BRETT'S BEST PLAY THIS WEEK: HAND OFF TO JONES RUN FOR GLORY: If the Jets want to knock off the Patriots tomorrow night and take the lead in the AFC East, they need to continue their recent run of success when Brett Favre hands off to Thomas Jones. November 12, 2008 This is the kind of game the JetsNew York Jets brought Brett Favre here to win, the kind of game he must win if his legacy in New York is ever going to be meaningful. Throwing six touchdown passes against the Cardinals is fine, and so is beating up on the Rams on Sunday. But these are the Patriots, the team that, game after game, makes the Jets feel less than worthy. Favre was brought here to change all that. This is only his second time playing the Patriots as a Jet. But he feels it now. "I know exactly what this game means, the weight it carries," he said yesterday. "I'm well aware of what New England has done over the past decade or so. It just comes down to football." Exceptional football. That's what Favre and the Jets must play tomorrow night in a nationally televised game with the AFC East lead at stake. Anything less than the best of Brett and the Jets won't earn a victory, and that could mean everything to their season. But getting the best of Brett means needing the least from Brett. If the Jets are going to win, Favre will have be more field general than gambler, and much of that will depend on the success of a rejuvenated running game. "That's one of the interesting questions with this game," said Cris Collinsworth, who'll work the game for the NFL Network. "How much can the Jets get their running game and keep their running game going, and how much is it going to fall in the lap of Brett Favre to make plays in the passing game? "The Patriots have made a good living for a long time making teams one-dimensional." The Jets have renewed confidence in their running game, coming off a 47-3 blowout of the Rams in which Thomas JonesThomas Jones rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns. His average of 5.7 yards per carry was just lower than the previous week, when he earned 5.8 yards per carry (12 for 69 yards, 1 TD) in the Jets' 26-17 win at Buffalo. Jones now leads the AFC in rushing with 750 yards, with a respectable 4.7 yards per carry. It all means nothing if they can't run against the Patriots. "It feels good to be able to go out and contribute and help us win games," Jones said. "The offensive line is doing a good job, and our fullback, Tony Richardson, is doing a good job. We just look forward to trying to make progress each week." Jones had 70 yards on 17 carries in the Jets' 19-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 2. The lingering memory is being stopped on three successive running plays at the Patriot goal line in the second quarter. Later in the third quarter, an interception thrown by Favre set up a New England touchdown that gave the Patriots a 13-3 lead. Mistakes and missed opportunities have haunted the Jets against the Pats. "Their front five is the strength of their team for the most part," Favre said. "They're stout, good run defenders, very good bull rushers." Running the ball with success will limit mistakes. But the Patriots aren't the Rams. New England's average of allowing 100 yards rushing per game is deceptive because just one team, the Broncos, has rushed for at least 100 yards against them in the last six games. "Against a team that can play defense against the run the way the Patriots do, you know Brett Favre is going to have to be a major element in this game if [the Jets are] going to win," Collinsworth said. No doubt Favre will have to make a number of key throws in the game. But needing the least from Brett will bring out the best of Brett tomorrow night. george.willis@nypost.com
run run, play action bomb to Cotch. TD run, Keller slant, run, run, Fade route to Coles. TD run run pass run pass run run run run TD. FG. FG. win.
It would be nice to be able to run successfully, but if the gameplan is to run a lot, it would be idiotic. For one reason, why play against the strength of the defense? Secondly, why shorten the game? We have the better offense by far. A big passing day is called for here.
Kill Cassel, hit him again, stand over him getting up, push him back down when he tries to get up, laugh and make sure he hears you laughing.
my thought is that Pierre Woods should be exploited all game. Since Adalius Thomas is out, this guy has 3 days to prepare for a division rival who is hungry and on fire? He won't be ready... run at him, and put keller on his side to throw at him.
^I wasn't singling out your comment but rather the op article. It's good that AT is out, but I expect BB will compensate to minimize damage. That is, over the course of the game we will benefit from his absence but I am wary about formulating a game plan that seeks to exploit his absence though it should of course be considered in the game plan. I don't know that this implies a run oriented gameplan. I just don't want to see us keep NE in the game by keeping the score low.
i know you weren't singling me out :beer: the exploitation of the immense weaknesses on the Pats, namely the veteran leaders missing, is key to victory. All deep throws should go where Harrison is supposed to be but wont, all short passes at Pierre Woods, as well as most of the off tackle runs. This short week really worked in the Jets favor, plus the injuries.
Because if the Jets can run on them, they can do anything to them for the reasons you stated. Play action, which Favre is very good at, becomes a monster, and the game becomes a laugher.
Offensive game plan should be let the new O-Line knock the pats line backwards and run the football down there throats and all this will be easier with an injured Wilfork , No Thomas and rodney harrison done for the season... An once we get it going running play action and bomb to keller , Cotch and coles... Make this happen Shotty and Mangini!
Honestly, one of the keys to the game may be to keep Brett calmed down at the start of the game. When it comes to big games Brett tends to get a bit hyped-up and presses a bit. It's best to start off a bit conservative with runs and short passes to get him in a rhythm.
Exactly. I keep hearing about Cassel's improvement and maturation as a QB. It's easy to gain confidence when you've played 3 straight games against teams that can't pressure the QB. 1 sack against Buffalo 0 sacks against Indy 3 sacks against StL (2 INTs) Denver got to him, but without Champ Bailey, it was irrelevant. I'd love to see plays with Ty Law ballhawking and Kerry Rhodes coming on a safety blitz. Cassel under pressure consistently locks in on his primary target. Could be huge for us.
Oh, don't worry. We're going to start off with a pure ball control offense to keep New England's offense off the field and the crowd out of it. You know that locker room's going to be fired up. Those hogs up front are going to do whatever it takes to dominate the Pats defensive front.
Bellichick is renowned for being able to choose something on an opposing offense and take it away. If he decides that he is not going to be beaten by Thomas Jones, then you'd have to think that, given his history and the fact that he has that stellar D-line, he will be able to achieve that. Chances are the Jets will be able to do the same to the Pats, so the game will probably come down to who converts more consistently on 3rd and 6, 7 and 8. The Pats have a chain-mover in Welker. The Jets do not have such a consistent target. The Jets D has also had trouble making the quick stop on crossing routes, so you'd have to think the Pats will run them all day until the Jets prove they can stop them. In my opinion the key to the game will be tackling receivers on crossing routes as soon as they catch the ball. We cannot have a defender trailing Welker as he runs across the field. Someone else needs to be sitting in a zone to level him as soon as he makes the catch. I think this game will be a slugfest and agonisingly close. I think the Jets can win, but some of the confidence I'm seeing is misplaced. Some people have short memories.
I think the Jets drafted Keller for this game. The NE LBs are like 50 and slow. I hope BB takes the run away, because I like our chances with Keller on the LBs and single coverage outside.
and if they use a safety to cover him, that leaves Cotch or Coles 1 on 1 with bad CBs. Throw it down the field.
hey KRIS! cassel cant make it out of this game alive. heres to a no show from belichek in the post game handshake
