The Sport Scholar got some serious New York Jets love on Twitter today from Kris Jenkins and Vlad Ducasse for the last article published, “3 REASONS THE NEW YORK JETS BEAT THE BUFFALO BILLS.” Feels great to see these guys are reading my stuff and I really appreciate them sharing it with their followers. Really looking forward to this Sunday’s showdown with the New England Patriots. Should be INTENSE!
I wrote this article for Technorati. Click here to see the article there.
If the New York Jets win the AFC East Division Title this year, something they haven’t done since 2002, Week 9 of the NFL season will be the week they will look at as the week that everything changed. Week 9 will be the week the Jets transformed from a mediocre, loud-mouth team to a team that is once again a contender with a suffocating defense and hard-nosed running game.
Coming in to week 9, the Jets were coming off a bye week and they were set for a head-to-head match up against the division-leading Buffalo Bills, who just finished laying the wood on the Washington Redskins in a 24-0 blowout in Toronto.
The cards were stacked against the Jets. They were winless on the road, going against the leading rusher in the NFL, and still searching for a true identity.
So how did the Jets pull out a win?
1. The New York Jets rushing attack came to play.
Everyone following the Jets for the past three years has heard this term hundreds of times- GROUND AND POUND. To start the 2011 season, the Jets offense was all ground and no pound. Shonn Greene took over the role of feature back in what was supposed to be a seamless transition. Didn’t work out that way. Him and future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson struggled mightily to move the rock. On the season, the Jets averaged 96.9 rushing yards per game. Coming into cold-weather Buffalo, an effective rushing game was a must. How did they respond? Collectively, the Jets rushed for 126 yards and the offensive line just blew back the D line of the Bills with ease. The offense of the Jets was balanced with a healthy mix of rushing and passing plays but when the Jets decided to run the ball, they did it effectively.
2. The New York Jets run defense stuffed Fred Jackson.
The Jets were giving up 123 rushing yards per game and the Bills were rushing for 135 yards per game coming into this matchup. It was no secret the Bills would give the ball to Fred Jackson. The onus was on the 25th ranked rushing defense in the league to disrupt the NFL‘s leading rusher. Led by underrated DT Sione Pouha, the Bills were held to only 96 total rushing yards. Fred Jackson responsible for only 82.
3. The New York Jets dominated the time of possession.
This third stat really ties into the first two. If you have an effective run game and your opponent does not, you will win the time of possession battle. The Jets held the ball for 7 minutes longer (an eternity in football) then they’ve been averaging. The Jets held on to the ball for 37:52 and the Bills only 22:08. That’s a 15+ min differential, or in football time- an entire quarter!
There were obviously other reasons than just the ones stated above that contributed to the Jets’ victory on Sunday, such as their incredible pass defense and solid special teams play, but the 3 listed above stand out because they are 3 areas in which the Jets have not performed well this season and 3 areas in which the Jets MUST continue to perform well in order to make a serious run at the Lombardi Trophy. This was the biggest game of the Jets season this year and they passed this test with flying colors but this victory has come and gone because there is a new biggest game of the season and it takes place this Sunday night against bitter rivals New England Patriots.
Disgruntled Wide Receiver, Derrick Mason, was traded from the New York Jets to the Houston Texans for a conditonal 7th-round draft pick. With Andre Johnson on the sidelines for a few weeks, the Texans were looking for a slot receiver to help alleviate the pressure on Matt Schaub.
In New York, Mason was unhappy with his lack of production and playing time and his former head coach, Rex Ryan, was unhappy with Mason’s complaining. On the outset, this deal looks like a win-win situation for both teams. I think, once acclimated, Mason can put up decent numbers in Houston, even when Andre Johnson returns and on the Jets’ side of things, it never hurts to rack up some NFL draft picks.
Rex Ryan has been a lightning rod ever since he was hired as the New York Jets head coach in 2009. He has been a sound byte waiting to happen seemingly every week. He epitomizes the saying, “You either love him or hate him.” Except in his case it’s usually you really love or really hate him. He knows how everyone perceives him and he doesn’t care. His bosses adore him, his players would walk through fire for him, and NY Jets fans back his every word. People tuned into HBO’s Hard Knocks just to see what Rex would do next. He even told President Obama to get the White House ready because he guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, something the Jets haven’t done since 1969, when Rex’s father Buddy was their linebackers coach. His brash bravado is the first thing that comes to mind when he is brought up; not his credentials, his weight, and no not even his foot fetish. His Ralph Kramden-like mouth has made him one of the most talked about NFL figures but it has also gotten him into some trouble.
Rex Ryan Being Welcomed By Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum
Ryan was brought in to replace fired head coach Eric Mangini after 3 up and down seasons. With the hire of Ryan as the new head coach, a feeling of hope swept through Jets camp. Owner, players, and fans felt Ryan was the man to change the Jets from the “Same Old Jets” to a new, hard hitting, defensive powerhouse of a team. So what’s the verdict on Ryan’s brief tenure so far?
This leaves us at tomorrow’s Divisional Playoff Game against bitter rival and top seed New England Patriots.
As HC of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan is 2-2 overall against the New England Patriots. Usually that’s not a bad place to be against a powerhouse division rival but the last meeting between these two is all anyone remembers. The winner of that game was all but assured the division title, the #1 playoff seed in the AFC, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Rex Ryan said about Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that he wanted to “kick his ass.” What unfolded was the complete opposite. The Patriots laid a 45-3 whooping on the Jets, won the division title, secured the #1 seed in the AFC, and turned the New York Jets’ once great season completely upside-down. So much so that the Jets had to settle for the last playoff spot in the AFC. With a big road win against the Steelers and an even bigger road playoff win against the Colts, albeit against a beaten and battered Colts team, the New York Jets have regained some credibility but nothing compared to where they were pre-Patriots beat down. So what will this game do for Rex Ryan? With a Jets win tomorrow, the 45-3 mauling will be all but forgotten, the Jets will be in the AFC Championship game for the second year in a row, the Jets will be seen as a powerhouse again, and New York will still be in love with “Sexy Rexy”. On the flip-side, if the Jets lose tomorrow, the Patriots will have established dominance over the Jets, the Jets season will be seen as a failure, and that cushy throne Rex sits on will stop being so cushy and will start to warm up some. Rex has no one but himself to blame because it is his big mouth and bold promises that put him in this position. I think it’s pretty safe to say that this game is the most important in Rex’s head-coaching life. Something tells me though that he wouldn’t want it any other way.
-The Sport Scholar
