Apologies there... there was a lot of traffic in this forum compared to the NFL general thread, and I figured a bit of pointing out Brady being (very good, but also) quite overrated, on today of all days, would not go astray. PS. As much as I am underwhelmed by him in the regular season, this is two years now that Sanchez has put together strong playoff games, which has to be very promising. Plus after the kid with cancer story, I think it is unfair for anybody who doesn't hate the Jets to not get behind them in this SB run (unless, of course, my Packers make it through next week ).
Sanchez today reminds me a lot of Roethlisberger going into Super Bowl XL. In fact, the Jets remind me a lot of that season's Steelers. I'm hoping they don't manage to get past us on Sunday. In any case, whoever wins the AFCCG will win the Super Bowl.
Big win for the Jets. Bart Scott had the best post game interview. Loved how pissed and intense he was. "they couldn't stop a nose bleed!" Love that line. And Sanchez is no way like Big Ben. Ben can take a hit and get right back up. Mark's like a little girl sometimes, he will get touched and stay down like he's really hurt. Ben has no problem taking a shot from some 260lb LB just a slong as he makes the throw. Mark will avoid contact and go down. Plus Ben is a beast of a man that is hard as hell to take down. When he scrambles and it looks like the play is lost,that's when he's at his best. Making a play out of nothing. Should be 1 hell of a game in Pitt. The guy with the hair will playing this time around so it should be different game than last.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/01/19/byrd.captain.ap/index.html?eref=sihp Dennis Byrd to serve as Jets Honorary Captain this coming Sunday. To me, this is soooooo freakin' awesome. I was at the Meadowlands that day in 1992 when he was paralyzed - and the following week in Buffalo when that crap Coslet team beat the eventual AFC Champions. That 1992 Jet season was such a dark season, even for a Jet fan. It had the potential to be a good season. 4-12. Byrd and Al Toon's careers ended on the field. Jeff Lagerman tore his ACL (first time I ever heard 'ACL') week 2 in Pittsburgh. Browning Nagle (the player taken after Brett Favre) was the starting QB. Ken O'Brien and Freeman McNeil ended their careers.
I think the guys in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette read bigsoccer: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11020/1119241-66.stm The New York Jets are trying to hack out a path to the Super Bowl through what historically had been an impenetrable jungle -- until the Steelers showed the way five years ago. For the first 39 Super Bowls, no team had ever come away with a Vince Lombardi Trophy by first winning three playoff games on the road. Then, the Steelers squeaked into the 2005 playoffs as the sixth seed in the AFC, won at Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver and completed the grand slam with a victory against Seattle in Super Bowl XL in Detroit. Two years later, the New York Giants walked the same kind of path as the NFC's fifth seed to claim their third Lombardi Trophy. And now two sixth seeds have reached championship games, one each in the AFC and NFC: The New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. What had not been done in the first 39 years of the Super Bowl could be accomplished for the third time in the past six seasons And then there's this part... The Jets are trying to follow another parallel of the '05 Steelers. Like Ben Roethlisberger in '05, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is in his second season after reaching the AFC championship game as a rookie and losing. Roethlisberger's rookie season ended with a loss to the Patriots in the 2004 AFC championship at Heinz Field. "He had a lot of what I did, too," Roethlisberger said, mentioning the talent around him. "It's nice when they don't talk about you because they talk about your defense and how good they are and the players. "So it's kind of a nice thing you can fly under the radar a little bit. With him being in New York, it's a little bit harder to do that, but every week you watch him he's getting better. He takes the criticism that everyone seems to be giving him for some reason and just kind of seems to brush it off and move on and play better every week."
The thing with Sanchez is that he seems unflappable. He went through his growing pains last season and was effective down the stretch because of the way he was utilized. His responsibilities grew a bit more and for the most part, did a pretty decent job throughout the season. But put him in a situation where he needs to lead this team, he leads this team. Look how comfy he looks with Rex, Schotty and his teammates. Remember for Hard Knocks viewers, Brunell was saying that he noticed how much more vocal he has become. For a city that will chew you up and spit you out, he's handled everything with, wait for it....WAIT FOR IT.............poise. The maturity that this guy has is pretty unbelievable to me. He's like Jeter except not two-dimensional.
One thing about this game, even if someone gets two touchdowns ahead (not very likely IMO), the game won't be over. You have two quarterbacks who CAN be knocked on their ass over and over again without quitting. There's not going to be an early knockout punch in this one.
We shall see, definitely. I think the one thing Sanchez hasn't had to worry about in the playoffs so far is getting sacked. In their week 15 matchup, Sanchez only got sacked once by the best team that led in that category. Granted, Troy was out. We'll see what happens this week. Ben's so much bigger that I have more confidence in him after getting hit. Sanchez maybe more elusive and better at avoiding hits, but I'm less confident with him under pressure than I would be Big Ben. Hopefully the Jets O-line will step up like last time, even with Head & Shoulders back in at safety. It is Head & Shoulders, right?
They do have a significant financial interest in his hair, yes. Troy practiced today, incidently, after being given two days off.
Here's the latest injury report from ESPN http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/4352/jets-steelers-injury-report-2
Jets want to win this game than they need to get to Ben like they got to Brady last week. The Jets Dline had there best game of the year last week and if they can have that kind of performance again than I think they will win.
So is this game bigger than the Conference championship from last year, when they lost to Indy? Is it bigger than the 1999 Conference title game when they lost to Denver?
Yes Last year the Jets backed in to playoffs and got hot for 2 games. This year they earned a playoff spot and look like they have the team to do it. With all the money and chances they took this offseason with the veterans and questionable pick ups(Santonio), this has to be the year. Not to many teams can make it to a conferance title game in back to back years. They need to take advantage of this because like all Jet fans know, these opportunities don't come around every year.
Yes, despite the pain of losing in Indy, their run was a pleasant surprise. It was a taste of what they could become. After adding on some key pieces, the team only got better. After beating Indy and then NE, it would be a major disappointment to lose once again in the AFC Championship game.
I'm glad the Jets salvaged some respect for themselves in the second half. That first half was atrocious. All in all, a great season, and it was one hell of a fun ride.
Unfortunately the Jets defense were the ones who couldn't stop a nosebleed in the first half. They got completely over powered. The Steelers had the ball for way too long and the offense couldn't string anything together. The fumble return at the end of the half was devastating. Second half was a much better effort. The thing that killed us the most was the goal line stand by Pittsburgh. Terrible game management on that drive overall punctuated by the inability to get the ball into the endzone. If we score there, in all likelihood we get the ball back down 7 with a chance to tie. Instead we waste more time trying to get a TD on the board. But the defense also couldn't get it done after the two minute warning and it was all over. D line and linebackers had a very poor game. Poor tackling and we let Big Ben make too many plays with his legs. It's incredibly disappointing. We had a great chance to get it done but you can't beat the Steelers playing only one half of football. It was a spectacular season all in all but it ended horribly. I can't remember a season that had so many crazy moments like this one did. From Hard Knocks all the way to yesterdays game. However, we have made it two years in a row and its a shame we couldn't take advantage of it because these opportunities don't come around very often. Now we have an uncertain future for the NFL and there are many unknowns with this team. A lot of free agents and people like LT and Jason Taylor who are probably at the end of the line. It seemed like we were destined to make it but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.
No, they really didn't. Many times they were in position to stop Mendenhall and they didn't. His first 15 runs, he was averaging 6 yds a carry. Make those tackles and maybe... but when they actually did stop, Rothlesberger did just enough to keep the chains moving as well. 3 and outs and Weatherford shanking punts didn't support the defense. Read this morning that Sanchez's helmet radio was malfunctioning all night, the main culprit of the confusion on that one drive. Would have liked to see Sanchez say F-it and call the plays down by the goal line rather than the mess that was going on. That was the last game for a lot of front seveners. Taylor, Ellis, even Thomas may all be gone tomorrow. Taylor and Thomas were at fault for a lot of Big Ben's runs, trying to make speed twist moves that opened the lanes for him to run. Yeah. Not as bad as the Miami in the mud or Denver in the wind, but that one hurt.
Really liked what Sanchez did last night. Would have been happier if he started doing that early in the second quarter though. He is ready to be the leader, he just figured it out about 45 minutes too late.
Was in the city last night to watch at a bar. Me and my buddy were so disappointed, we ended up at Flash Dancers the rest of the night. I must NOT do that again. Anyway, a very disappointing end. I really thought they were going to stop the Steelers on that final drive and let Sanchez do his 1-minute drill. Like you said earlier, the Jets D were in position to stop Mendenhall but just couldn't. That's what killed them. Steelers were able to get an extra yard or two or three on each possession when it looked like they'd be stopped. That roughing the kicker call was also a killer. I know we got the safety and the ball back afterward but that was time off the clock. And remember the Steelers first drive of the game killed like 10 minutes of the first quarter. I'm proud of the boys regardless and it has been a very fun season. The New England game will be my prevailing image. Hopefully Braylon doesn't get all diva again and ask for an absurd amount of money. J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!
Congratulations on a fine season and on a great run in the postseason. The playoffs is like a videogame- each boss is tougher and better than the last. You've finally put Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in your rear view mirror. With a young team and a QB like Mark Sanchez on your team, Big Ben might be next. See you next season.
that place still near Grand Central Station? I remember hitting that place for my bachelor party many years ago. Thats the way I had the script written. Other teams get to perform that role. The ugly green stand in doesn't. So be it. Perhaps it was my green-colored glasses, but I could have sworn he got a finger on the ball. I suppose I was wishing it, because Ryan would have challenged it.
Yeah, it's still there. And now my wallet is lighter. Unfortunately, Sanchez didn't get the chance. So cruel. I think we were all hoping for it but I imagine even if he did get a small piece of it, the ball wouldn't have gone as far as it did. I don't know. A lot of question marks for this team. With the possibility of there not being a next season, what happens to some of the vets? Does Jason Taylor retire? LT? It's tough.
