A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Start Shonn Greene

Since Week 4, the Jets offense has almost always started slowly. Opposing teams put eight in the box, daring Mark Sanchez to throw. The Jets try to establish a run game, but Thomas Jones gets off to a slow start.

It seems that when the Jets put Shonn Greene into the game, things open up. Indeed, after Greene plays a few series, Jones gets more running room and Sanchez gets a little more time.

Why not put Greene in to start?
posted on 12/30/2009

 
Week 16

1. It is with shock, disgust, outrage and disdain that I must report that some purportedly observant Jewish fans of the New York Giants attended today's game, on the fast of the 10th of Teves.

Somewhere Superfeldman is fuming.

2. Colts President and GM Bill Polian gift wrapped today's game for the Jets, who - despite not playing terribly - would not otherwise have won.

3. Indeed, prior to the Colts' pulling their starters, the Jets couldn't get anything going on offense. The run game was not working, and Mark Sanchez couldn't carry the offense himself. The defense was fortunate that they had only given up 15 points, with both Lito Sheppard and Darrelle Revis beaten on several long plays.

4. D'Brickashaw Ferguson was awful, twice letting Dwight Freeney get an easy sack on Sanchez, both times killing a drive.

5. Fortunately, Sanchez did not turn the ball over, allowing the Jets to keep the game close and take control when the Colts put in their preseason unit.

6. Jay Feely came back from last week's debacle with two key field goals, and Brad Smith's kickoff return for a touchdown was huge.
posted on 12/27/2009

 
Week 15

1. As they did against the Bills, the Dolphins (twice) and the Jaguars, the Jets again did everything they could to lose today. Three interceptions, three dropped interceptions, three botched field goals, and three idiotic roughing penalties allowed the Jets to find a way to lose despite outplaying the Falcons.

2. I am glad I did not go to today's game. However, the announcing today was horrific. Dick Stockton thought Atlanta's winning TD tied the game; called the Jets the Eagles; kept mixing up players; and was confused about where the ball was, and even where the new stadium is.

3. I missed Ray Lucas on today's SNY postgame show. He's always very good to watch after losses.
posted on 12/20/2009

 
Week 14

1. The Jets ran into a terrible team today and couldn't find a way not to win.

2. Kellen Clemens was better in the 4th quarter, but overall showed poor accuracy and failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities.

3. That said, Clemens was again handcuffed by the coaching staff, with his main prerogative appearing to be not to turn the ball over. Consider, for example, the Jets opening drive, when after a David Harris INT, they ran three straight times and didn't get a first down.

4. Shonn Greene is a good back, but his fumbles are now a real issue.

5. Jay Feely did a good job in the first half.

6. The defense played great against a terrible offense.
posted on 12/13/2009

 
Bill Parcells, Al Groh and The Guy in the Glass

In exactly four weeks, it wil be 10 years since Bill Parcells resigned as Jets head coach. In explaining his resignation to his players, Parcells read The Guy in the Glass, a poem written in 1934 by Dale Wimbrow about integrity and self-awareness. Since then, I've thought about the message in The Guy in the Glass when advising others and (admittedly to a lesser extent) in my own decisions.

Following Bill Belichick's resignation the next day, Parcells was succeeded by Al Groh. Groh himself then quit right after the season to take the head coaching job at University of Virginia, where he coached for nine seasons before being let go last week.

After his final game last Saturday night, Groh read The Guy in the Glass to his players, and then added: "When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he's a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability. He's loyal. His spirit is indomitable. And he is caring and loving."

Groh wasn't any of those things when he quit the Jets, though he probably can't be blamed for taking a more secure long-term position.

But I can't help but think that in extolling his own virtues, Groh missed the point in The Guy in the Glass.


The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
posted on 12/06/2009

 
Week 13

1. Bad job by the Jets not letting Kellen Clemens throw the ball when he entered the game to get loose and force the Bills to respect the run. Giving the Bills a chance to win the game was foolish. If the coaching staff has so little confidence in Clemens, why is he the backup QB?

That said, Clemens didn't look good at all, and his fumble deep in Jets territory (fortunately recovered by D'Brickishaw Ferguson) was inexcusable. Clemens did throw a very nice pass to Jerricho Cotchery.

2. Rex Ryan was ridiculous ripping Mark Sanchez during the post-game press conference. Scrambling on 3rd down, Sanchez was absolutely right to go for a first down. He would not have gotten the first down had he slid and he may have gotten hurt anyway.

The bottom line is that while Sanchez needs to be smarter about not running right into linebackers and defensive lineman, Ryan needs to understand that football is a violent sport and that injuries are inevitable.

3. Alan Faneca is aging badly. With three years left on his contract and an $8 million salary, the Jets should take advantage of 2010 likely being an uncapped year and consider cutting him this offseason.

4. The Jets still don't seem to know how to win. Sanchez imagined pressure that wasn't there when he badly missed a wide open Cotchery in the end zone. Ryan seemed to think Braylon Edwards' horrible drop was hilarious. David Clowney also needs to hang on to the ball in the end zone.

5. Sanchez did come back with nice passes to Cotchery and Edwards - as well as the throw that Clowney couldn't hang on to.

6. Clueless gushing by the NFL Network announcers over Brad Smith, who supposedly is the new Jim Thorpe. Smith has four catches this season, and one career completed pass. He's a good special teams player, nothing more.

7. Indeed, the Jets still only have two receivers.

8. Seeing Solomon Wilcots last night reminded me how much I don't miss him on CBS - where he hasn't seemed to announce Jets game this season. Of course, Wilcots was sure to submit his absurd "report" that Sanchez was going to try to come back and play on two knee braces.
posted on 12/04/2009

 
Doron Sheffer

I followed Doron Sheffer when he played at UConn in the early-mid 90's - a period when I had time to watch lots of sports. I thought Sheffer would have been a solid rotation player in the NBA, but instead of playing for the Clippers, he chose to return to Israel where he was a star.

Haaretz has a long feature about Sheffer, who survived testicular cancer and has become religiously observant.
posted on 12/03/2009