Gang Green

I was at a wedding yesterday afternoon, in Poughkeepsie, receiving only intermittent text updates from concerned friends about the Jets-Pats game. I knew the Jets were up late, but there was still a lot of time left. I was nervous. Even worse, the bar was about to close.

New text: “Sanchez sacked for a big loss.” Damn. Two minutes later: “Pats on final drive.” Oy, I thought. Were the Patriots going to steal one late from the Jets, just like they did last week against the Bills? I was on an island, cut off from the rest of the world, unaware of what was going on 70 miles south, in the Meadowlands, a place that hadn’t witnessed a Jets’ win over the Pats since 2000, when Herm Edwards was still in charge. 

A few minutes later, we were packing up our things, wishing our best to the lovely bride and groom. (Ed. Note: Seriously, no TV?) As we pulled out of the parking lot, I checked my phone for a new text. Nothing. Not good, I thought. The Jets were either in the middle of blowing it, or had already blown it. No one wanted to share the bad news with me. Before we pulled into the train station, though, we passed a small bar. I watched as a paunchy, pasty male wearing a Randy Moss jersey exited and walked across the parking lot. Behind him, his girlfriend, in a Brady jersey, natch, screamed, “You’re just going to leave? Just like that?” I didn’t even have to read the text I received a few seconds later. I knew right away that the Jets had beaten the Pats, because Pats fans, like the team’s head coach, don’t take losing very well. They handle losses, in fact, about as well as child takes losing his woobie.

All week long, the Jets, particularly Head Coach Rex Ryan and safety Kerry Rhodes, said the Jets were going to bring it to the Patriots. “Try to embarrass them,” was Mr. Rhodes’ unfortunate choice of words. That the Jets, particularly the defense, backed up their uncharacteristically bold talk was impressive. It also speaks volumes, as it were, about the teams’ confidence, talent and newfound moxie. 

These ain’t your father’s New York Jets.

In two games this season, the Jets’ D has not allowed a touchdown. Last week, they turned Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson into spectators. Compare this to the duo’s remarkable performance this week against the Titans. On Sunday, the Jets made Tom Brady, Mr. Enlgand, look like Chad Henne. Yesterday was the first time a Brady-led Pats team failed to score a touchdown since Dec. 10, 2006, when they were shut out against the Dolphins. Even more impressive, the Jets limited the vaunted Patriots offense to less than 300 yards of total offense, holding them to a mediocre 5 of 15 on third down. Cornerback Darrell Revis limited Randy Moss to four catches for 24 yards. Although the Jets didn’t sack Brady, they knocked him down, I think, six or seven times, depending on the news outlet. Ryan’s defensive schemes—and the raucous Meadowlands crowd—rattled the normally unflappable Brady, forcing him into four delay-of-game penalties, including a back-to-back fuck up in the 3rd quarter. Hardly a vintage performance from Mr. New England.

Mark Sanchez, on the other hand, played well enough to win, leading the Jets on an impressive 16-play, 68-yard scoring drive to start the second half. He finished the game 14-22 with 163 yards, a touchdown and 0 interceptions. Nothing fantastic, but still better than Brady’s 0-touchdown, 1-interception performance.

In the scheme of things, yesterday’s win isn’t terribly important, or even meaningful. It is, after all, just one game in a very long season, and the Pats will, of course, make adjustments. Good teams always do. But, at least for the time being, they'll be looking up at a totally revamped and defensively dominant Jets team. See you in Week 11.

BEN:

I can't front. The time for fronting is past. That was a tough loss, and the Pats, who have been prodigiously talented for the last 5 years, clearly aren't the same force they were a few years ago. Time was, we could afford to lose an elite linebacker and an elite receiver in the same short week and still out-think the bad guys. And--hey, credit where it's due--that is a fierce defense and a smart head coach. But, in the long view, I still think that the Pats are a playoff team, and, in the even longer view, that Belichick is building a team that will be a force over the next 5-10 years. And I doubt that you disagree.

I won't let myself be drawn into another of the absurd Boston/NY debates over whose fans have less integrity, but I will say that I don't want a coach who takes to losing, any more than I want to root for one whose signature move, it seems, is to try to piss people off. And while this team has looked pretty nasty on defense, let's not confuse them with the '85 Bears just yet. The Patriots had better numbers than the Jets in total offense, first downs, takeaways, and 3rd down efficiency. Had rookie substitute Julian Edelman--who on the whole had a very good game--not dropped a pass on the 2 yard line, this might have been a different outcome.

But like I said, no fronting. The Jets were tougher in key situations, adjusted better at halftime, and were the only team to put one in the end zone. But the Patriots are still finding themselves, and on the defensive side of the ball, substitute signal-caller Gary Guyton orchestrated a defense that held the Jets to 16 points and 254 yards of total offense, picking up 10 tackles himself.

Most experts picked the Pats to win the AFC East this year. In the next few days, I'm sure quite of a few of those people will be handing that same crown to the Jets. Myself, I think it's going to be a dogfight. But if and when we get Mayo and Welker back, and when Brady hits his stride, I still like my squad.

Much has been made of the losses of Bruschi, Harrison, Seymour, Vrabel, and Hobbs on this defense. (A defense which, as you bandwagon fans may or may not recall, was considered a liability last year.) For the time being, you can also add Jerod Mayo to that list. And yet they more than held their own yesterday against a capable offense. If this is what a rebuilding year looks like under Belichick, I can live with that. There are a lot of games left to play.

MILES:

Funny you mentioned rebuilding, Brady's rust, and the absence of Wes Welker. I deleted an entire paragraph about these and a number of other excuses that were sure to wind their way down I-95. I'll give you Welker. He was missed. This rebuilding meme, though, is a bit disingenuous, especially since, as you pointed out, the Pats were the early favorites to win the division. Probably still are, too. Also, as I recall last year, when Matt Cassell excelled in Brady's stead, it was the system, not the players. Bellichick, it was said, could win with anyone. Nor can I take seriously Brady's rust, which wasn't an issue in the second half of last week's game, when he put in a "vintage" performance. He looked uneasy in the pocket this week because the Jets put a ton of pressure on him. They made him uncomfortable. 

 

Also, bandwagon fan is a bit unfair. Although I'm not a big football guy, I do have a vested interest in the Jets, and I was recruited for the specific purpose of talking smack about teams from Boston. I couldn't let yesterday's win go unnoticed. It would be unprofessional.