Jets 34, Chargers 28

The Jets are now 2-0, after beating the Chargers on Sunday in San Diego. This was a great game to watch, because the Jets were solid all around. The types of mistakes the Chargers made were the types of mistakes we're used to seeing the Jets make. It's nice to watch stuff like that happen from the other side.

A bunch of things jumped out at me from Sunday's game - here are a few:

1) The Jets' receivers are fast. I love watching Chad Pennington drop back early in the game and launch a bomb, because I know either Jonathan Carter or Santana Moss will race under it to catch it. I have a hard time figuring out if Pennington is underthrowing the receivers or if they're just so fast they keep over-running the throws (but I have a sneaking suspicion it's the underthrowing part).

2) Curtis Martin looks amazing. I can't even believe how different he looks this year. He's like Barry Bonds on a football field. 32 carries for 119 yards for Martin, and he rushed for 2 TD's. He also passed Freeman McNeil to become the Jets' all-time leading rusher. Congrats, Curtis. That brings me to point 3), which is that the offensive line is really taking pride in Martin's performances, and they're playing like it. Pete Kendall is just making such a huge difference. What a pickup. I read in Saturday's New York Daily News that besides possible falling into disfavor with Dennis Green because he told the NFL that Cardinals practices were violating players' union rules (allegedly), Kendall could have been released by Green because he was friendly with the media, and Green doesn't trust players who are friendly with the media. OK - I have a huge problem with this - Dennis Green spent the last few years with ESPN - AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA. What hypocrisy. Unreal. But thanks Dennis, we'll take Kendall. (As a side note to this offensive line worshipping, Kevin Mawae got hurt at some point in Sunday's game - that could be a big blow. Hopefully the bye week helps him recover. I didn't actually see the injury - but I just read on ESPN.com that it was a broken right hand. Hmm...I've seen offensive lineman put casts on broken hands before and play it out....but as a center, that could really affect Mawae's game...affecting exchanges with the quarterback. I'll keep you posted on any developments...but that hurts the O-line.)

4) Sort of related to numbers 2 and 3, and stemming from the pessimism that you always kind of have in the back of your mind as a Jets fan....when do we start worrying about CurtisMartin getting worn out? Just asking.

5) I really like the role Jerald Sowell has taken on this year. It reminds me of when he was utilized a little more a few years back.

6) Erik Coleman is quite possible THE GREATEST FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO EVER LIVED. No, I'm just kidding. But he's awesome. I was impressed when he picked off Drew Brees in the first quarter, for his second career interception (and second in two weeks), and then he proceeded to have one of the best defensive games I've seen out of a Jet. Coleman was all over the field - he was always where the ball was. And not in a Rodney Harrison/Ronnie Lott type of way, where the play ends and then they come flying in with a hard, late hit. Coleman was in on every tackle, he swooped in to recover a fumble on a missed exchange between the Chargers' center and Brees, and in the most impressive moment to me, Coleman chased LaDanian Tomlinson down the field, catching him from behind, then stripping the ball (it went out of bounds, but still, what hustle!) Great game by the rookie.

7) This point is a little disconcerting. The Jets get way too conservative at times. It's really frustrating. They spend most of the game kicking butt - looking like they can score at will. But then it's like they pull up and say, "Let's let the other guys get back into this game, before we put them away." Instead of throwing the ball downfield, the Jets call three runs up the middle in a row, punt the ball away, let the other team get within one score, then they open things up again. I guess I shouldn't complain, because they're 2-0, and Pennington is pretty much flawless, but man, just put someone away, will you?

Those are the thoughts that came to me while watching the Jets game. This is the hard part now, waiting two weeks for the next game (at Miami - and the Dolphins are involved in the worst football game I have ever watched, right now, with the Cincinnati Bengals). I could go nuts waiting for the bye week to end...that's the bad part about the Jets getting off to such a good start - I can't wait for the next game. That's part of the reason I started this site, to help pass the time between games, and now with my computer stolen, I can't even do that. Boo-hoo for me. Oh well.

For those who are interested, this was a brutal week for my picks. I'm out of my survival pool, thanks to Green Bay (more like no thanks to Green Bay), and as it stands right now I have a losing record against the spread on this site. But I can still salvage an 8-8...stay tuned. Thanks for reading - send your e-mails if you have thoughts on the Jets' week 2. If I don't print them tomorrow, hopefully I'll get onto a computer by Wednesday.