TOUGH TURN-AROUND A BIG TEST FOR JETS By JUSTIN TERRANOVA Brett Favre and the first-place Jets face a heavy workload in the coming days - hosting the Rams on Sunday, then heading to New England for a Thursday night showdown with the Patriots. Posted: 4:03 am November 7, 2008 This could be a turning-point week for the JetsNew York Jets . It certainly be a busy one. By next Friday, Gang Green - now in a three-way tie for first place - could either be on top of the AFC East by itself, or alone in the cellar. "The Jets have seemed to find that mix,'' Fox analyst and former Cowboy fullback Daryl Johnston said. "The big catch phrase now is complementary football, with all three phases working together. ... Now it sounds like the Jets have found that mystique that you have to find to get all three phases working together." Sunday, Brett Favre & Co. host the banged-up Rams. But the level of competition the Jets will face takes a huge step up just four days later, with a Thursday night date with the Patriots in Foxborough. That game will be the second of two crucial home matchups for the Patriots, who host the Bills on Sunday. "Everyone talks about the NFC East, [but] I am not so sure the AFC East isn't going to be more exciting as they go down the stretch with the way these teams are playing," said Bill Cowher, analyst on CBS' NFL Today. " I think the whole division is getting overlooked, but when people start realizing how good it is, it's going to come to the forefront and it's going to be a great race going down the stretch. I do think two teams will come out of this division for the playoffs." Before the Jets upset the Bills, they were coming off two awful performances - a loss to the hopeless Raiders, followed by sneaking out a win at home against the hapless Chiefs. Cowher said he believes the Jets' upcoming stretch will determine their playoff fate. And it starts with defense. "When you look at the defense and a guy like Kris Jenkins, who I think is playing as well as any lineman in the NFL, he anchors that defensive line," Cowher said. "I think it's a football team that if you look at them right now at 5-3 with that defense, I think if they win two of their next three games (Rams, Patriots, Titans) they have a chance to have an 11-win season and a good chance for the playoffs." justin.terranova@nypost.com __________________
I think that too, now its about getting it done. One win against the Pats or Titans would be huge. I think if the Pats beat the Bills, the Jets can beat them - The Pats aren't winning two division games back to back, and when the Jets do win this week, that'll be the confidence walking into Foxboro with the thirst for blood. Just don't fuck it up CS.
I know what you mean, but it's hard not to for the team I imagine, it's (IMO) the biggest game left on the schedule. and they only have 3 days to rest & prep for it. Maybe they have to be thinking about it now? I would think the coaches would, at the very least, they are going to need to be ready to go with a game plan on Monday morning already (if not Sunday night?)
what makes me feel good is that the Pats get one day of practice after playing a division opponent. The Jets could at least look at the Pats and the Rams together in one week, but the Pats have to take care of the Bills first before they get to us. Advantage= Jets.
i think this 2 game stretch favors the jets against the pats. while i hope they are not overlooking the rams i would much rather play a beaten up team from outside the division than have to play 2 division games in 5 days. that should be brutal for the pats. hopefully the jets can take advantage and win both games on a short week.
If we are worrying about the Pats right now, we are setting ourselves up for a loss to the Rams. It sucks we get the Pats on a short week, but you can't overlook any team in the NFL. Rams beat the Redskins just a few weeks ago.
Are you saying not even the coaches should start doing any game planning until Sunday night? Don't they want to have all that figured out for Monday morning meetings, since there are so few days for players to prep. No offense, but I think you're just parroting the cliche of not looking past anyone, trap game, all that, and not recognizing the simple reality that 3 days is simply not enough time to develop a game plan, communicate it to players, and then have them practice it. Yeah you gotta take a chance that you are less focused on Rams, but ... sometimes you have to have priorities, and a game against the only team ahead of you in the division, playing in their house to prevent them from getting the tiebreaker on you for division title ... how much bigger priority could there be? In the long run, if you risk losing to the Rams in order to win against the Patsies, you are still a lot, lot, lot better off than beating Rams and losing to Patsies.
I agree but lets not forget that the Pats will have the same short week. Then we will have extra days to get ready and healthy vs the Titans. But definitely, Sunday only should be in thier heads.
I don't want to make too much of this, but the Bills have now lost all three games against their division. Maybe they aren't all that good?
i dont get how the broncos and browns get to play thursday night. Its not a divisional game and also someone said its almost like a bye week. If we win the next 2 and then have a week and a half that is unheard of and helps more than anything
Our strategy should be to put the RAMs away really early in the game. Sort of what we did with Arizonaexcept for the collapse of the defense. By the end of the third quarter start a few substitutions and keep the players as fresh as possible. Give Jenkins the fourth quarter off for example if we are up by a bunch. Same thing with Coles and Kotch.
Why does the phrase "complimentary football" exist? Isn't a good football team supposed to be good at all phases of the game? Isn't that like...the definition of a good football team? And nice to hear Cowher give the AFC East props...we're (at worst) the second best division in the NFL. Not a bad article...nothing really new but actual recognition from the media and another new word to play with..."complimentary football"...lawlz. Edit: Actually, I can understand what he's saying. Hopefully complimentary football can be changed to "great football" soon enough. We're not super crisp as a team right now, but 4-1 in our last 5 with inconsistent play isn't a bad flaw to have.