Studs and Duds: NFL Week Six
By Brett Malamud
There was a lot of good action out on the fields this week, including many big fantasy performances. The injury bug may have ruined some fantasy owners seasons, in addition to the players’ respective teams. Here’s this week’s edition of Studs and Duds:
Stud: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco came out firing and finished the day going 21-for-29 with 306 yards and five touchdowns in route to a 48-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dud: Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory, New York Jets
The running duo for Gang Green were halted this week against the Denver Broncos. The pair combined for 11 carries and just 16 yards in the Jets 31-17 loss. I’d like to take this time to call out the offensive line too. They didn’t help the cause either.
Stud: T.Y. Hilton, Indianpolis Colts
Normally, you might see Andrew Luck here in the studs list, but not this week. Instead, his receiver T.Y. Hilton takes the spot after hauling in all nine of his targets for 223 yards and a touchdown.
Dud: Mike Nugent, Cincinnati Bengals
It not fun that one play can dictate whether you end up on this list or not. That’s the case here with Mike Nugent. The kicker Nugent came into the game this week for the last play of overtime between the Bengals and Carolina Panthers. Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal wide right as the clock expired to end the game in a tie. Teammate Adam “Pacman” Jones wasn’t afraid to call out his kicker after the game.”We were in a perfect position to win the game, two seconds left on the clock, we’ve got to win the game,” Jones said. “Everybody in here gets paid to do a job and that’s what everybody needs to do.”
Mike Nugent Looked down in frustration after missing the game winning 36-yard field goal. (Via CBS Sports)
Stud: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Cam was the man this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. The quarterback finished with 284 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air. In addition, Newton had 17 rushes for 107 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Dud: Injured Wide Receivers
Victor Cruz, Calvin Johnson didn’t practice all week and missed this week’s game in Minnesota, nursing an ankle injury. Johnson was pulled just a week earlier after injuring the ankle in week five’s matchup against Buffalo. A.J. Green was taken off the practice field on a cart on Wednesday after hurting his toe. The Bengals wide receiver missed Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers and will also miss this week’s matchup against the Colts. The Giants lost their top wide receiver in Victor Cruz this week after he tore his patella tendon this week in the Giants’ matchup in Philadelphia on Monday night. Cruz will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Stud: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles headed into this one fired up. They dubbed the game “the blackout” and wore their black uniforms. Philadelphia shut out the Giants 27-0.
Dud: New York Giants
Eli Manning didn’t look great, but I don’t think that it was his fault. The offensive line looked shut down this week, much like their New York counterparts, the Jets. The Giants also lost Victor Cruz for the season. They looked flat for most of the game and in the end, the G-men were shutout 27-0.
Stud: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
There were questions headed into this week about Brady’s health, but Tom Brady shut those questions down. He stepped into the AFC East matchup against the Buffalo Bills and fired four touchdowns over 361 passing yards.
Stud: Oakland Raiders
Now I know people will look at this and say, “Hey Brett, the Raiders lost,” and I know. Look at the other side of the field though. You’ll see the San Diego Chargers, a team that shutout the Jets 31-0 last week. Many including myself would argue that the Jets are a much better team than the Raiders despite their struggles. That said, the Raiders came into this one with a new coach in Tony Sparano and came within a field goal of the Chargers, ultimately surrendering a touchdown in the final two minutes of the game to lose 31-28. The winless Raiders should be proud of their effort this week, even though the outcome wasn’t in their favor.
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
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.
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.
Studs and Duds: NFL Week Five
By Brett Malamud
This week, Peyton Manning came back in full force and the Jets ended their day with zero points on the scoreboard. Here’s week five’s edition of Studs and Duds:
Stud: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Although he threw 2 interceptions, he finished with 479 yards and 4 touchdowns against a tough Arizona Cardinals defense. Next week, Manning heads into MetLife stadium for the first time since losing last season’s Super Bowl. The only difference? He’ll be facing the awful New York Jets defense rather than the Seattle Seahawks.
Dud: Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
The Redskins just couldn’t get anything going on the ground against the Seattle Seahawks, and Alfred Morris’ stat line reflects that. Morris finished the day with 29 on 13 carries. Washington will take on the tough defensive team in Arizona, when they face the Cardinals.
Stud: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Thomas set a franchise record against the Arizona Cardinals when he racked up 226 receiving yards on eight catches. Thomas will face the Jets and their weak secondary next week. Expect big points, fantasy owners.
Demaryius Thomas had a lot to celebrate this week after setting a franchise record this week (Via AP)
Dud: Chris Johnson, New York Jets
Johnson disappointed many this week, gaining just 24 yards on seven carries, and losing a fumble. Next, he’ll face the Denver Broncos and that doesn’t pose well for him.
Stud: Arian Foster, Houston Texans
Foster came off of a week in which he had six yards on eight carries, and impressed. He finished the day with 157 rushing yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. In addition, he also had two catches for 15 yards against the Dallas Cowboys.
Dud: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still winless, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past week by the score of 17-9. They dropped to 0-5 with the loss. Their schedule becomes much easier over the next three weeks, facing the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville, before coming home to face the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. I’d like to think they’ll compete and escape one of these matchups with a win, but with the football that they’ve been playing lately, it’ll be a tough task.
Stud: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Playing on Monday Night Football, Wilson completed 18-of-24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Normally that would be ok and could help to win a football game. But the ground game from Wilson added to his great performance. In addition to the passing game, he had 11 carries for 122 yards and another touchdown. He had two more touchdowns that were taken away by penalties.
Dud: New York Jets
The New York Jets thought that they were escaping from this studs and duds list, however they are not. The Jets were shut out 31-0 by the San Diego Chargers in a complete letdown out west. They’ll host the Denver Broncos next week, and I’d be shocked to see them compete with them after watching this week’s performance in San Diego.
Stud: Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers
Coming in for the injured Donald Brown, Oliver had 114 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown in the Chargers’ rout of the New York Jets. In addition, he had four catches for 68 yards and another touchdown. He plays the Oakland Raiders next week in another favorable matchup.
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
Jets Fans, Don’t Panic Just Yet…
Jets head coach Rex Ryan has continued to believe in Geno Smith and has kept him as the starting quarterback (Via UPI)
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
Jets Add Another Defensive Weapon
By Dan Lagnado
The New York Jets announced Wednesday that they have signed veteran defensive end Jason Babin. Babin played last season with the Jaguars but was released in the offseason. Babin had 7.5 sacks in his first season with the Jags after coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Babin will join an already formidable group up front with New York. The Jets mainly run a 3-4 defense with Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison starting up front. Babin will join those three and Kenrick Ellis to provide depth as well as pass rushing ability.
Combining Babin’s skillset with Wilkerson’s breakout season last year (10.5 sacks), and Richardson’s growth as a presence in the pass defense along with outside linebackers Calvin Pace (10 sacks) and Quinton Coples means the Jets could wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines.
At this stage in his career Babin will likely not be an every down player but instead will come in for passing situations or if Rex Ryan chooses to run a 4-3 at certain times to give a different look.
This move also could indirectly help the biggest question area on the defense-the secondary. The more formidable the pass rush for the Jets, the less time the defensive backs have to cover and the more likely there is to be a bad pass or a tipped ball.
At first glance this move doesn’t make sense for a team with a young and impressive defensive line but if anyone can find a way to make Babin fit in and be effective, it’s Rex Ryan.
Dan Lagnado is studying communications, law economics and government at American University. He’s a fan of both the Mets and Jets and has been writing about sports for four years. You can follow him on twitter at @dlag1995
2014 NFL DRAFT
The NFL Draft starts at 8:00 PM EST tonight. You can follow the draft coverage here
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | Houston Texans | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina |
| 2 | St. Louis Rams (From WSH) | Greg Robinson | OT | Auburn |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Blake Bortles | QB | Central Florida |
| 4 | Buffalo Bills (From CLE) | Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson |
| 5 | Oakland Raiders | Khalil Mack | OLB | Buffalo |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccanners | Mike Evans | WR | Texas A&M |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns (From MIN) | Justin Gilbert | CB | Oklahoma State |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings (From CLE) (Via BUF) | Anthony Barr | OLB | UCLA |
| 10 | Detroit Lions | Eric Ebron | TE | UNC |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan |
| 12 | New York Giants | Odell Beckham Jr. | WR | LSU |
| 13 | St. Louis Rams | Aaron Donald | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | Kyle Fuller | CB | VA. Tech |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ryan Shazier | LB | Ohio State |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame |
| 17 | Baltimore Ravens | CJ Mosley | LB | Alabama |
| 18 | New York Jets | Calvin Pryor | S | Louisville |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins | Ja’wuan James | OT | Tennessee |
| 20 | New Orleans Saints (From ARI) | Brandin Cooks | WR | Oregon State |
| 21 | Green Bay Packers | Ha-Ha Clinton Dix | S | Alabama |
| 22 | Cleveland Browns (From PHI) | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M |
| 23 | Kansas City Chiefs | Dee Ford | DE | Auburn |
| 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | Darqueze Dennard | CB | Michigan State |
| 25 | San Diego Chargers | Jason Verrett | CB | TCU |
| 26 | Philadelphia Eagles (Via CLE) (From IND) | Marcus Smith | DE | Louisville |
| 27 | Arizona Cardinals (From NO) | Deone Bucannon | S | Washington St. |
| 28 | Carolina Panthers | Kelvin Benjamin | WR | FSU |
| 29 | New England Patriots | Dominique Easley | DT | Florida |
| 30 | San Francisco 49ers | Jimmie Ward | S | Northern Illinois |
| 31 | Denver Broncos | Brandon Roby | CB | Ohio State |
| 32 | Minnesota Vikings (Via SEA) | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville |
Draft Day Trades:
- Bills acquire No. 4 Pick (Sammy Watkins) from Browns for No. 9 pick (Anthony Barr), plus 2015 1st & 4th round picks
- Browns acquire 8th pick (Justin Gilbert) from Minnesota for 9th pick (Anthony Barr)
- The Cardinals traded No. 20 (Brandin Cooks) to New Orleans for No. 27 (Deone Bucannon) and their third-rounder, Pick No. 91.
- The Browns traded Pick No. 26 (Marcus Smith), and their third-rounder, Pick No. 83, to move up to No. 22 (Johnny Manziel)
- Vikings acquire the 32th pick (Teddy Bridgewater) for the 40th pick and 108th pick
Amid all of the hype for other players this season, expect Clowney’s name to be called first at the NFL Draft (Via Jeff Blake/US Presswire)
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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
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