Yes folks the "smart" side of my brain says colts like 35 - 10 but the other side of my brain is saying hold on a minute..... Why? Well after 3 games i think the jets have made more strides than any of us expected and have surprised the league on and off the field. just goes to show you sunshiners around here what can happen with a real coach and staff. ggg the jets have a couple advantages on sunday - mangini has plenty experience defending against manning for one. second schott came from the team that shut them down last year, the chargers. these 2 items definitely give the jets an advantage with the game plan. i just cannot bring myself to expect a W this week but i would really love to see a patriot like game with dungy having that surprised and perplexed look on the sidelines and saying geez - we have to watch out for these guys in a couple years. see some talk about freeney vs dbrick - well the colts will probably get freeney away from dbrick during the game and match him with clements unfortunately. with fergusons long arms and quick feet he SHOULD be a ble to neutralize freeney most of the time. there is always a chance for a W so despite my darksider view of course i will be sitting on the edge of the seat at some point on sunday. enjoy jil
I'm sick of all the Freeney talk. He has one move, his spin move, and he does it every single down and LT's have figured that out and he has zero sacks this year and I bet he has less than 2 handfuls of tackles. He's good, but overrated.
He's injured this year, lets not confuse it with a lack of talent. He is a rare blend of size and speed, just because he doesn't bull rush tackles doesn't make him inferior. Pressure is pressure, if you run off the edge or try to bull doze your way through the OT. Not saying he'll be any good vs. us with his injury situation, just pointing out that freeney is still one of the best pass rushers out there right now.
http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1159337528207880.xml&coll=1&thispage=1 JETS CONFIDENTIAL Wednesday, September 27, 2006 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON Star-Ledger Staff Right now, Strait wouldn't trade places with anyone. It was a potentially ugly situation when defensive back Derrick Strait was returned to the Jets after his trade to Cleveland was rescinded because Browns running back Lee Suggs failed his physical. Strait could have pouted and been a malcontent upon his return, demanding a trade or his release. And the Jets, perhaps looking to unload Strait, could've tried to trade him again or simply cut him. The Browns eventually released Suggs on the final cut. But Strait, who was initially excited about the trade, returned to the Jets with a team-first attitude and the Jets welcomed him back. He met with coach Eric Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum and was assured the trade was simply a business decision to benefit both teams. "Derrick felt good about that meeting," said Michael Lartigue, Strait's agent. "He believed the Jets really wanted him back and traded him just to try to make the team better." Last Sunday, Strait's hard work paid off in Buffalo as he made his first career start, replacing safety Erik Coleman, who had started 36 consecutive games. "Everybody just handled the situation real professionally," Strait told The Star-Ledger. "The coaches, everybody upstairs, they were great. I know it's a business. It's about winning games and doing what is best for your team." Strait, a third-year pro, had two tackles and a pass defended while alternating with Coleman in the Jets' 28-20 victory. He can play cornerback, safety, nickel back and dime back. "Derrick had a good week of practice," Mangini said. "I've always liked his versatility. He did a nice job with the calls and the adjustments." That Strait wasn't bitter about the trade didn't surprise Lartigue, who was a bit concerned about how the Jets would treat Strait when he came back Derrick is a guy who never pouts, never complains," Lartigue said. "That's not his style. Besides, getting traded isn't the worst thing that has happened to him. I keep thinking that getting traded is nothing compared to being homeless (which Strait was as a teenager). He has always handled adversity well." Mangini is noncommittal on who will start Sunday against the Colts but seems to think Strait has a bright future, perhaps similar to Patriots cornerback-turned-safety Eugene Wilson. "Things are finally starting to turn around for me," Strait said. "I'm just going to try to make the best of my opportunity." NEXT OPPONENT The Colts (3-0) got past the Jaguars, 21-14, Sunday in one of the worst regular-season performances of QB Peyton Manning's career. Manning completed just 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards and a TD against the Jags. His 45.2 completion percentage was a regular-season low and marked only the second time in the past 71 games he has been held below 50 percent. Without Edgerrin James, the Colts have struggled running the ball. Rookie Joseph Addai is their leading rusher with 123 yards on 26 carries, but they're averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. The Colts are allowing 19.6 points per game and 161.7 yards rushing. DE Dwight Freeney, slowed by a strained buttock muscle, has no sacks. Colts K Adam Vinatieri (groin), the former Patriot, sat out against the Jags, missing the first game in his 11-year career. All that said, the Colts are averaging an NFL-leading 30.0 points per game and Manning ranks second in the NFL with 895 passing yards. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has Manning's number and one would assume Jets coach Eric Mangini also has it. By confusing Manning with movement before the snap, the Patriots have frustrated him under Belichick, with Mangini as his secondary coach and later defensive coordinator. Manning is 2-7 against the Patriots since Belichick arrived in 2000 and has thrown 16 TDs and 14 INTs in those games. In two playoffs losses, Manning has thrown one TD and five interceptions. UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Jets running game gets the hat trick because it's the third consecutive week it needs to get untracked. It did show some signs of life last week with 74 yards and two rushing TDs in the red zone. INJURIES Jets: C/T Trey Teague (ankle) and G Pete Kendall (hamstring) remain banged up. Their status for Sunday is unclear. Colts: K Adam Vinatieri (groin), CB Nick Harper (groin), DT Corey Simon (knee) and S Bob Sanders (shoulder, knee) are nursing injuries. Simon isn't expected to play. WR Reggie Wayne is away helping arrange the funeral for his brother and might not play. KEY MATCHUP Jets LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Colts DE Dwight Freeney Ferguson has played well this season, but this is his biggest test to date. Freeney, a Pro Bowler the past three seasons, is just as athletic as Ferguson but might be quicker and is more experienced. BY THE NUMBERS From 1998 to the present, Peyton Manning leads all active NFL quarterbacks in passing yardage. Peyton Manning 34,084 Brett Favre 31,874 Kerry Collins 26,891 Trent Green 25,711 Jake Plummer 25,623 Drew Bledsoe 25,582
If this game were being played last week I would have said blowout. But the Jets showed so much heart last week against the Bills in Buffalo... let's just say I'm now quietly confident about our chances, and the fact that the game is being played at the Meadowlands has not been lost on me. Now don't get me wrong I'm not predicting a win. But I definitely would not be shocked if the Jets some how found a way to pull this game out.
I did not know Freeney was injured, so I take back some of my hate, but he still is overrated in my book.
Didn't the Colts beat the Pats bad last year though while Eric was DC? Not that it really means much, but I think it's premature to say that Eric might know how to better defense Manning.
Good Post...but this statement is bothering me! Lol....it should say, just goes to show you darksiders...blahblahblah Sunshiners are the ones that were optimistic about the coaching staff and the heart of this team.
the colts are about as banged up as ateam can be......I dont think we'll get blownout...I dont think we'll win, but we wont get blown out
I have softened my stance and now I agree with you. We have a guy from the Chargers who knows how to score vs. Indy and a guy from the Pats that knows how to confuse Peyton. The schemes should be in place to give us a great chance against them....now do we have the personnel?? I don't think so defensively, but maybe that just means we need to score a rack of points.....
I disagree. Although our corners are a major concern defensively against the Colts, I'm happy with our LB's and reasonably confident we can stuff the run and perhaps even pressure Manning a bit up front in passing situations. He'll be in the air a lot and I'm also hoping for rain. Rhodes is going to have to have another spectacular, over-the-top day.
I get the feeling this year that the Colts are one of those elite teams that you see just slip a little. The type of team that still seems to get off to a good start but then in the third or fourth or fifth week just has a surprise loss and then seems to just not be the same. I think the Colts are that team this year (and may be joined by the Pats) I just do not think that they are the same team as last year. They have some injuries, Peyton is a year older and a year more frustrated, Edge is gone....I am NOT saying that the Jets will win, but I do think that they will be competitive and have a chance for the upset and "out" in a way a team that has fallen a bit from the elite perch that they have been on.
