Gang Green Nation

Could Jim Leonhard Play?

2009-11-20T20:49:48Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Jim Leonhard might be in the lineup against the Pats after all.

Leonhard, injured in last Sunday's loss to Jacksonville, returned to practice Friday and participated in individual drills as well as some team activities while wearing a cast on his hand.

Coach Rex Ryan said he'd consult with Leonhard and the team's trainers to see how he feels leading up to the game Sunday. Eric Smith would get the start opposite Kerry Rhodes if Leonhard can't play.

It sure would be nice to have the secondary at full strength against these receivers.

Vernon Gholston, on the other hand, will definitely sit the next one out.

Ryan also ruled out linebacker Vernon Gholston for the second straight week with a hamstring injury. Gholston was injured in practice last Monday in the team's first workout off the bye-week break.

Do you think the Jets may be milking this injury a bit so the man they invested so much in will not be listed as a healthy scratch?

Leon Expects to Be Ready for OTA's in March

2009-11-20T14:30:12Z

More photos » by Tony Avelar - AP

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Leon Washington is expecting to be back for offseason workouts in March.

"My goal is, which I'm very optimistic about, is to get back in March for initial training," said Washington, speaking to the New York media for the first time since his injury in Oakland. "I want to be moving around pretty good. I want to be able to work out with the guys ... I'm very optimistic about that. I have faith about it. I look forward to it. The way I'm moving right now, I'm right on target."

Washington suffered a rare injury - a double open fracture in his right leg. He broke the tibia and fibular bones, which pierced the skin. For the interview, he sat in a chair, with his lower leg encased in a walking boot. He's getting around on crutches.

Washington, in the final year of his contract, said he has "no regrets" about eschewing the Jets' proposal for a long-term contract - a decision that could ultimately cost him millions.

"With business, there's risk and reward," he said. "I knew that coming into the season. There was a risk ... Life is more important by being happy than, per se, money. Obviously, the security part is what you want for you kids' kids, grandkids. But right now, I feel better than ever."

And yes, it's too early to quit on this season and dream of what the 2010 Jets will be like with Leon and Kris Jenkins back.

13 Days Until Toronto

2009-11-20T13:15:19Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Support our rookie quarterback in a foreign country.

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Less than two weeks remain until the Jets take on the Bills in Toronto, but it's not too late to make the trip.

You can plan your trip with one stop shopping.

Find a hotel for under $100 per night.

Find roundtrip airfare nonstop for under $300.

See the sights of one of North America's best cities.

Get a free t-shirt.

Root the Jets to a victory over the Bills.

Defensive Line Practices Well

2009-11-19T15:54:32Z

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Rex isn't happy with what he's seen from the defensive line.

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The defensive line looked good yesterday under its new coach.

Wednesday was the first day of practice without defensive line coach Kerry Locklin, let go Monday in what Ryan termed a "mutual decision" and replaced by Jeff Weeks and Chuck Smith.

"I think today was our best day out there," defensive end Marques Douglas said. "[The] communication was excellent, we worked as a group [and] our tempo was great."

When asked if he was surprised at the shakeup, Douglas replied, "it’s kind of something you don’t think about, because we as players are supposed to play, and the coaches and GM [Mike Tannenbaum] make that decision.

I doubt there's a big difference between the quality of Locklin's coaching and Smith's coaching. I do expect the line's play to get better. This was done to send a message. The players got an indication the powers that be are not happy with the play. If this continues, there will only be one constant and only one left to change.

Do you expect a more inspired defensive line?

Sanchez Goes Off Script

2009-11-19T13:18:08Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Mark Sanchez seemed to apologize yesterday for reading off a script during Sunday's postgame press conference.

Mark Sanchez stepped to the podium for his weekly press conference yesterday, surveyed the room full of reporters and deadpanned, "You guys want to start or you want me to start?"

It was Sanchez's way of defusing what became a controversial postgame press conference after the Jacksonville loss Sunday when he read notes from a sheet of paper, trying to cover all the topics he figured he would be asked about.

Sanchez was apologetic if he offended anyone by his actions.

"I thought I had everything figured out, of course, as a 23-year-old rookie would, but probably not the best way to go about it," he said. "It didn't go over very well, so. Trial and error and hopefully a one-time mistake."

Why exactly was the script thing a big deal? He knew what questions were going to be asked and wanted to get his responses out of the way. I will say one thing for him. He's showing he's good at taking the air out of controversies generated purely for media hype.

Jets/Jags Recap-- The Good, The Bad, and The Random

2009-11-18T23:47:59Z

On Sunday the Lands resembled more of a masoleum than a football stadium. Utters of "same ol' Jets" and "40 years-- nothing's changed" resonated through the parking lot upon conclusion of the game.

If getting swept by Miami (a team we have owned this decade), and losing to Buffalo at home (who just hired a guy that has zero HC’ing experience) wasn't bad enough, yet another disheartening loss was suffered. This one was on Rex—Giving the guys 6 days off obviously contributed to them coming out flat.

While the loss was a crushing one to the GangGreen Nation, and the negatives have continued to haunt us throughout the week, the J-E-T-S did improve upon a couple things:

The Good:

Thomas Jones- Continues to show us he can still be a workhorse in this league. After Leon was injured in the OAK game and they were no longer splitting carries, a lot of questions arose surrounding the 31-year old’s age—regarding whether or not he could still carry the ball 20+ times a game. In the L3 weeks, he's rushed 74 times/300 yards. I’d say he’s silenced the doubters. Granted he was going up against a weak Jax front-7, and didn’t break any big ones, but he was hitting holes well and thought he played his role nicely.

-Third Down Conversions- Did a much better job of setting up "third-and-manageable", and it showed. They were 7 of 13 on 3rd downs… a big improvement on previous weeks: 3-14 vs MIA, 3-15 vs Buff, 4-11 @ MIA. A step in the right direction, no doubt.

The Bad:

Lack of Pressure off the Outside/Inability to Create turnovers-This IMO has been a recurring theme this year. They’ve been good against the run,(although the LB core uncharacteristically missed a lot of tackles on Sunday).. but terrible regarding pass-rush. This is a 3-4 defense that is predicated on getting pressure on the QB and making the secondary’s job easier., The lack of pressure from the outside by Pace (who has yet to show up this year..) and Thomas is certainly not helping our turnovers. Seven INT’s and Five recovered fumbles just isn’t characteristic of a 3-4 Rex Ryan Defense. Not cutting it guys.
Regarding the secondary, they’re getting a lot of tipped balls but just can’t finish the job and come down with it! Frustrating, but hopefully they’ll start picking more off.

Slow start/Unprepared defense- This is just completely unacceptable when you are coming off the bye week/have an extra week to prepare. You can’t go wrong with setting the tone by stacking the box early and forcing Garrard to throw. Would have much rather see him beat us w/ his arm rather than watching the Jones-Drew-show on their first possession (5 carries/55 yards/TD). Jax did not throw the ball once on that drive, and they punched us right in the mouth. We all know this Jags’ team’s WR core is awful-- we should have not only been ready for the run but also bottled it up. Again, understand some of this was because of their 6-day-vacation, but that’s no excuse.

The Random:

-Losing Leon was as catastrophic as we thought it was. The stretch plays were totally ineffective (albeit against a Jags defense that has pretty good speed on the outside), and the only pitch that worked was an excellent call on 4th & 1 when Greene set up the go-ahead TD late in 4Q.
We’re really going to miss him this week vs NE, great weapon for countering the blitz with some misdirections/screens.

-Sanchez- hard for me to rip on the kid, as he seems to continue to grow and improve upon his mistakes, BUT..Throwing balls at guy’s feet, lack of vision/weak pre-snap reads, and that INT on the screen pass were rough. All rookie mistakes, so we look past it and move on.
GRANTED, there is a positive spin on this: he looks to be trying to improve upon his early downfall of staring down receivers, which may be why his vision is suffering. He’ll get there… I still believe he’s the chosen one.
Also, the chemistry between him and Keller is improving (although he dropped a couple), but the two seem to be getting on the same page, which is a big improvement from the Buffalo game. Hopefully he’ll improve on his accuracy, because his ball security seems to be improving a bit (although this week will be the test).

-Two wasted timeouts due to 12 men on the field. That just can’t happen. One of them was on 2nd & 6..

-Secondary giving up 8.0 YPP to GARRARD makes me want to puke–Again, this is due to lack of pass rush.

Moving on to NE this week, GangGreen, and we need a miracle to save our season.....

Harris new Defensive Signal Correspondent

2009-11-18T20:19:06Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Dan Leberfeld wrote today that with Jim Leonhard on the sideline, David Harris will be the man in the middle with the wired helmet relaying the plays from the sideline.

Florham Park - With safety Jim Leonhard not likely to play this Sunday because of a broken right thumb, the Jets need to assign the helmet with the defensive signals (from the sidelines), and it looks like inside linebacker David Harris will get the wired helmet.

David Harris is considered a mild mannered, big hitter with self confidence minus the outspoken trash talking. Some thought that the duty may well be given to Kerry Rhodes, but it seems Rex has chosen the most consistent performer on the Jets defence. I have no problems with this, not sure how much of a leader Harris is, but if he is the guy with the clearest understanding of the play-book then it's the best move. A play caller has to have a calm head, and be able to relay commands clearly and effectively in time where some may well lose his head. Not pointing at anyone in particular.

Buddy Ryan Is Confident

2009-11-18T15:00:24Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Rex's father has a good feeling about this weekend.

Do they have a shot against the Patriots?

"Hey, they already beat ’em," Buddy said, referring to the 16-9 victory on Sept. 20.

But the Jets will have to beat them at their place this time.

"It is a good challenge," Buddy said, "but he’ll enjoy it."

We'll get into it more later in the week. It's going to be tough considering the game is on the road and the way the Jets are playing. The Jets still do present the same matchup problems they did in the first meeting for the Pats, though. It's not as crazy as a lot are suggesting to think an upset could happen again.

Braylon Edwards Pleads Not Guilty to Assault

2009-11-18T14:15:12Z

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

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Braylon Edwards has pleaded not guilty to the assault charge he faces.

Edwards was arraigned in Cleveland Municipal Court on Tuesday. The 26-year-old was traded to the New York Jets two days after he was accused of punching a friend of NBA star LeBron James on Oct. 5.

James called Edwards' actions "childish."

Edwards waived his right to a speedy trial and was scheduled for a Dec. 12 court hearing. His attorney hasn't returned a request for comment.

I'd be surprised if there was any fallout from the league this year, but like the Shaun Ellis situation of 2008, stay tuned over the offseason depending on how this plays out.

Jim Leonhard Officially Out Sunday

2009-11-18T12:48:19Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Jim Leonhard will miss Sunday's game in Foxborough after thumb surgery.

The Jets will be without safety Jim Leonhard on Sunday against the Patriots and maybe longer after he underwent surgery on his right thumb on Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak publicly for the team.

Eric Smith will start in his place. I like Smith, but you clearly don't want an injury to a starter in the secondary right before a trip to New England to take on a motivated Patriots team.

On Belichick's Decision

2009-11-17T13:11:20Z

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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A lot of the headlines this week leading up to the game will be about Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down rather than punt it late in the fourth quarter Sunday night against the Colts. The decision obviously did not work out. He's defending the call.

''The same thing I said after the game,'' Belichick said at his regular Monday news conference. ''I thought it was our best chance to win. I thought we needed to make that one play and then we could basically run out the clock. We weren't able to make it.''

Imagine if Rex Ryan had made that decision some of the comments we'd see here and in the media. Honestly, I thought it was a good call. The way Manning was moving the ball, he was probably putting the ball in the end zone no matter what part of the field he started on. Calls like this are part of the reason the Pats win so much. They aren't afraid to take risks to win.

What do you think?

Poll

What do you think of Belichick's decision?

Another Head Rolls: DL Coach Locklin Gone

2009-11-16T22:46:20Z

So Carroll and his personality were first on the chopping block after another Jets loss at home, however it was soon followed by another, this time in the form of Kerry Locklin the defensive line coach. Rex Ryan did not mention this during his press conference, but Cimini reports that there was a disagreement between the two and it was mutually agreed (Which is really code for, Rex said you can either go and save image or be fired) that he should leave the team for 'personal reasons'.

Defensive line coach Kerry Locklin has left the team for personal reasons, according to a person familiar with the team. It was a mutual decision between Locklin and Rex Ryan, the person said, but this sounds a bit fishy. Ryan made no mention of Locklin's departure during his late-afternoon news conference.

It's believed that Ryan had a disagreement with Locklin, but the specifics aren't clear. No word yet on who will replace Locklin. He and Ryan have known each other for nearly 20 years. They coached together at Morehead State from 1990-1993.

Jim Leonhard To Have Surgery Today

2009-11-16T22:11:18Z

Bob Glauber of Newsday has confirmed that Jim Leonhard will today undergo surgery on his thumb and it is unknown how long he is out for. Although Rex would not rule him out for Sunday's trip to New England he did not sound very confident.

Jets safety Jim Leonhard to undergo surgery for fractured thumb. Rex Ryan says he doesn't know if Leonhard out for Patriots game.

So 24 hours after many (myself included) questioned Kerry Rhodes, we now face the prospect of a Kerry Rhodes/Eric Smith safety combination against Randy Moss/Wes Welker and Tom Brady. It certainly doesn't fill you with confidence. Especially considering that Leonhard might of had one of his best games as a Jet yesterday.

Jets Waive ST/CB Ahmad Carroll

2009-11-16T17:20:35Z

Update- Lisa Zimmerman has a little more information on the release of Carroll

The release of cornerback Ahmad Carroll was a little perplexing given that he has generally been considered to be a pretty solid special teams player. However, one of my sources told me today that behind the scenes, Carroll's attitude was a problem.

Basically, Carroll mouthed off a lot including to the coaching staff, had a negative attitude and would sometimes not turn in required weekly tests.

With the steady improvement of CB Marquice Cole, the team felt that Carroll had not only become expendable, but was more of a hindrance than a help.

Basically you can compare this to someone being fired for insubordination.

Original Post

Jets announced today that they have waived special teamer and cornerback Ahmad Carroll.

Carroll signed with the Jets in 2008 and has recorded 30 special team tackles in 22 games. However he was inactive against the Jaguars as well as being inactive against the Dolphins. Without playing any corner, and now not even getting into the team for his special teams ability. It is hardly surprising to see him given the boot.

The only reason I can see that the Jets decided to cut ties with Carroll instead of Miller is because they realise they can't have Revis returning punts and Miller will be given another shot at kick and punt return duties up in New England.

This does leave a open roster spot, so where do you think this roster spot should be used? another corner, some linebacker help or the defensive line? or just on the best special team tackler we can find?

Gary Myers on Rex

2009-11-16T16:03:21Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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Gary Myers says the Jets should stop their big talk.

Ryan has failed to impose his will on this team. He can put away the playoff talk for another season. He's made his share of rookie mistakes and presumably his game management skills will improve. But it would be hypocritical to criticize him for the brash talk - that's who he is and after three years of being beaten down by Eric Mangini, he is what this team needed - but now it's time to simply concentrate on identifying the players he wants with him going forward.

Myers is right. It's easy to call out the Jets and their coach for talking big. A lot of the people doing that were complaining a year ago that Eric Mangini didn't have enough intensity or instill the team with confidence. These things don't win or lose games. Many coaches with many different styles are successful. These are things people look to with hindsight to explain what went wrong or right so they don't have to put the effort in to search for the real issues.

Is There Any Hope?

2009-11-16T13:10:53Z

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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Let's be honest. The Jets head into a must win game next week against the Patriots in bad shape, really bad shape. They are reeling right now. Their confidence must be low. Heading into the first meeting, there seemed like a perfect storm favoring this team. They were brimming with confidence after dominating Houston. The Pats looked ordinary against the Bills, and Tom Brady didn't look fully comfortable on his gimpy knee.

The tables are clearly turned right now. The Jets have to bring their rookie quarterback to Foxborough against a Pats team and crowd that will be breathing fire seeking revenge for the first meeting and a crushing loss to the Colts last night.

Should we tune in Sunday?

Poll

Do the Jets have a shot Sunday?

Week 10 Approval Rating

2009-11-16T12:59:35Z

Previous Weeks:

Week 1: 97% Approve; 2% Disapprove

Week 2: 96% Approve; 3% Disapprove

Week 3: 97% Approve; 2% Disapprove

Week 4: 91% Approve; 8% Disapprove

Week 5: 73% Approve; 26% Disapprove

Week 6: 46% Approve; 53% Disapprove

Week 7: 93% Approve; 6% Disapprove

Week 8: 56% Approve; 43% Disapprove

Week 9: 91% Approve; 8% Disapprove

Poll

Do you approve of the job Rex Ryan is doing as head coach of the New York Jets?

Sunday Evening Discussion Thread

2009-11-16T00:35:31Z

Sad? Need a place to vent? Want to talk baseball hot stove or get Thanksgiving travel advice? We're here for you.

Let's talk in the comments section.

Jaguars 24 Jets 22: A New Low

2009-11-15T23:40:03Z

by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Jets are 4-5 after their 24-22 loss to Jacksonville in the Meadowlands today. That makes 5 losses in 6 games. It's the 4th of those 5 to be decided in the final 2:00. It's yet another crushing loss in a season that started so well.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Kerry Rhodes: I've officially had enough of hearing Kerry talk about how great he is. Tone it down until you back it up on the field. Despite the defense's success, he hasn't transformed into the playmaker many expected. He was burned on the decisive play that set up a chip shot field goal.

First Half Defense: The Jets did not force a punt in the first half, and the front seven was completely manhandled. Jacksonville's run blockers constantly sealed their men and gave Maurice Jones-Drew holes to explode through. He almost because the first 100 yard rusher against New York this season in the first half alone.

Last Drive Defense: The pass rush wasn't there. I know this is a great defense, an elite unit. It would be nice if they could get the big stop, though. This is the third time in six games the other team has put together a game winning drive late in the fourth.

Rookie Mistakes by Mark Sanchez: This game was not a total wash for the rookie quarterback. He made some plays that flashed his promise and showed signs of what he will become with more seasoning. There were subtle errors, though, like not elevating the ball Quentin Groves interception. Don't get me wrong. It was an incredible display of athelticism and coordination by Groves. Great, great play. However, part of being a quarterback in the NFL is to make sure a quick throw to a receiver is high enough to get over a lineman. There was the timeout on the goal line he burned in the second half with plenty of time left on the play clock. There were a few attempted throw aways that Jacksonville defenders touched. These didn't affect the game, but it's playing with fire. If you're throwing it away, put it in the second row, not within reach of a defender. These things come with time and illustrate how tough it is to win with a rookie quarterback.

Dustin Keller: I know it's really tough to get on him. His 6 catch, 58 yard day was productive and encouraging. He's starting to emerge in the passing game. There were also a couple of key drops. In addition, a guy with his athleticism ought to be able to make somebody miss or break a tackle every now and then.

Braylon Edwards: Again, tough to get on him with 79 yards on 3 receptions, but his fumble was a killer. So was his drop on the two point conversion after the Jets took the lead in the fourth. It was not an unforced error but still a ball a number one receiver can't let hit the ground. He also never should have thrown it on his option pass. He had open field and a blocker in front of him and could have picked up a first down by tucking and running.

Lowery/Sheppard Combo: Dwight Lowery and Lito Sheppard are good football players. They have been good to very good this season. They had trouble with Torry Holt and Mike Thomas. Darrelle Revis shut down Mike Simms-Walker, but Jacksonville's top wideout scored a touchdown when Revis wasn't on him.

First Play Call: One thing I've always said about Brian Schottenheimer is that he has incredible acumen of X's and O's but doesn't know how to apply his knowledge. It reminds me of this teacher I had in high school chemistry. He was a brilliant guy who knew the concepts inside and out. He just couldn't communicate them so nobody in my class left with the slightest clue about chemistry. The first play of the game made sense on the chalkboard. It ended with Jerricho Cotchery wide open. The problem is it's really too hard for a rookie quarterback to roll left and make an accurate long throw against his body. The result was failure.

Let me talk about the Edwards throw. Part of the blame goes on Braylon for making the throw with open field in front of him, but why would you want him throwing with the game on the line? He's not used to doing it. It's not what he does best.

Darrelle Revis Returning Punts: Let me go on record. This is a horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible idea. I know he was great returning punts at Pitt. I know he had an incredible return against West Virginia. I watched that game and was blown away. There is absolutely no reason for him to be returning punts. By far his most important role on this team is shutting down the other team's best receiver. Why get him hit and potentially injured by running punts back? Is the risk worth the benefit? How much better will the team be with him instead of Jim Leonhard even if he is a little better as a return man? By the way, his long on 2 returns was for 3 yards.

Lack of Intensity: I'm sure we'll hear all week about how Rex Ryan giving the team 6 days off during the bye led to such a sloppy performance. That's a really simplistic explanation, but the poor performance full of mistakes in the first half will give these people plenty of ammo.

Up Men: The Jets got lucky on Jacksonville's surprise onside kick. That's all there is to it. The front line left early. They've been doing it all year. It was only a matter of time before somebody exploited it. The Jaguars executed, and the Jets got a few lucky bounces. It was frustrating to see these guys continue to leave early even after that. This needs to be corrected.

The Good:

Thomas Jones: He hit holes, broke tackles, and grinded out tough yardage on his 77 yard, 21 carry day.

Mike Devito: He played really well in the middle of the line, winning his matchups and getting off his blocks.

Jim Leonhard: He was all over the field with 7 tackles and a sack.

Brad Smith: Made some nice plays on coverage units.

Jaguars Fans on This Site: All week Jaguars fans graced us with their presence here on GGN, and I can't say enough about them. They were classy, knowledgable, and added a lot to our discussion here. In the year and change I've run this blog, I've come across some great fan bases. The Bills and Texans come to mind. The Jaguars fans we came across this week top the list. Congrats on the win. Good luck the rest of the way. Please do continue to stop by.

Halftime Adjustments: The Jets played much more inspired football in the second half.

Other Thoughts:

You really can't say enough about Maurice Jones-Drew. It's been a long time since a football player impressed me like he did today. He's the total package. He's got speed and vision. He hits hits holes. He's bruising between the tackles. He's a threat as a receiver. He blocks well. He's got football intellect and is selfless like when he went down on the 1 instead of padding his stats with a touchdown so the Jets wouldn't have a chance to get the ball back. He was the difference.
David Garrard also gets props. He made the plays on that last drive.
It's funny how things even out. Two weeks ago, the Jets pretty much manhandled the Dolphins but essentially handed them the game by making silly errors. This week, the Jags really had the better of the play for most of the game, but a missed field goal, a guy tripping himself going into the end zone, and a botched exchange from the one foot line were enough to almost gift wrap the Jets a win.
I find this a bit easier to swallow than the Miami game. It's one thing when the opponent plays better than you like the Jaguars did. It's another to constantly shoot yourself in the foot like the Jets did two weeks ago. There was no doubt the Jaguars were the better team today.
It's frustrating because it's clear the Jets are on the verge of being a good team, but they just can't finish games. Kind of like Mark Sanchez. He makes plays that show the ability is there, but it just hasn't all come together yet.

Well, these are surely not the circumstances you want heading to Foxborough. This team is in bad shape after a series of bitter losses. At this point, the Playoffs have begun. The Jets probably need to win their last 7 to make it. How disappointing.

All Hail MJD

2009-11-15T20:57:16Z

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

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The Jets are under .500 for the first time all year. The way these two teams played, it's a miracle the Jets were in position to win at all. The Jaguars looked great. The Jets did not. Ultimately, the difference was Jacksonville had the best player on the field, Maurice Jones-Drew. He had a brilliant first half and made one of the headiest and selfless plays you'll ever see to guarantee a win. What a great player he is.

The Jets probably have to win out to make the Playoffs and have a trip to Foxborough next week. It's just about time to revise our expectations for 2009.

Feel free to vent below.