New York Jets: Oh God Not Again

The Jets keep falling faster and harder. That game last week combined everything that could go wrong on a Sunday. The “Sanchise” may not be a franchise QB. One of the things you have to worry about with a quarterback playing in New York is can this guy play in the cold? Before this season, Mark Sanchez never had to, he’s a California kid from Orange County and played at USC, neither one is a bastion for the cold. One nasty day at the Meadowlands won’t make this kid’s career. Who knows he may turn out to be the same gunslinger in the cold that he is during September. Against the Bills, he was less effective than Francesa’s jokes on the “Mike and the Mad Dog” “reunion broadcast”. New York fans will not tolerate many performances like Sunday’s -7.5 fantasy showing from Sanchez, so if he can’t play in the cold, he better learn how to quick.

To compound Sanchez’s poor play, Kris Jenkins is now out for the season. Yep, when it rains it pours and Sunday it rained literally and figuratively. Rex Ryan suddenly isn’t as much of a genius as he was about 3 weeks ago. Following his timeout debacle 2 weeks ago and the lackluster performance last week, it seems like the wheels have begun to come off. The Jets must turn it around quickly if they plan on playing in January.

This week the Jets luckily come across a chance to do just that. Sadly I will not be attending Jets-Raiders at the Black Hole because I value my life too much. That and watching them play in person could possibly make me physically ill based on the last 2 games. Plus last week the Raiders beat the Eagles. I know I still can’t believe it either.

The Jets take on the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday in a rematch of the worst game of last season. To recap, Brett Favre played awfully and the Jets choked to the worst franchise in sports. Last season the Jets did not play well on the West Coast. This year, we’ll see. At least the weather should be decent so Mark Sanchez should be comfortable.

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On paper, the Jets dominate the Raiders. Unfortunately the games aren’t played on paper because if they were the Jets would be coming off a win. I’m sorry, but there just is not a way to analyze this game. The Raiders are a schizophrenic team. One week they look like the worst football and then the next they beat a team that they are fifteen point underdogs against outright. On the other hand, the Jets look more and more of the same ilk. The first 3 weeks of the season they looked dominant, but the last 3 weeks were nothing but pedestrian. Rex Ryan’s team is kind of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde if they were both three hundred pound sons of a past NFL coach.

I just don’t like where this team is headed. We’ve seen it before from the Jets. If you think I sound down on this team you should have seen me the last few days when I was on a 3-day bender following the loss that would put David Hasselhoff to shame. Now, the Jets must find a way to win without the soul of their defense. Sione Pouha is a decent player but he is half the size of Jenkins. If you don’t think that will affect the Jets’ run defense you are either out of your mind or your last name is Pouha.

Here’s the thing though. I still have confidence in Rex Ryan. The guy knows what he’s doing defensively. I know he had a Herm Edwards type lapse in Miami a couple weeks ago, but its one week. Now he must recover. If the Jets get into JaMarcus Russell’s head and get after him they will win the game. It’s as simple as that.

Will they? Well if they do I will actually be able to must some jokes for my next article. So, let’s hope so.

The Prediction

Oakland 17

Jets 13

Let’s pray that I’m wrong

VIVA SANCHEZ!

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