Boy am I pumped for Sunday sitting on the couch with my father, a Patriots fan, hoping and praying for moments were I jump up and down in glory and he mumbles under his breath in frustration. Maybe it will only happen for a single play but it will be worth it, anyway here's my take on the game.
Coaches Battle
Obviously the big headline of this game is the master versus the pupil, but honestly when the game ends what are the chances that we will know whether or not either was truly outcoached or if one team just out executed the other. Maybe a bad decision here or there. I think this angle is getting a little blown out of proportion, and truly will only be interesting during the post game handshake and the following press conferences.
Pressure Brady
Not as simple as it sounds, but in their last matchup the Jets kept Brady off balance and were able to pressure him from all angles and force him into some uncharacteristic mistakes. If the Jets want to get the Patriots off the field sacking Brady or forcing him to rush his throws will be essential.
Mistake Free Pennington or Loss Pennington
An absolute must for the Jets to win this game is the play of Chad Pennington. In all of the Jets losses Pennington has had 4 td to 11 int ratio and in the past 4 losses he's had a 1 td to 9 int ratio. It's simple, if Pennington plays terribly the Jets have absolutely no shot of winning this ball game. The Pats will therefore send intricate blitzes to try to frustrate and rattle Pennington into mistakes and keep him from getting into his deek and dunk rhythm.
The Vinatieri Effect
Senor Bill decided that he didn't want to drop a ton of money on the greatest clutch kicker of all time and instead drafted a Gostkowski, a kid who had very good success in college at Memphis, but a kid nonetheless, one that has never kicked in any games nearly as big as the weeks ahead. Financial moves haven't seemed to bite Pioli or Belichick in the ass ever before, will their decision to keep Cap Space instead of keeping their past savior.
Two Headed Dragon
The Jets defensive weakness throughout this season has been stopping the run. They have progressively gotten better during the season but have still shown signs of weakness, watch games Willis McGahee plays. The Pats have the two headed Dragon of Dillon and Maroney out of the backfield, both of whom could easily break big runs and gain over 100 yards. Hell, even throw in Kevin Faulk who has the ability to make big plays.
Comeback Mode
Just in case you are unaware, the Jets can not come back from a double digit lead in the 4th quarter. Not against anyone in the league, if the Jets are forced to make big plays and allow the defense to sit back and anticipate Pennington's throws the Jets are dead, flat corpse. Therefore it will be essential for the Jets to be within striking distance in the 4th quarter and it would be very beneficial for Tom and Co. to break out a big lead.
The Pick
I truly believe the Jets will be in this game til the end. I think they have more talent on their roster than they have been given credit for the whole season and I think they can compete on both sides of the ball with the Patriots. Unfortunately at the end of the day, the Patriots have Tom Brady, Captain Clutch, and the Jets do not, and that makes all the difference in the world. Ugh.
Coaches Battle
Obviously the big headline of this game is the master versus the pupil, but honestly when the game ends what are the chances that we will know whether or not either was truly outcoached or if one team just out executed the other. Maybe a bad decision here or there. I think this angle is getting a little blown out of proportion, and truly will only be interesting during the post game handshake and the following press conferences.
Pressure Brady
Not as simple as it sounds, but in their last matchup the Jets kept Brady off balance and were able to pressure him from all angles and force him into some uncharacteristic mistakes. If the Jets want to get the Patriots off the field sacking Brady or forcing him to rush his throws will be essential.Mistake Free Pennington or Loss Pennington
An absolute must for the Jets to win this game is the play of Chad Pennington. In all of the Jets losses Pennington has had 4 td to 11 int ratio and in the past 4 losses he's had a 1 td to 9 int ratio. It's simple, if Pennington plays terribly the Jets have absolutely no shot of winning this ball game. The Pats will therefore send intricate blitzes to try to frustrate and rattle Pennington into mistakes and keep him from getting into his deek and dunk rhythm.
The Vinatieri Effect
Senor Bill decided that he didn't want to drop a ton of money on the greatest clutch kicker of all time and instead drafted a Gostkowski, a kid who had very good success in college at Memphis, but a kid nonetheless, one that has never kicked in any games nearly as big as the weeks ahead. Financial moves haven't seemed to bite Pioli or Belichick in the ass ever before, will their decision to keep Cap Space instead of keeping their past savior.
Two Headed Dragon
The Jets defensive weakness throughout this season has been stopping the run. They have progressively gotten better during the season but have still shown signs of weakness, watch games Willis McGahee plays. The Pats have the two headed Dragon of Dillon and Maroney out of the backfield, both of whom could easily break big runs and gain over 100 yards. Hell, even throw in Kevin Faulk who has the ability to make big plays.
Comeback Mode
Just in case you are unaware, the Jets can not come back from a double digit lead in the 4th quarter. Not against anyone in the league, if the Jets are forced to make big plays and allow the defense to sit back and anticipate Pennington's throws the Jets are dead, flat corpse. Therefore it will be essential for the Jets to be within striking distance in the 4th quarter and it would be very beneficial for Tom and Co. to break out a big lead.
The Pick
I truly believe the Jets will be in this game til the end. I think they have more talent on their roster than they have been given credit for the whole season and I think they can compete on both sides of the ball with the Patriots. Unfortunately at the end of the day, the Patriots have Tom Brady, Captain Clutch, and the Jets do not, and that makes all the difference in the world. Ugh.
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