http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3569433 from the "expert scouts" over at espn...just cut out the parts about the jets...if anything, it should just get you fired up... The season is finally starting, and Scouts Inc.'s pro scouts debate all the hot topics heading into Week 1. Most intriguing game? Gary Horton: Jets at Dolphins. QB Brett Favre is the hot story in New York, and QB Chad Pennington now is the man in Miami. But both quarterbacks have something to prove. Are the Jets suddenly playoff contenders with Favre on board? If so, they can't afford to lose this game. Meantime, the Dolphins would love to start the Bill Parcells/Tony Sparano era with an upset win over a better team (especially one in the division). And Pennington surely wants to show his former team that it made a mistake in letting him go. This is must-watch TV. Which player is under the most pressure to perform? Moll: The quarterback at the center of the offseason's most attention-grabbing story -- Favre -- will be under extreme pressure in the opener. And though the Jets face the Dolphins, it's still a road game against a division foe. And though Favre won't be supported by the stout defense, established running attack and explosive receivers he enjoyed in Green Bay, expectations will be high nonetheless. Miami's defensive game plans are somewhat conservative, but coordinator Paul Pasqualoni will mix in a variety of looks and blitzes to prevent Favre from methodically moving the Jets' offense down the field. Williamson: Favre. After starring in his own offseason soap opera, Favre simply must produce in New York or risk tarnishing his legacy. He's fortunate enough to open his Jets career against a team coming off a one-win season, but I'm not expecting this game to be a walk in the park. The Dolphins will give the Jets everything they can handle on the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball. A lot of folks are tired of the Favre storyline and are waiting to jump down his throat if he fails to perform up to expectations. Which team has the most to prove? Green: The Jets. They basically rented a Hall of Fame quarterback to turn around a team that went 4-12 last season. New York should have a rebuilding mindset, but the franchise must see something I don't. When you acquire Favre and pay him the sort of money he's making in what could be his last year? Anything less than a playoff berth has to be considered a major disappointment. Most underrated matchup Kidd: The key to any 3-4 defense is the play of the nose tackle. Knowing this, the Jets acquired NT Kris Jenkins from Carolina in the offseason in hopes of stabilizing their interior run defense. A three-time Pro Bowler, Jenkins has so far made a smooth transition from penetrator to space-eater. Dolphins C Samson Satele is a talented young lineman who can bend and play with leverage. He's smart and has good instincts and functional play strength. Should be a great battle to watch. Upset special? Green: There are a lot of close matchups between mediocre teams in Week 1, so a legitimate upset is hard to find. But I say the Dolphins find a way to match their win total of last season in Week 1, at home against the Jets. I expect Pennington to exact a little revenge on his old club Sunday -- and not just during the game. He'll probably have spent a lot of time in the meeting room with Miami's defense this week. Favre isn't even close to being comfortable in a new system, and he'll have a limited number of audibles in the opener. Pennington can provide the Dolphins' D with inside information about the Jets' scheme and give the offense a boost on the field. Brett Favre brings a lot of hope to the Jets, but it wouldn't be surprising if they were upset this week. Kidd: Because teams have different philosophies about playing starters in the preseason and often are still building continuity at this point, anything can happen in the first two weeks of the NFL regular season. I like the Dolphins to upset the Jets, with Pennington finding a way to stick it to his old team. Ribary: How about Dolphins over Jets? Most teams traveling to Miami in the first week of the season are challenged by the heat and humidity. The Dolphins have new hope after bringing in a new brain trust and engineering major offseason personnel changes, including snapping up Pennington, the former Jets QB. The Jets spent a lot of money in free agency and made the aggressive play to acquire Favre, but with big moves come big expectations. Will it all come together for the Jets in Week 1, or will they overlook or even get outplayed by a team that lost 15 games in 2007?
John Clayton's take on his first and 10...can you tell who he is rooting for? 3. New York Jets at Miami: What once looked to be a meaningless game between two AFC afterthoughts has great significance. The acquisition of Brett Favre gives the Jets a legitimate chance of making a wild-card run. Favre is one of five former Pro Bowl players added to the offense. The others are guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, fullback Tony Richardson and tight end Bubba Franks. If Favre can add a touchdown a game for the Jets, they should make the playoffs. But things could turn embarrassing if New York has a tough start against the Dolphins. Favre tried to talk the Packers into cutting him so he could sign with division rival Minnesota. The Jets thought nothing of letting Chad Pennington go, and now they face him in the opener. In some ways, Pennington knows his offense better than Favre knows his. Pennington has worked with Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning before. Favre is learning the Jets' offense on the fly with young coaches with whom he is unfamiliar. Bill Parcells now runs the Dolphins' front office. He'd love nothing better than to get a win over the Jets.
Thats a dangerous game to play , it could also work against the phins if they THINK they are second guessing a play. And Brett still has a canon and Chad still has a duck :jets:
The pressure isn't on Chad, it's on Brett. Chad loses, the Dolphins still suck. Brett loses... ohhhhhhhh man.
