Bleacher Report - AFC East

Patriots – Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

Lloyd Vance — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:17:09 -0500

WR Julian Edleman and the New Patriots travel to New Orleans to face-off against the undefeated Saints on Monday Night Football

Patriots – Saints: The Battle of the Bayou Preview

ESPN Monday Night Football, 8:30 EST

Broadcasting team: Ron Jaworski, Mike Tirico, John Gruden, and Suzy Kolber (sideline reporter)

Week 12 of the 2009 NFL Season has been one of the best for the league that always seems to leave its fans wanting more, but without a doubt the Monday Night Football match-up between the undefeated New Orleans Saints (10-0, the best start in franchise history) and the New England Patriots (7-3) is the cherry on top. The Super Dome will be rocking as the “New Kids on the Block” (Saints) will take on the “Old Heads” (Patriots) to see who will be “King of the Hill” on the NFL’s playground.

After many had thought they had seen the precursor to the NFL playoffs in “Super Bowl XLIII 1/2” where the undefeated Indianapolis Colts led by MVP-candidate Peyton Manning came back to post an amazing 35-34 win over the Patriots, no one thought there could be a better game. Well, I am not sure if the game that people are calling, “The Battle of the Bayou” or Super Bowl XLIII 3/4 will live-up to the inordinate amount of hype generated, but you have to admit this is a fascinating match-up that will have the nation’s attention. Sure, a match-up of the undefeated Saints versus the undefeated Colts probably would have created more buzz, but this pairing is just as good, in my opinion.

Even though these two teams’ histories are vastly different—the Saints have never been to the Super Bowl while the Patriots have been to seven Super Bowls, producing three wins all this decade—there is a mutual amount of respect on both sides of the field as two of Bill Parcells’ former disciples will square-off. Both teams have an embarrassment of offensive weapons and defensively they both can provide pressure that often leads to capitalizing on turnovers and taking them to the house. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who throws compliments to upcoming opponents like manhole covers, recently said of the Saints, “I don’t think there’s any better team in football than the New Orleans Saints. They have no weaknesses that I can see.”

Of the upcoming Monday Night Football showdown, Saints QB Drew Brees (218-320, 2746 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs) said, “It’s going to take our best game to beat the Patriots. We know the type of team they are. We know the type of team they’ve been for the last decade. They’re a dynasty. Obviously, that’s one of the organizations we try to emulate. We’re trying to be a contender year-in and year-out and we’ve got to take advantage of these opportunities.”

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton was just as complimentary when talking about the Patriots saying, “We know it’s a good team that we’re playing this week. New England has been a successful franchise and is one of those organizations that has found the right formula. When you play a team like this, you observe from afar the things that they are able to do and how that relates to winning games.”

Any talk of this Monday night thriller has to start and end with the two quarterbacks leading their teams and as an old beer commercial used to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this."

In the year of the quarterback around the NFL, probably the only passers playing better at this point in the season are Manning and Vikings' QB Brett Favre, but that is saying something as both those veterans are shooting for their fourth NFL MVP award.

Payton, in talking about Brady and Brees, said, “Both of these quarterbacks are accurate."

The currently undefeated head coach added, “They’re good decision-makers and can decide quickly where they want to go with the ball based on the looks they’re getting. Those are certainly traits you see with both of them.”

Brees is second in the NFL with a 105.8 passer rating while Patriots QB Tom Brady is not far behind with a rating of 100.4, which is good enough for fifth in the NFL. In the touchdowns department, Brees also has a slight lead as he leads the league with 22 touchdown passes with Brady again not being far behind 20 (ranks fourth in the NFL in this category).

Like any great heavyweight fight, now that the pleasantries have been dispensed by both sides, let’s break this game down. First off, fans should expect a ton of scoring as this is a match-up of the NFL’s No. 1 and 2 offenses—the Saints average a league leading 420.5 yards per game and the Patriots are next with an average of 416.1 ypg, which is first in the AFC—playing on the Super Dome’s fast track. The Saints have redefined the term “high-octane” this season with an incredible 369 points scored through 10 games including producing over 40 points four times.

Many are comparing New Orleans to 500+ point plus scoring squads such as the 1999 St. Louis Rams (529 points scored and Super Bowl champs), 1998 Minnesota Vikings (556 points scored and a record of 15-1), and lastly the 2007 New Patriots (NFL record 589 points score and 16-0 AFC Champs) who will have several members from that offense still playing for them on Monday.

For the Saints offensively, Brees spreads the ball around to former Pro Bowl receiver Marques Colston (44 receptions for 687 yards, 15.6 ypc, and 6 TDs), scatback Reggie Bush, breakout player of the year candidate WR Robert Meachem, RB Pierre Thomas, speedster WR Devrey Henderson and many others (hard to believe former NY Giants’ Pro Bowl TE Jeremy Shockey is an afterthought on the Saints roster) so at times it seems there is no stopping New Orleans. They have outscored opponents 369-204 so far this season and an amazing 18 players have scored touchdowns this season.

Every week seems to be a track meet for the Saints whether home or away even though at times they have sputtered out of the gate a couple of times—average winning margin of 16.5 points. The closest any team has come to beating them were the St. Louis Rams, who lost 28-23, but it wasn’t even as close as the score would indicate.

The Saints offense hasn’t been the team’s only story for 2009 as new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has returned some teeth to a defense that allowed 393 points (24.6/g) in 2008. Williams' aggressive unit has generated seven touchdowns and produced a league-high 29 takeaways including 20 INTs.

The Saints defense starts upfront with pass rushers DE Will Smith (8.5 sacks) and DE Charles Grant providing pressure on quarterbacks that has helped MLB Jonathan Vilma, safety Darren Sharper (seven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns), CB Tracy Porter, and others make the most of their turnover opportunities—Saints are third in the NFL with a +10 turnover ratio.

However, even though the Saints have been stellar at getting turnovers, some teams have been able to move the ball on them at times this season—allowed 204 points (20.4/g), which ranks them 15th in the NFL. Also injuries could be a factor for the Saints’ defense as Porter is listed as “doubtful” with CB Randall Gay (hamstring), CB Jabari Greer (groin), DE Bobby McCray (knee/back), and Vilma (knee) listed as “questionable” for the game.

Not to be outdone, the Patriots’ offense is also one of the NFL’s best at passing the football this season. The Pats’ offense is also dangerous and the scary part is that QB Tom Brady (261-393, 3049 yards, 20 TDs, and six INTs) seems to have finally put his devastating 2008 knee injury behind—remember his NFL record six TD performance in the a 59-0 blowout of Tennessee Titans in week six?

Brady will also spread the ball around, but watch for his big play threat WR Randy Moss (63 receptions for 925 yards, 14.7 YPC, and eight TDs with a long of 71 yards), his multi-purpose chain mover RB Kevin Faulk (39 rushes for 192 yards and 29 catches for 252 yards w/ one TD) and his security blanket WR Wes Welker (79 catches for 854 yards, 10.8 ypc, and four TDs plus coming off a career-high 15-catch performance last week) to be much involved in the Patriots game plan. Last week against the Jets, Welker and Moss combined for 20 catches in a 31-14 win which gave the pair 142 combined receptions through 10 games to surpass an NFL record that was set earlier in the day by Colts Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

If the Patriots are smart, they will try to establish their running game (Faulk, Laurence Maroney, and Sammy Morris) against the Saints fast defensive line to wear them down. The Saints are getting DT Sedrick Ellis back from a knee sprain, but controlling the clock will be key for the Patriots to take the air out of the ball to keep Brees’ offensive weaponry on the sidelines. The Patriots’ offensive line also will need to step up too in this game as, at times this season, the unit has struggled with speed rushers.

On defense, the Patriots—ranked third in the AFC with 296.7 points allowed per game—are no slouches in the turnover department either as they lead the AFC with a +12 ratio. But they will surely need to have big games from improving FS Brandon McGowan (good cover guy TEs), cover corner Leigh Bodden (five INTs including three last week against the Jets), and pass rusher Tully Banta-Cain (five sacks) to keep Brees foot off the gas.

There is no doubt the Patriots still have some playmakers on the defensive side, but you have to wonder if the defections of DL Richard Seymour (traded to the Raiders), SS Rodney Harrison (retirement to NBC), LB Tedy Bruschi (retirement to ESPN) and others have caused their unit to be questioned.

We all know head coach Belichick had questions of the unit in their much-publicized week nine’s loss in Indy. Protecting a slim six-point lead, the three-time Super Bowl winning head coach chose to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory rather than punt and let his defense have a chance at stopping Peyton Manning and Colts offense. As the whole world knows, the Patriots did not convert the infamous play and now many people around NFL circles are wondering if their defense is championship caliber.

LV’s Pick: These two teams have met 11 times with the Patriots holding a dominating 8-3 edge including winning their last three meetings. The last time was in November of 2005 as the Patriots won 24-17 in Foxborough. As many are predicting, I believe this game will be a high scoring affair. But in the end, I believe the team that can establish the run and limit turnovers will be the winner.

Lately, the Saints have been a little careless with the football and the Patriots have a strong veteran group that knows how to capitalize on mistakes and win close games. Plus the Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome including a Super Bowl win. Also with the Colts staying undefeated this week, the chances are pretty strong that the Saints will lose—there have never been two 11-0 teams in NFL history.

New England wins late as Brady hits Moss for a game-winning touchdown, 31-28.

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

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Fish Got Squished: Bills over Dolphins 31-14

Jeremy Pike — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:12:53 -0500

Before getting into the breakdown of yesterday’s Bills-Dolphins game, I must say as a fan, it feels really really good to be able to say we squished the Fish again. That game felt like a rivalry game. Terrell Owens said that prior to the game, fellow wide receiver Lee Evans called everyone together to explain the significance of the rivalry.

I’m glad that Evans did that. For too long, the Bills players haven’t cared about what has long been the most hated rivals of the Bills. Kudos to Evans on reminding the players of what this means to us fans.

Alright, on to the game. I admit that I actually picked the hated Dolphins to win this game. I figured with the Bills’ beat up offensive line, the Fins’ D would take over the game. I also thought that Ricky Williams would run roughshod over the Bills’ D even with the improvements we had made against the Jaguars and Maurice Jones-Drew the previous weekend.

With how the first series was going, it looked like I was going to be right about Williams. Then the Dolphins got cute. One of the assets of having Ronnie Brown run the Wildcat is that he can throw the ball every once in a while to keep defenses honest.

Well, while Williams is playing really good football, it became very obvious that he’s no Brown on first and goal by throwing a pick to let points come off the scoreboard.

The first half was definitely a slug fest, with neither team really taking control of the game. The Dolphins had their chances to take control of the game, with Williams gaining a lot of yardage. However, that pick on the first drive really hurt them.

So did Ryan Fitzpatrick with his legs. The Bills quarterback rolled out of the pocket from the Dolphins 31 yard line, had no one open and a clear lane. So he ran. And ran. And ran. 31 yards to the end zone for the longest scoring run by a Bills quarterback. He looked positively Doug Flutie-esque in that game.

Yes, he made mistakes. However, it’s completely obvious that Fitzpatrick is the gutsiest quarterback the Bills have had possibly since Flutie and he’s definitely the right man for the job right now. He probably isn’t the answer long-term for the Bills. He has a low ceiling because he isn’t the most accurate passer.

However, he gives the Bills the best chance to win the rest of the season. He’s reading defenses well, making the correct calls at the line, and he’s willing to put the ball up for his playmakers.

The game was deadlocked at seven going into the half. All things considered, the Bills had to be happy with that result.

However, the Dolphins got the ball to start the second half and drove down the field for nine minutes and punched the ball into the end zone. Huge drive. The Bills were done. This had happened in the past, and the team always collapsed.

Not this time. Interim head coach Perry Fewell has definitely given this team a new lease on life and a new outlook, because the offense got the ball back and actually answered with a long seven minute touchdown drive of their own. That’s when things began to feel like this was a completely different team.

That was confirmed when Brian Moorman pinned the Dolphins back at their own two, the defense held, and Fewell trusted Rian Lindell to line up for a 56-yard field goal.

To understand the significance of that, Lindell had never hit a field goal that long before. Also, he missed one for 44-yards earlier in the game. So what did he do?

He cleared the crossbar and gave the Bills a 17-14 lead. Then Drayton Florence finally got to cap off his very good game. Florence had the best game of his short Bills career on Sunday. He’s easily the most physical corner the Bills have and he covers extremely well.

On that three-and-out from the Dolphins two yard line, Florence made a huge pass breakup on first down that would have put the Dolphins out past their own 20.

On the next drive, Chris Kelsay got great pressure on quarterback Chad Henne, causing him to underthrow his receiver and Florence made him pay by picking it off. The Bills set up on their own 49 yard line with just over three minutes left. Time to run out the clock, right?

Wrong. As Fewell said in his press conference, the team focus was on being aggressive. If you see an opportunity, take it.

So Fitzpatrick seized an opportunity. The Dolphins had single coverage on Owens. Fitzpatrick audibled out of the pass play that had been called and had Owens run straight up the field. Fitzpatrick just put the ball up, Owens beat the rookie corner back cleanly and caught the ball for a 51-yard touchdown. The rout was on.

The defense picked off Henne three times in the fourth quarter, the offense scored 24 points in the fourth as well, and the Bills reversed their fourth quarter fortunes in a big way, beating the Dolphins 31-14.

So how did they do it? How did the Bills make this happen? Each phase of the team stepped up in a huge way. All three set out with specific goals in mind and achieved them.

The defense set out to do two things. First was to contain Ricky Williams. Yes, Williams had a good rushing day, clearing 100 yards and getting a touchdown. However, the majority of that yardage was had in the first half and part of the way through the third quarter. Usually teams run over the defense in the fourth. Williams was a non-factor in the fourth quarter.

The other objective was to force turnovers. Three interceptions in the fourth quarter was huge. Clutch, even. There was no fourth quarter collapse. The defense succeeded in forcing Henne to try to win the game, and then forced him to make bad throws and capitalized on them. Very successful day.

The offense came out with an aggressive mentality and it showed. They hung tough with the Dolphins, didn’t give up after the long scoring drive in the third, and then once they had the lead, they didn’t back off. This is the biggest difference between the Jauron era and how Fewell coaches.

Jauron would have had the team run out the clock with a 17-14 lead. Who knows what would have happened. Too often that’s resulted in a last minute loss. Not with Fewell, however. He preached aggressiveness. The best time to be aggressive is after creating a turnover. 24 fourth quarter points is aggressive. They had the Dolphins by their proverbial throats and didn’t let up for once. That’s why they won.

The special teams had a task almost as difficult as the defense having to contain Ricky Williams. They had to contain Ted Ginn Jr, who gashed the Jets a few weeks ago for two touchdown returns. However, on Sunday that was nowhere to be found. The coverage teams did absolutely phenomenal, filling the return lanes and not letting Ginn shake tackles.

This was a team win, there’s no question. Each phase did what they set out to do. The coaching staff had this team ready to fight, and they fought hard and for sixty minutes, rather than 58. Now for a short week and back to the fight on Thursday night against the New York Jets in Toronto.

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Brian Moorman Punts Buffalo Bills To Victory

S H — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:31:10 -0500

NFL punters rarely steal the headlines. After all, they only get on the playing field five or six times a week; but sometimes these can be the plays that make the difference between winning and losing. And so was the case yesterday with the Bills' Brian Moorman.

The Bills and Dolphins were fighting tooth and nail, wrangled up at 14 apiece late in the fourth quarter of yesterday's game in Orchard Park, NY. That's when the Bills were mounting a drive around midfield, but on a 4th-and-9 the Bills were forced to punt and Moorman made his leg count, booting a 48-yard beauty. And when it rolled out of bounds, the Dolphins were pinned at their own two yard line.

"It kind of drifted over right at the last second and that kind of scared me, but got the right bounce," the Pro Bowl punter said after the game. And that was the difference.

The Dolphins went three-and-out and forced their punter, Brandon Fields, to punt from the back of their end zone, which resulted in excellent field position for the Bills. Of course, a career long 56-yard field goal by Rian Lindell on the ensuing drive put the Bills up for good.

But give credit where credit is due, Brian Moorman deserves a game ball.

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New York Jet Defense, Revis Harass Carolina Panthers in 17-6 Win

Nick Antonicello — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:10:51 -0500

The New York Jets played there most complete game of the season since toppling Tom Brady and New England Patriots in Week Two (16-9) as Darrelle Revis scored the team's first defensive touchdown of the season in a 17-6 victory.

The Jets improved to 5-6 with five games to play with playoff possibilities still on life support.

While mathematically still in the hunt, the Jets will need to virtually run the table at 10-6 and hope for the best with various tie breakers working against Gang Green.

The defense harassed Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme all day long as he continued to play the worst football of his career.

Delhomme finished 14 for 34 for 130 yards and 4 more INT's that led to two Jet scores. The Jets got to Delhomme 3 times as he overthrew receivers and looked erratic all day long.

The running game was no better as the Jets held DeAngelo Williams to just 40 yards on 16 carries of which 18 came on one carry. Jonathan Stewart carried the ball 9 times for 35 yards and 13 came on one carry. Take away the two big ground gainers, and the Jet defense held the Panthers to just 44 yards all day long!

The only bright spot for the Panther offense was the fact Williams reached the 1,000 yard mark as he pushed his overall total for the season to 1,022.

Mark Sanchez distributed the ball well today as 5 receivers made receptions with Dustin Keller grabbing 4 balls for 68 yards and Braylon Edwards catching an additional 3 balls for for 40 yards. While Sanchez didn't throw any touchdowns, he managed the game well with a magnificent 13 of 17 for 154 yards and just one INT.

A silence fell over the Meadowlands in the second half when Sanchez was forced out of the pocket and ran to his right looking for the first down marker. The Panthers Richard Marshall grabbed the rookie from behind and forced him out of bounds with Sanchez apparently grabbing at his left knee.

Sitting out for three plays, Sanchez returned after Kellen Clemens briefly took control of the offense and the Jets were forced to punt. Clemens looked flat as he underthrew his receiver and it only confirmed the need for the franchise to get themselves a legitimate back-up for Sanchez as the weather gets colder and the possibility of injury greater in the season's waning weeks.

Only Jet owner Woody Johnson and GM Mike Tanenbaum can explain why this franchise refuses to invest in a real back-up for the rookie Sanchez!

Upon his return Sanchez threw an ill fated interception which could have opened the door for another second half collapse and Panther comeback.

Steve Smith would make a spectacular catch in the end zone despite great coverage by Revis, but Jet Head Coach Rex Ryan challenged the ruling on the field and Carolina was forced to settle for a John Kasay field goal to make the score 14-6 with about 12 minutes left to play.

The final score came with roughly four minutes to play as Jay Feely booted a 47-yard field goal to extend the Jet lead to 17-6 all but sealing the victory.

After weeks of Rex Ryan talking about his defense, the unit led by Darrelle Revis actually came to play.

Revis proved again why he is an elite, shutdown defender as he held Pro Bowler Steve Smith to just two receptions and no touchdowns. Revis doubled his interception total for the season at four and the Jet defense looked every bit aggressive against the run holding the Panthers to just 75 yards on the ground.

Thomas Jones had another good outing with 75 yards on 25 carries increasing his season yardage total to 959 on a total of 216 carries. With 5 games remaining, Jones is poised to reach 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive time next week as he improved his all-time yardage total to 8,774 and his 57th lifetime rushing touchdown.

The Jets received some help with the Buffalo Bills defeating the Miami Dolphins 31-14 which leaves both clubs tied at 5-6. Unfortunately for the Jets, the Dolphins hold all tie breakers and the Jets would love to see the New Orleans Saints knock off the Patriots Monday night which would leave New England at 7-4 and the Jets just two games behind in the loss column with five to play.

The Jets will play division rival Buffalo on Thursday in Toronto, Canada in what should be regarded as a neutral site as the Jets seek to get back to .500 in a must win scenario. The Jets are catching a break as they'll play indoors versus playing at night in chilly Orchard Park where the Jets have historically played poorly in sub zero conditions in past December contests.

With Mark Sanchez showing lots of guts and managing the offense quite well, the Jets just might be able to play themselves back to respectability with the faint hope of a playoff spot should they continue to win while getting some needed help along the way.

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NFL Odds Week 12: Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets

aaron james — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:26:29 -0500

NFL Picks: Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets NFL Odds Week 12 : Two teams with identical 4-6 records and plenty of question marks will square off on Sunday afternoon, as the Carolina Panthers [+3½] visit the sports betting odds favorite New York Jets [-3½]. This inter-conference matchup has a scheduled opening kickoff slated for 1:05 PM ET live from Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands on FOX.

According to NFL Picks specialists and NFL Odds makers, the OVER/UNDER for this Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets Week 12 contest has been calculated and set at a combined total of 41½ points scored.

For the visiting Panthers, their follow-up to last season’s playoff appearance has been a total disaster. Injuries and poor play have put Carolina behind the 8-ball, as its postseason hopes are all but gone for the defending AFC South champs. Are the Panthers suffering from the hangover loss to the Cardinals in the divisional playoffs?

It seems almost like an eternity ago that Carolina went 12-4 less than a year ago. The Panthers began their season by dropping their first three games. With a perfect 8-0 home record last regular season , Carolina crawled to a 4-5 mark before losing to Miami and failing to reach the .500 mark.

But even as bad as everything seems right now, with their chances of repeating as division champs now gone, Carolina is amazingly still within two games of a wild card spot. Easier said than done when they have New England, Minnesota, New York (Giants) and let’s not forget the unbeaten New Orleans Saints remaining on the schedule.

"I'm sure outside of that (team meeting) room, there will be a lot of people that don't give us a chance," Panthers head coach John Fox said. "Until the math says it, we'll feel like we have a chance."

For first-year head coach, Rex Ryan and his Jets, inconsistency has defined their NFL Picks season thus far. After a perfect start in which quarterback Mark Sanchez made the college-to-pro transition look like cake, the rookie has hit the famous “wall.”

But even with the Jets slumping with a 1-6 record and despite Sanchez’s four interceptions and a lost fumble in last week’s loss to New England, coach Ryan is sticking with his young gun. The first-year Trojan has now thrown 6 TDs and 14 INTs.

"I just think that he's not going to get better unless he gets out and plays," Ryan said. "It's clearly not just Mark's fault. There's a reason he was named the starter , that I thought he gave us the best opportunity to win, and I still feel that."

According to Ryan, one of the biggest adjustments from now to the end of the season will be his involvement in the offensive playcalling. Up to this point, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and special teams to Mike Westhoff have been exclusively in charged of running things.

This week, Ryan stated that this is all about to change. "I need to be more of the game manager than probably what I even realized before," he said. "There's been some people here that have been critical of that, and it's probably more accurate than I wanted to believe."

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Buffalo Bills Fans Patience Runs Thin in Wait for Messiah This Holiday Season

John Howell — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:52:13 -0500

I would venture that a higher percentage of the population of Buffalo, NY actively follows their professional sports teams than any major league city in North America. This is especially true of Buffalo’s women, who may be more knowledgeable and fanatical about football and hockey than any women in the world.

Perhaps this is because Buffalo isn’t just a place, it’s a state of mind, a religion, a cultural overlay that works like ethnicity even though it isn’t exactly. It isn’t but it is.

Being Buffalonian is like being Jewish in a way. Being Buffalonian outside of Buffalo is like being Jewish in Tehran.

And therein lies the bulk of my experience. The ex-pat. The diaspora. If there is a Jewish bar in Tehran, I can imagine the comraderie there. Pretty much like what you’d find at the Nickel Bar in Tampa or the Buffalo bars in a hundred other cities that get less snow. It’s instant kinship.

Run into someone with a Bills or Sabres cap or jacket—in the airport, on the beach, in some other city’s stadium when the Buffalo teams are not even playing—and it’s always the same. It’s like meeting the twin you never knew you had. All you have to do is say, “Wide Right,” or “In the Crease” and you’ll keep buying each other drinks until you both need a designated driver.

I wear my throwback logo Bills cap because it reminds me of the Kemp-Dubenion era when the Bills were the class of the AFL. But not just because of that.

The old grazing buffalo is pure (as opposed to the flashy, charging one with speedlines). I wish they’d go back to the old uni’s permanently, like the Jets did. That retro look fits Buffalo, in the way Buffalo is eternally retro, always was retro before retro was retro, sort of iconic in a way that’s both quaint and a little musty. Of course, the speeding Buffalo reminds us of the K-gun. Like I said, I like the retro look.

Back when those were our uniforms, we had dreams of making the Super Bowl without the accompanying nightmares, without the creeping, nagging suspicion that the Bills may have morphed into the Cubs of the NFL. God, must we wait a 101 years?

And the Sabres seem equally cursed. From Kate Smith, the Aud in the fog, to a non-goal in the crease, things don’t go better in the HSBC (Arena) any more than they do in the Ralph (Ralph Wilson Stadium).

I’ve spent all this time talking sports, mainly, but it isn’t really about sports at all. Sports are the metaphor, the religious rite. It’s what makes the Buffalo sort-of-but-not-but-sort-of ethnicity so similar to being Jewish. We are bonded not only by our common roots, but to the ritual. Watching the Bills or the Sabres is like going to Temple for Yom Kippur. We have this common ritual of atonement.

Atonement for what? In a way, for being Buffalonians!

We’re like Rodney. We don’t get no respect. Our homeland is often reviled as Cleveland’s ugly stepsister. Queen City? Not unless it’s Drag Queen. And we’ve done a lot of this to ourselves. Especially in the past.

Buffalonians who’re old enough, remember Stan Roberts (who is Jewish) on WKBW Radio giving the weather report on “Lake D-reeeear-y.”

Like the Jews, we’ve wandered in the wilderness for generations awaiting deliverance. We await the coming Messiah, having endured many false prophets. We thought it would be O.J., then Kelly and company, then Dominick Hasek for the Sabres. We thought the second coming of the Mighty Marv might finally lead the Bills, with us, to the promised land.

People who have not lived elsewhere for an extended period of time might not be aware of this—that once one leaves Buffalo, one realizes that there is something unique about the experience of growing up here, being from here, and then going elsewhere, that is not the same as if we were from someplace like Miami or Denver or Columbus, for instance. It may be similar coming from certain other Rustbelt towns.

Cleveland, for instance. I’m not sure. But the point is that there is a sense in which being Buffalonian has more meaning than where someone lives or lived once, or grew up.

And I say this from a theological and a theologian’s perspective.

In the theological sense, being Jewish is being a people who have experienced/endured a common history, whose identity is in a significant sense tied to a geographical location who were once slaves, delivered together from bondage, wandering in exile, and finally taking possession of the promised land, thinking they had finally arrived, that it was the end of history, only to learn that history repeats itself.

And still, repeating.

So, like the Jews we wander. We hope. We have our hopes dashed. We hope again. And we go to Temple. The Ralph. The HSBC. We fast. We sacrifice. We sob. We celebrate.

We wait. We celebrate. We curse! But we do it together. As one. We are the chosen people. We still don’t know what exactly we’re chosen for, but we’re chosen.

Waiting is part of it, most of it really. Waiting 'til next year. Waiting for the next good quarterback. Waiting for the next good coach.

At least now the coaching question appears due for an answer. We’ve got half the answer. Dick Jauron is gone. So until his replacement is named we have that almost giddy hope, that kid before Christmas hope that one of the biggest wishes on our list will be fulfilled.

But if we’re using the Jewish metaphor we have to change the Christmas imagery to Chanukah. And if you think about it, that actually works better. Chanukah’s all about the miracle of the lights. It’s about a small amount of oil burning night after night, vanquishing the cold, overwhelming the darkness, without being used up. It’s about eight consecutive nights of surprise.

It may not be coincidental, then, that there are eight unattached coaches who have ascended the mountain and brought back the tablets, who have parted the waters and led their people to the other side: Dungy, Cowher, Holmgren, Shanahan, Billick, Gruden, Johnson, and Gibbs. With that many available, who as head coaches have won it all, the Buffalo fans will accept nothing less.

“Ride a painted pony, let the spinning (spinnaker) spin.”

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Patriots-Saints: One Massive Breakdown To End Them All...

Erik Frenz — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:40:50 -0500

Never have I seen a game with such little importance in the playoff picture be billed with such heavy hype.

It’s been billed by some as a potential Super Bowl preview, while others see it as a game with the makings for an offensive shootout. Others still think the defensive minds of Bill Belichick and Gregg Williams will dictate the outcome of the game.

Talk about a logjam of story lines, this one is chock-full of them. Ironically, the Saints will need to go through the only team to finish a season 16-0 if they want to accomplish the same feat.

So let’s break down every section of both teams to get a better idea of what may occur this Monday night, starting with the forgotten boys of this battle:

The Defenses

New England : 16.4 points per game (second ), 187.3 pass yards allowed per game (sixth ), 109.4 rush yards allowed per game (14th )

New Orleans : 20.4 points per game (13th ), 214.9 pass yards allowed per game (15th ), 115.7 rush yards allowed per game (20th )

New England’s defense allows the second-least points in the league, but New Orleans scores the most points in the league.

One would figure that the advantage would clearly lie with New Orleans in this one, and they might be right. The Patriots have only sacked the quarterback 18 times this season, and the Saints’ offensive line has been one of the best in football by only allowing 13 sacks on Drew Brees.

It will be up to New England ’s secondary to keep their receivers blanketed, but we all know how that battle usually works out, especially with a field general at quarterback. A cornerback can’t cover a receiver all day, and the Patriots haven’t generated a legitimate pass rush this season.

The Patriots’ secondary has proven to be no group of slouches, however, intercepting 13 passes this season. With the bevy of talent the Saints have backed up at receiver, I’d expect to see more of the same from Drew Brees—a spread attack that will test the depth of New England ’s secondary.

The Saints' defense, however, is a different story. They rank first in the league with 20 interceptions, and have generated 24 sacks on the quarterback. Though their overall performance hasn’t been as stellar as New England ’s (as noted above), they’ve had a penchant for big plays.

Big plays don’t always win big games, though.

New England ’s defense has been more fundamentally sound all season, and though they’ve still given their fans migraines on third down, they’ve certainly done better about stopping opponents from scoring.

Needless to say, both defenses will be tested in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Advantage: New England

The Offenses

New England : 29 points per game (third), 302.3 pass yards per game ( second), 113.8 rush yards per game (16th )

New Orleans : 36.9 points per game (first), 266.2 pass yards per game (sixth), 154.3 rush yards per game (fifth)

One might be surprised to know that New England has outgained New Orleans through the air by almost 400 yards. The Patriots have also thrown 84 more passes than the Saints.

As the old adage goes, there are as many paths to the top of the mountain as there are people climbing it. These two offenses have achieved very similar success in very different ways. While the Saints have enjoyed their success by spreading the ball around to their plethora of options at receiver and running back, the Patriots have heavily utilized their all-stars in putting up their breathtaking numbers.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker are both having monster seasons, even by their standards; Welker’s league-leading 79 receptions and Moss’ near-1,000 yards put both players on pace to record their best totals in those categories in each of their careers.

Marques Colston has made some sensational snags, and is putting up respectable numbers compared to his other seasons.

The surprise of New Orleans’ offense has been Devery Henderson, who has 521 receiving yards. The Saints have been highly successful spreading the ball around; they have four receivers with over 300 yards on the season, while New England only has three of those.

Moss and Welker account for over 57 percent of New England ’s total receiving yards. The closest any New Orleans tandem comes to that number in the Saints’ aerial attack is 44 percent, by Colston and Henderson.

With all the hype around New Orleans’ passing attack, one might also be surprised to learn that New Orleans’ rushing attack is ranked higher than their aerial assault, and has 40 more rushing yards per game than the Pats. The Saints have also run the ball 40 more times than the Patriots.

New Orleans has outgained New England by 305 yards on the ground , and averages 4.8 yards per rush; New England falls .3 shy of the league average, as they gain 4.0 yards per carry.

Both teams love to utilize receiving options out of the backfield; Reggie Bush has almost as many yards receiving as he has rushing, and Kevin Faulk (not surprisingly) has 60 more receiving yards than rushing yards.

The Saints feature the recently popular two-back system, with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell both at over 500 yards rushing on the season.

The Patriots, due to injury, have relied less on their running game than in the past (which is saying a lot). Laurence Maroney is the teams leading rusher with 455 yards and six touchdown runs.

Due to more flexibility, and also the crowd noise in the Superdome , I have to give the advantage to the Saints. They’ve done more, albeit against less talent, than New England has, and have done it consistently through this season.

Advantage: New Orleans

The Coaching

Bill Belichick: 145-89, 15-4 in the playoffs

Sean Payton: 35-23, 1-1 in the playoffs

Although this isn’t a playoff game, I think it’s important to note the playoff records of these coaches. Bill Belichick has far more experience than Sean Payton when it comes to big games (though that didn’t seem to bother Colts’ first-year coach Jim Caldwell in Week 10). With this being a potential Super Bowl matchup, the pressure is on for both teams.

Payton is held in high regard as an offensive wizard. He uses smoke and mirrors, trickery, and a wide variety of tools to create an offense that works like magic.

Belichick, on the other hand, is revered as a (evil) genius. His defensive schemes have remained effective throughout his tenure as head coach, and his players often reflect his own mentality—wily individuals with a knack for making the smart play, reading and reacting.

If offensive mastermind Sean Payton can out-think Belichick’s defensive genius, it could be a long day for the Patriots’ defense.

Belichick is rarely outsmarted by an opposing coach, though. He is definitely more big-game-tested than his opponent. I’d say the pressure is on Payton to produce a game plan effective enough to defeat the Patriots.

Advantage: New England

The quarterbacks

Tom Brady: 66.4 completion percentage, 3,049 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 100.4 quarterback rating

Drew Brees: 68.1 completion percentage, 2,746 yards, 22 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 105.8 quarterback rating

Matchups between two of football’s elite quarterbacks don’t happen very often, especially in non-conference games. This game has promise to be a shootout, as mentioned before.

I can’t really say it much better than Gil Brandt already did , but maybe I can shed more light on this epic discussion.

Although these two quarterbacks are incredibly comparable this season, statistically speaking, their styles are almost black-and-white different.

Brees has had his success carving up defenses by utilizing his multiple threats at receiver. His athleticism and ability to spread the ball around have been key to New Orleans’ change of fortunes this season.

Brady has done what any quarterback would: make use of his most lethal weapons. His presence in the pocket has made up for his lack of athleticism, as he has an innate ability to feel the pressure and to evade it.

The defenses of both teams will have their hands full, trying to confuse two quarterbacks who have seen virtually everything. Brady has good days and bad days against blitz-heavy defenses like the Saints. The Patriots, on the other hand , are masters of disguising their coverages and blitzers , showing blitz to make a quarterback think he has no time in the pocket, or faking a three-man rush and bringing the heat.

Since these two quarterbacks are so evenly matched, in the end , I give the advantage to the quarterback who doesn’t have to deal with crowd noise. Brady has played well in the Superdome in the past, though, so don’t be surprised if both quarterbacks have a great game.

Advantage: New Orleans

Overview

The Saints know they will be getting the best New England has to offer; the Patriots have a huge chip on their shoulder and a big point to prove after the crushing loss to the Colts, the “other” biggest game of the year.

Plus, they have a chance to deliver a crushing loss to the currently-undefeated Saints, and do to them what the Giants waited until the Super Bowl to do to New England in 2007.

Bill Belichick loves to turn off the opposing team’s biggest playmaker . With that being Drew Brees, who is having an MVP season, it will be no small feat to simply shut him down.

To shut him down isn’t necessarily to shut down the entire New Orleans’ offense, though; as stated above, the Saints have been even more successful running the ball than passing. Shutting down Drew Brees forces the Saints to become one-dimensional, though, and the Patriots have been highly successful against the run.

I think time of possession could play a huge factor in this game; either quarterback will have a field day in the second half if the opposing defense is tuckered out from too much time on the field.

In the end , I believe this game will come down to the final possession. Call me a homer if you want, but I’m going with New England in this game.

Brady and Belichick have a ton of experience in big games, and the fact that they haven’t gotten it done in those big games this season is just more indication to me that they’ll get it done this time around. They’re due to have that big game where their execution is near-perfect and where they hang on for the full 60 minutes of football.

I can make one safe assumption: whichever team wins, they'll start with "New."

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

Sunday Morning Under the Helmet: What to Watch for in NFL Week 12

Alex Johnson — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:29:29 -0500

NFL coaches always emphasize the importance of games played after Thanksgiving and preach that the "real season" starts after Turkey Day.

Well, Thanksgiving was three days ago; The "real season" starts now!

Matchup of the Week: New England Patriots (7-3) at New Orleans Saints (10-0)

The Patriots vs. Saints matchup on Monday Night Football is clearly the "must watch" game of Week 12.

This primetime showdown puts two high-powered offenses led by two MVP candidate quarterbacks head-to-head in what may be a Super Bowl XLIV preview. It's sure to be a great game!

New England, which has won six straight games on Monday Night Football, will try to put an end to the Saints' bid at matching their 16-0 record from just two seasons ago.

To finally put a "1" in the Saints' loss column, the Pats will have to play a full 60 minutes of football. They've struggled in second half of games and it has cost them multiple times this season including Week 10's disaster against Indianapolis.

In the second half, the Pats have scored just 94 points as opposed to the 196 they've posted in the first half of games.

In fact, in all three of their losses they held a halftime lead.

Against the Jets in Week Two, they were outscored 13-0 in the second half after holding a 9-3 lead at the end of the second quarter. In Week Five vs. Denver, New England led 17-7 at the half, but again were shutout in the second half, then lost in overtime. And of course against Indy in Week 10, they collapsed in the second half after holding a 24-7 second quarter lead going on to lose 35-34 in the final seconds.

New Orleans is the complete opposite. The Saints are fantastic in the second half. Drew Brees and company have posted 188 second half points this season and have made multiple late game comebacks.

After trailing 24-10 mid-way through their Week Seven game against the Dolphins, the Saints rallied with 36 second half points to take the victory 46-34. Two weeks later against Carolina, they outscored the Panthers 24-3 in the second half to win 30-20.

So basically if this game looks like a blowout after two quarters on Monday night, don't even dare let the thoughts of having to get up to go to work early the next morning enter your mind because chances are, the second half will be totally different and you'll be kicking yourself for going to bed.

No matter what happens in the second half, though, this game has "shootout" written all over it.

Both of these offenses rank in the top three in points per game, top two in yards, and top 10 in passing.

They both have Pro Bowl quarterbacks, and Pro Bowl receivers. There will be pigskins flying through the air all night long.

On the New England side, quarterback Tom Brady, who is currently riding a career long five straight 300+ yards passing streak, will likely look in the directions of Randy Moss and Wes Welker many times throughout the night.

Moss is second in the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, he's the deep threat.

Welker leads the league in receptions and is second in yards after the catch, he's Brady's security blanket.

For New Orleans, Brees likes to spread the ball around a bit more.

Marques Colston and Robert Meachem are tied with the team lead in touchdown catches. Colston also leads the Saints in receptions and yards.

Devery Henderson is Brees' deep threat. Henderson is 10th in the NFL in yards per catch (16.8).

Tight end Jeremy Shockey is also a dangerous weapon for Brees to throw to. Shockey has hauled in 39 passes for 461 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Another weapon Brees has in his arsenal is the run game. Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush have created quite a rushing attack for the Saints this season. They rank fifth in rushing yards per game.

But the key to this game may not be how these two offensive juggernauts use their weapons, it might be how the defenses try to stop them.

New England's defense ranks second in points allowed and sixth against the pass so they may have the upper hand over the Saints who rank 13th and 15th in those categories, respectively.

Right now the Saints are battling injuries on defense.

Defensive backs Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, and Jabari Greer all were either limited in practice this week or did not practice at all.

Good news, though, is that safety Darren Sharper, who sat out last week's game vs. St. Louis with a knee injury, was removed from the injury report.

Despite the bumps and bruises, expect the Saints D and coordinator Gregg Williams to continue their blitz-happy ways tomorrow night to try to stop Brady, Moss and Welker.

Keys to the game

-Brady vs. Brees

-Moss and Welker

-Saints run game

-Who can get more pressure on the opposing QB?

Prediction: Patriots win 37-31.

Small Names, Big Games

Here we will take a look at three non-superstars who will post big numbers in Week 12.

Rock Cartwright (RB, Washington)

With Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts both out with injuries, Rock Cartwright will be the starting running back for the Redskins this afternoon.

Cartwright and the 'Skins go against division rival Philadelphia today.

Because of the injuries, Cartwright will see the majority of the backfield touches which could mean a lot of yards from scrimmage. Expect over 100 total yards from Cartwright this afternoon.

Jamaal Charles (RB, Kansas City)

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has played well in the last two weeks since taking over the starting job after the release of Larry Johnson.

Charles has scored three touchdowns in those two games with one coming on a kick return.

In Week 10 against the Raiders, Charles ran for 103 yards on 18 carries.

Today he goes against the San Diego Chargers who rank 21st against the run.

Look for Charles to run for 80+ yards and find the endzone once again this afternoon.

Alex Smith (QB, San Francisco)

Since taking over the starting job back in Week Eight, former first overall pick Alex Smith has been impressive in what is, perhaps, his final attempt at making it as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Smith has completed 61.3 percent of his passes this season and has thrown for 1,031 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Last week Smith threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns in San Francisco's 30-24 loss to Green Bay.

Today Smith matches up against the Jaguars' 25th ranked pass defense. Jacksonville is allowing an average of 244 yards through the air so watch for Smith to have another good game this afternoon.

Others To Watch: Fred Davis (TE, Washington), Jason Snelling (RB, Atlanta), Justin Forsett (RB, Seattle)

Upset Alert!: Houston (5-5) over Indianapolis (10-0)???

This afternoon the Houston Texans will attempt to keep their quickly fading playoff hopes alive by beating the 10-0 Indianapolis Colts. Doing so will certainly be a tough task.

Not only has Indianapolis won all 10 of its games this season, they've won 19 consecutive regular season games dating back to last year.

So why all of a sudden is this dominant team going to fall to a .500 club that isn't just trying to make the playoffs this season, but for the first time in franchise history?

Judging by Indy's last four games, they're a team that's just barely hanging onto the ropes of perfection and that rope is about to break.

Since beating St. Louis in Week Seven, the Colts have won four games by a combined 10 points.

That includes their 20-17 win over the Texans in Week Nine when Houston kicker Kris Brown missed a potential game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.

In that Week Nine game, which was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 311 yards and one touchdown while connecting with his favorite target Andre Johnson 10 times for 103 yards.

It's very likely the Schaub-to-Johnson connection will light up the house again this afternoon.

Schaub and Johnson have hooked up 58 times for 878 yards and five touchdowns this season. The two are the NFL's third best quarterback to receiver tandems in the NFL this year only behind the Colts' Peyton Manning-to-Reggie Wayne and New England's Brady-to-Moss.

To make things worse for Indy, the Colts defensive backfield has been littered with injuries this season so they may be calling on backups to slow down Houston's third ranked passing attack.

Seven Indianapolis defensive backs found themselves on the injury report this week, the most devastating of which being cornerback Kelvin Hayden who's listed as questionable for today's game with a knee injury and of course safety Bob Sanders who was placed on injured reserve a few weeks ago.

To add even more insult to injury, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell ruled defensive end Dwight Freeney out for today's game with an abdominal injury.

The Texans defense is up against a great challenge this week themselves.

They have to go against Peyton Manning and the league's No.1 ranked pass offense. The Colts are averaging 313.5 yards per game through the air and a fifth ranked 26.9 points per game.

In Week Nine, the Texans struggled to stop Manning who threw for 318 yards and one touchdown in that victory. Manning's top target that day was tight end Dallas Clark who grabbed 14 balls for 119 yards. The Texans will need to do a better job slowing down Clark if they plan to pull of the upset today.

Keys for HOU

-Apply pressure on Manning

-Schaub-to-Johnson must connect early and often

-Stop Dallas Clark

-Keep the Colts offense off the field

Prediction: Texans win 27-23.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

The Boston Globe will always be No. 1 ESPNBoston

Amanda Bruno — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:37:00 -0500

VS.

Editor's Note: The title of this article was changed from "Hey ESPNBoston: Stop stealing the Globe's sports staff," due to readers' confusion of getting my point across (see Boston Herald paragraph).

About a week ago, I read something very interesting on apsportseditors.org , the official website of the Associated Press Sports Editors (ASPE).

It was the November Newsletter written by Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan entitled, "Fending off the ESPN.com invasion. "

Sullivan described the recent invasion of ESPNBoston and how the company literally was trying to steal all of his Globe sports staff.

If you've been following the Boston sports reporting scene, you've noticed that the Globe lost two of its top guys in New England Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss and Boston.com Sports Producer Chris Forsberg to ESPNBoston the month it launched.

Then a week ago, former Globie Gordon Edes' name and face magically popped up on ESPNBoston's blog as the new Red Sox beat writer. Coincidence? Here's how Sullivan's piece starts off:

It started with a staffer calling me in early August. You know the type of call. "Can I talk to you?” he said with a mysterious tone. He came into the office the next day, and that’s when I found out ESPNBoston.com was on its way.

At that time, that writer told me he was only having preliminary talks, but wanted me to know (which I appreciated). Several weeks later, he accepted a job offer (which I didn’t appreciate).

Sullivan then goes onto tell that ESPNBoston offered jobs to six Globe employees. Who they were, only him and those people know.

Comcast SportsNet got wind of the news and soon followed suit as it offered jobs to five Globe staffers. On top of that, the Globe and CSNNE were competing for the same football writer (Albert Breer?). Here's how some of those staffers with the offers handled it:

The staffers with job offers seemed to wait until the weekend to call me. I would then call our editor, Marty Baron, to keep him up to date. One time he answered his phone and said, "Joe, I know when I hear from you on a weekend, it can’t be good news.”

It was true, the news was rarely good. It either had to do with the job offers our staff was receiving or the Boston Globe’s financial situation.

So why in the world did both ESPN and CSNNE want all of the Globe people? Apparently the Boston Herald was second choice if on the list at all (Sean McAdam and Joe Haggerty joined CSNNE).

Maybe just because the Globe is the best of the best of Boston sports coverage? But rather than admitting defeat, ESPNBoston tries to woo them in switching over to "the dark side?"

"We not going to apologize for trying to get the best people on our team,” said Patrick Stiegman, vice president/executive editor of ESPN.com.

"This wasn’t an attempt where we said ‘Let’s go see if we can raid someone’s staff.’ The idea was who would be the best talent in the market? In fairness to us, we’re trying to get the best people. If you want to be the best, if you want to do the best, you have to hire the best.” What Stiegman said is all of the proof in the world.

Nice going ESPNBoston. The only way you think you can beat the real hometownies is to just simply take them, thinking it'll destroy the organization as a whole. If you've also noticed early this month, Boston.com has been revamped quite a bit itself.

The best part is that ESPN is a member of the ASPE as is the Globe. It's almost like having the New York Times Co. shipping half of the Globe staff over to New York.

In a way, this is almost sickening. There's nothing like a little bit of friendly competition, but enough is enough. Not everyone can survive, so who's going to be the one to die?

To read Sullivan's full newsletter, click here.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

Jet-Setting: An Offseason To-Do List for the New York Jets

Joe Smith — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:57:08 -0500

The Jets roster is currently oozing in talent and features several veteran players in their prime. The Jets' personnel has them poised to make a title run now, but it's clear this isn't their season.

New York got off to a flying start in 2009, but a major slide has the team in the cellar of the wild card picture, thanks to an erratic Mark Sanchez and a few defensive and special teams meltdowns.

The Jets have an offensive line that has paved the way for the top rushing attack in the league, led by Thomas Jones. There hasn't been much talk of his future in a Jet uniform considering the career year he's having, but the Jets will likely swallow his roster bonus in March to retain him for the last year of his contract.

Leon Washington has a knack for making big plays and has been sorely missed along with mammoth nose tackle Kris Jenkins, the best in the business. The Jets will get an enormous boost when Washington and Jenkins are on the field next season.

The receiving corps is solid. Braylon Edwards will most likely return, but he may not cash in on a long-term deal just yet. Jerricho Cotchery has been stellar, and tight end Dustin Keller could prove to be a major asset to the passing game once Sanchez learns which team to throw the ball to.

The offense could be winning games for the team, not the defense, once Sanchez comes to the party and the team is clicking on all cylinders. By then, Sanchez will be handing the ball off to bulldozer Shonn Greene. The Jets have a bright future on that side of the ball.

Defensively, there is an overflow of talent and Rex Ryan at the helm. Do the math. There is an elite group of linebackers, a shutdown corner, and solid bunch up front. The loss of Jenkins, however, highlights the need to groom a successor on the defensive line.

Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha have done respectable jobs replacing Jenkins and will remain parts of the rotation. DeVito was a favorite of Ryan from the start and the Jets extended his contract, while Pouha has been getting exposure and making the most of it.

But Rex Ryan has to employ his exotic blitz packages to pressure the passer and the Jets are having difficult putting together a pass rush. The loss of Jenkins didn't help the cause but even then the Jets weren't racking up sacks. Vernon Gholston is a bust and Jamaal Westerman has potential.

The Jets are set at most places on the roster but still have areas to polish. Mike Tannenbaum has a penchant for making big splashes in free agency and has done an excellent job assembling the core of this team, through the draft as well. Woody Johnson has given him the green light to break bank if it means winning games.

And that was when there was a salary cap.

Here's some advice for Tannenbaum:

1. Sign a premier pass-rusher

Elvis Dumervil, a sack sensation, will most likely remain in Denver, but there is a strong possibility that Shawne Merriman could hit the market. The Chargers have their work cut out for them locking up players and could let Merriman, crawling back into form after major knee surgery, walk.

The Jets can't wait for Westerman or Gholston to develop, Gholston if at all. Marques Douglas is a stopgap solution. The Jets should take a hard look at versatile Richard Seymour. Seymour, like Jenkins, will be 31 by midseason and can give the Jets a few years, maybe more. When the Jets go to four down lineman he can also play inside.

Gholston is more comfortable playing defensive end and the Jets aren't always working out of the 3-4, but when they are and Gholston isn't effective as a stand up linebacker Merriman is the solution.

2. Sign a cornerback

Next to the shutdown corner Revis there isn't a bona fide starter. Donald Strickland makes plays when he finds the field but he is often banged up. Dwight Lowery isn't ready yet which is why the Jets made a trade for Lito Sheppard. Sheppard won't make it to his roster bonus in March, in fact he isn't make the roster because of injuries. Dunta Robinson could use a change of scenery.

3. Sign/draft a free safety

If Kerry Rhodes doesn't regain his starting spot the Jets would most likely trade him. They could stick with Eric Smith if he plays well as a starter, make a move to draft Eric Berry but the most appealing option is current Rams free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Atogwe is a true, playmaking free safety.

Atogwe, in his prime, is also a tackling machine. Like Seymour he's looking to play for a contender and the Jets would be a perfect fit.

4. Draft Terrence Cody

The mammoth lineman is tailor made for the 3-4 defense and the Jets must draft Cody as the eventual successor to Jenkins at nose tackle.

5. Sign/draft a slot receiver

A minor need but the Jets should think about developing a slot receiver, maybe a late round draft pick. David Clowney has blazing speed but that is about it, and Brad Smith has been a failure.

These are all suggestions, most of which the Jets may not look into. Finding a slot receiver isn't a glaring need, and the Jets may not end up looking for a free safety if Rhodes can win back his starting job or if Eric Smith impresses.

Improving the pass rush and drafting Terrence Cody are musts. The front seven of the Jets would be the best in the league if they could ink Merriman and Seymour, and you can bet they'll capitalize on an uncapped year. To what extent, we'll have to wait and find out.

Merriman should hit the open market as the Chargers have Larry English behind him to take over. The more the Raiders lose, the more discouraged Seymour will be to return to the AFC East, as if he wasn't upset enough already when he found out he was traded to the Raiders.

Mike Tannenbaum has done a great job, but it hasn't translated to wins. The Jets are hungry for a playoff berth, and, since it looks like they'll have to wait another year, they can't let the opportunity to significantly improve their defense pass—especially in an uncapped year.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Week 12 Picks, Predictions, and Upset Specials Galore!

Nick Signorelli — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:01:15 -0500

Overall 89-41

Last Week 14-2

My best week to date. The only two games I got wrong were the Steelers losing to the Chiefs (who didn't get that one wrong?), and the Bengals at the Raiders (again, predicted this?).

I also picked two of the three upset specials, hitting on the 49ers covering against the Packers, and the Colts defeating the Ravens.

I called for the Saints to beat the Bucs, but thought that Tampa would cover. Hey, no one is perfect.

Now that I have a separated shoulder from patting myself on the back, it is time to get into Week 12, since there will be three games on Thursday.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that is taking the time to read this. I hope that everyone has a blessed day and enjoys a day full of getting fat and watching football.

Thanksgiving Games.

Green Bay @ Detroit

Injuries have hit both of these teams, especially the Packers. Al Harris and Aaron Kampman are either on IR or on their way to it. You would think that would be a disadvantage for the Packers, but this is the Lions, and Matthew Stafford isn't playing.

Packers win, 27-13.

Oakland @ Dallas

Oakland is coming off of the upset of the week, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cowboys struggled against the Redskins.

Lightning will not strike twice for Oakland and the Cowboys will handle them.

Cowboys win, 31-17.

New York Giants @ Denver

The Broncos are in desperate need of a win, while the Giants have had trouble and winning last week is not a cure-all. The losing problem for the Broncos is infecting the team, and they are on the verge of self-destructing.

Last week we witnessed Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno shouting at each other after a Moreno fumble in the end zone. Josh McDaniels has his work cut out for him.

Giants win, 24-10.

Five Star Picks of the Week

Indianapolis @ Houston

The Texans lost a heart breaker to the Titans on Monday night, and this week they have to play against the undefeated Colts. The Colts are due to lose, and the Texans are basically in a playoff game.

If Houston loses, they fall to 5-6. Doubt can creep in and destroy this team, who is looking for their first playoff birth and winning season in franchise history.

Indy can ruin the Texans' season by winning this game.

Colts win, 34-17.

Chicago @ Minnesota

The Bears need to thank the Lions for being so bad, or they would be the worst team in the NFC North.

Minnesota knows that if the Patriots can beat the Saints on Monday Night Football (Upset Special Alert), they will be tied for the best record in the NFC, with home field advantage at stake.

Minnesota is not going to let up, and the Bears will get pounded.

Vikings win, 34-13.

Washington @ Philadelphia

Clinton Portis is still out, as is Ladel Betts. The Redskins are trying to play spoiler to the Eagles, but they just don't have enough weapons in their arsenal to even keep up with them.

Eagles win, 28-17.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

This is probably the most painful thing I have ever had to do.

Ben Roethlisberger is saying he is going to play, but is he really 100 percent after taking a knee to the head in overtime against the Chiefs?

The Ravens took the Colts to the closing minutes last week. Guard Chris Kemoeatu is injured, and lets be honest, this game is in Baltimore.

As much as I want to pick Pittsburgh to win, and as much as I hope I am wrong on this:

Ravens win, 21-17.

Kansas City @ San Diego (-13.5)

Even though the Chiefs beat the Steelers in overtime last week, winning their second game in a row, they still do not look like the kind of team that can be consistent week in and week out. I don't think they have a chance to win on the road at San Diego, who beat the Broncos last week, in Denver.

KC's bubble is about to burst.

Chargers win, 31-13.

Upset Specials of the Week

Miami (-3.5) @ Buffalo

Miami is not the same team they were with Ronnie Brown. Even though they beat the Panthers last Thursday, I am not sold on them being a legit playoff contender (sorry Hotnuke).

Buffalo is playing with a ton of inspiration with interim coach Perry Fewell, and I think they will cover and win.

Bills win, 21-20.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-14)

Do you think the Vegas odds makers forgot that the last time these two teams played, the Bengals won with about :02 seconds left in OT, with a field goal that may have been no good?

The Bengals are going to win, but they will not cover the 14-point spread.

Bengals win, 27-17.

Arizona @ Tennessee (-3)

Kurt Warner, like Ben Roethlisberger, was knocked in the head last week, and also said that he is going to play this week. Mistake.

The Titans secondary is playing like last year, and Warner is going to have his hands full. The big difference is, Arizona is not going to be able to stop Chris Johnson, and the Titans are going to continue their winning streak.

Titans win, 28-21.

Seattle (-3) @ St. Louis

Neither team is playing very well, but the Rams stayed with the Saints until late in the game a couple of weeks ago.

The Seahawks' entire team may be on the injury report.

Many people believe that the Rams are horrible, and I agree, but Steven Jackson will be too much for the Seahawks.

Rams win, 17-13.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-14)

Atlanta is on a four-game losing streak, and though Tampa is not a very good team, 14 points is a lot to give up when your team is not playing well. Matt Ryan is playing more like a rookie than he did when he was a rookie.

Falcons win, 24-13.

Carolina @ New York Jets (-3)

Carolina is fighting for their playoff lives, while the Jets, who started the season at 3-0, look nothing like the team that beat the Patriots earlier this year.

Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie, while Jake Delhomme is not playing as bad as he did at the beginning of the season.

Panthers win, 17-14.

Jacksonville (-3) @ San Francisco

Most people gave up on Jacksonville, except Jacksonville.

San Francisco started the season off as a surprise pick to go to the Super Bowl, but that talk is now dead and gone.

The Jaguars are going to pound the 49ers.

Jaguars win, 27-10.

New England @ New Orleans (-3)

A fitting game for Monday night and will be the best game of the week.

New England had the Colts all but defeated two weeks ago, before Bill Belichick gave the game to the Colts, and basically home field advantage through the AFC playoffs.

The Saints are a great team, but they have not played against a team as good as the Pats. This will be a high-scoring game, and if you like to gamble (which I am not saying you should, and if you do it is not my fault if you lose money, so don't blame me) bet the over (56).

Patriots win, 37-31.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

2009 NFL Season: Week 11

C Douglas Baker — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:56 -0500

OBSERVATIONS

The theme of this week was clearly upsets, with the biggest being the Oakland Raiders knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Just missed upsets were Washington versus Dallas (go figure; Washington is a lousy offensive team) and the Ravens versus the Colts, as the Ravens just shot themselves in the foot, three times.

Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans has taken over Adrian Peterson’s spot as my top running back in the league and gets serious consideration for league MVP. Without his unbelievable running talent, the Titans are still winless.

Matthew Stafford coming into the game after separating his shoulder and throwing the winning touchdown pass was one of the gutsiest things I have seen in a long time. Wow.

If I were doing NFL Power Rankings, my top team very well might be the Minnesota Vikings, even though the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are undefeated. The Vikings have a much better defense than either of those two teams and an almost equally potent offense.

Denver continues to fold.

GAMES I WATCHED

New England Patriots over New York Jets, 31-14

This was an extremely important win for the Patriots given we lost last week to the Colts and face the undefeated New Orleans Saints next Monday night. It certainly helps our chances for a second seed in the playoffs with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers both losing this week.

Clearly the Patriots are a better team now than they were when they faced the Jets the second week of the season. The first half featured more running and short screens to slow down the blitz, and the offensive line played much better than the last time these teams met.

The Jets, frankly, don’t seem as good as they were earlier in the season. Mark Sanchez is now playing like the rookie he is, looking confused and befuddled at times.

Don’t get that comment wrong, however. I think he will be a solid NFL quarterback with experience. Even Joe Flacco (Ravens) and Matt Ryan (Falcons), who set somewhat of a standard last year for rookie quarterbacks, are struggling a bit in their second seasons. But the Patriots are on the rise, and the Jets are falling off the map.

The Patriots dominated this game from start to finish. Other than a blocked punt that netted the Jets an easy touchdown, the Patriots had the Jets’ number all day long.

The offense seemed to go into a bombs away mode in the second half and got away from running the ball and the short passing game, which resulted in having a tougher time with the blitz, and our offense didn’t do much in the second half. But neither did the Jets.

Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden came away with three interceptions, one which he returned for the first touchdown of the game. But Wes Welker had a monster game with 15 catches for 192 yards.

The Patriots better stick with the run and short passing game longer next week against the New Orleans Saints if they hope to win.

MVP: Wes Welker, WR

Miami Dolphins over Carolina Panthers, 24-17

Even without Ronnie Brown running the Wildcat offense, I thought the Dolphins could beat the inconsistent Panthers with their solid running game. While they didn’t run the Wildcat nearly as often, they did hand the ball off to Ricky Williams, who stepped up with 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns, which included a nifty 46-yard scoring run to put the game away in the fourth quarter.

Both of these teams played decent games, but Carolina is a team that befuddles me. They have great running backs, a top-flight receiver in Steve Smith, and a rather solid defense, mostly. But they are a mediocre to poor team at best. Oh yeah, they also have Jake Delhomme at quarterback, so never mind. It all makes sense now.

For Miami, they are going to be in a real struggle to make the playoffs. It’s late in the season, so maybe Williams can handle the extra workload, but he does not run the Wildcat as well as Brown, and they have a very pedestrian, non-threatening passing game. Most teams should just stack up against the run, and they should be able to mostly hold the Dolphins down.

You have to give Miami credit for playing hard and making their offense work this week though. Let’s see if they can keep it up.

MVP: Ricky Williams, RB

Indianapolis Colts over Baltimore Ravens, 17-15

What is wrong with the Baltimore Ravens? They have a very good football team but just cannot close the show. They had three excellent opportunities to win this game but blew all three of them. Really, the Ravens should be sick about this loss. They could have easily won this game.

They did get rid of their lousy kicker, who kept missing easy field goals. Their new kicker, Billy Cundiff, made some of the field goals he hit a bit heart-stopping but missed one wildly. But his miss appeared to be the fault of the snapper or holder because the ball was clearly held at an odd angle. Missed field goal, lose by two points. Bang!

In the fourth quarter the Ravens had the ball first and goal from the one-yard line and could not score a touchdown and had to settle for a field goal. 4th-and-1 from the one, with an excellent offensive line and three outstanding running backs, against a defense that does not play that well against the run, and you can’t get the touchdown? Another blown chance to get some points and win the game. BANG BANG!

Then Flacco, again in the fourth quarter, when the Ravens were near field goal range and could have won the game, throws a stupid interception. BANG BANG BANG!

Finally, with 28 seconds left and a Colts punt, the wickedly talented Ed Reed idiotically tries to lateral the ball near midfield and fumbles. Game over. Even with no timeouts and 28 seconds left, the offense had a slight chance to get a few plays off and possibly kick a game-winning field goal.

The Colts are a good team, obviously, at 10-0, but they escaped once again by the skin of their teeth, and the Ravens let another winnable game pass them by. The Ravens are still in the playoff hunt at 5-5, but they should be better.

A final note: Where did Tom Santi, the tight end for the Colts, come from? The second-year player from Virginia saw his first action, and the poor fellow made the biggest plays in the first half but took a beating for it. Even though he fumbled once, he was jacked up by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed at the same time! Welcome to the NFL [expletives deleted]! I’ll give him a pass on that one and give him my MVP award.

MVP: Tom Santi, TE

Philadelphia Eagles over Chicago Bears, 24-20

The Eagles had a nicely balanced attack against the Bears, with rookie LeSean McCoy picking up 99 rushing yards and DeSean Jackson racking up 107 yards receiving, including a 48-yard touchdown. What is up with all these XxSeans? With Dallas and the Giants joining the Eagles in mediocrity, the Eagles are in good position to once again steal the NFC East crown.

Meanwhile, Jay Cutler looks just flat-out awful. I really don’t like Cutler after all the bad-mouthing he did in Denver and his generally sulky attitude. But frankly, I am starting to feel a little sorry for him.

His mechanics are just atrocious. He constantly throws off his back foot and really is just arming the ball down the field without stepping into his throws. As a result he is very inaccurate, especially on the deep passes. Plus, he is skittish in the pocket and makes poor decisions.

Right now he is a poor, not average, but poor quarterback, and his body language doesn’t look good at all.

The Bears better get Cutler straightened out, or they are in for not only a long season, but possibly a long period of losing football.

MVP: DeSean Jackson, WR

Tennessee Titans over Houston Texans, 20-17

The Tennessee Titans do not look like the same football team that lay down against the New England Patriots. They have won four straight on the legs of Chris Johnson and with Vince Young leading them at quarterback.

In addition to Johnson running the ball extremely well, I love what the coaching staff is doing with Young. They are calling plays and letting him play to his strength.

It has already been much discussed that Young is not a great pocket passer. In this game they rolled him out often and let him make plays with both his arm and his legs. They really are playing to his strengths.

While I still don’t think Young will ever be a great NFL quarterback, with a solid running game and the receivers finally stepping up and making plays, Young can be very effective the way the Titans are running their offense. That extra dimension of Young making big plays running makes the Titans offense that much more dangerous. With four straight wins, this team has new life.

On the flip side, and I know I’ve said this a hundred times about every team that is talented but not playing up to the level of their talent, I don’t know what to make the of the Houston Texans. Solid quarterback, decent running backs, great receiver, and a lot of talent on defense, but they just can’t seem to get everything together to string together some wins.

Finally, I know Chris Johnson is the MVP of this team, and he ran for a league-high 151 yards against the Texans. But I am giving my MVP award to Rob Bironas. He hit a 50-yard field goal and a game-winning 53-yard field goal, while Texan kicker Kris Brown missed his chance.

I have seen too many games where the kicker has missed makeable field goals that cost their team the game. Bironas came through with two very tough, long kicks to win the game.

MVP: Rob Bironas, K

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player: Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots

Defensive Player: Leigh Bodden, CB, New England Patriots

Offensive Lineman: Jared Gaither, T, Baltimore Ravens

Special Teams: Rob Bironas, K, Tennessee Titans

Rookie of the Week: Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Week 12 Picks: From New England Patriots Fans' Perspective

C Douglas Baker — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:31:41 -0500

I can’t believe it’s week 12 already!

This week you have two prognosticators, yours truly, C Douglas Baker , and EA ,

Mr. TR is on the PUP list this week with an ailment. His wife says he’s on the PUP list every week but that’s another story. JUST KIDDING!!! Sorry TR, I couldn’t resist. Get well soon.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and good luck to your favorite team (unless it’s the Saints, Colts, Steelers, Bengals, Chargers, Broncos…).

Now on with the show.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Green Bay @ Detroit

EA: As an Aaron Rodgers fantasy owner, I am going to have A LOT to be thankful about on this turkey day. Sit back, put your feet up, and get ready to see the Pack dominate.

DB: Poor Green Bay has been hit with the injury bug again with cornerback Al Harris out for the season, as well as lineman Aaron Kampman. Nevertheless, I think they have enough offense to beat the lowly Lions on Turkey Day. Green Bay.

Oakland @ Dallas

EA: Dallas. Not even close.

DB: Oakland pulled off an upset last week, but I don’t think they will do it against the Cowboys, even though the Boys have been playing rather mediocre of late. Dallas.

New York Giants @ Denver

EA: Of course they put the interesting game on NFL Network, so I won't get to watch this one for myself, but I think Denver may get a long-needed win to try and stay afloat in the standings.

DB: This is a tough game given that both teams have been on a downward slide lately. Even though Denver is at home, with Orton ailing I think the Giants will take this one. New York Giants.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Miami @ Buffalo

EA: With Ronnie Brown out, Ricky Williams is going to continue to show that he is still top tier talent, going all over this porous Buffalo defense.

DB: I don’t think Ricky Williams can carry the full load the rest of the season given he’s not used to doing so, but he will on Sunday. Miami.

Indianapolis @ Houston

EA: Unfortunately, Indy is going to keep up their winning ways against Houston, but I'm still holding out hope.

DB: Houston had a great opportunity to pull off a win Monday night and didn’t do it against a suddenly relevant Tennessee team. Houston has the ability to put up points against the Colts defense. I want to pick the upset here really bad. Maybe it is wishful thinking, but I’m going to do it. Houston.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

EA: Cincinnati will win without any competition at all.

DB: No contest. Cincinnati.

Carolina @ New York Jets

EA: Carolina may put up a good fight, but I expect the Jets to come away with the win.

DB: Carolina is so inconsistent, but so are the Jets. This is another game that is hard to pick but I will take the Jets because they have a great corner that can compete with Steve Smith and the Jets, while weaker in the middle without Kris Jenkins, have enough to slow down the Panther running game. It should be a close contest though. New York Jets.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta

EA: Now that they don't have such a grueling road schedule to worry about, Atlanta will get back on the right track with an easy win over Tampa.

DB: Despite their recent woes, I see no reason for Atlanta to have any trouble against Tampa Bay. Atlanta.

Washington @ Philadelphia

EA: Philly. What more needs to be said?

DB: Washington is woeful, woeful, woeful. Bye Jim Zorn, bye Jason Campbell, bye Clinton Portis. Philadelphia.

Seattle @ St. Louis.

EA: With Donnie Avery looking good, and Stephen Jackson running like it's stolen, I actually think St. Louis comes away with the win on their home field.

DB: With Bulger out and Kyle Boller in, I have to go with Seattle. Seattle.

Kansas City @ San Diego

EA: I am immensely proud of the Chiefs for what they did against the Steelers last week, but lightning doesn't strike twice. Give me the Bolts.

DB: San Diego is on a roll and will likely roll all over the poor Chiefs. San Diego.

Jacksonville @ San Francisco

EA: San Francisco, but it will probably be really close.

DB: This is a tough call. Two mediocre teams. It really depends on which teams show up. I am taking the home team. San Francisco.

Chicago @ Minnesota

EA: Chicago hasn't been very impressive this year, Brett Favre should enjoy lighting up a soft Bears' secondary in front of the fickle Metrodome fans.

DB: Jared Allen will eat Orlando Pace for lunch. I wonder how many times Cutler will get sacked and how many interceptions he will throw? This is likely to be a huge blowout for the Vikings. Minnesota.

Arizona @ Tennessee

EA: I'll take Arizona only if Kurt Warner is good to go. It's going to be a very long day if they have to endure a Matt Leinart start, long enough to give the Titans a window of opportunity.

DB: Upset alert!!! Arizona, on the road, with a dinged up Warner. Tennessee is actually playing like a real football team lately. I think they take the Cardinals down at home. Tennessee.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

EA: The second most interesting game of the weekend, and I know I've been picking them to win pretty much all year, incorrectly, but I'm still going with the Ravens. Let's see if they prove me right for once.

DB: This will be a fun game to watch. The Ravens have been just ever so close to winning more games and just can’t close the show. But this week I am picking them to win, again. Baltimore.

Monday, November 30, 2009

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

EA: This game is going to be so much more than anticipated. This game wasn't expected to be very significant coming into the season, but at this point, this looks like it could shape up to be the best, most interesting, and very much so the most significant game of the year. I could go as far as to call it a Super Bowl preview. These two teams are among the best in football, and you all know who I WANT to win, but out of superstition I will abstain from picking a winner on this one at this point in time.

DB: Wow, what a match-up. This could be a barn burner where the last team that has the ball wins. Or it could be a blow out by either team. The Patriots have a lot of weaknesses on defense but so do the Saints. And just think, two Parcells guys, Belichick and Sean Payton matching wits. I think New England is going to do what it failed to do against the Colts and knock the Saints off their perch. New England.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars: The Messy Aftermath

Jeremy Pike — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:01:31 -0500

Last Sunday’s game between the Bills and the Jaguars was a mixed bag of results for Buffalo.

On the positive side, they came out and played extremely hard on both sides of the ball. This is a different team under interim head coach Perry Fewell. WR Terrell Owens had his biggest day as a Bill (catching a 98-yard pass for a TD will do that for you) and the defense held RB Maurice Jones-Drew in check enough to draw praise from the Jags tailback.

Unfortunately, the negative side holds a lot more weight.

First off, they lost the game in the fourth quarter again. Obviously the team didn’t go into complete self-destruct mode when they were down like the Tennessee Titans game the previous week, which I think is a testament to Fewell. However, they still are having serious issues closing out games in the fourth.

Second, the injury situation continues to get worse, especially on the offensive line. I’m glad I was unable to watch the game for at least a few minutes when guard Eric Wood went down. That’s a horrible injury, and I wish Wood a quick and full recovery. Not just as a football player, but also as a fellow human being, because that’s just bad. Hopefully it won’t hinder his development.

Also lost for the season was guard Seth McKinney. The Bills are down to five active roster linemen, one who is injured (Demetrius Bell). Hello, free agents.

Also expect to see Christian Gaddis activated from the practice squad.

Another negative was the penalties, especially two key ones that erased touchdowns. The first on a TD run by Fred Jackson sounded ticky-tack, but as a football player, it’s your job to avoid putting yourself in that kind of situation as much as possible. A rookie mistake by Shawn Nelson, who will be a fine player, but still hurts.

The second penalty, a hands-to-the-face by Jonathan Scott, also really hurt. If the Bills had those two touchdowns, they would have won that game. However, they did commit those penalties (at least the Scott one), so they paid the price.

In Fewell’s postgame comments, it sounds like players were going to be getting an earful from him, which is another big difference between Jauron and Fewell. Maybe the players need to read my article on discipline (look back in the archive for Coach J’s Board Talk—Discipline Edition.)

The Jaguars did earn that win, however. They stayed in it, played tough, and made the most of their chances at the end, unlike the Bills. Lots to learn for this young team. On to Miami next week.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com

Stafford and Lions, Young and Titans: What We Learned from NFL Week 11

The Sportmeisters — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:16:36 -0500

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

The home stretch is near! Who’s gunning for the playoffs, and who’s gunning for a good draft spot?

The Best Game No One Watched

It was a “family and friends” game, meaning, only family and friends would watch Cleveland face off against Detroit in the race for the No. 1 pick. Well, it became a game full of energy, comebacks, and a game-winning drive, as the Lions edged the Browns 38-37.

Cleveland took a huge 24-3 lead to start the game, showing an offensive firepower sorely missed the first 10 weeks of the season. Detroit, led by rookie QB Matt Stafford, climbed back, until Cleveland QB Brady Quinn led a scoring drive to make it 37-31 with under five minutes to go.

Enter Stafford, who got the team to midfield before launching a Hail Mary with less than 10 seconds to go, which was intercepted and ended the game.

BUT WAIT!

A pass interference call let Detroit have one final untimed play, where a now-injured Stafford found fellow rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew for the 38-37 win.

They say it takes one play in one game to turn a team around. For Detroit, that might have been the turning point, even with Stafford unlikely to play this week against Green Bay. The Browns can take some positive in the offense that showed up, but are miles away from any signs of competitiveness.

A Bucked Bronco

A month ago, the Denver Broncos, despite all their offseason turmoil, were 6-0 and kings of the AFC West. They held a 3-and-a-half game lead over the Sand Diego Chargers. Now, as we move to Week 12, the San Diego Chargers hold a one-game lead over Denver, thanks to a five-game winning streak that culminated in a 32-3 drubbing of the Broncos on Sunday.

It was just another case of two teams changing since Denver won the first matchup.

San Diego seems to be on all cylinders, with QB Philip Rivers managing the offense, and even RB LaDainian Tomlinson having a solid performance (20 carries, 73 yards, touchdown).

Denver is falling apart at the wrong time, and three turnovers and nine penalties don’t make it any easier. The Broncos have an early game this week against the NY Giants, and have to get back on track now, or risk watching the season end before their very eyes.

Remember The Titans

I usually write this on a Monday, but due to scheduling conflicts, I got to take in the Monday night game and add it to my recaps. I picked a good week to have a scheduling conflict, as behind 151 rushing yards from Chris Johnson and 189 all-purpose yards from Vince Young, the Titans squeaked out a 20-17 victory over the Houston Texans.

The Titans, who were the source of ridicule a year removed from 13-3, have now won four straight, and while they are still a ways away from any playoff talk, now seem like they are on the right track.

Using the same method that worked last year (punishing running game, dominant defense), they no longer seem in over their heads. Against Houston, they had 228 rushing yards, and the defense had four sacks, and held Houston to 57 rushing yards.

Tennessee is clawing back, slowly but surely.

Contenders and Pretenders

The playoff picture is getting clearer, so who is in the snapshot?

The New Orleans Saints, after a few weeks of questionable football, quieted the critics with a complete performance in a 38-7 drubbing of Tampa Bay. The Saints take their perfect record against New England on Monday Night Football this coming week.

What does a 4-2 record over the last six weeks get you? For the Miami Dolphins, it’s some playoff chatter, as last years AFC East Champions beat the Carolina Panthers to get back to .500. RB Ricky Williams had three touchdowns in place of injured RB Ronnie Brown.

The Indianapolis Colts are making it happen, squeaking out another close victory, this time against the Baltimore Ravens 17-15. The Colts ran their record to 10-0, their eighth straight 10-win season, and have won 19 regular season games in a row, second only to the New England Patriots (21 wins from 2006-2008).

Pretenders come in all shapes and sizes:

Bills coach Dick Jauron was given the boot, hoping to spark something in Buffalo. Despite Terrell Owens showing up for the first time all season, the Bills still lose, 18-15 to Jacksonville. The Bills are now 3-7.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are defending Super Bowl champions, but they’re not playing like it. They lost their second straight game, this time to the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24 in overtime. They are fighting injuries, which is a contributing factor, but they need to get their act together if a repeat Super Bowl appearance is in the cards.

After starting 4-1, the Atlanta Falcons have taken a nosedive, with their latest, a 34-31 overtime loss to the New York Giants, running their record to 5-5.

Read more AFC East news on BleacherReport.com