands of Jets linebacker David Harris to set up the Jets first scoring drive of the evening.

Overall Manning was 9-for-21 for 92 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The stats lie because a lot of Manning's incompletions were not his fault.

Defensively, the Giants got some pressure on Sanchez, but without Chris Canty, Antonio Pierce, Michael Boley, and Jay Alford, the Giants pass rush seemed to miss something.

Also, it appeared that the Jets took full advantage of the absence of corner back Aaron Ross, as Jet receivers were open all night long to make one big play after another.

The only positive the Giants could take out of the night was the play of David Carr and Hakeem Nicks. Even though it was against the Jets second string defense, the pair almost brought the Giants back from a 20-13 deficit to win the game.

Carr's 22 yard pass to Nicks in the corner of the end zone brought Big Blue to within 20-19. Later, Carr connected with Nicks, again, on a 71-yard touchdown down the sideline to cut the Jets lead to 27-25. The Giants failed to convert on two different two-point conversion plays costing them the ball game.

WHAT THE JETS CAN TAKE FROM THIS WIN: Their offense may be better than advertised. With Sanchez's ability to scramble, combined with the speed of the Jets receivers, the Jets could create many matchup problems for opposing defenses.

A deceptive offense is very hard to scheme for, and if an opposing defense has trouble discerning when Sanchez is going to get rid of the football, it will likely leave a man wide open for Sanchez to connect with, like it did tonight with Stuckey. Speed kills, especially in the NFL.

That being said, the Jets have to remember that they faced a beat up Giants defense. In a couple of weeks the bullets will be flying for real at Sanchez, so how he adjusts to the speed of a regular season game, and how he readjusts to the adjustments different teams will make in defending him and the Jets offense will go a long way in telling the tale about this rookie quarterback.

The big conundrum for the Jets: penalties. They committed 12 penalties in this game, 10 of which came in the first half.

The Jets had a lot of stupid penalties that killed them tonight. For example, deep in their own territory on a third and five, Sanchez dumped the ball off to Leon Washington, who dashed for the first down, but guard Brandon Moore was called for a 10-yard holding penalty, killing the drive.

Also, Lito Shepard was called for three pass interference calls, one of which cost the Jets 31 yards to help the Giants set up a cheap shot field goal to take a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. If the Jets don't discipline themselves, they are going to penalize themselves into a loss at some point this year.

WHAT THE GIANTS CAN TAKE FROM THE LOSS: They need more work. A lot more work, especially in the passing game.

With the Redskins and Cowboys waiting to play the Giants in the near future, the Giants have got to get their receiver situation figured out. Unfortunately the Giants have run out of preseason games to fix this problem, since the starters won't play the fourth preseason game against their Super Bowl XLII rival, the New England Patriots.

If Eli Manning cannot get on the same page with Hixon, Nicks and Smith, this Giants team is going to be in big trouble. Hakeem Nicks displayed his astute ability to become a game-breaking receiver with his two touchdowns late in the game, but, that was when Manning was out of the game. Continuity between Manning and Nicks will be key to this 2009 campaign.

Defensively, the Giants need everyone to get healthy in a hurry, especially at linebacker. The Giants can rush the passer better than any team in the league, but they need their backers and corners healthy and ready to go in order to cause turnovers, and break up any desperate passes from opposing quarterbacks.

With three preseason games now in the books, it is time to get ready for the regular season. Bring it on!

Stand & Deliver: Giants Vs. Jets Has Meaning This Year

Michael Cohen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:37:35 -0400

What a difference nine months make.

It was late November 2008; families were getting together for a Thanksgiving Day feast, Christmas was on the horizon, and the Jets and Giants were kings of the NFL. After twelve weeks the Jets were in first place at 8-3. Brett Favre had reignited a dead franchise, and it appeared that the Jets would roll to an AFC East title and possibly a bye week after knocking off the once undefeated Tennessee Titans 34-13 in Nashville.

The Giants were 11-1. They were rolling to the NFC's No. 1 seed, and, less than a year separated them from their miraculous Super Bowl XLII victory, looked poised for a possible repeat.

The success of both franchises was so palpable that, indeed, New York and New Jersey fans were talking about the possibility of a Subway Super Bowl. The scenario seemed right. The Jets had Favre. The Giants had the bling, and the Jersey boy himself, Bruce Springsteen, was scheduled to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XLIII. It had to be in the cards, right?

That was then. This is now.

As we all know, the Jets and Favre crashed in the season's final five weeks to finish at 9-7. Eric Mangini was fired, and Brett Favre retired so he could un-retire to destroy the Vikings season this year. The Giants, on the other hand, got blasted 23-11 by rival Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional playoff game, ending their dreams of a repeat.

Since that time, both teams have gone through some vast changes. The Jets are rebuilding for the future with a boisterous and overzealous new head coach in Rex Ryan, and an inexperienced rookie from Hollywood in Mark Sanchez. They have gone from perennial contender to a team hoping for better days in the next decade.

Many Jet fans want to believe that Mark Sanchez can take the Jets to the postseason in his first year the way Joe Flacco did in Baltimore and Matt Ryan did in Atlanta last season. But keep in mind, rookie quarterbacks who have immediate success are freaks of nature. The most common circumstance for a rookie QB is Peyton Manning's first year when he threw 28 interceptions and won a mere three games. If Sanchez's awful performance against the Ravens is any indication, then he is in for a very long season.

On the other hand, the Giants have had a rude awakening to life after the Super Bowl. The man who caught the game winning touchdown in that game, Plaxico Burress, will be serving a two-year jail sentence for shooting himself with an unlicensed gun. This leaves Big Blue desperate to find his replacement among a group of unproven receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, and Dominik Hixon.

In recent weeks, the Giants are starting to feel a lot like ... well ... the New York Mets. The Giants have suffered numerous freak injuries to their fantastic defense, leaving it with lingering questions whether the starting group will be ready to go come opening day.

It usually doesn't make sense to say that a preseason game is a must win for both teams, but, considering all of the problems on these two teams, they need to show something this week if either is to move confidently into the regular season.

What the Jets need to prove against the Giants:

The Jets need to prove that their offense is not as bad as many think. With a rookie quarterback and lack of depth at wide receiver, the Jets could easily be one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year. Therefore, continuity will be key for the Jets starting Saturday.

Sanchez has only thrown 12 passes this summer and has not had a chance to play behind the entire Jets pro bowl offensive line, with guard Alan Faneca missing parts of the first two preseason games due to a hand injury. The Jets need to use this game against a beat up Giants defense as an opportunity to give Sanchez 35-40 snaps with the entire first-string offense. Unlike last week in Baltimore, the Jets need positive results from this young group.

They need Sanchez to show some poise in the pocket and actually look off his intended receiver and check down and around to see if anyone else is open downfield or in the flat. If nothing else, it will prevent Sanchez from telegraphing his throws like he did last week when he could have thrown an interception to Ray Lewis.

The Jets can do two things to improve Sanchez's confidence in this game:

They can run the football with Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, and Shonn Green all night long, and even throw to this trio on bubble screens and dump off passes. However, the best way the Jets can get Sanchez ready to play on Sept. 13 is to have Sanchez throw to his receivers outside the numbers.

Even though Sanchez does not have a great arm, he can scramble. Brian Schottenheimer needs to take advantage of this, too, and get Sanchez out of the pocket and to pass to open receivers down the side on Saturday, especially with the Giants missing both Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips.

Secondly, the Jets must establish their No. 2 receiver. To date the Jets have not made a move to trade for an established wide out, so it is still between David Clowney, Chansi Stuckey, and Brad Smith in the battle for the No. 2 slot.

Clowney is the favorite since he has two touchdown catches in preseason and even caught Sanchez's first NFL pass, but coach Rex Ryan has yet to write Clowney into the starting lineup. Clowney needs to show off his excellent skills set in this game if he wants this starting job.

What the Giants need to prove against the Jets:

This season is getting weird, and it's not even September!

The Giants have terrific talent on the defensive side of the ball, but this summer has been brutal, medically speaking, on the defense. Before the Giants 17-3 loss to Chicago last Saturday, Big Blue was missing nine players from the starting lineup.

Linebacker Antonio Pierce has missed time due to a foot injury, but he is expected back soon; Kenny Phillips had a sore knee but returned to camp this week; linebacker Michael Boley is on the PUP list as he recovers from hip surgery; defensive tackle Rockey Bernard is suffering from a hamstring injury and could conceivably play this week, but who knows for how long.

Then there are the more serious injuries. Jay Alford tore his MCL in the Bears game and will likely be lost for the season. Meanwhile, cornerback Aaron Ross re-injured his torn hamstring in camp this week and it is uncertain when he will return to the Giants this year. And, just recently, defensive end Chris Canty suffered a torn hamstring as well, and it is unknown when Canty will return to the field.

Add those injuries to nagging injuries to Chris Snee and Rich Sheubert of the Giants offensive line, and the G-Men have one large mess on their hands. Things have been so bad that Coughlin criticized the media for pumping up his team's depth.

"I just think that for so long we've ... (read that) ... we've got so much depth. I don't know what you're watching, but the guys that are supposed to be the depth have hardly even practiced," Coughlin said on Sunday. "I think you're talking about something that looks good but hasn't really materialized. Until we get this thing straightened around with everybody on the field, this rotation and this depth that we're talking about really is a non-factor right now."

Coughlin is correct in one assessment. People have lauded the Giants depth on defense too much this summer; therefore, the Giants have to use this game as a moment to iron out their problems on defense and find out who can stand and deliver.

Obviously Ross, Canty, and Boley probably won't be active when the Giants match up against the Redskins come September 13, but the likes of Pierce, Phillips, Snee, Sheubert, and Bernard should be ready to go come opening day. If this group of dependable veterans enjoy a field day against the Jets, then the Giants can take some solace as the calendar approaches September.

However, this will be a huge gut check for back-up corner Terrell Thomas. Thomas had only 45 tackles in his rookie year with the Giants in 2008, and he will need to step it up big time in this game, especially if he wants to instill confidence in his coaches that he can get the job done in place of Ross.

The game should also be an excellent opportunity for the Giants young linebackers. Clint Sintim, Chase Blackburn, and Gerris Wilkinson can show that they can play with the big boys if either Pierce or Boley should miss any more time this season.

Offensively, the Giants are still waiting to find the chemistry between Eli Manning and his receivers. In the Bears game, Manning had a hard time working with this group. There were tons of drops and misreads that night, so much so that the Giants managed only 62 yards through the air.

Expect to see a lot of Hakeem Nicks and Dominik Hixon starting at flanker, with Steve Smith lined up in the slot position. With the Jets still trying to grasp Rex Ryan's complex 46 defense, this might be a good time for the Giants to build some consistency in the passing game. Plus, having Nicks and Hixon square off against pro bowl corners like Darrell Revis and Lito Shepard should be a great test for the Giants young receivers.

What to expect:

The match-up between the Jets new 46 against the Giants offensive line should be spectacular. Rex Ryan will try to throw all kinds of blitzes at Eli Manning, and it should be very interesting to see how the Giant offensive line reacts to it. Last fall, when Big Blue played Rex Ryan's Ravens, the Giants creamed Baltimore by stuffing Brandon Jacobs down their throats, allowing Manning to have enough time to make the throws to protect the win for the Giants.

Look for the Giants to use a heavy dose of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw in this one. Bradshaw and Jacobs ran all over the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago, and they could do some damage to a Jets defensive line that is still missing Kris Jenkins at defensive tackle.

Finally, facing the Jets offense may be the best tonic for an ailing Giants defense. Mark Sanchez is still learning the ropes as an NFL quarterback, and, considering the Jets problems at wide receiver, this should be a fine opportunity for the Giants to flex their muscles all night long. Expect to see Osi Umenyoria and Justin Tuck in Sanchez's face the entire night, and the Giants to get back on track.

Prediction:

Okay, it's preseason, but Giants vs. Jets is always good theatre. GIANTS 27, JETS 10.

Casting Call For "Brett Favre: The Movie"

Michael Cohen — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:01:41 -0400

For the last year and a half, America has watched one of the greatest sports soap opera's to come in a generation. Brett Favre. Favre's inability to come to a decision about his retirement versus his ultimate desire to stick it to the Green Bay Packers for making Aaron Rodgers the starting quarterback last summer will be remembered by this generation of sports fans for years to come. His entire career has been one long drama, and with the latest episode all ready underway in Minnesota, it is time to figure which Hollywood actors should star in a biopic about the legendary quarterback. Note: the film should be rated R for a quarterback's disturbing career of indecision and time consuming self reflection while dragging three different franchises into the dirt. Thank you Brett for making yourself into a punchline!

Begin Slideshow

Rex Ryan Needs to Shut Up and Sing: Attacking Belichick not the Answer

Michael Cohen — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:39:29 -0400

Rex Ryan certainly is one of a kind.

Rarely does a head coach find it appropriate to use his daily press conference as a way to trash talk his opponents and peers, but by now people have to accept that the new Jets coach is not like any other head coach.

As many have heard by now, Rex Ryan went on a rant Tuesday afternoon that was so loud that it even diverted attention away from the Brett Favre fiasco in Minnesota.

Ryan lashed out at the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick when questioned about his words in May when he stated that he hadn't come to New York to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings."

“When I said that about Belichick, I’m just letting him know I’m not intimidated by him,” Ryan said. “He’s got the same position I have. We’re both head coaches in this league. He just happens to have a hell of a lot more Super Bowl wins. I don’t have a win. I understand that, but we’re not going to tiptoe our way through this thing.

“You don’t line up and beat a Bill Belichick-coached team by tiptoeing in there.

“We’re going to be ourselves and I’m going to be myself,” he went on to say. “How much more motivation are they going to get by putting a quote from me on the wall, saying I believe in my football team and I’m not going to be intimidated by a coach or anyone else?

“If that’s where you’re going to draw motivation from, hell, we’ll probably kick your (butt).” (qtd. Yahoo Sports)

The entire quote doesn't sound like much; Ryan admits that Belichick has a much more impressive resume to stand on, but if Ryan thinks that this is a way he will earn the respect and fear of his football team that he desires, he is badly mistaken.

The Patriots are not scared of the Jets. They don't need extra motivation to beat Gang Green; they have owned New York ever since Belichick deserted the Jets to coach the Patriots in 2000. In fact, since the Belichick/Tom Brady era began in 2001, the Pats are 12-3 against the Jets, including the playoffs.

For Ryan to even think that attacking Belichick will somehow teach the Patriots that the 2010 Jets are for real is foolhardy.

The Patriots probably can't wait to see the Jets. The Jets are installing a brand new 46 defense that will take some time for the Jets defenders to truly grasp, and they are planning to start either rookie Mark Sanchez, or the bumbling Kellen Clemens at quarterback.

Think the Pats are scared of the Jets now? Think Tom Brady, Teddy Bruschi, Randy Moss, and company aren't licking their lips at the possibility of running up the score at the Meadowlands, which they seem to do year-in and year-out against the Jets?

Granted, Belichick is no gracious loser in his own right. He is famous for not shaking hands with former Jets coach Eric Mangini whenever the former Patriots protegee beat his teacher and is infamous for the Spygate case two years ago.

Plus, his cold and abrupt handshake with Giants coach Tom Coughlin at the end of Super Bowl XLII is an example to anyone about what a sore loser Belichick is and this shows extremely poor sportsmanship.

However, when Ryan was briefed with questions about his new archrival, he refused to take the high road. Instead of saying that he has great respect for what the Patriots have accomplished over the past decade, Ryan basically told them to stick their trophies and be prepared for a kick in the pants from the mighty New York Jets.

Apparently, this is the way the Ryan family likes to handle things. Trash talking is the family business. Rex's father, Buddy, was known for verbally trashing his opponents and anyone who stood in his way when he was coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in the late 1980's.

Throwing opponents under the bus didn't help Buddy Ryan make any friends in the NFL, and, it certainly won't help Rex Ryan win any fans among his peers. If he keeps it up, it will ultimately make him a pariah; anyone who plays the Jets will take extra pleasure in beating Gang Green because of Ryan and his big mouth.

When brutal loses accumulate over time for the Jets this year as they try to build a young football team, it will be interesting to see how much longer the big smile and jovial laugh will last on Rex Ryan's face, and it will be interesting to see how much longer Jets owner Woody Johnson will praise Ryan as the messiah to save this woebegone franchise.

Sometimes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Too bad this Ryan didn't try harder to become his own man first.