Week 1I don't expect to post after each game, but last night deserves a post-mortem:
1. The Jets offense reverted to the form it took during weeks 4 through 14 of the 2009 season. Shonn Greene's fumbles were back. Mark Sanchez was not trusted to pass downfield. While dumping off to RBs is sometimes necessary, clearly Sanchez was overcoached into doing so way too often. It's difficult to understand why Sanchez is being paid $10 million a year to be a game manager.
2. There's no question that Hard Knocks gave away some of the Jets' scheme. The Jets revealed that David Clowney would not have been active and thus was deemed expendable. They also cut Laveranues Coles, and proclaimed that Tony Richardson would stay because they remain a "ground and pound" team. You didn't need a great football mind to realize what the offensive game plan would look like.
3. This game plan might have worked if the Jets had occasionally exploited the Ravens safeties playing 5-10 yards from the line of scrimmage. Yet Sanchez was too afraid to make mistakes, and with no number 3 receiver during Santonio Holmes' suspension (at least while Coles remains away), neither Braylon Edwards nor Jerricho Cotchery could get open.
4. Antonio Cromartie was dreadful. Kyle Wilson wasn't good either, but he's a rookie in his first game.
5. The Ravens repeatedly picked up Jets blitzes, and the Jets' DL could not get much pressure on Joe Flacco after the first quarter.
6. I doubt Kris Jenkins will play football again. While he will be missed, the Jets' run defense did not seem to suffer last night and I tend to think that the impact of his loss will be exaggerated.
7. While the officiating crew seemed to make some questionable calls, the 14 penalties, drops, and Dustin Keller's moronic stepping out of bounds to end the game are indicative of an undisciplined, unfocused team.
8. Rex Ryan has a much better football mind than Herm Edwards, but his friendly approach to players is concerning. The head coach should be the bad cop, not his assistants.
9. A few weeks ago, I caved in and bought a pair of season tickets on eBay. They're in the upper deck, at the 40 yard line. The new stadium is very underwhelming. No cell phone service, very hard to get to the upper deck other than via the stairs (and it is seven flights up), huge parking lots. There was nothing wrong with Giants Stadium other than its name and the colors of the seats.
10. Thanks to Jewboy for driving up from Baltimore to meet me last night, and for heeding my friendly advice and not provocatively wearing a Ravens jersey or cap.
posted on 9/13/2010
