Jets vs. Patriots Postgame

Jets- 16
Patriots- 9

2-0

In one of the most highly anticipated Jets games in recent memory the result couldn't have been any better for the Jets. With the 16-9 win they moved themselves to 2-0 and sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East. The war of words leading up to this game set the stage for a hard fought, passionate game which turned out to be exactly what we got. Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer's stagnant first half offense came out in the second half with a completely overhauled game plan and opened up offense which they used to put up 13 second half points and shock the Patriots.

Game Ball:

The game ball for today's game is going to be split between two players on different sides of the ball. First, Darelle Revis deserves all the credit in the world for shutting down All-Pro receiver Randy Moss. Revis was put on an island many times against one of the leagues most electrifying play makers and he came out as the winner as Moss ended up with only 4 catches for 26 yards. Revis also got the better of Moss when he intercepted one of the only long balls Brady attempted to get by Revis. The Jets were sending 6-7 men all game long and the fact that Revis was able to contain Moss with little or no help cements the fact that he is an elite cornerback in the NFL. The second game ball goes to none other than Mark Sanchez. You have to give the rookie credit for coming out in the second half and making a bunch of excellent throws after only attempting 5 passes in the entire first half. Sanchez does not seem to freeze under pressure and his touchdown pass to Keller in the back of the endzone was thrown with great touch and accuracy. The only play Sanchez missed near the endzone was a slight overthrow to Stuckey (who tripped anyway) which resulted in the Jets settling for a field goal. Sanchez doesn't look like a rookie back there and shows more poise and confidence in the pocket than many veteran quarterbacks.

Thumbs Up:

• Jerricho Cotchery finished the game with 4 catches for 87 yards. He made one of the key plays in the game when he caught a 20 yard pass over the middle to open the second half and turned it into a 45 yard gain. Cotchery never goes down on first contact and seems to always get extra yards after the catch. He made a few diving catches tonight that required very sure hands. Sanchez seems to love to throw to him and I look for him to have many more games like this.

• Donald Strickland played an excellent game today as the Jets nickel back. He was a very sure tackler and did not let the Patriots receivers get many yards after the catch. His biggest play was a blown up bubble screen where he never took his eyes off Faulk and hit him as soon as he touched the ball.
  

• The Defense. The defense stepped up huge today and after 120 minutes of football has still not let up an offensive touchdown. In fact, they have let up 9 points in that time against two excellent offenses. Sean Ellis came back today and made a huge play on a 3rd and short and the rest of the defense was just as good. The scheme today called for a massive amount of blitzes which seemed to rattle Tom Brady and did not let him get comfortable in the pocket. The talk before the game was all about Kerry Rhodes' promise that they would hit Tom Brady at least 6 times. This number was probably just about correct as Brady was on the ground for a significant portion of the day.

• The Crowd. Rex Ryan made a plea to Jets fans this week to show up at the stadium on time and to be loud and it definitely worked. You could tell that this was the most excited crowd for a Jets game at Giants Stadium in years and the crowd seems to really be getting into this Rex Ryan defense.
  

Thumbs Down:

• Penalties. This thumbs down has to do with two separate things. 1.) The refs today made some calls in the first half which made me think they were having their salaries paid by Bill Belichick. The fumble call on Leon Washington was absolutely absurd as he was obviously down when the ball was pulled out. This led to the Patriots getting field position on the Jets 25 and without a great Jets defensive stand this call could have made a much bigger difference in the game. The other call which was absolutely absurd was the personal foul called against Bart Scott in the first half for kicking the Patriots wide receiver. Simply put, Scott never actually kicked the receiver and the 15 yard penalty shouldn't have been called. 2.) 8 penalties for 55 yards is not what you want to see if the Jets plan on becoming an elite team in the AFC. Although the problem was not terrible, the number of penalties needs to be cut down.

• First half game plan. The game plan in the first half was reminiscent of the Paul Hackett years. The Jets settled for many first half runs right up the middle which kept the defense on the field for the majority of the first half. Sanchez attempted 5 passes in the first half with only 3 completions. Although the running game needs to be established, instilling confidence in Sanchez is just as important which was seen early in the second half. Once Sanchez completed a few passes he looked a lot more comfortable in the pocket.

Game Notes:

• Strickland went out with an injury in the first quarter and there will be updates on his condition moving forward
• Shonn Greene did not play today even though he was suited up.
• Larry Izzo, Kevin O'Connell and Damien Woody were all chosen as Jets captains today. Another way Ryan attempted to show up Belichick