After watching the Jets safety play vs. Jacksonville, I expect Belichick to start the game by going after Rhodes and Smith with the TEs. He knows Revis will keep Moss tied up early on. If Brady can exploit the deep middle the way Garrard did, then they will look to free up Moss. Belichick may be silent with the media, but he's vindictive as hell and likes to reward his players. They'll try to embarrass Revis eventually by feeding the ball to Moss. Of course, the biggest difference in this game (with the exception of no Jenkins and Washington) is the presence of Wes Welker, who along with Kevin Faulk, provides a potent 3rd down escape hatch for Brady. As I see it, one huge key to this game will be the play of Strickland vs. Welker--he's the only one quick enough to slow him down. If he can be effective, and Revis can stay one on one with Moss, then it's on Smith and Twitterbug to get their act together and contain the TEs. Ultimately, the Jets need to harras Brady--I don't know if they can do it without the center push that Jenkins provided. It may be worth a couple of 15 yard penalties to run Brady after the play. Finally, Sanchez and Shottenheimer will need to find the same 3rd down conversion magic they have in the first game vs. Houston. Long, sustained, TD-ending drives will go along way to helping out this highly suspect D. I'm afeared they can't do it...but they have a sliver of a chance if some of the guys can raise the level of play.
I think it will be Welker who keeps the safeties in. I also think they will run Moss away from Revis in crossing patterns. Why I think the Pats will beat us with a sticK has nothing to do with them losing last week. It's Jenkins. In that first game he usually got double teamed and still got penetration, which prevented Brady from stepping into the pocket and behind his throws. I hope I'm dead wrong, but I don't see the Jets even being in this game half way through the 2nd quarter.
They have many ways to attack us...which is why there's really only way we can stop them...get Brady...maybe Rex can have Buddy dial up the BountyBowl game plan for us.
Why bother running the Tight Ends at the safeties when they have Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Go back and watch the Colts game, the Pats were running Moss right at Bethea most of the game.
The difference is that the Colts base defense is the Tampa Cover 2, which means that Moss was running up the seam all game long against only Bethea. Now Randy Moss will win a battle against Antoine Bethea 9/10 times. Now on the other hand we have Darrelle Revis who's gonna go man-to-man with Moss. Now I, and everyone else who know football, would take this matchup any day over Moss/Bethea, especially since Revis will be shadowing Randy from the snap, instead of Bethea who has to start backpedalling from 15 yards deep while Randy has gotten to full speed all ready. Kerry "Pro Bowl" Rhodes will also probably be covering the deep middle, so if the Pats try the same plays they might force Brady to throw to double coverage. On the other hand, I strongly believe what GSour said in his thread starting post, as Ben Watson has been flying a bit under the radar this past season and been Brady's safety valve in the middle. If the defense plays the same way they did against Jacksonville expect Watson to have a big day, unless of course Eric Smith can shut him down, of course that leaves then Welker and Faulk to make plays... Goddammit, Leonhard's injury couldn't have happened at a worse time.
B/c there was one mixup in communication and the TE caught one pass they'll exploit that? Brady always uses his TEs so we can expect he will but not b/c of the mixup last week. The biggest difference from week 2 to now is Brady knocked off the rust. Justin Edelman was Wes Welker in game 1 doing the exact same things Welker always does so he essentially had him. He'll get his 7-10 7-8 yd recs, move some chains. We know what Welker will bring. The key is stopping Moss, that O goes from dynamic to average depending on what Moss can do.
The game, largely, will come down to our pass rush. If Brady, has time to eat a sandwich back there, we are doomed. Obviously, we still have to play relatively mistake-free football as well because, as a rule, the Pats do not make many mistakes. I also think our ability to run the football will play a pivotal role in the game. If we can run good, it keeps Brady off the field. We know Jones will grind it out, but I am hoping that Greene can make a great contribution, too.
After reading your signature, I am thinking Leon was major constipated the day he got his leg broken.
I think the Pats will win but I also think this game is going to be alot closer than people think. I look for it to be close in the 4th quarter.
yeah ya know, like Sanchez giving the jets the lead and the defense giving it away as time expires. its the norm for the jets this season.
regarding your last sentence, I doubt Leonard makes that big of difference. The jets will never be a force if they can't knock off the bills at home, miami at home or on the road, and the jags at home. They really need to study film this offseason and lose the overpaid underachievers like Bryan Thomas, Kerry Rhodes, Vernon Gholston, etc. When a nobody like David Gerrard dominates your d for a half, and then later takes it down the field like he did at the end, you better look at your personnel.
Leonhard is one of the big reasons why this defense has never been criticized with the phrase "growing pains" He hasn't been at fault for the losses. Its been ST, or Rhodes not knowing where to be even with Leonhard trying to get his attention, or the DL sucking balls in the Miami game. He's been so consistent. Something the rest of the D hasn't been.
Afeared?? I don't even have that word in my vocabulary. I felt the other day when I thought about this game that the TE was the spot they would come at us. Force the safeties to stay home in the middle of the field. We both agree that the pressure up the middle might be the one way to defend this. As the TE might not get free run off the line of scrimmage and they are guys who are just not lightning fast getting down the field.
The colts are very very good team, please don't compare Bethea to Revis. Also as mentioned its a completely different defense. I am not saying a better or worse defense but certainly one that does not "man up" like we do.
