Jets Play Bills in Canada

For the first time in a long time, the Jets took care of business on Sunday and now head to Toronto to take on the Bills and turn off an entire country from football with their lackluster play. The Jets won on Sunday, but failed to inspire once again. They’re flat out boring, especially offensively.

Today I came across an article titled “Jets QB Sanchez limited but should play vs. Bills”. I thought the word “limited” was referring to his skill before I remembered that he twisted his knee on Sunday.

Let’s face it. The Jets scored 17 points on against Carolina and can thank their defense for one of those scores. If Jake Delhomme didn’t self destruct in this game, the outcome may have been a completely different story. The Jets defense deserves some credit though. They got after the beleaguered Panthers QB all day long, sacking him three times and picking him off four even if he threw it right to the Jet DB’s at least three of those times. Delhomme has been less effective this season than Nadya Suleman’s birth control plans so I applaud the Jets for taking advantage of another team’s inadequacy for a change.

The Jets need to keep their momentum going on defense if they wish to atone for their poorest effort of the year when they rematch with Buffalo Thursday Night. The Jets already have a reason to feel good about themselves because Mike Tannenbaum won’t be the worst General Manager in the building because Matt Millen will be calling the game for NFL Network.

The first time the Jets played the Bills Mark Sanchez played his poorest game as a pro, finishing with an 8.3 quarterback rating and five interceptions. However, Rex Ryan’s risk management system seemed to work against the Panthers and will be in effect again on Thursday. Sanchez’s conservative approach worked pretty decently. He made some mistakes, but he didn’t murder the Jets. In fact, he put them in position to win and didn’t pull a “Delhomme”.

> Find New York Jets hats & Merchandise online through Pro Football Fans for all your team gear!

The match up between these two teams is pretty much meaningless so let me take a moment to talk about the Tennessee Titans. Along with the undefeated Colts and Saints, the Titans are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Since starting the season 0-6 including a road loss against our very own New York Jets, the Titans have reeled off five straight wins and are serious contenders to challenge for a playoff spot. Yes, they are on the outside looking in, but they are a Lloyd Banks level of on fire. Right now you might be asking yourself why am I writing about this team…in a Jets column? Well, I can rationalize it by saying these teams have the same record and if either of them makes the playoffs, the other most likely will not, but lets be honest if you think the Jets are going to make the playoffs then you need to visit Dr. Drew in rehab and I’m not talking about the one for sex addicts.

For the past couple of weeks announcers have gone crazy about what a great job Jeff Fisher is doing. Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski last week mentioned something about Fisher tailoring the Tennessee offense to Vince Young once he took over and how that turned the Titans in the right direction. Again during Sunday’s game against the Cardinals the announcers showered Fisher with praise about what a great job he has done. You know what though? If the Titans finish off the season with five more wins and cap a ten game winning streak with a playoff run Jeff Fisher deserves to be fired. Actually they should fire Fisher anyway. Fisher stuck by Kerry Collins when he produced some of the worst quarterbacking ever witnessed in NFL history earlier this season. Collins’ anemia running the Titans offense put Ryan Clark to shame. It took a game in New England where Collins went 2 for 12 for -7 yards (that’s right NEGATIVE yards) in a 59-0 loss for Fisher to make the change. Even after that game, it was widely reported that owner Bud Adams demanded Vince Young be named the starter for the Titans’ game the following week against Jacksonville. We all know what happened, the Titans inserted Vince Young into the lineup at Adams’ insistence and won five in a row. Young has won these five games playing much the same way that he did before his benching before last season. It may sound cliché to say this, but Vince Young wins football games. Fisher is still the coach of a team that has won five in a row, BUT he waited way too long to put Young into the lineup. Who knows if he would have even started VY if the owner hadn’t insisted? So, if you want to praise a Titan for their success, try praising Vince Young and not his coach. Praise running back Chris Johnson. That guy is ridiculous. I admire Fisher’s loyalty sticking with Collins, but his failure to play Young sooner may cost his team a playoff berth.

Whew…

Anyway, the Jets need to control the game defensively because they can’t get it done on offense. Terrell Owens has been on fire the past two weeks but the Jets have the answer for him in standout corner Darrelle Revis. The Jets offense must come to play on Sunday. To come away with a victory in Canada, Mark Sanchez will have to make more plays to win than he had to against the Panthers.

The Pick

Jets 17

Bills 20

Let’s pray that I’m wrong

VIVA SANCHEZ!

By Daniel Rein
ProFootball-fans.com New York Jets Correspondent