Tag Archive | Geno Smith

New York Jets Questions to Answer

By Jack Allen

In the beginning of the “Rex Ryan era” in New York the Jets were always in the mix for a playoff spot and a possible Super Bowl run, but now a lot has changed. The 4-12 Jets fired their head coach and general manager Rex Ryan and John Idzik. Woody Johnson simply said, “We’re in the winning business, and were not winning.” John Idzik was the main person everyone wanted gone. He failed to inherit enough free agents in the offseason for the defense when he had 20 million dollars in cap space. Yes thats right, 20 MILLION! Still though, after a surprising 8-8 season in 2013, the hopes were high for the Jets. But, a tough schedule eventually led to their downfall. Now here come the questions of much uncertainty. After starting quarterback Geno Smith led them to a very disappointing season the Jets don’t know who their QB may be. Michael Vick? Geno Smith? Maybe the two studs from Florida State and Oregon. Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota will certainly be taken by NY with the 6th pick in the draft (if they are still available). The likelihood of this is slim, and so if they really want to draft either quarterback, they will have to trade up picks. The Jets must pick up some players to fill their secondary, which was horrible this season. And lastly a head coach and general manager. In my opinion, firing Rex Ryan was a fatal mistake. Rex was well respected and loved by everyone in the Jets locker room. It’s not his fault due to the roster given to him this year being extremely weak and not good enough to win. With a good defensive core he got them to the AFC Championship game, TWICE. If you give him a team, he’ll perform. With Rex gone, its going to be hard for some of the veterans on this team to get used to a new leader for them. One thing is for certain: the Rex Ryan era is officially over in New York.

UPDATE: Rex Ryan has signed a five year, $27.5M deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to sources

Rex Ryan was fired by the Jets (Via Getty)

Jack Allen is a writer for dabuzzza.com. He is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Islanders, New York Knicks, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Queens Park Rangers, and West Virginia Mountaineer football and basketball. His favorite athletes are David Wright, John Tavares, Geno Smith, Allen Iverson and Charlie Austin. He is a very passionate and determined fan. You can follow him on twitter @JackAllen99.

12/03/14

Studs and Duds: NFL Week 13

By Brett Malamud

Here’s week 13’s edition of Studs and Duds:

Stud: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans

Fitzpatrick had a great day on Sunday, throwing six touchdowns and 358 yards in Houston’s rout of the Titans.

Dud: Cleveland Quarterbacks

Down in the fourth quarter, the Browns brought Johnny Manziel into replace Brian Hoyer. Manziel rushed for a touchdown and in doing so, sparked some controversy in Cleveland. After announcing that Hoyer will start this weekend against the Colts, be sure that Johnny Football fans will be outraged for no good reason at a team that still has a winning record.

Stud: DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

Hauling in most of Fitzpatrick’s throws was DeAndre Hopkins, who had 238 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Dud: Jets antics

The Jets are in a bad place right now. It was reported last week that head coach Rex Ryan was forced by the “higher ups” in the Jets organization to start Geno Smith at quarterback on Monday night against the Dolphins. Then the antics continued when the Jets announced the entire offense on the PA system, but didn’t announce Geno Smith. The speculation is that the Jets tried to avoid fans booing Smith.

Rex Ryan was forced to start Geno Smith this week. (Via AP)

Stud: Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams

Mason was great on the ground and in the air. He finished with 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Mason also added 47 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

Dud: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Romo didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but did throw two interceptions. He also threw for just 199 yards.

Stud: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Brees hit nine different receivers in route to his 257 yards, five touchdown passing performance.

Dud: Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers

Kaepernick couldn’t handle the Seattle defense. He threw for just 121 yards and no touchdowns. He also threw a pair of interceptions in the 49ers Thanksgiving loss to the Seahawks.

Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy

10/28/14

Studs and Duds: NFL Week Eight

By Brett Malamud

It was a pretty disappointing week for me in fantasy football, as my opponent scored 149 points. That wasn’t even the top scoring team though as one team led by Ben Roethlisberger had 174 points. With that said, it was a great week for many fantasy owners after some huge performances. Here’s this week’s edition of Studs and Duds:

Stud: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben had a monster game this week, throwing six touchdowns and a total of 522 yards. Fantasy owners must have been pleased, as Roethlisberger racked up 44 points in ESPN standard leagues.

Dud: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Newton finished Sunday’s game going 12-for-22 passing with 171 yards and a interception. He’s been great on the ground all season, but this week he had 24 rushing yards and a fumble. He’ll look to rebound on Thursday night against the Saints.

Stud: Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

The pair was fantastic against the Chicago Bears this week. Of Brady’s five touchdown passes, three of them were to Gronkowski. In addition, the two hooked up for 149 yards.

Dud: Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos

For the second week in a row, Thomas has failed to produce. This week, he caught a season-low two passes for just 23 yards. Coming from a team led by Peyton Manning, you’d figure that he’d make some great plays but has been quite a disappointment.

Stud: Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

Sanders has been great this season and this week was no different. He finished Thursday night with 120 yards and three touchdowns in Denver’s win over the Chargers.

Dud: Geno Smith, New York Jets

The worst possibility has set in for Geno Smith. He started against the Bills and was miserable. Smith was two-for-eight for five yards passing, plus threw three interceptions. He was pulled in the middle of the first quarter.

Geno Smith was replaced in the first quarter by Michael Vick (via AP)

Stud: Arian Foster, Houston Texans

Foster has been on fire lately. The Texans running back rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Foster also added a receiving touchdown. He now has six touchdowns in his last four games.

Dud: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

Nelson had been great this season but came away with a bad game. Although quarterback Aaron Rodgers had 418 passing yards, Nelson had just 25 yards. The Packers head into the bye week so Nelson will have to wait a week before attempting to bounce back in week 10 against the Bears.

Stud: Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles

Maclin was put to work on Sunday with 16 targets. He finished the day with 12 catches for 187 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Stud: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald has been irrelevant for most of the season. He came into this matchup against the Eagles and came out with 160 receiving yards and a touchdown. Not bad. He’ll look to continue the success next week in Dallas.

10/09/14

NY Jets vs Denver Broncos Week 6 Preview

By Jack Allen

Well this could be a huge turning point, turn around or a constant when we look at the Jets schedule at the end of the season. The 1-4 New York Jets will play host to the defending AFC champions Denver Broncos at 1:00 at MetLife this Sunday. The Broncos are coming off a 41-20 victory over the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals in which Peyton Manning threw for nearly 500 yards, and four touchdown tosses. Denver is unbeaten, aside from their loss week 3 at Seattle in OT. The Broncos have picked up right from where they left off in the last regular season. As for New York, they’re coming off of their worst loss all season to the San Diego Chargers who completely annihilated them 31-0. Jets made a QB change in the 2nd half and finally put in Vick, but he couldn’t do much at all either.

This Sunday, everyone around the NFL is predicting a game in which Denver is going to beat the Jets really badly, but let me tell you why they won’t. If the Jets lose this game and fall to 1-5, ultimately it’d be very difficult to recover. This team is as desperate as possible to hang in there and win this football game. Also, Head Coach Rex Ryan is on the hot seat, and losing will only make it look worse on him. Lastly, the crowd could be a deciding factor in this game. Peyton Manning operates his offense based on audibles and signals (examples are “52 is the Mike” & “Omaha”). Jets nation needs to get loud and do their best to disrupt Peyton Manning and his audibles, and play calls. Hopefully, they didn’t give up on the team already.

With Rex Ryan’s job up in the air, the Jets will face Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos (Via AP)

Here now are the keys to the game. It is imperitive that the Jets score early touchdowns. Not Field Goals…touchdowns. Finishing an early drive would be huge for Quarterback Geno Smith’s confidence. If they’re on defense early, they must not let the Broncos get more than even one or two first downs. Getting off to a good start will be huge, in ways of confidence and getting the crowd in the game early. Another thing, NO TURNOVERS! The Jets must attempt to establish a running game early so that the clock runs, taking the ball out of the hands of Peyton Manning. By running the ball, it allows Geno Smith to have a much easier time passing the ball. One last thing, do not do anything to give Denver momentum and take the crowd out of the game. Do not go for it on fourth and one, punt the ball (obviously there will be a few punts but keep it to a minimum) or kick the field goal. No onside kicks unless needed, and lastly no big plays for Peyton Manning. They’ll need to keep Manning and his receivers contained. Arizona couldn’t do that with Demaryius Thomas, and see what happened? Over 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns! The Jets don’t have the offense to afford that, so they better keep Denver in check. I’m going to stay extremely optimistic headed into this game because I think the Jets will come around. My final prediction for this game is the Jets kick a game-winning field goal as time expires and pull of a stunning upset 20-17.

10/01/14

Jets Fans, Don’t Panic Just Yet…

By Jack Allen

On Sunday afternoon, the Jets fell to the Lions 24-17, putting them at 1-3 with not too many promising signs. Quarterback Geno Smith turned the ball over in the 4th quarter when they needed him most. Matt Stafford picked apart their secondary, and to top it off, Geno Smith cursed at a fan as he walked off the field.

In years past, it might have been very unrealistic for a playoff chance in the AFC East after starting the season with a 1-3 record. Could this year be different? Currently at the top of the division sits the Buffalo Bills. They came roaring out of the gate with two wins before falling 23-17 in Houston on Sunday. All of a sudden, the Bills dropped to an even 2-2, and EJ Manuel was shown his way to the bench. Kyle Orton will be under center for the time being, giving the Bills nothing more than pure uncertainty. Next is the Miami Dolphins, who are also 2-2 after quarterback Ryan Tannehill led the team to a thumping of Oakland on Sunday and a win at home against New England back in week one. Between those weeks, they fell to both Buffalo and Kansas City. Miami once again looks like a possible playoff team but could very well be bound for another disappointment, based on previous seasons.

Now on to the unexpected blunder in New England. The Patriots got absolutely demolished in Kansas City Monday night as they fell 41-14 in an embarrassing affair. Simply put, they did nothing right. Tom Brady threw 14-23 with a TD, and 2 INTS. He also fumbled twice. The Patriots struggled to beat the winless Raiders at home, but escaped with a 16-9 victory.

Now back to the New York. In years past, if the Jets started 1-3, it was automatically time to panic. I had previously thought that the Jets need to start Michael Vick if they’re serious about winning now (see my previous article). Due to a lack of a clear-cut favorite in the AFC East, I agree with Rex Ryan in keeping Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. The Jets have time to keep trying with him, and will continue to work towards the future. Despite a bad start, they still have a chance of climbing the rest of the pack for the AFC East title. So before all the Jet fans get anxious and worried about their spot right now, just relax. They’ve been in the situation before and it’s not an unrecoverable one. The journey continues as the Jets fly into San Diego for a Sunday afternoon, 4:25 p.m. (EST) showdown. It should be a good one in Southern, California watching Smith battle against a proven quarterback in Philip Rivers.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has continued to believe in Geno Smith and has kept him as the starting quarterback (Via UPI)

09/25/14

NFL Week Four Predictions

By Brett Malamud

As we approach another week in the NFL, we see teams begin to have their bye weeks. But for the rest of the teams, this week could help to carry the momentum for the rest of the season. Here’s my week four predictions:

–BYES: Broncos, Seahawks, Cardinals, Bengals, Rams, Browns

-Giants (1-2) at Redskins (1-2), Thursday @ 8:25 PM EST

The Redskins are playing some great football at the moment, even with the loss to the Eagles last week. I’m taking them here over the Giants, who look to string together a win streak. Verdict: Redskins

-Packers (1-2) at Bears (2-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

Aaron Rodgers told Packers fans to “relax.” However, if i’m a Packers fan, I’m not relaxing. Their lone win came against the Jets. They looked horrible against the Lions last week, much like in week one against the Seahawks. Meanwhile, the Bears are playing very well and come off their Monday Night Football win against the Jets. The wide receivers are a huge help to Jay Cutler. I’m going with the Bears here (and Packers fans definitely won’t be able to relax after this one.) Verdict: Bears

-Bills (2-1) at Texans (2-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

Intriguing matchup here, as the AFC East leading Bills take on the AFC South leading Texans. This is sure to be a good game. The running game for Buffalo has been nothing short of the expectations headed into the season. I think they’ll run over Houston this week. Verdict: Bills

-Titans (1-2) at Colts (1-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Colts faced two of the toughest opponents they’ll meet all season within the first two weeks of the season, so that’s where their record comes in to play. The record definitely doesn’t represent the team. They’ll prove that this week against the Titans, who’ve lost their last two games. Verdict: Colts

-Panthers (2-1) at Ravens (2-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Panthers and Ravens head into this one both at 2-1. The Ravens have been superb on the running game, especially after the loss of Ray Rice. The Panthers took a brutal loss to Pittsburgh last week and I think the same happens here in Baltimore. Verdict: Ravens

-Lions (2-1) at Jets (1-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

A good defensive battle sees the top two defenses (thus far) face off. The Jets secondary is going to have a long day, especially with Calvin Johnson, who looks to find the end zone for the first time in three weeks. On the other side of the ball, the Jets run game has been great. Hopefully, Rex Ryan realizes that and stops Geno Smith from making more bonehead plays. I’m going with the Jets here in a shocker. Verdict: Jets

-Buccaneers (0-3) at Steelers (2-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

This one shouldn’t be that much of a contest. The Bucs aren’t playing well at all and come off a week in which they allowed 56 points to the Falcons on national television. I’m going with the Steelers, no question. Verdict: Steelers

-Dolphins (1-2) at Raiders (0-3), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

Boring matchup here, as the Dolphins face the Raiders. I’m going to take the Dolphins, simply because the Raiders can’t get anything right this season. Verdict: Dolphins

-Jaguars (0-3) at Chargers (2-1), Sunday @ 4:05 PM EST

The Chargers host a team that they should run right over. The Jaguars haven’t stopped a team with a good quarterback this season, and I don’t see any reason of why they’ll suddenly do it this week. It could be a long day for Jaguars rookie QB Blake Bortles in his first career start. Verdict: Chargers

Blake Bortles heads into San Diego for his first career start at quarterback (Via Fansided)

-Falcons (2-1) at Vikings (1-2), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST

I think that Teddy Bridgewater will be good but not great this week. I also think that Matt Ryan is phenomenal and will play well. I’m taking the Falcons in a close one here. Verdict: Falcons

-Eagles (3-0) at 49ers (1-2), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST

This is my matchup of the week. The sixth-ranked 49ers defense will look to stop the sixth-ranked Eagles offense. I think that Kaepernick will have a major game by torturing the Eagles’ secondary. But in the end, I think that the Eagles will escape and move to 4-0. Verdict: Eagles

-Saints (1-2) at Cowboys (2-1), Sunday @ 8:30 PM EST

This matchup was on my radar since week one. I don’t recommend fantasy owners to start either team’s defense because I believe that this will be a high scoring game. I think that the Saints take it, and Drew Brees gets another game ball to add to his collection. Verdict: Saints

-Patriots (2-1) at Chiefs (1-2), Monday @ 8:30 PM EST

This could be quite the battle throughout this one. The Patriots offense, known to be dominant, has struggled this season. The Chiefs defense, which was one of the league’s best last season, has also struggled this season. It should be a good game, but I’m going with Tom Brady. Verdict: Patriots

09/25/14

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Do the Jets Need a Change to Get to the Playoffs?

By Jack Allen

Three days after sitting in the stands for a crucial nationally televised Monday night game that meant so much for the New York fans, Jets Nation is still in mourning. Geno Smith had a horrific game, throwing two interceptions at pivotal points in the football game. First on the second play from scrimmage, Bears rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller returned a Geno Smith pass for a touchdown. When the Jets desperately needed points down 24-13 in the 3rd quarter, Smith threw another. The Jets have a very hard schedule coming up as they’ll host Detroit, travel to San Diego, host Denver and then face national attention again on Thursday Night Football in Foxborough when they face the Patriots in week seven. With that schedule coming up, Geno Smith simply put, is going to have to elevate his game. Should the Jets fall next week at MetLife stadium against Detroit with yet another bad start from Smith, Head Coach Rex Ryan will be faced with some serious decision regarding his quarterbacks. Can Michael Vick lead the Jets to a playoff birth? My opinion is he should get the nod for this season and Geno should watch and learn from the veteran. Michael Vick has been a successful starter in the NFL for a long time, unlike Geno Smith who at this moment in time, doesn’t fully have the rest of the league’s respect.

Michael Vick needs to gain a greater role if the Jets want a shot at the playoffs this season (Via NYDN)

I am going to predict that the Jets fall to the Lions at home next week 26-17 and that we’re going to see a change at quarterback. When the Jets fly out to San Diego in week five, Michael Vick will be the starter. With a 1-3 start to the season, I see the the Jets shocking America and beating San Diego 34-31 in the final minutes in their own building for Michael Vick’s first win as a member of the Jets. Then I think they’ll fall to Denver at home and win in New England week seven. After that, the Jets will be 3-4, and will be ready to push for the playoffs with games against the Bills (Home), Chiefs (@KC), Pittsburgh (Home), Bills (@BUF), Miami (Home, MNF), Minnesota (@ MIN), Titans (@ TENN), Miami (Home) and New England (Home). I can see Michael Vick leading New York to a 6-3 record through that stretch to finish the season at 9-7. This should surely make the playoffs with that record. My gut tells me that if Michael Vick gets his chance to start in a real game for Gang Green, its going to make the biggest difference.

09/18/14

NFL Week Three Preview

By Brett Malamud

-Buccaneers (0-2) at Falcons (1-1), Thursday @ 8:25 PM EST

The Buccaneers travel one state over to the confines of the Georgia Dome. The Falcons come in after their offense was virtually shut down by Cincinnati last week. I think that coming home will heal the woes and that Matt Ryan will come back strong tonight. Verdict: Falcons

-Chargers (1-1) at Bills (2-0), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

I watched the Bills game last week and there wasn’t much excitement, other than the Sammy Watkins touchdown play and the C.J. Spiller kickoff return for a touchdown. I think that after taking down Seattle last week, the Chargers should roll through the Bills. Verdict: Chargers

-Cowboys (1-1) at Rams (1-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Cowboys beat the Titans last week and DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant looked great. The Rams third-string quarterback Austin Davis went 22/29 for 235 yards and no interceptions, as St. Louis slightly edged out Tampa Bay. If Davis continues at that pace this week, it could make for a close game, but I’m still going with the Cowboys. Verdict: Cowboys

-Redskins (1-1) at Eagles (2-0), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

Kirk Cousins is now at the helm for the Redskins and it’ll definitely be noticeable. Cousins went 22/33 and completed his first 12 passes. Not bad for a guy coming in cold off of the bench. I don’t think they’ll get past the Eagles though, after they’ve rolled as of late. The duel back combo of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles continues to be the story and should be it again this week. Verdict: Eagles

-Texans (2-0) at Giants (0-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Giants stink. They took a loss to the Drew Stanton led Arizona Cardinals after quarterback Carson Palmer was announced as inactive for the game. The G-Men turned the ball over the ball four times, much to the disappointment of head coach Tom Coughlin. The Texans, on the other hand, won in Oakland last week. I’m gonna take the Texans here because the defense will be too strong for the Giants. Verdict: Texans

-Vikings (1-1) at Saints (0-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Saints are 0-2. Seriously? They’re so great but have had some not so great moments. A last second field goal decided their fate last week in Cleveland. I’ve got to take them here, especially after the beat down that the Patriots gave Minnesota. Verdict: Saints

-Titans (1-1) at Bengals (2-0), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Titans couldn’t find a way to beat the Cowboys. Jake Locker showed some promise, throwing for 234 yards with a touchdown. The Bengals come in fresh off a win at home against the Falcons, and my belief is that they’ll stay undefeated after this week. Verdict: Bengals

-Ravens (1-1) at Browns (1-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Browns shocked the Saints last week, winning on a field goal in the final seconds. Baltimore came together after losing Ray Rice and didn’t allow a touchdown to the Steelers last week on Thursday Night Football. Still, Joe Flacco only threw for 166 yards. I think the Browns continue to shock and take this game in another close one. Verdict: Browns

-Packers (1-1) at Lions (1-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Packers were down 21-3 to the New York Jets. They came all the way back, beating the Jets 31-24. Aaron Rodgers looked pretty invisible in the first quarter and a bit of the second quarter, but powered back in the second half and finished the day off with 346 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Lions showed that Megatron was human, as Calvin Johnson could not be found in the end zone last week. Instead, the lone Lions touchdown went to Fullback Jed Collins. I think the Packers stay hot and win this one. Verdict: Packers

Calvin Johnson looks to get back in the end zone this week vs. the Packers (Via Getty)

-Colts (0-2) at Jaguars (0-2), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

The Colts lost…to the Eagles. And I say it that way because the Eagles looked fantastic. But the Colts looked good too. They were edged out at the last second and so the loss might sting a bit, but I know they’ll come back strong this week against the Jaguars, who were slaughtered by Washington last week. Verdict: Colts

-Raiders (0-2) at Patriots (1-1), Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST

There shouldn’t be much debate here. The Patriots woke up last week, and beat down the Vikings by a score of 30-7. They’ll take on the Raiders in what could be an ugly result. Verdict: Patriots

-49ers (1-1) at Cardinals (2-0), Sunday @ 4:05 PM EST

I have been and am still pushing hard on this Cardinals defense. I’ve said it all along, I really like their defense. They forced four Giants turnovers last week at MetLife Stadium. This will be their toughest test yet, as they take on the 49ers. The Niners, however, didn’t look right at home in the second half of the inaugural game of their new stadium. Instead, quarterback Colin Kaepernick forced passes throughout and the Bears rallied to beat them. I think that the woes will stop and that Kaepernick will lead his team to the victory. Verdict: 49ers

-Broncos (2-0) at Seahawks (1-1), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST

This is my matchup of the week. A rematch of last season’s Super Bowl sees the Broncos headed to Seattle to face the Seahawks. The Seahawks took a loss last week to the Chargers. Marshawn Lynch was not much of a factor, only rushing for 36 yards. Wes Welker is back this week after the NFL and NFLPA agreed on a new drug policy, freeing him from the remaining four games on his previous suspension. I think that the attention on Welker should free up Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. I like the Broncos this week to quiet the 12th man. Verdict: Broncos

-Chiefs (0-2) at Dolphins (1-1), Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST

The Chiefs almost took down Peyton Manning and the rest of the Denver Broncos last week, but they didn’t. Instead they dropped to 0-2 and their defense has allowed 50 points through only two games. On the other side of the field will be the Miami Dolphins, who shocked everyone back in week one, when they took down the New England Patriots. Last week was a different story and they couldn’t get anything going, taking the loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs are desperate for a win in the competitive AFC West, and I think they’ll get their first of the year here. Verdict: Chiefs

-Steelers (1-1) at Panthers (2-0), Sunday @ 8:30 PM EST

The return of Cam Newton brought a great performance by the Carolina Panthers offense. Newton was 22/34 for 281 yards and a touchdown as he defeated “Donkey Kong Suh and [his] fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.” The Panthers look ahead now to this week’s matchup at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Simply put, the Steelers couldn’t score a touchdown last week on Thursday Night Football. This week they’ll play their second game in a row in a primetime slot. I think that they’ll lose this one as well, and the nation will see the flaws of this struggling team. Verdict: Panthers

-Bears (1-1) at Jets (1-1), Monday @ 8:30 PM EST

Ah, the Jets. Many of you know how much I love the Jets, and how I continue to root for them, even in the darkest of times. Well, last week was one of those times. The Jets went up 14-0 within the first seven minutes of the game. Then, the Jets were up 21-3 in the middle of the second quarter when things started to unfold. Capped off by an 80 yard laser to Jordy Nelson for a touchdown, the Jets collapsed and lost 31-24. As far as bright spots, there were not many. Eric Decker looked good, but how long until defenses double team him on every play? Chris Johnson played an awful game, and finished the day with 21 yards on 12 carries. Instead, the running back who looked the best was Chris Ivory, who had just 43 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. I’m not sure they’ll bounce back this week though, facing the Chicago Bears. The Bears had three fourth-quarter touchdowns to take down the 49ers. I don’t think that the Jets secondary can handle Brandon Marshall, who scored three touchdowns last week. Jay Cutler is 8-4 on Monday Night Football with 20 touchdowns in only 12 games. The trend of touchdowns for him should continue this week, and you can bet that Jets head coach Rex Ryan will be upset with that. Verdict: Bears

08/23/14

Things We Learned: Jets-Giants

By Brett Malamud

Last night, the Jets and Giants battled it out for bragging rights in the preseason and a silly trophy named the Snoopy Trophy (yes, hilarious). In the end, the Giants came out on top 35-24 but there was more to the game than the Snoopy Trophy (still hilarious).

Although he’s the backup, Chris Ivory is a threat on the ground that the Jets can use this season (Via USA Today)

From the Giants side:

The Giants first team offensive line still needs work. There were countless mistakes, especially on the left side of the line. Sure they were facing Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, but there’s still no excuse. Eli Manning had a lot of pressure from the Jets D-Line all night. Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz (left the game with a dislocated toe) must step up.
The first team defense must also improve if they want to compete in the NFC East. The first quarter saw the Jets march down the field twice. The secondary got burned a few times and will need to work to improve that. The Giants also lost DT Markus Kuhn and CB Zack Bowman. Jason Pierre-Paul got taken out after hurting his knee but returned back to action. I’d still keep an eye on him though, as he’s the heart of the defense.
A promising young quarterback in Ryan Nassib was present. Nassib was 8-12 for 103 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll make a good backup to Eli Manning.

From the Jets side:

Geno Smith was great. He was 9-14 for 137 yards with a touchdown. He led the Jets down the field twice on two great drives. He’s the winner in what was really not a competition for the starting QB position. Michael Vick played well too, as did Matt Simms.
The running backs look like they’ll help a lot on the offensive end of the field. My bold prediction is that Chris Johnson will have a great year. He had a lot of open space in this one, and showed what he could do when given space. Johnson finished the game with 42 yards on nine carries. The speedy Chris Ivory also had a great game. He finished the game with 50 yards on six carries. Look for the two to pair for an impressive tag team.
The screen plays are back! The Jets had three huge gains on screen plays. It should definitely be a sign of things to come this season, especially against a schedule of teams that are heavy on blitzing.

08/11/14

AFC East Preview

By Jack Allen

If you ask me, I believe the AFC East is a constantly improving division. Starting with the New England Patriots (Division winners for the last 6 years) under future Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick they’ve dominated the AFC East for pretty much the last 14 years. With three Super Bowls (2001, 2003, and 2004) are the overwhelming favorite for this division as of right now. They might have one problem, with an aging Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski just coming back it could be a problem staying healthy. It’ll take a lot to keep them off the field, but don’t forget Tom Brady could soon be wearing down.

Tom Brady is still an elite quarterback but could he be losing steam? (via ibtimes)

As for the New York Jets, under 2nd year QB Geno Smith I believe they have enough to clinch a Wild Card birth in the AFC. Rex Ryan and his defense can lead this young team in the NFL playoffs. Im not sure how far they can go, but it will be an exciting year in East Rutherford. Im going to say it comes all the way down to Week 17 in Miami to possibly sneak in to the playoffs. With new faces like Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jonathan Babin it should be an exciting season.

Down in South Florida they have a very nice thing going that I think needs some time to develop. Last season in week 17 they had a win and in game at home against their divisional rival NY Jets. Nothing went right in a disappointing 20-7 loss. The Dolphins will give themselves a chance and play the Jets at home in a similar way they did last season and blow it again. Ryan Tannehill seems to have developed nicely, but not too many other threats on the football field. Should be an interesting year in Miami.

Ever since 2001 the Buffalo Bills have had no divisional titles, a 26-54 record within the AFC East and no playoff appearances. For the first time, in recent memory they look to have to hope. With a good defensive line, a young talented quarterback in EJ Manuel, and their new draft pick Sammy Watkins. Are they ready for a run yet? I say not just yet, but this team will not be a good one to have on your schedule. I project them at 6-10, but I say due to some inexperience they lose some close ones. Not so much now, but the future is looking bright in Western New York.

Prediction:
1). Patriots 11-5
2). Jets 9-7
3).Dolphins 8-8
4).Bills 6-10

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