Screw The Raiders !

Seems like this is the zillionth time recently we've played the Raiders the last game of the season with a chance to make the playoffs. This time, we need to kick their asses. Anything less is unacceptable. A loss to the Raiders and I'll be puking Sunday thru New Years Day !

One More & We're In !

It was a monsoon. We suck in the rain. We suck when there is a big game that we need to win. I'm used to heartbreak. But, for once, they didn't break my heart. In an ugly game, they somehow figured out how to win a game that it looked like they would lose. Chad came alive in the 4th quarter when he needed to be on the money with some key 3rd down throws.

However, we still managed to screw things up when we muffed a punt giving the ball back to the Dolphins to tie up the game. But Leon Washington, our little rookie, came thru on a a huge play to set up the game winning field goal.

I don't want to even harp much more on this HUGE win. We control out own destiny and now fact the Raiders at home in a MUST win game again. And stupid me sold the tickets before the season for this game. Who knew before the season that this would be such a huge game. You'd figure this would be a game of two teams battling for the 1st pick in the NFL draft. It turns out that this game now is a playoff clinching game for the Jets with a win. I don't even care about the scenarios if we lose. It's about winning at home vs. a team that has 2 wins. Let's hope they can not disappoint us as they have done so often in Must Win Games in the past. Go Green !

It's Been A While...

It's been a while since Jets vs. Dolphins this late in the year had major Playoff Implications for us ! Time to squish the Fish !

The New York Jets announced their 2006 Team Awards today. Wide receiver Laveranues Coles was voted as the team’s Most Valuable Player, quarterback Chad Pennington was named the recipient of The Dennis Byrd Award for Most Inspirational Player, Chris Baker was voted the winner of The Ed Block Courage Award, while safety Erik Coleman earned The Marty Lyons Award for Community Service and wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery captured The Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award.

Wide receiver Laveranues Coles was named the team’s Most Valuable Player as voted by his teammates. Coles has 87 catches for 1,065 yards and six TDs this season, all team highs. He needs seven receptions to break the franchise record for receptions in a season of 93 set by Al Toon in 1988. He has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his career and is the 94 th player in NFL history with at least 500 receptions (502-6,566-13.1-31 TD). In Week 15 at Minnesota, Coles tied his career high with 12 catches, good for 144 yards (his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season) and his team leading sixth touchdown reception. He now has 18 career 100-yard games, including 11 as a Jet, seventh on the Jets’ all-time list.

Winning the Dennis Byrd Most Inspirational Player Award, as voted by his teammates, was starting quarterback Chad Pennington. Rebounding from a second shoulder surgery in 2005, Pennington has led the Jets to an 8-6 record, throwing for 2,958 yards and 15 touchdowns for an 81.3 passer rating in 14 games. Pennington has thrown over 300 yards three times this season, including a career best 339 yards in a 26-13 victory at Minnesota. Pennington is the second-most accurate passer in NFL history, completing 65.3 percent of his passes in his career. Pennington has also missed time with a wrist injury in 2003 and a shoulder injury in 2004.

Tight end Chris Baker was named the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, as voted by his teammates. Originally from Queens, NY, Baker returned to his hometown as the Jets third-round selection in 2002. He has earned the reputation of being a team-first player that is equally adept in the passing game as a receiver as he is blocking at the point of attack in the running game. He is enjoying the most productive season of his career, with 28 receptions for 270 yards and three touchdowns through 14 games. Baker first earned the starting tight end position in 2005 but his season was cut short in November when he suffered a season-ending leg injury that required surgery. After seven months of rehabilitation, Baker returned to the field and regained his starting job in 2006.

The Ed Block Courage Award is named in honor of Ed Block, the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts who was a pioneer in his profession and a respected humanitarian. The award is given annually to one player from each NFL team. Courage Award recipients embody everything that is positive about professional athletes as they serve as inspirations in their locker rooms and constructive role models in their communities. Baker, along with each team’s award recipient, will travel to Baltimore in March to receive his trophy at a gala and spend time at the local Courage House at St. Vincent's Center. This visit, and the time spent with the hospitalized children, allows each recipient to fully comprehend the true meaning of the award.

Capturing The Marty Lyons Award for Community Service was safety Erik Coleman, who has dedicated off-the-field support to causes and programs in the community. Coleman is the spokesman for two campaigns designed to promote fitness and healthy living in children. The Feed Your Mind campaign, for which Coleman is a spokesman, encourages students to eat healthy and stay fit by educating parents and children about the nutritional reforms taking place in public school cafeterias, where a variety of healthy meals now are included on the menu. What Moves U, created by the NFL and the American Heart Association, is a national youth movement and awareness campaign designed to promote physical fitness and healthy living to an increasingly inactive generation of children. "It gives me great pride to be involved," Coleman said. "It is very important to me that our kids know how critical it is for them to get out and play and not sit around all day watching TV or playing video games."

Third-year wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery captured The Kyle Clifton Good Guy Award, as voted by the Jets’ front office members this season. The award, now in its 11th season, recognizes exceptionally consistent willingness, cooperation and professionalism in the every day dealings with the various departments within the organization. Cotchery, from North Carolina State, has emerged as a starter this year, with 71 receptions for 858 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns. He was a reserve his first two seasons, catching 25 passes and playing on special teams, which included a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown during his rookie season.

Miller Time

Justin Miller named to AFC Pro-Bowl as a kick-off returner ! He may not be the best corner back in coverage but this boy can surely run some nice returns.

Playoff Scenarios ?

Assuming the Jets (8-6 record and 5-5 in the conference) beat the Dolphins on Monday night to become 9-6 and 6-5 in the conference:

1. Denver Broncos (8-6 record and 7-4 in the conference) play the Cincinatti Bengals (8-6 record and 6-4 in the conference). One team must lose and gets their 7th loss.

2. New England (10-4 record and 6-4 in the conference), playing to win the division, plays the Jaguars (8-6 and 5-5 in the conference) in Jacksonville. We need New England to win this game giving Jacksonville their 7th loss.

A win by the Jets with the above scenario gives the Jets the record to control their own destiny by beating the Raiders (worst team in the NFL) on the final Sunday of the NFL season.

As Easy As ABC...

As Easy as A B C, J-E-T-S Are Hit on Sesame Street
By KAREN CROUSE
Published: December 19, 2006

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Dec. 18 — Two days after he looked hopelessly out of sync in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, Chad Pennington found his groove.

Pennington, who had three turnovers in a loss to the Bills two days before visiting Sesame Street, said the taping was "good medicine for me."

Dancing with his 2-year-old son, Cole, during a taping last Tuesday of an "Elmo's World" segment of "Sesame Street," Pennington, the Jets ' quarterback, felt disembodied from his serious, studious self. It was as if, like Elmo himself, Pennington's arms and legs were being operated by somebody else.

Eric Mangini, the Jets' coach, and his 2-year-old son, Jake, shared the stage with Pennington. Joining them were receiver Laveranues Coles and punter Ben Graham and his two daughters. For a few hours they enjoyed a few laughs and a connection that did not fade to black when the cameras stopped rolling.

"I can't thank Eric enough to have something set up like that," Pennington said. "It was really neat."

The taping, which was set up more than a week in advance, was an offshoot of the Jets' surprising success. Mangini's profile is rising with every rung his 8-6 team climbs in the American Football Conference standings, creating opportunities to connect with audiences outside of football.

There are not many show-biz types that could lure Mangini, a football fanatic, away from the Jets' practice facility. Elmo was on the short list. "Because it's Jake's favorite show and we watch it together," he said.

At the time it seemed like a precious off-day diversion, but after the Jets' 31-13 loss to the Bills it loomed as a potential distraction. Pennington's competitive instinct was to call an audible and pass on the taping.

"You normally want to do something like that after a win," said Pennington, whose 3 turnovers and 182 yards passing against the Bills engendered a blitz of criticism.

In the end, his conscientiousness about honoring commitments prevailed. "We had planned it so I couldn't get out of it even though I was actually wanting to after we lost," Pennington said. "I'm really glad that I didn't."

Their trek to Elmo's imaginary crayon-colored world took the edge off the black-and-white, win-or-else scenario that Pennington, in particular, faced in Sunday's game at Minnesota. It is hard not to have a light heart when you are throwing the football long to a furry red monster with a bright orange nose.

"It was actually pretty good medicine for me to go out there and just take my mind off of football for a little bit," Pennington said.

Every week Pennington is put under the microscope. Whatever he does on the field, good or bad, is magnified. He professes not to care how he is perceived by the general public. But in explaining the lure of Elmo's world, he sounded a bit like a puppet on a string himself inasmuch as his moods can be controlled by the public.

"Especially with all the chaos going on last week, it worked out good," he said.

Like the others, Pennington made up the work he missed on his so-called day off by coming in early the other days and staying late. On Sunday he did not appear to skip a beat, passing for 339 yards and a touchdown, to Coles, to lead the Jets to a 26-13 victory against the Vikings.
It was a performance that might have had Elmo asking his friend, Dorothy the goldfish, "Guess what Elmo's thinking about today?"

The answer, of course: the playoffs.

The Jets were invited on the show to teach Elmo football fundamentals but they ended up learning about one another.

"It was good for me to have an opportunity to see coach in a different light," Coles said. "To see him interact with his kids and stuff, it's exciting. I get to see another part of him."

Coles is the person his teammates seek out when they need a laugh. He kept the mood from becoming oppressive during training camp by poking fun at Mangini, a micromanager who waddles when he walks, by assigning him the villainous nickname The Penguin.

But like the other Jets, it took him a while to loosen up in front of Elmo. They were all a little nervous starting out, so Mangini turned to Coles off camera.

"You need to lighten up the mood," he said, to which Coles replied, "I'll try, but it's hard with you here."

That broke the ice. Everybody loosened up after that. "It was just a fantastic experience," Graham said, adding, "It was a long day but it was worth it."

EXTRA POINTS
The "Elmo's World" segment taped last week by Jets Coach Eric Mangini and three players is scheduled to be broadcast on "Sesame Street" in August. Elmo, the fuzzy-haired creature, will accompany 10 Jets players to St. Mary's Healthcare System in Bayside to deliver gifts to children with life-limiting illnesses.

Two To Go !

Sorry this took so long but the wife had Singles, the baby has RSV (respiratory virus), and the mother-in-law had a cracked head (staples).

So, what a great offensive game. Gotta love Pennington's game after a terrible first drive resulting in a fumble and a Vikings TD. Gotta love Mike Nugent's game and have been SOLID this season after a horrific first game of the season. But, I'm not even thinking about this game anymore to write much.

It's all about Monday night in Miami. This miracle season comes down to a matchup in MIami vs the Fish who have already been eliminated.
I'm pumped and I'm ready for a Monday Night Christmas gift !

Crash & Burn

It was a typical Jets loss. The fans were pumped. The team had momentum. It was a divisional matchup. The game was home. The opponent did not have a great record. It was a winable game. We were in a 5 way tie for 2 wildcard spots. The Patriots had lost. Kansas City had lost. And now the Jets were ready to blow a season again.

I don't understand why this team can't naturally pump itself up for a game of this magnitude. For all intensive purposes, this was a playoff game and we played it like it was a preseason game.

How can we let their injured running back torch us for a 59 yard run, puke his brains out on the sideline, and then rack up an additional 70 yards for the game? How can we let some QB that no one ever heard of until this year throw and 80 yard bomb for a TD and then have Chad throw an interception that leads to an TD with both of these events happening in a 1 minute span shortly before half time?

And what drives me bananas is that in the 3rd quarter, we are only 8 points down. It's 4th an 1 on the Bills 38 yard line and instead of going for it, they take a delay of game penality and punt...into the freggin endzone for a net of 18 yards. What happened to Mangini's balls? He said after the game that they were gonna go for it and snap the ball quickly but the officials didn't put the ball down quick enough. Ya know what? Still freggin try it. It's a half of a yard. And if you don't get it, at least you tried but that's surely better than punting the ball in the endzone.

Oh, and a Pennington fumble lead to another touchdown for the Bills. These 5 plays were the difference in the game. Actually, we couldn't stop the run. We didn't get enough pass rush going. Our pass protection sucks. We couldn't run or throw the ball. Our special teams stunk. And the coaching sucked ass.

This was a game we needed to win. Now, it will take a miracle to get in and ya know what? We don't deserve it. Good teams don't lose a game like we lost on Sunday. A good team comes out and squshes a team like the Bills. We played with some heart early having a 10-7 lead but that heart stopped beating.

Interesting Stat

With 35 attempts against the Packers, Chad Pennington eclipsed the 1,500 mark in his career, giving him the minimum amount to qualify for the all-time rankings in completion percentage. With a 65.1% mark, he's the second-most accurate passer in history, trailing only the Cardinals' Kurt Warner (65.5%)....

7-5 & Still Alive !

Well, 7-5 huh? How nice does that sound with 4 games to go. There are 5 teams in the wild card hunt all with a 7-5 record. Two of these teams will make the show and 3 go golfing. How sweet would it be! A team predicted to win 3 to 4 games and be one of the worst teams in the NFL are now 4 wins away from making the playoffs. I'm guessing if you get 11 wins, you'll make it. This has been a fun year with no expectations but that is what made it so sweet being the sleeper team of this NFL season. Yesterday romp in Green Bay made this joyous journey that much more enjoyable.

A few years ago, a trip up to Green Bay to face Farve and the Packers was an automatic loss on the schedule. However, yesterday, was pure domination. Chad was on fire in the first half hooking up with 8 different receivers to go over 200 yards passing by half-time. Everything was working and before you could blink, we were entering half time up 31 to zip.

The third quarter was a bit sloppy giving up 10 points combined with two Pennington interceptions and an onsides kick we lost again. We had -1 yards of offense in the quarter leading up to the last play where we gained 9 yards to give us positive yardage in the quarter. Then, we drove to silence the crowd to make the score 38-10. Can you say GAME OVER !

Now, we face another Must Win game on this journey to the promised land. This time is the division rival Bills. Could this miracle season end with a playoff birth? I'm not sure because these are The Jets. However, I'm sure having fun knowing that I'm going to a December game with meaning.

Jets / Bills Time Change

The New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game at the Meadowlands on Sunday, December 10 will kickoff at 4:15 PM ET on CBS, the NFL announced Monday. Additionally, the League also moved Week 14's New Orleans Saints-Dallas Cowboys start time to 8:15 PM ET and that match-up will be televised on NBC.

The NFL is implementing for the first time this year a "flexible scheduling" element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17. Flexible scheduling will ensure quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots in those weeks and give teams a chance to play their way onto primetime and into the late-afternoon 4:15 PM ET time slot on CBS and FOX.

For each of the flexible scheduling weeks with the exception of Week 17, the NFL will announce the start times of games on Sundays no later than 12 days prior to that weekend. To ensure a Sunday night game and doubleheader games with playoff implications in Week 17, the flexible scheduling decision for that Sunday may be made on six days notice.

Jets Smack Texans

Houston, we have a problem. The Jets just kicked your asses.

In a MUST win game, the Jets did just exactly that. I first have to tip my camp to Mike Nugent who knocked in 4 field goals with the biggest of all being a 54 yarder to extend the small lead at that time. And he didn't just kick the ball. He made a nice tackle on special teams.

Chad was much better after a few off weeks. He was throwing all over the field with some nice deep passes to C&C - Coles and Cotchery - both whom had over 100 yards receiving. We didn't run great but had the yards when we needed to get them. Chad had a clutch 1st down on a 4th an inches in their own territory, a balsy call by Mangini.

The defense was solid picking off Carr and keeping the run game in tact. The defensive player of the game had to be Kerry Rhodes who had a pick and some nice tackles.

But, it was a team effort. How can you complain with 0 interceptions and 0 fumbles on offense and only one penality in the game and that didn't happen until about 4 minutes remaining. Gotta love that.

Well, we are 6-5, who would have believed. Now, the last 5 opponents have losing records so they are winable games. How nice would 11-5 be? It should only happen.

Bears Eat Jets

I didn't see the game as I was in Florida but one blown tackle and a stupid on-sides kick was basically what cost us the game !

Playoffs?

After the Bears game this weekend, the Jets do not face another team with a winning record. Right now we are 5-4. Let's say we lose to the Bears, if we win out against teams we should beat, that gives us 11 wins. Holy Crap !

The Missed Extra Point

Missed Extra Point From 1979 Comes Back To Haunt Jets
November 2, 2006 Onion Sports

CLEVELAND— Jets head coach Eric Mangini blamed "a lack of attention to detail" and the "long shadow of our franchise's historical mistakes" for Sunday's poor showing against the Browns, noting that a long-lamented missed PAT from 1979 had finally had enough of a negative effect to cause a Jets loss. "I remember when Frank Gifford was calling that game, he said that missed extra point would cost us later on," said Mangini, who said an underperforming offense was also a minor factor. "I mean, I was only 8, and the Jets beat the Dolphins 33-17, but I knew it was just a matter of time." Jets quarterback Chad Pennington said he had also felt the 27-year-old miss hanging over his head, particularly during the fourth quarter of the game and the late 1990s.

Jets Beat Pats...Finally !

On Saturday Night, Mangini showed the Jets a tape of Cassius Clay's historic upset over Sonny Liston in 1964.

They said it would be impossible. The Patriots rarely lose at home. They NEVER lose 2 games in a row, uhhh, 57 games to be exact since they lost 21 in a row and that was in 2002 to, yes, our New York Jets ! Everything was favoring another Patriots win. Jets usually suck after a bye week. Jets usually suck in the rain. Jets usually sucks in New England. Jets have lost 7 straight games to the Pats. The Jets defense is ranked #31 out of 32 teams in the league.

And guess what? We came. We saw. We kicked their ass! Well, maybe not an ass kicking but a win is a win is a win.

How about the defense keeping Brady and Company out of the endzone for the first 56 minutes of the game. I loved the defensive strategy. Blitz, blitz,and blitz again. The blitzing forced two turnovers and we registered 4 sacks, a season high. However, the was one situation where we got screwed. Brady was throwing the ball as Hobson squashed him to the ground. We picked off the ball and they called us for a roughing the passer penality. This was around the 3rd questionable call this year on roughing the passer which went against us. How the hell is the linebacker suppossed to know that Brady released the ball. We went from having the ball in great field position to the Pats having the ball in nice field position. This rule needs to be looked at again in the off season. What a joke. Anyway, 14 of our points came off of the turnovers so hats off to the defense. And with Brady driving, they tried the fake spike play that the Jets did not fall for. That would have made me barf if that had happened.

I thought one of the great plays of the game was a pooch punt by Pennington (first of his career) putting the ball deep and not kicking it into the endzone. Loved that call.

The offense looked decent. Leon Washington had some difficulty running in the mud but Barlow stepped up his game and ran for a season high 75 yards including a huge 3rd down run to keep the clock ticking in the 4th. Chad looked decent and completed the balls that he needed to including two floaters to the sideline that were perfect for a nice gain on 1st down. But, the play of the game had to be the ball that Chad lofted into the endzone that Cotchery snagged in the air for a touchdown putting us up by 11.

However, the Defense had a brain fart allowing Brady to walk down the field in 31 seconds for a touchdown as well as a 2 pt conversion to bring them within 3 points. Luckily, we ate up some nice time on the clock even though we had to punt it away. The defense held their own this time with a sack to seal the game !

I loved the Mangini / Belechick handshake after the game as Belechicken couldn't even look Mangini in the face. What a dick.

Bring on DA BEARS !

Jets Get Hosed !

It was 20 years ago in Cleveland where the infamous judgement call by an official on a Mark Gastineau "late hit" screwed the Jets out of a chance to advance to the Championship Game. Twenty years later, we are back in Cleveland where another judgement call doesn't go out way and turns a potential celebration into something I'd call Cow Feces or Bull Shit.

When Baker goes up to catch the ball, he is jumping up in the endzone. There was NO movement of his body that showed him jumping right, towards the sideline. It was a great catch that would have been a touchdown if he weren't touched. But, he was thrown out of bounds in mid air causing mass confusion by the officials. One official said he was pushed out of bounds while the other official believed he would have landed in bounds for a Touchdown. So, it figures that the guy who believed it was a TD lost the argument when the officials huddled for a discussion. It was another example of the Jets getting hosed.

However, this game should NOT have come down to the last play. It was a typical Jets loss. Have a chance to end the first half of the season with a winning record against a team you SHOULD beat. Teams like this need to be beaten whether at home or on the road. The Jets ALWAYS lose a game like this on their schedule. It's beyond frustrating. Same shit, another year.

Things started off nice. We had a 16 play drive but it ended in only a field goal. You have the ball for so long, you need to come away with 7 points. However, you can't use a trick play with Brad Smith on EVERY 3rd Down. If teams watch tapes, they are gonna realize you are gonna have Brad Smith in the game. Time to come up with something more original. Maybe put him in the game and let him catch some passes or use him as a decoy. He doesn't have to get the ball EVERY time cause it just won't work. Plus, Chad was terrible with his lowest passer rating of his career. I don't fully blame him. They had decent pass rush and receivers were just not getting open. Plus, when you run for 1 or 2 yards on 1st down, it put Chad in way too many 3rd and long situations. I think 3rd and 6 is a number that comes to mind yesterday.

As for the defense, they just can't stop the run even thought they actually looked good in the 4th quarter finally getting some QB pressures and finally stopping the run giving the offense a chance. We actually even got a few sack's which doesn't happen often with this team.

Tough loss going into the bye week but we totally deserved to lose playing down to their talent especially vs a QB I've never heard of and STILL can not remember his name. Three of the Jets 4 loses this year, the outcome was not determined until the final minute. That leaves a sick feeling in my stomach.

The Perfect Wedding Party

Now this guy has an UNDERSTANDING wife !

What's With The Penguins?

I don't quite get what the Penguins and Mangini deal is? Anyone want to let me in on this??