New York Jets vs. Kansas City Chiefs: What Are Experts Saying About New York?
On the heels of a disheartening press conference from general manager John Idzik, the New York Jets enter Week 9 seemingly uplifted by a change at quarterback.
Will the morale boost be enough to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium?
After losing their first home game to the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs crushed the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams by a combined score of 75-21 on their turf.
Enter the struggling Jets, who have more questions surrounding their roster and individuals in leadership roles than answers.
Could this possibly be the week Gang Green puts an end to their losing streak? The experts add context to the upcoming matchup in Kansas City.
Bill Polian: Starting Vick Is the Right Move
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According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Rex Ryan officially decided to start Michael Vick against the Chiefs on Monday. Former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian cautioned about the possibility of losing the locker room if Geno Smith continued to lead the offense, per Schefter.
The Jets are officially backpedaling on their potential franchise quarterback. Right now, the adjective "franchise" is replaced with "backup" indefinitely. While Vick hasn’t shown much during his time under center, New York is simply looking to add a spark on offense.
Smith was pulled last week against the Buffalo Bills after throwing three interceptions in the first quarter. In relief, Vick didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he made less critical mistakes. He also moved the ball, throwing for 153 yards and making use of his legs without a full week of preparation with the first-team offense.
The Chiefs are ranked first in the league when defending the pass, and it’s likely Vick will struggle, but the outlook on Smith’s potential output with a sore shoulder was grim. While it’s unclear when or if the Jets’ second-year quarterback will return to the starting lineup, he must learn from his second benching in four games.
Rich Cimini: Jets Pass Defense Continues Poor Showing
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According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, Gang Green’s horrible pass defense will be the antidote for the Chiefs' sluggish passing attack.
"Sunday should be an interesting matchup because the Chiefs have no quick-strike ability -- no pass plays of 40-plus yards. In last week's win, Smith became the first quarterback since 2012 to win a game without attempting multiple passes of 10 yards downfield, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Let's take it a step further: The Chiefs are the only team without a receiving touchdown from a wide receiver.
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That's about to change.
Alex Smith is viewed as one of the league's best game-managing quarterbacks. He won’t burn you for 300-plus yards, but he doesn’t make the critical errors to lose the game. The Chiefs quarterback has yet to throw a touchdown pass to any of his wide receivers through seven games. However, Cimini is correct when he says that alarming statistic will change on Sunday.
After seeing Kyle Orton look like Brett Favre, slinging it all over the field against the Jets, expect Dwayne Bowe to grab a touchdown or two against Darrin Walls. Rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins burned Walls on multiple occasions, showing the disparity in talent between a No. 1 wide receiver and a reserve cornerback.
Bowe, a former Pro Bowler, will have the opportunity to once again expose the biggest weakness on the Jets roster.
Ryan Alfieri: Use Option Plays with Vick
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According to Bleacher Report’s Ryan Alfieri, Vick provides an extra dimension to the offense that could be effective against the Chiefs Sunday: "At age 34, Vick is at best equal to Geno Smith in terms of raw throwing ability—but he separates himself with his experience and effectiveness with his legs, even if he is no longer the video game glitch he was as a younger man."
Smith is also a mobile quarterback but heavily prefers to throw (even when his targets aren’t open) rather than run the ball.
The difference is Vick became a dynamic player because of his ability to run so well with the football. He’s an upgrade in terms of improvisation at quarterback. Vick is averaging 7.7 yards per carry, while Smith averages four yards per carry.
Kansas City ranks 18th in rushing yards allowed. The 34-year-old veteran quarterback can be problematic if the Jets rushing attack sets the tone against the Chiefs defensive line. It’s a tough task to defend a potent rushing attack along with a quarterback who can take off on any given drive for 20 yards.
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Mark Schlereth and Darren Woodson: Kansas City Chiefs Win
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The NFL Live crew made their game picks. Mark Schlereth and Darren Woodson comfortably chose Kansas City.
Schlereth praised Chiefs quarterback Smith for taking meticulous shots through the air. The nine-year veteran out of Utah doesn’t cover a lot of field when throwing the ball but throws accurately with a 66.8 completion percentage. He has only attempted nine passes of 20 yards or more, three for completions and two for interceptions, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Head Coach Andy Reid may allow Smith to take a few shots against a defense thoroughly embarrassed by Orton and Watkins, who just started playing together four weeks ago. Even if Smith sticks to his methodical throwing style, he’ll likely target Bowe in a favorable matchup against Walls.
Woodson highlighted Reid’s balanced offensive attack. Jamaal Charles isn’t the only threat out of the backfield. Knile Davis leads the team in rushing yards, and the Chiefs have the third-best rushing attack in the league, averaging 140.7 yards per game.
Gang Green’s defensive line usually puts forth a solid performance but has yet to face a prominent duo running back attack. New York’s front seven will face its toughest challenge this season against Kansas City’s physical offensive line and two talented running backs.
Bleacher Report Consensus Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
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Bleacher Report’s expert consensus favors the Chiefs, 13-3. The experts underscored the organization’s state of disarray following John Idzik’s press conference on Monday. Fans at Arrowhead Stadium are the loudest in the league per Pro Football Talk. It's one of the hardest places to play even for talented and experienced quarterbacks.
Even though Vick has played in relief of Smith on two occasions, Sunday will be his first start. Communication and timing will be the key if he wants any sort of success against a stingy pass defense.
Fortunately for Vick, he had a head start with establishing a rapport with the starting offense last week against the Bills. Vick spent a significant amount of time with newly acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin on the field. After a full week of practice, it's possible Vick and Harvin may have a formidable connection.
The coaching staff felt more confident in Vick than Smith leading the team to victory. Nonetheless, Kansas City’s defensive backs are playing extremely well, allowing under 200 passing yards per game. Vick is also prone to fumbles and poor decisions when throwing the football. In that stadium, against that defense—the Jets lose 27-13.
Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com
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