Jets Head to Half-empty Landshark Stadium

Sometimes when some things happen it is shocking, like “Gary Unmarried” getting picked up for a second season. Last week’s game was not one of those times. The Saints made Mark Sanchez look like a rookie, which should happen a couple more times this year because he is a rookie. The Jets defense did what they do. They played well enough to win the game and pretty much shut down the best offense in the NFL. At times they made the Saints offense look more disjointed than an episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, even though Reggie Bush is prominently involved in both. Even with all the mistakes and turnovers on offense, the Jets hung in there with one of the best teams in the NFL. This game was something to build on. It was a rough day for the quarterback, but it’s how he recovers from it that will show what kind of pro he will be.

This week, if you’re a Jets fan the thing you have to be most dismayed from is not the self-destruction of the “Sanchise” quarterback or even a Dolphins team that dismantled the Bills last week, but from Mike Tannenbaum’s complete disregard for the NFL Draft. This is not a fantasy team dude. Get it together. When I heard the Jets traded for Braylon Edwards I thought, “What did they give up, a 5 th rounder?” Not exactly. The Jets gave up more for Edwards than I did when I bought a human kidney on Ebay.

I’m not saying that Braylon Edwards isn’t an upgrade over Chansi Stuckey, because he undoubtedly is, but it is about value. I don’t want to go overboard, but the Jets gave up too much. Especially considering the guy they dealt for has a problem catching the football and allegedly assaulted a member of King James army TWO DAYS BEFORE THE TRADE WAS MADE. I will be rooting for Braylon and hopefully he can put it together and make this deal worth it, but I am more skeptical than Darrius Heyward-Bey’s agent pouring over his incentive clauses. Getting out of Cleveland will give him a fresh start and let’s be honest why wouldn’t he want to get out of Cleveland, the night life isn’t really a challenge, in New York, the bouncers hit back.

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The Jets head down to Miami Monday night to take on the 1-3 Dolphins in what will surely be a half empty stadium. The Dolphins present the most loathsome franchise in the eyes of Jet fans and adding Gloria Estefan to their ownership group won’t help them much. I can just imagine that Bill Parcells wants to get out of there faster than the Tigers players want to get out of Detroit. Choke artists.

The Dolphins run a gimmick offense. They snap the ball to a running back something like 80 percent of the time. When they actually snap it directly to a quarterback, it will be to 2 nd year man Chad Henne, who is essentially a rookie. The Jets defense has been stellar in every game so far in this young season. Rex Ryan calls the plays like a psycho and the players respond perfectly. The defense has yet to get many sacks, but this week marks the return of Jets pass rusher Calvin Pace, so hopefully the sack numbers will start to turn around in the Jets favor.

A gimmick offense vs. a paralyzing defense may not bode well for the Dolphs, but it was the Jets offense that lead them to defeat last week. Offensively, the Jets were less effective at New Orleans than Chet on the “Real World Road Rules Challenge” although no one realizes “how strong he is.”

In order to win this week, the Jets will have to play better on offense and block better. Charles Grant destroyed Damien Woody last week. If the Jets really do want to break Braylon Edwards into their offense this week, they will have to firsthand protect Mark Sanchez in order to do it.

The Prediction

Dolphins 27

Jets 13

Let’s pray that I’m wrong

VIVA SANCHEZ!

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