As Gang Green Turns: Jets Get Saturday Night Fever and Beat Colts 17-16

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Jets Get Saturday Night Fever and Beat Colts 17-16 on Blogcritics.

There was a crazy notion here in New York all last week that the Ghost of Playoffs Past, played by a ghoulish Peyton Manning, was going to come back and ruin the party for the Jets again. Everyone was talking about head coach Rex Ryan fearing Manning and that it would all turn out so badly, but Ryan's "Hope" was found in a great running game for the offense, a defense that had been engineered in many ways just for this rematch, and a last second kick that hit the right spot.

There was a tough first half of matched zeroes, but the way Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and company were going, it looked like Manning was closed for business. This was the way Ryan envisioned things when he brought Cromartie into the mix. Things did change in the second half, and Ryan had to start worrying that no matter how well he had planned for this moment, Manning and the Colts were just going to squeak away with a 16-14 win.

Then came Mark Sanchez. Yes, he of the hurting arm and having a pretty much off night. When the pressure is on, Sanchez seems to rise to the challenge, and with fifty three seconds left he brought the team down the field and got them to where they needed to be for Nick Folk to have one shot to put it through the uprights. Talk about pressure! But Folk was game and the kick was good.

Unlike last year, Manning goes back home and the Jets move on. It felt good as a Jets fan to see Manning skulking off, defeated by Rex Ryan's crew, the guy he had bested so many times before. After the game Ryan enjoyed the moment and then some, telling reporters that it felt good to see Manning know the feeling that he has known. Rex had the salt and was enjoying rubbing it in Manning's wounds.

Of course, all green-blooded Jets fans were happy last night. It was a magic moment of victory with no time left on the clock. It's the stuff of all kids' dreams when they stand on a field or court: hit the homer that wins the big game, sink the basket at the last second, slap the puck into the net, or kick that ball free and clear. Nick Folk had that moment last night and the Jets rightly celebrated an amazing 17-16 victory.

But make no mistake: Tom Brady and the New England Patriots loom next weekend, and we can bet that Bill Belichick was enjoying this game and licking his chops for the next round. With Sanchez still ailing, and the Jets just barely getting this win, it looks like there could be another big blowout in Foxborough next week.

Still, there is always a miracle that can be had if things align the right way for Rex and his men. Anyone who watched last night's game and saw that ball end things the Jets' way have to be believers. So until next week, channel the late great Mets' pitcher Tug McGraw saying "Ya gotta believe," do a lot of praying, and keep your fingers crossed.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

As Gang Green Turns: Jets Keep Playoff Hopes Alive in 22-17 Win Over Steelers

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Jets Keep Playoff Hopes Alive in 22-17 Win Over Steelers on Blogcritics.

In my way of thinking, there was no way the Jets (10-4) would come into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers (10-4), especially not after losing at home against the Dolphins last week, but here they go again surprising me and their fans with a not too pretty win at Heinz Field as the snowflakes fell like pixie dust all around them.

Mark Sanchez actually had a good game this week, looking like a man on a mission. He went 19 for 28 for 170 yards and made a seven-yard touchdown run that came as a surprise to everybody, but most especially the Steelers' defense. 

The game started with a great 97-yard run by Brad Smith who took the ball in for a 7-0 lead. If that didn't take the wind out of the Steelers fans, it certainly gave Jets and their fans the shot in the arm they needed after the last two games that had knocked them (and coach Rex Ryan) off the playoff bandwagon.

The Steelers managed to take the game back by the end of the first half, and going into the locker room with a 10-10 tie was not what Ryan and his team wanted to see. Nevertheless, the Jets came back out in the second half and scored on Sanchez's heads-up run and then Nick Folk's 34-yard field goal. There was no looking back after that and the Jets were on their way to a much needed - and completely unexpected - victory.

What is still alarming is that the Jets' offense and defense never seem to have a good day during the same game. While the defense is always the thing that Ryan likes to boast about, something like the Steelers not going into a huddle can seem to throw it off kilter. In the end the Steelers were coming down the field like a team that was going to score no matter what, but somehow the defense rallied and stopped them from scoring and the Jets got the win.

It goes without saying that this was a must win for the Jets, and now the playoffs are still a possibility for Gang Green. The big question is which team is going to show up from week to week. Ryan is lucky to be getting out of Pittsburgh with a victory, but the road to the playoffs is still a bumpy one, and we would expect nothing less in the soap opera As Gang Green Turns.

As Gang Green Turns: The Misery Continues in Jets 10-6 Loss to Dolphins

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: The Misery Continues in Jets 10-6 Loss to Dolphins on Blogcritics.

After losing a terrible game last week on the road against the Patriots, the New York Jets (9-4) and their fans were hoping for much better things against the Miami Dolphins (7-6) at New Meadowlands Stadium. Alas, it was not to be; even though the defense showed up this week, the offense once again seemed dazed and confused as the Jets lost 10-6.

The immediate focus has to be on quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was 17 for 44 for 216 yards. He has looked like he is making it up as he goes along, and the results are not pretty. Sanchez is fumbling, getting intercepted, and stumbling his way through these last two games. In the process, the Jets' hopes to take the division are now lost, and it is questionable whether they have what it takes to even make the playoffs now.

The bright spot of the day for head coach Rex Ryan was that his defense came back, looking less like the zombies from the AMC series The Walking Dead in last week's game and more like the highly touted "best" defense in football today. The problem is no matter how well the defense clicked, the Jets offense came down to two Nick Folk field goals.

To make matters worse, while the Jets were losing this one, the Patriots (11-2) were wiping up the field with the Bears (9-4) in an 36-7 victory. Surely there is no doubt after these last two weeks that the Pats are the best team in the NFL right now.

After the loss to the Pats last week, Ryan buried the game ball in a symbolic effort to say that loss was over and the team had to move on. Today the team did nothing to prove that they, and not the game ball, are six feet under. With a road game against the Steelers (10-3) looming next week, Sanchez and the offense better get themselves together or the season will be ostensibly lost.

 

As Gang Green Turns: He Ain't Just Heavy; He's My Brother

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: He Ain't Just Heavy; He's My Brother on Blogcritics.


The fact that we had the battle of the siblings in Cleveland yesterday - between Jets' head coach Rex Ryan and his twin brother Rob (Browns' defensive coordinator) - should have been enough drama in the usual Gang Green weekly soap opera, but let's not forget that we're talking about the Jets: a team that can turn your stomach in hundreds of ways during a game.


The battle of these heavyweight Ryans made for some good stories and pictures, and there was also the subplot about Cleveland's head coach Eric Mangini getting some kind of revenge against his former team. Of course, what would any Jets game be without plenty of conflict on and off the field?

For the second week in a row the Jets went into overtime with a 20-20 tie. Now, if that's not bad news enough for those of you who have green running through your veins like I do, let's be honest and say that the Jets really should have lost this game (and the last three overall). If you do the math and face the facts, the Jets should be 4-5 right now instead of 7-2.

This week's hero was not kicker Nick Folk, who could have been the goat of the game for missing three field goals, but a new hero emerged: Santonio Holmes. He did manage in just the last remaining seconds of the game to not only create a victory but also to absolve his team of its many sins, including his quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Once again this week Sanchez was a mixed bag, even though his numbers (27 for 44 for 299 yards with two TDs) would seem to suggest otherwise. He threw another interception, and he looks tentative at times. There is no shaking the feeling that Sanchez is not yet where he should be, but we can say that about the rest of the team as well.

The defense again seemed shaky, unable to hold a 17-13 lead at the half or a 20-13 one in the fourth quarter. Rex Ryan is notably always saying how great his defense can be "man-to-man," but in truth the last few weeks have brought his whole game plan into question when teams like the Lions and Browns can be so effective against it.

This game could have devolved into a loss when Mike Adams sacked Sanchez in the third quarter, but the sophomore QB didn't let that keep him down, though he did seem hurt on that play. Rob Ryan must have been thinking he had his brother down for the count and would have the last laugh, until he and everyone else watched Sanchez throw that pass to St. Holmes, who beat three defenders to take the ball in for the game winner and a final score of 26-20.

In the end, Rex and Rob probably could look at each other not as opponents but as brothers. One could see the disappointment in Rob Ryan's face and the quiet happiness in usual loudmouth Rex's countenance, but maybe the hardest hit of all was Browns' coach Mangini, who missed this golden opportunity to stick it to his former team.

For this week the show is over, but the drama never ends in the soap opera "As Gang Green Turns."

 

As Gang Green Turns: Jets Defeat Lions in OT 23-20

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Jets Defeat Lions in OT 23-20 on Blogcritics.

Okay, New York Jets fans, you can take a deep breath. The Jets (6-2) defeated the Detroit Lions (2-6) at Ford Field, but you can't feel too good about this game. Yes, a victory is a win, but the struggle to get this one should worry head coach Rex Ryan and the rest of us as well.

In a week that featured the lowly Cleveland Browns beating the New England Patriots, this could have been a game the Jets regretted all year long, but they did pull out a victory courtesy of Nick Folk's thirty yard field goal (Folk's thirty-sx yard field goal tied the game and sent it into overtime).

I've been pretty hard on quarterback Mark Sanchez in the last few weeks, mostly due to his penchant for throwing interceptions. While he gave one away today, he also completed 22 of 39 passes for a career high 323 yards. He tossed one magnificent touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards, a 74-yard beauty that came near the end of the first half. This doesn't mean Sanchez had a great game, because he looked lost at times (as I have been pointing out consistently), but he and the offense got the job done overall.

The Jets defense was not much better than the offense in this one, although Darrelle Revis and company did limit Calvin Johnson and that was a big factor in this game. Also, during the game injuries to Lion's kicker Jason Hanson and quarterback Matthew Stafford certainly helped matters.

Gang Green and all their fans can breathe a sigh of relief after getting away with this one, but we should have no illusions; a good deal of luck and some mistakes and injuries for the Lions made the game go to the Jets.

I don't know what Rex Ryan is going to do, but he had better get these guys playing like they did at the end of the game for four quarters, or there are going to be lots of unhappy Jets fans when the playoffs come around and we're watching other teams on the field.

As Gang Green Turns: Jets Beat Panthers 9-3

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Jets Beat Panthers 9-3 on Blogcritics.

Coming off last week's disappointing 31-16 loss to the Giants in their first preseason game, the New York Jets had a disappointing 9-3 win against the Carolina Panthers. How can any victory be disappointing? While the first-team offense looked good last week, this week it seemed like it didn't show up. If not for Nick Folk's three field goals (one a 49 yarder), the team would have suffered an embarassing shutout.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez looked like he couldn't find his game last night, completing five of ten passes for a miniscule twelve yards during his truncated playing time. Mark Brunell was no better, with three completions in seven attempts for a measly two yards. In total, the offense got three first downs and a total of forty-five yards in the first half.

Coach Rex Ryan must be wondering about his second-year quarterback and that sluggish offense. Rookie Joe McKnight had four carries and a total of five yards in the first-half, and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was beaten by Everette Brown who promptly sacked Sanchez. The only offensive bright spot was LaDainian Tomilson, gaining twenty-six yards on three carries against the Panthers' first-team defense in the first half.

The good news last night was that the defense looked very sharp in the first half. Some fans might be asking, "Darrelle Revis who?" after watching the defense shut down the Panthers. Highlights were Jim Leonhard's interception and a sack of Carolina's QB Matt Moore. Rex Ryan should be very pleased with what he saw in the first half, with the Panthers getting just two first downs and sixty-seven total yards. A very impressive night for the Jets' D.

Over all a win is a win, but fans will recall that this team was 9-7 last year even with the league's best defense because they had trouble scoring points, and last night's game seems to suggest a similar problem brewing this year. If the first team defense continues as it did last night, they are going to be very stingy with opposing teams, but Sanchez and the offense had better start getting things together and fast.