Jets vs. Patriots: 5 Reasons the Winner Will Go To Super Bowl XLV

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Monday Night Football between the archrival Patriots and Jets, both with the best record in the AFC has the feel of a championship game.

In many ways it is. A victory in this game would put the winner in pole position for the AFC East division title. It would also do the same for the team’s standing as the best team in the AFC.

And with the stakes extremely high, and some of the fiercest competition on the field, this game could go a long way, both logistically and mentally, to the victor reaching the Super Bowl.

The two best teams in the conference will duel it out, mano a mano, to see who has all the advantages.

Home Field Advantage

Both these teams have shown—this season, last season and in the recent past—that they can win anywhere. However, home field advantage would be big.

The Patriots finished last season undefeated at home (although it didn’t help them in the playoffs), and are 5-0 this season. The Jets aren’t perfect—their only two losses this season came at home—but they still have a winning record at home at 4-2, including a Week 2 win against the Patriots.

Also, the playoffs will be played in the winter, and in New York and New England that means adverse conditions. The only potential playoff team that is used to that type of weather would be Pittsburgh, and so far this season the Patriots have already beaten them, so it’s possible.

History

The number one seed in the playoffs, and the home field advantage that comes with it, was awarded to the team with the best record. The winner of the game Monday night will own the best record in the AFC. It may not end that, way, but they’re in good position to do so.

In the AFC, 18 of the 35 top seeds have reached the Super Bowl, and in the NFC 21 of them did that. It may not seem like an impressive number, but it is more than half. And that is one seed against the field. Break it down individually by seed number and the No. 1’s have the advantage.

Bye Weeks

With a win and having the best record, the winner will be one step closer to getting a first round bye. Every team would relish an extra week, but these two teams would absolutely make the most of it. Not only would they get an extra week to regroup and rest their weary bodies, but do you want to give Rex Ryan an extra week to rally the troops?

Do you want to give Bill Belichick an extra week to prepare and game plan?

The Patriots are 10-1 in the regular season after a bye under Belichick.

Battle Tested

The playoffs are when the best teams go up against each other. If a team isn’t at the top of its game or isn’t used to playing in the pressure-filled environment, then they usually wilt and their playoff trip is short.

This game pits two of the best teams duking it out against each other, for the second time this season. They are already playing the best competition and they know what it takes to win. They’ve played the two best teams already, and the Pats have also beaten the Ravens and Steelers. The Jets learned from their loss against the Ravens, and will look to establish dominance over the Steelers in two more weeks.

This game is nationally televised in primetime. The media markets are huge. The competition is fierce.

This is playoff football, and whoever wins will be better prepared for everything the postseason will have to offer.

Confidence

A win for the Pats would be their fourth in a row, and it would be the Jets sixth in a row. Both teams have gutted out victories this season, even when they didn’t have their best stuff.

The Jets survived overtime scares from Detroit and Cleveland, then came from behind in the final seconds to beat the Texans.

The Jets are finding ways to win, no matter the cost.

People have doubted the Patriots all season, and this isn’t the most talented Patriots team they’ve had, especially when they traded away Randy Moss. A win against the Jets would mean that they would have beaten the three teams with the best records in the AFC.

It’s cliché, but if you can go into the playoffs playing your best football, you’re in good shape. The winner here would have the psychological advantage over teams, fully believing that they can and will beat anyone.

Jets vs. Patriots: You Look Familiar

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

Players and coaches in the AFC East are notorious for rotating amongst teams in the division. Especially prevalent is subjects switching sides in the heated rivalry between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.

In 1997, after the Jets were a league-worst 1-15, they were able to bring over Bill Parcells from the Patriots (not after sending them third and fourth round draft picks in 1997, a second in 1998, and a first in 1999).

Parcells switched benches and brought a number of coaching staff and players with him. One year later, the New York team signed running back Curtis Martin away from New England. Martin went on to be selected to three Pro Bowls and win one rushing title.

Now in 2010, the two teams meet on Monday Night Football, in a dead heat atop the division at 9-2. The winner of the game could go a long way to winning the division and possibly earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

So let’s take a look at those involved in the matchup that have been on both sides of the battle.

Matt Cavanaugh, Quarterbacks coach, Jets

Cavanaugh spent the first five of his 14 NFL seasons with the Patriots. He played in 52 games, but not as a starter until his third season with the team (1980). He had a 54 percent completion percentage, 3018 yards passing, 19 passing touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and three rushing touchdowns.

In 2009, Rex Ryan brought Cavanaugh in from the University of Pittsburgh as his quarterbacks coach.

Shawn Crable, LB, Jets

Crable was another 2008 third round pick by the Patriots. He was placed on injured reserve in 2008 and 2009. At the beginning of this season he was signed to the practice squad, then promoted to the 53-man roster September 25. He played in six games, made four tackles and half a sack, and was released November 16.

Three days later he was signed to the Jets practice squad.

Kevin O’Connell, QB, Jets

The Patriots selected O’Connell in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the highest they took a quarterback since Drew Bledsoe in the first round of 1993.
He played in two games, completed four of six passes for 23 yards, and was waived the following offseason.

He was picked up by the Detroit Lions on September 1, but was traded five days later to the Jets for a seventh round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

When the Jets played the Patriots on September 20, O’Connell was named a team captain. Although he didn’t play, it was said he provided inside information to the Jets on how the Patriots pick up opposing blitzes.

With a new two-year contract, O’Connell is currently on injured reserve after surgery on a torn labrum in his throwing arm.

Damien Woody, OL, Jets

Woody was a Pats first-round pick in 1999. He started in 76 games for the Patriots and was a member of the 2001 and 2003 Super Bowl champion teams, although he didn’t play in the 2003 Super Bowl because of a knee injury. He was also a Pro-Bowler in 2002.

He left the following offseason, signing a free agent deal with the Detroit Lions, started every game in 2004 and 2005, then missed most of 2006 while on injured reserve.

Woody signed a five-year contract with the Jets in 2008 and has started every single game for the Jets since (43 regular season games).

Corwin Brown, Defensive Backs coach, Patriots

Originally drafted by the Patriots as a player in 1993, he played with the Patriots through 1996. In 1997 he followed Bill Parcells from the Pats to the Jets, where in two seasons he recorded 29 tackles and one interception.

Brown began a coaching career in 2001, when he joined Virginia as a special teams coach. In 2004 he joined the Jets as a defensive backs coach for three seasons. After three more years at Notre Dame, Brown came back to where his professional career began, joining the Patriots staff as a defensive backs coach for Bill Belichick, who also coached him during his time with the Patriots and Jets.

Pepper Johnson, Defensive Line coach, Patriots

Famous as a player for his time with the New York Giants, with whom he began his career, Johnson—a Parcells and Belichick guy—rejoined the two with the other New York team, the Jets, for the final two seasons of his playing career.

He played 24 games as a Jet, registering 68 tackles, one sack and one interception.
In 2000, Johnson joined the Patriots coaching staff as an assistant linebackers coach. He’s moved up from there to inside linebackers coach to his current position of defensive line coach. Over the offseason, he was a possible candidate to become the new defensive coordinator before Belichick assumed the responsibilities.

Danny Woodhead, RB, Patriots

Woodhead was signed by the Jets in 2008 as an undrafted rookie out of NCAA Division II Chadron State College, and spent the season on injured reserve.

In 2009 he was put on the practice squad, shifted to wide receiver, and was promoted to the active roster. He played in ten games, carrying the ball 15 times for 64 yards and catching eight passes for 87 yards.

On the Jets installment of Hard Knocks, Woodhead endeared himself to many as the typical underdog story because of his size (only 5’7”) and the fact that he did not play at a Division I school. However, he was cut by the team.

Then, one day before the Pats-Jets matchup in Week 2, New England signed Woodhead to the roster. He was inactive for that game, but with the Pats lack of depth at running back with the injury of Kevin Faulk, Woodhead started in Week 3 and has been a great producer for the Pats.

He has 64 carries for 344 yards and three touchdowns, and 24 receptions for 230 yards and two more touchdowns. New England signed him to a two-year contract extension.

Bill Belichick, Head Coach, Patriots

Starting his coaching career with the New York Giants, Belichick became a Bill Parcells guy when he was named the team’s defensive coordinator in 1985, where they won two Super Bowls. Belichick was Browns head coach for five years before rejoining Parcells with the Patriots in 1996. One season later he left the Pats to move to the Jets with Parcells. He was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1997 to 1999. Parcells stepped down as head coach and the Jets tabbed Belichick as his predecessor. He was to be introduced to the media, but instead, he resigned from the position that day.

He accepted an offer from the Patriots to be their head coach. The Jets demanded compensation, so the Pats gave them a first-round draft pick. Since then, Belichick has guided the Pats to three Super Bowl wins, four AFC championships, and an undefeated regular season in 2007.

He has a record of 121-50 in the regular season with the Pats, and 14-4 in the playoffs.

How the Patriots Failed their 10 keys to success

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Prior to the New England Patriots matchup against the New York Jets, I wrote up 10 keys to success for the Patriots.

One thing I overlooked: the Patriots needed to show up for both halves.

The first half ended with New England up 14-10, and although the lead was slight, it was a solid showing. Then the Patriots were a no-show in the second half.

The Jets outscored them 18-0 after the break, scoring a total of 21 unanswered points, and just completely dominated in front of the home fans.

Coming into the game, it was the Jets that people were concerned about coming to play. The Patriots, however, made them look like the Super Bowl contenders the Jets boast to be.

Here is an analysis of how the Patriots did in their 10 keys to success, and obviously it isn’t a pretty picture.

The Patriots Need To Prove They Can Win On The Road

Obviously, they failed here. There is no grey area.

Instead of showing a killer instinct, like during the years of their championship teams and the 16-0 regular season team, they once again were last year’s team, the squad that couldn’t close out the big games.

The Patriots allowed momentum to shift and the home crowd to get back into the game.

It’s going to be a long season for New England if they can’t close out games and they can’t win on the road.

The Running Game Needs To Step Up

Another absolute failure here.

Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined for 52 total yards rushing. Granted they only received 20 carries amongst the three of them, but that is absolutely horrible production. It isn’t production, actually.

New England’s leading rusher was Kevin Faulk, who amassed 22 yards on five carries.

Randy Moss Needs To Show Up

Randy Moss made a spectacular one-handed grab in front of Darrelle Revis, and ran the ball into the end-zone for a 34-yard score, the 150th touchdown reception of his career.

Revis pulled up lame and left the game with a hamstring injury. All was looking good here.

However, Moss had only one catch the rest of the game, even though he was targeted 10 times.

For the star receiver that is playing for a new contract, that isn’t good at all. Moss showed up for one play. It was certainly a magical play, but he needs to do way
more than that.

Wes Welker Needs To Continue His Incredible Comeback

An interesting note, six seemed to be Welker’s number of the day.

Welker got the Patriots on the board early in the game with a six-yard touchdown reception (for, of course, six points).

He hauled in six catches on the day. However, he averaged only six yards per catch (6.3 to be exact).

As a slot receiver, Welker is known for finding seams and running off big gains.

With Moss wrapped up the Jets could focus more attention on Welker.

The touchdown was nice, and first impression was that it would be another long day for the Jets, but Welker was pretty inactive the rest of the game.

The Secondary Needs To Step Up

Last week, Mark Sanchez completed only 47.6 percent of his passes for only 74 yards, had zero touchdowns, and received a ton of criticism from the media.

Against the Patriots, Sanchez completed 70 percent of his passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

Darius Butler had an awful day, not only allowing two touchdowns, but was called for two pass interference calls on the Jets’ final touchdown drive.

It’s night and day really, and the secondary was constantly burned yesterday.

The Pass Rush Needs To Be More Present

The Patriots sacked Sanchez three times, which isn’t bad. But they didn’t pressure Sanchez enough.

The second-year quarterback actually picked up confidence as the game went on. No fumbles, no harried throws, no costly poor decisions.

Like the secondary, it isn’t entirely the pass rush’s fault. The defense as a unit didn’t do enough. They weren’t good enough.

However their offense didn’t pick them up.

What happened to Stephen Gostkowski?

Gostkowski missed another field goal Sunday, from 37 yards out, for his third miss of the season. The most he has missed was six in his rookie season. Now a veteran, Gostkowski is halfway there.

His inaccuracy cannot continue if the Patriots are to be a real contender.

Special Teams Boost

Brandon Tate’s Week 1 performance would have been tough to duplicate. He managed to return five kicks against the Jets for 123 yards, a 24.6 average. His longest was a 31-yard return.

Nothing special, but solid numbers. Tate was far from the problem in this game, but it looks like the team is going to need some big plays from him to energize them this season.

Utilize the Tight Ends

Aaron Hernandez is looking like a real steal.

Drafted in the fourth round, the rookie led the Patriots in receiving with six catches for 101 yards. It was the second consecutive game he had a catch for at least 45 yards.

He has good hands and runs with the ball well. He’s also only 20-years-old, so there is still a lot of room for improvement.

He was the lone bright spot for New England in this game.

Welker and Moss weren’t getting it done today; Brady should’ve played the hot hand more, especially before things got out of hand.

Be Smart

The Patriots were penalized six times for 79 yards, while the Jets were penalized six times for 58 yards. Not a big difference, but Darius Butler, who was getting beat all day, was called for two pass-interference penalties on New York’s final scoring drive.

The Patriots also turned the ball over three times, twice due to interceptions, as opposed to zero turnovers for the Jets.

New England lost its cool. They were winning, but couldn’t close it. They made bad decisions and panicked.

And they lost. It isn’t the end of the world, but it was not a good performance.

10 Keys For Success For the New England Patriots Against the New York Jets

AP Photo/Stephen Savoia

The New England Patriots came out on fire in their opening week victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now they have a chance to send a statement to the rest of the AFC East, that statement being that the division runs through them and to be the champions you have to beat the champions.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the New York Jets this offseason, with all their roster additions, their appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” television show, and their bold claims of winning the Super Bowl.

Some anointed them champions, but after their offense’s futile performance in Week 1 against the Ravens, the panic button may have already be hit.

The Patriots need to jump on the Jets while they are down, asserting their dominance. There are some key things that the team needs to do in order to make sure that happens.

The Patriots need to prove they can win on the road

Last year in the regular season the Patriots were unbeatable at home going 8-0, however they were a pathetic 2-6 on the road.

The Jets did a poor job of defending their new turf last weekend, and they have to be up for the Patriot game or else a fan mutiny may take place.

Bottom line for the Patriots though is that they need to win away from home. They don’t have to go undefeated, but they cannot afford to have such an awful road record. They need to take advantage of the Jets uninspiring play as of late and escape with a win.

The running game needs to step up

The running backs, namely Fred Taylor need to prove that the Patriots were justified in trading away former first-round draft pick Laurence Maroney.

He was an inconsistent player, but so were the rest of the guys at that position, mostly because of injury. The Patriots made a statement that they are confident in the guys they do have, and that Maroney was, essentially, a mistake of a pick.

The remaining crew needs to reward that confidence, and they should get a boost from the Jets missing monstrous nose tackle Kris Jenkins.

Randy Moss needs to show up

Last year, Darrelle Revis shutdown Randy Moss. In two games against the Jets, Moss had eight catches for 78 yards and one touchdown. Certainly not numbers up to the star receiver’s standards.

This offseason Revis called Moss out, calling him a “slouch”. Moss took the comments in stride but he has to want to prove the corner wrong.

Revis held out all of training camp, returned just in time for Week 1 but wasn’t in top game-shape, and has been nagged by a hamstring injury this week.

Moss needs to show up and burn Revis, making him look silly for deciding to hold out for more money instead of getting ready to face him.

Wes Welker needs to continue his incredible comeback

Welker’s 64 yards receiving and two touchdowns last week were surprising given that at the end of last year no one thought he would be available to play until, at the earliest, Week 6. His comeback from an ACL tear has been impressive, but he needs to continue to perform at a high level.

With Revis and Moss squaring off, Welker will get a good amount of attention from the rest of the Jets secondary. If he is playing well, he will open up the Jets defense for the rest of the offense.

The secondary needs to step up

The Bengals were down last week and needed to pass. The Patriots knew this, but they still couldn’t stop what was coming.

Carson Palmer threw for 345 yards and touchdowns, and Chad Ochocinco had 159 yards receiving. The Bengals have a large stable of receiving options, and Palmer is more experienced and confident than Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is, but Palmer was gunning the ball at will.

The Patriots secondary needs to improve. New York won’t have Santonio Holmes, but Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, and Dustin Keller can still be dangerous if the defense lets up.

The pass rush needs to be more present

The Patriots sacked Palmer only once in Week 1. That is not the way they wanted to start the season.

The Patriots need to attack the offensive line, specifically the left guard spot, where Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse have been disastrous.

If they can get past whoever is starting there, collapse the pocket, and make Sanchez run for his life, it will be a very long, difficult, and frustrating day for the Jets.

Gary Guyton had a nice interception and return for a touchdown last week, and more of that can come with constant pressure, forcing Sanchez to make bad plays. And Sanchez will force the ball.

What happened to Stephen Gostowski?

The career 84 percent kicker missed two field goals last week, going 1-3 on the day.

The Jets defense did hold the Ravens offense to only ten points on the day, so it could very well come down to a field goal battle and more Gostowski misses could cost New England precious games in the standings.

Special teams boost

Gostowski had a bad game, but kick returner Brandon Tate more than made up for it. He had four kick returns for 184 yards—an average of 46 yards per return—and a touchdown.

The Patriots wasn’t very solid last year, so Tate’s contributions were huge.

Again, in a game that could be a defensive struggle, field position and special teams touchdowns would have a huge impact.

Utilize the tight ends

Last weekend, the Jets saw a heavy dose of Todd Heap, who caught six balls for 72 yards. His longest catch was for 35 yards, his longest since 2007, and he averaged 12 yards a catch (the last time Heap averaged 12 yards a catch—for the season—was in 2003). He also helped moved the chains, achieving five first downs.

The Jets made Heap look like a viable receiver once again, not something he has done the past few years.

The Patriots targeted rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez twice last week, making one catch for 45 yards. He has good hands and is smooth in the open field, looking more like a wide receiver.

New England has never been afraid to look at all their options on offense, so it might be beneficial to go to Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski more often.

Be smart

The Jets are frustrated. They also have a lot of guys more than willing to run their mouths. With such a big rivalry, the game could get very physical and chippy.

The Jets won’t be disciplined; last week they committed 14 penalties for 125 yards. That’s more yards than the running game or the passing game accumulated.

New England needs to play Patriot football. Don’t let the Jets players, or head coach Rex Ryan, get in their heads. Stay disciplined and don’t get into a battle of words. Let your game and the scoreboard do the talking.

Even then, it may not shut up Bart Scott.

Flying High

Think back to week 16 of the NFL season.

The Jets were still alive for the wild card but would have to leapfrog a number of teams in the field of six teams fighting for two spots. They were also squaring up against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan joked in a press conference that week that he felt the Colts should sit and rest starters like Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne.

Up by five points in the third quarter, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell did just that, taking out Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Manning and gave rookie Curtis Painter the keys to the offense.

It was like a new driver getting the keys to a Corvette but it was missing two wheels.

Without Manning and Co. in the game the Jets scored 19 unanswered points and won the game 29-15. The victory ended the Colts shot at perfection and put the Jets in control of their own destiny for the playoffs.

The Jets, with a strong history of putting themselves in great position to achieve only to shoot themselves in the foot, have taken care of business.

They put a beat down on the Cincinnati Bengals in week 17 to clinch their playoff berth, going up 27-0 at the half before the Bengals rested their starters. They went to Cincinnati the following week to put another beating on the Bengals in the Wild Card round, and then Sunday held the number two seed and high octane San Diego Chargers to just 14 points and—thanks to three missed field goals from Nate Kaeding—won the game.

Now the Jets have come full circle. They sit one more victory away from reaching the Super Bowl. The team standing in their way: the Indianapolis Colts.

How did this all happen?

A response to that is should people really be surprised?

The majority of people say that football teams win in the playoffs by running the ball and playing tough defense. The New York Jets are ranked first in both categories.



On defense, cornerback Darrelle Revis has emerged as one of if not the best corners in the NFL and has led the Jets to give up the least amount of passing yards as well as the least amount of passing touchdowns in the league.

Revis shutdown elite receivers. He squared off against Houston’s Andre Johnson and Carolina’s Steve Smith as well as matching up twice against New England’s Randy Moss, Buffalo’s Terrell Owens, and Cincinnati’s Chad Ochocinco. None of those players caught more than five passes in a game for more than 35 yards, and they all combined to score only one touchdown (Randy Moss was the only one to accomplish the feat and it was in the second time the two teams met).

He had six interceptions, good for fifth in the league, and returned one of them for a touchdown.

Thomas Jones was the third leading rusher in the regular season in both rushing yards and touchdowns, as well as only fumbling twice the entire season.

In the playoffs Shonn Greene is first in both rushing yard and touchdowns.

The Jets ability to run the ball has also had a fantastic effect on their quarterback, rookie Mark Sanchez.

Nicknamed “Sanchise” Jets fans were in a fervor after starting 3-0 and Sanchez playing at a high level. However, the team then lost six of their next seven games and the rookie from the University of Southern California had thrown an astonishing fourteen interceptions in those losses.

Turnovers will cost you the game and Mark Sanchez’s mistakes proved deadly. In eight wins—he didn’t play in the victory against Tampa Bay—he threw only three interceptions as opposed to the 17 he threw in seven losses.

In the Jets recent run— starting in week 16 against the Colts, one week after losing to the Atlanta Falcons, where Sanchez threw three interceptions, through the game against the Chargers—Sanchez has only thrown one interception. He’s also thrown more than 20 passes in only one of those games. He threw 19 passes against the Colts for 106 yards, 16 for 63 yards against the Bengals the first time around, 15 for 182 in the rematch, and 23 for 100 yards against the Chargers.

The Jets have limited his touches, thus creating fewer opportunities for Sanchez to turn the ball over.

Even with the Jets strong emphasis on the rush, almost bypassing the passing game, Jones, Greene, and Wildcat trigger man Brad Smith have run wild against opposing defenses.

It also helps that the Jets have three Pro-Bowlers on the offensive line—D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, and Nick Mangold—clearing open gaps for the backs to plow through.

More importantly though is the improved team character of the Jets.

In past seasons the Jets didn’t really have an identity. They would start off well only to fall apart as the season went on. Last year’s signing of Brett Favre only compounded that problem. While he is a talented player, it did the Jets no good to have a player that is the living definition of inconsistent. Favre took his chances but you never knew if it would wind up in a touchdown or an interception. Heck, no one even know if he wanted to play at the end of the season or for what team he really wanted to be a part of.

But in came Rex Ryan.

After 10 seasons as a defensive coach with the Baltimore Ravens, he was given the head coaching position with the Jets. Ryan came in with a very specific vision of how football should be played. He believed first and foremost in a tenacious defense followed by a strong running game.



In the offseason he brought two of his students from Baltimore, linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard. They knew Ryan’s system, had seen it work, and could convince the other players to follow him and believe in him.

He also instilled confidence in his players. While he may talk a lot, he believes in his players and in a press conference after making the playoffs he insisted the Jets were not the underdogs in the playoffs but the favorites. When Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year Ryan took time to argue in support of Darrelle Revis.

The players bought into Ryan’s scheme. They believed everything he said about them. Now they are in the playoffs. They believe in the system, they believe in their coach, and now they believe in themselves, making them extremely dangerous.
Their story is very similar to that of another Ryan coached team—the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens relied on a record setting defense and focused heavily on the running game on offense, led by rookie running back Jamal Lewis’ 1,364 yards rushing. They earned a wild card. They had a quarterback, Trent Dilfer, whose main responsibility was just to manage the game and not turn the ball over.

The Jets have an almost identical makeup and their coach was a major part of that Super Bowl winning team.

They have a tall order in front of them. Peyton Manning is the league’s MVP and will be looking to avenge that loss and prove that had the Colts played everyone they would’ve remained undefeated, at least for that week.

The Jets, of course led by Ryan, don’t buy the fact that they only won that game because Manning sat. They are out to prove that they are for real.

Who will prevail is up for debate, but there is definitely one thing you should expect from this game.

Expect Curtis Painter to be handed nothing but the clipboard.

Photo Credits:
Thomas Jones: AP Photo/Mike Groll
Darrelle Revis: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Mark Sanchez: AP Photo/Denis Poroy

When is enough, enough?

AP Photo/ Scott Audette

Editorial.

Enough already Brett. This act is getting old.

When does it stop? It seems like every offseason for the past five years has been about you and whether you’re done playing football or not. One minute you’re returning as a Packer, the next you’re retired but quickly change your mind and become a Jet, retire again, ask for a release, and now you want to play for the Vikings? It’s getting ridiculous. I respected you as a Packer. Now? I just want you to go away.

It isn’t my job to tell you when to retire. Only you know when the time is right. But at least make up your mind. Your indecisiveness has lost you a lot of credibility.

I understand that elite athletes hate to be without the game. Lance Armstrong is making a comeback, but he is doing so to support a cause. Michael Jordan came out of retirement twice, too. But there are a couple of differences between Jordan’s comebacks and yours. Jordan actually went away from the game for some time before returning. He missed almost two full seasons before his first comeback (he played in 17 games in the 1994-95 campaign), and sat out another two season before playing for the Wizards (not to mention also giving his entire Wizards’ salary to relief efforts for the attacks from September 11, 2001). His absence gave us a chance to miss him; to realize how good we had it as fans with him on the court, and how much the game was different without him. You, Brett, are just stringing us along. You’re taking advantage of our appreciation for your talents.

And when Jordan came back he was still the best player on the floor. You can’t say the same about your first comeback. When you retired you said you “didn’t want to” play anymore. Then you conveniently (purposely?) didn’t become a Jet until after team minicamps and training camps, and the lack of preparation showed. Your 22 interceptions and horrendous play down the stretch overshadowed your solid start to the year.

You retired again and told us “It’s time to leave.” We were skeptical, but you stayed out of the news for quite some time. That is, until Friday, April 29, when you (asked for?) were released by the Jets. You reassured us you were “retired and have no intention of returning to football.” Alas, now you are talking to the Vikings about possibly making another return? Really?

What is fueling this? Do you legitimately think you can win another Super Bowl if you join the Vikings (I mean, if Jeff George thinks he can take Minnesota to the promised land, certainly Favre can)? Do you still want revenge on the Packers (For what, I’m still confused about—once you retired they had every right to move on; just because you changed your mind doesn’t mean they have to change the direction they had taken their football team in)?

You know what though, Brett? I, for one, don’t care anymore. I’m tired of the rumors, the speculation. Be a man of your word. If you retire and say you don’t want to play anymore, don’t go back on your word and give us a half-hearted return. It’s disrespectful to the game, your teammates, the fans, and yourself.

No one wants to see you kill your own image, but you’re leaving us no choice. Please, save face. Let us remember you as the gun-slinging leader of a Super Bowl Packers team, not a liar and over-the-hill clubhouse killer of a Jets, or even worse, Vikings team.

Don’t let the great memories fade into oblivion. Keep dragging out the end of your career, making the glory days seem ages ago, and we may never remember how great you once were.

Remember this? Video from YouTube via NFL Network.