IN PRAISE OF MIKE TOMLIN

I think I have my NFL equivalent of Terry Francona - a favorite manager/head coach who I just can't root against, because I think they go about things the right way - and it again comes from an unlikely source.

I can't root for the Steelers - they give the Jets fits, knocked them out of the playoffs in 2004 - but I also can't root against them. I really like Mike Tomlin, and when I compile my list of NFL "Players I Like" (which I'm working on), he's the head coach.

First of all, I caught an episode of "Wired Up" on the NFL Network (I think that's what the show was called), and he was mini-featured. Nothing really personal or earth-shattering, just some sound of how he interacts with players. He seems real. Down-to-earth. Makes players want to go out and win for him. And most of all he seems genuine.

I've been bitten by that 'genuine' thing before - I thought Herman Edwards was genuine before he turned into a lying back-stabber. But this seems different.

He has an energy - he's young, and can closely relate to his players. So all that makes him someone you want your players playing for - because they want to play for him. But the reason I like him goes beyond that.

You watch any NFL game on any given week, and you see coaches who are constantly scowling and complaining. It doesn't look like anyone is having any fun.

Mike Tomlin seems different. He's not out there having a grand old time, but he also doesn't look like he's having the worst time of his life, like the other guys.

There's no constant complaining to the refs. There's a face, maybe, and he punches the air - kind of like I think I would do. But then it's back to business. He jumps around and looks excited when good things happen.

And most of all - he smiles a lot. Not just at the end of the game when the win is in hand. During the game. That's a big thing to me.

It's not like I see Mike Tomlin every week, so maybe my observations are way off base. And it just so happens that the day this is posted, the Steelers are playing the Patriots. That's not why I'm writing this - in fact, I think it's again better for the Jets if the Patriots win this week.

Mike Tomlin just seems like a good guy who is easy to root for. Even if he's hard to root for.

NFL WEEK 10 RECAP

Obviously, the best game of the week for me was the Jets picking apart the St. Louis Rams, 47-3. But I'm biased. So we'll take most of that game out of the equation. Here's the recap from Week 10, which ended last night with Arizona beating an inept San Francisco - from what I saw of the highlights at the end of the game, San Francisco managed the clock worse than Herman Edwards with the Jets:

BEST GAME OF WEEK 10: There were a lot of close games, some of which shouldn't have been close. (Incidentally, I picked these games all wrong - I though the Jaguars would barely get by the Lions, and the Chargers would take out their underachieving aggression on the Chiefs. Obviously, I had those reversed.) I guess the best games were Giants-Eagles, though some controversy marred that one (I didn't see the end - just the highlights - was that a Brandon Jacobs touchdown or not?), and the Packers-Vikings came down to a last-second field goal, but that game never grabbed my interest.

BEST PERFORMANCE OF WEEK 10: The Jets can't be ignored here - but specifically, Thomas Jones is having a very good year, and he set the tone on Sunday for the Jets against the Rams. He had 149 yards and 3 touchdowns.

WORST PERFORMANCE OF WEEK 10: The Panthers won in Oakland despite an awful outing by Jake Delhomme. The QB threw 4 interceptions, was just 7-for-27 overall, and had just 72 yards (one touchdown).

BEST GAME IN WEEK 11: Look no further than Thursday night's Jets-Patriots matchup. Althought another highlight of Week 11 is no more bye weeks - a full slate on Thursday through Monday.

BEST PERFORMANCE PREDICTED IN WEEK 11: I'm going with the Philadelphia defense against Cincinnati. At least 5 sacks, a couple of turnovers, one returned for a touchdown, and quite possibly a shutout.
-Last Week: I said Ronnie Brown would go for 110 yards and a touchdown as Miami beats Seattle 33-14. Brown had a touchdown, and Miami won, but I wasn't very close. It was a 21-19 win, and Brown had just 39 rushing yards (I was closer to Ricky Williams' numbers).

BOOK REVIEW

QUIET STRENGTH: THE PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES, & PRIORITIES OF A WINNING LIFE
By Tony Dungy, with Nathan Whitaker

I just got around to reading this book last week, and I really blew through it...and I really enjoyed it. I have to thank Dave in Brighton, and Mrs. Dave in Brighton, because it is through them that I got this book. They were nice enough to get me a gift on my big 29th birthday party this year (7/7/07!), but unfortunately, I already had the book they got me. (I guess they didn't read the blog carefully enough.) But I exchanged that book for this one over the summer, and now I've finally read it. So everything worked out.

This book started out rocky (the italics are direct quotes):

"...before we begin, I want to make sure we're starting at the same place. The point of this book is not the Super Bowl. In fact, it's not football."

What?

"This book is not only about me, either."

Well, then what is this book about? Football and Tony Dungy were the reasons I bought it!

"It's about the things I've learned, the mistakes I've made, and the heartaches that have made me lean into the Father's presence. I hope that when it's all said and done, you'll see that it's really all about Him."

Oh no! I've been tricked into a book about religion!

But not totally, and really, it was a good book.

Now, I have a pretty high tolerance for the religion piece, so I don't know that I can be a fair judge of whether or not Dungy beats the reader over the head with religion throughout the book. I will say he mentions it a lot, but not overwhelmingly so. The man's religious, and that comes across loud and clear. But he's also a good guy, who treats people the right way, and that makes anything he says more tolerable.

The best parts of the book were some of the inner workings of the NFL. There's a really good part when Dungy talks about the 1996 draft with Tampa Bay, when they end up 'settling' for Mike Alstott. The Jets were actually involved, screwing up the Bucs pick by taking receiver Alex Van Dyke when they had previously agreed to trade the pick so the Buccaneers could get Texas A&M running back Leeland McElroy. He went to the Cardinals, and Tampa ended up with Alstott. I'd say that non-trade worked out OK for Tampa, not so well for the other teams involved.

The connections between all of the coaches was pretty interesting too. Dungy worked with a number of people on different levels of different staffs. He didn't have the kindest words for the type of workhorse Marty Schottenheimer is, and of course, Dungy and Herman Edwards are close friends, so the former Jets coach features prominently in the book. If you can stand the religious talk, or at least be able to scan through the football portions of the book while skipping the religious parts, I'd really recommend the book.

HOW BAD ARE THE JETS RIGHT NOW?: Here's how bad the Jets are right now - the Jets, 2-9, are 1-and-a-half point underdogs at the 0-11 Miami Dolphins. Ouch.

COMMENT ON THE COMMENTS: Southern Bureau is not alone thinking that Shea is a dump...and he's entitled to his opinion, but for me, it will always be a special place. I can never categorize it as a dump, and that's not me being 'politically correct', it's just the way I feel.

HOW I SPENT PART OF THANKSGIVING WEEKEND: Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, Boston University took on Cornell in what was billed as "Red Hot Hockey: A Rivalry Renewed". My brother came through big time, using a connection to get me and Justin From NYC two tickets in a luxury box. For a while we thought we'd have the box to ourselves, but then other people showed up. Wildly - not only were they BU fans...they were also people Justin knew from BU - one was a guy who he and the Southern Bureau took under their wings and helped grow from radio intern to someone who now does something for a Redskins radio network. BU, having a terrible season so far, won the game, 6-3. This was our view from the suite:

PLAYOFF PREVIEW #2

Why the Jets would not be here with Herman Edwards

Eric Mangini has done a great job with the Jets this year. You can't overstate that fact. Without Eric Mangini, the Jets would not be a playoff team. But it's not just because of Eric Mangini that the Jets are where they are right now.

The Jets have built themselves a fresh coaching staff - a mix of veteran coaches as well as new entries to the coaching ranks. These coaches aren't afraid to take chances, and spice up the playbook. Last year's coaching staff was.

The biggest reason for the Jets' success this year, in my opinion, isn't Eric Mangini. It's Eric Mangini AND Brian Schottenheimer. I really think Schottenheimer deserves a lot of the credit for not only catering the offense to Chad Pennington's arm, but using the other weapons at his disposal to the best of their ability. Brad Smith is one of the more exciting players the Jets have had in a long time - and Schottenheimer has been creative in using him - it's great to watch.

Herman Edwards and his guys were stale. Doug Brien cost the Jets the chance at the AFC Championship Game two years ago, but Herman Edwards helped set him up to fail. The Jets wouldn't even be in shouting distance of the playoffs if those guys were still here. Here's why - they would have tried too hard to protect Chad Pennington - they weren't risk-takers. Curtis Martin might have been allowed to play, because of a soft spot in Herman Edwards' heart. And that would have hurt Martin and the team. And the Jets would probably have finished below .500.

This fresh bunch of coaches (some of whom, incidentally, actually played for Herman Edwards - Richie Anderson, for example) has pressed all the right buttons. Martin can't play - we'll start 4 different running backs - and each one has been successful on different days. Credit the defensive staff, too - continuing to develop the Jets' young talent into a formidable presence. Kerry Rhodes should have been a Pro Bowler this year - watch out for him in years to come. Jonathan Vilma is already a force in the AFC.

If things don't go well this weekend, I will come back to this write-up to remember how promising the future is for the Jets. I've said it before - although I fully expect the Jets to be dangerous this post-season, I look at this playoff run as a bonus for the young players. They have a chance to get some playoff experience under their belts, and make more playoff runs in the future. The same goes for the young coaching staff.

PREDICTION: Tomorrow I'll get into my playoff picks, but for today I'll give you this one tease - I believe the Jets will pull off one crazy gadget play during this game to try to catch the Patriots off guard. I'm sure we'll see some kind of reverse or end around, but I'm really thinking about a fake field goal or punt...more likely the latter.

STATS: Yesterday I mentioned Tom Brady's record on turf - 22-1. I would be remiss if I didn't mention his playoff record - 10-1. Gotta respect that. He talked yesterday about how he loves this time of year...how even though the body starts to wear down, you sort of get a second wind because it's the playoffs. He would know.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: It's Chad Pennington. Well-deserved - no one came back from a worse situation (well, unless you count the whole team of the New Orleans Saints - but that's not the way the award works) to do as well. He set a career high for yards this year, with 3,352. (Think that would have happened under Mike Heimerdinger?) Also, give Laveraues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery some credit here, too. Those guys got Pennington a lot of yards after the catch, and pulled down some clutch catches in some tough situations for him.

AND NOW, A RANT: I've been sitting on this one for a while, but I'm not unleashing it. Last year I went off on broadcasters who overuse the word "unbelievable". I don't know if it bothers me less, or if they listened to me, but the word seems to be used less. (I still hear it, mind you, because every so often I talk to the TV and ask the person if what they just observed was really unbelievable...but it seems to be less.) So now I ask for another phrase to come to an end.

The phrase is what it is. Actually, that's what it is. "It is what it is". I hate it. It is the most overused cliche right now. I've been thinking about this for years - I remember in April, 2004, having an argument with one of my cousins about this phrase - it's NONSENSE. The words have become popular in recent years, I'm sure, because they are overused by none other than Bill Belichick, and ever since the Patriots got good, it's all over the place.

Media Member: Bill, how big is this weekend's game?
Belichick: You know, they're all big. It is what it is.

Media Member: How bad does this week's loss sit with the team?
Belichick: All losses are tough. It is what it is.

Drives me nuts. To me, it seems to have originated as coachspeak, then turned into a lockerroom cliche, and then it became sports radio language. It means NOTHING! You might as well say nothing. Everything is what it is. It bothers me...a lot. I want it to go away. And don't get me started with "Threw him under the bus".

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Reportedly overheard in Jacksonville from a Patriots coach after the Patriots clinched the division by beating the Jaguars.

"Take that, Eric Mangini - We're division champs!"

I saw that a couple of weeks ago in the Boston Globe. That's not the way the World Champion New England Patriots behave. That sounds like a team I'd like the Jets to be facing in the playoffs....a little too concerned about what's going on elsewhere.

Those were my initial thoughts when I read that quote in the Globe. Now, of course, the Patriots get Eric Mangini and his New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Round 1 of the playoffs. Take that, Eric Mangini.

I actually feel the Jets match up well against the Patriots (you didn't think differently, did you?). The Jets beat the Patriots in Foxboro already this season. The negatives, of course, are that you're giving Bill Belichick and his staff a third game against you - if he doesn't have you figured out by game 2 (which it's hard to say he didn't - he had the Jets figured out the first time they met this season), he'll have you figured out by game 3. And the Jets beat the Pats in the muck and mud at Gillette the first time around - now there's the Field Turf, and Tom Brady is something like 22-1 all-time on turf (and the Pats haven't lost at home since the field has been installed).

That said, I can say the reverse - Eric Mangini sure seemed to have the Pats figured out the last time these two teams met. The Jets did exactly what they needed to do - put pressure on Brady, and rough him up, and force him to make mistakes or throw bad passes. They need to do that again this week.

It's going to be some kind of game. The Patriots are about a 9-point favorite right now. I'm not going to publish my pick until the end of the week, but I will say that I think that's ridiculous. The Patriots will not beat the Jets by 9 points. As a matter of fact, I don't think they'll beat them at all. Take that, Patriots fans.

SABAN: I am proud to say that I didn't believe for a second that Nick Saban would stay with the Miami Dolphins and pass on the Alabama job. Do you know why? Because coaches are liars. I don't care that he couldn't pass up that money. I don't care that he was pestered for two weeks about it. I care that he flat-out said he had no interest in coaching Alabama, and was going to stay with the Dolphins. But I learned my lesson from Herman Edwards last year - just because Nick Saban (or any coach) says they won't leave doesn't mean they won't leave. I shouldn't care. I really shouldn't. (I actually prefer to see the Dolphins in turmoil, so I should enjoy this, and part of me does.) But he lied. He flat-out lied. I would rather he said something like, no comment, and I won't comment on that until the season is over. But instead, he lied something awful, saying he had no interest, and wouldn't be leaving. I think that makes you sound like a worse person than you are, because you're going back on your word.

NFL NETWORK: Thanks to DirecTV, I have the NFL Network. I've been meaning to post about the Thursday/Saturday night games for a while. Bryant Gumbel is awful as a play-by-play guy. Awful. And Chris Collinsworth is fantastic as a color guy. I can't believe I used to not like Collinsworth. I have no idea why...he's very good. Here's an example of his great color work though - last Saturday, early in the Giants game against Washington, Tiki Barber is just starting to slice through the Redskins' defense, and Collinsworth says, "If the Redskins don't put 8 men up on the line of scrimmage, Tiki's going to run for 200 yards." On the next play, Barber rips off a 55-yard touchdown run. Collinsworth says, "Maybe 300." It was great - Barber finished with 234 yards rushing. Good work, Chris.

The other thing about the NFL Network, though, is they are playing these recaps of the greatest Super Bowl champs of all time. I have no opinions on the order in which they play these, but I've seen 2-and-a-half of the shows, and they are fantastic. I watched a little of the 1970 Chiefs, the entire 1996 Packers, and the 1990 Giants. The deal is, they have three figures from the team tell the story of the team. It's just great. I want to try to watch them all, but I don't know if I have the time. If you do, make sure you do it.

ON TO THE PLAYOFFS....

Jets 23, Raiders 3 (NYJ: 10-6, OAK: 2-14)

The Jets beat the Raiders on Sunday, 23-3, to finish at 10-6, and clinch a playoff berth. I can't believe that I'm actually writing playoff previews now.

First, Sunday's game. It wasn't as dominating as I expected. The Raiders couldn't do anything, but the Jets weren't doing much for the first three quarters either. At no time was I afraid the Jets would lose, but I really wanted them to just blow the doors off the Raiders, and that didn't happen until the fourth quarter.

Later on Sunday afternoon, the Broncos blew their lead to the 49ers, and the Colts, Chargers, and Ravens all won, setting up this week's playoff matchups of the Colts versus the Chiefs, and the Jets versus the Patriots. I can't believe the Jets are going to be playing the Patriots. There's a lot to write about this week - I'll have an entry everyday. But first, today, I'm going to revisit Sunday before looking ahead to the playoffs.

There's a reason I don't break my back to go down to New York (actually, New Jersey for the games) for every Jets home game. And I always forget what that reason is, until I'm sitting there in Section 336 at Giants Stadium. The people in my section are idiots. It's nearly impossible to focus on the football game. There's a guy who sits behind us - for years this guy has been sitting behind us - but somehow, his son hasn't aged...the kid is like Bart Simpson. This guy, who my dad aptly, perfectly, called "Nitwit" on Sunday, has been insulting Jets quarterbacks from the upper deck since Ken O'Brien. Anyway, this guy is the most annoying person in sports fan history (but he's not the only one in our section). (And I know that there are probably other sections in the stadium that are bad, and there are other sections that are probably great to sit in, but I don't sit there. I have to sit with these people.) It's hard to enjoy the game when this guy is behind you yelling at Chad Pennington all game to "Throw the long pass Chad! The 10-yard one!" Followed immediately by, "Chad! Throw the medium pass - the 6-yard one!" It's funny, ten times a game, you see, because Chad Pennington doesn't have a great arm. But at least when he yells that he's watching the game. 90% of the game this guy is watching the scoreboard, making sure everyone knows who he bet money on (and in my case, who we're really rooting for to lose). Sunday, it was Cincinnati. I was quite pleased when I came home to find out how the Bengals lost. Oh - and he had the "over" in the Jets game - so he's the only nitwit in the stadium rooting for the Raiders to score. My dad made a funny observation - this guy has never won a bet in all the years he's been sitting behind us. He must win the weeks we're not there.

OK, then there's the drunk people. Way too many drunk people. It's dangerous. We also sit two sections over from the section they sell to fans from the opponents' city. So there are also a lot of fights. I don't feel safe a lot of the time.

Two more complaints, then I'll focus on the football. Two rows in front of us, there's a group of grown men, I'd say in their late fifties, early sixties, and their sons, maybe my age...maybe everyone's a bit younger than I'm estimating. But they look like good football fans. They look like people who'll be paying attention to the game. But, no...they spend the entire game making paper airplanes and seeing if they can get them to fly onto the field. And they don't just buy a program (or take the free one we're given at the door) and rip out pages...they bring their own white paper with them to the game. IT'S PRE-MEDITATED, PEOPLE!!

And my last one - the guy who brought a sign to the game. In the past few years, they've installed a camera at Giants Stadium above the tunnel in our section. I'm not really sure why, we're in the corner of the end zone - it's not a great view, but it does offer a decent panorama of the field. (If you're ever watching a Jets or Giants game with me, I'll point out the shot - they use it like twice a game.) Anyway, once in the game this camera turns around for a crowd shot, and this guy and his 12-or-so-year-old son have a sign that says "JETS - Come Back Season" - a good CBS sign, you figure probably this guy will get on TV. He's up every commercial waving it at the cameraguy - fine, whatever. Every commercial. Then he starts doing it during the game. Then -this is hilarious - the cameraguy has the camera pointed at him, and it looks like they're going to show this guy on TV, and people start gathering around the camera and waving, as they are wont to do (and totally in their right to do). And the guy starts yelling at all the people in front of him, "HEY! THE GUY IS TRYING TO TAKE A PICTURE! F-IN' PEOPLE." Classic. I'm not sure the people in front of you knew that the guy was taking video there. They thought they were waving into a mirror, you moron.

OK, it feels good to get all that out. My final thoughts on Sunday's game, then the rest of the week is a playoff preview:

• The Jets played a video montage of Curtis Martin towards the end of the game. The crowd gave it a standing ovation. I scanned the sidelines with the binoculars, but it didn't seem like Martin was there. A shame if he's played his last game (as a Jet or otherwise). But it was nice that they gave him the tribute.
• The Jets do have cheerleaders (I forgot if I speculated on that here or talking to someone). The women in tight green outfits replace guys who use to run around carrying flags when the Jets would score. I told my dad, "Eric Mangini has done a nice job re-doing the Jets' image this year, but I don't think you can credit him as a 'genius' for this move. How smart do you have to be to say, 'You know how we have those fat guys running around carrying flags after touchdowns and field goals? What if we replaced them with hot chicks?'"

This thought occurred to me yesterday, because when we left the Jets game, we thought there'd be no way we'd be going back. But that was when the Jets were the lowest seed. Now the Chiefs are the lowest seed. And they could beat Indy, what with Larry Johnson running (though I'm not sure they will). Anyway, if the Jets win out, and the Chiefs win out, the AFC Championship will be at the Jets. Welcome back, Herman Edwards. Wouldn't that be something. I would even put up with the bozos in Section 336 to go back to the Meadowlands to boo Herm Edwards.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

There's a lot to update on the state of the Jets. I don't have time for all that now...time to focus on the Mets. But I didn't want to completely ignore the latest developments.

First, personally, I am mad at Herman Edwards. The Jets knew they were heading for a tough off-season, what with the salary cap problems, and the big contracts that would need to be restructured or released. I think Edwards is part coward, because he had a chance to escape all of these tough decisions by taking the job in Kansas City.

Today, the Jets released Ty Law, Jay Fiedler, Jerald Sowell, and Jason Fabini. None are huge surprises, especially Law and Fiedler. Sowell and Fabini were long-time Jets, so these moves sort of go along with the change of regime. Things are going to look a lot different on the field next year. Look for B.J. Askew to be a big factor at fullback.

Curtis Martin had his contract restructured, so it looks like he's a part of Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum's plans. Mangini says he really respects Martin, and since Martin is such a good veteran influence, he will be THE guy in the lockerroom.

The big question still surrounds Chad Pennington. He didn't get cut today, so that's a good thing. March 3, I think, is the deadline for these decisions to be made...and there's still a significant possibility that he will be cut. I just can't see it. Sure, he's being overpaid right now, because he's been injured. But what he has done for this organization has earned him the right to at least compete for his job over the summer, and I think, given that chance, he will show that he is still capable of leading the offense. I know, I'm an optimist - maybe unrealistic. But he's had full healing time, and he's a competitor (not to mention a winner) - and people don't believe in him right now, so I think all of that points to a better Chad Pennington this season. Cutting him, I think, would be a mistake. As for the anonymous Jets player who compared Pennington to an "egg" in the pocket - it was probably an offensive lineman, whose fault it is that Pennington has taken the hits that have contributed to him being injured.

That's where I'll leave it for now - there's going to be lots to talk about this off-season, and if I'm not absorbed in baseball, I'll devote some time to the Jets.

Welcome back to 1992. Or 1993. Or 1995. Or any other hopeless time in the history of the Jets. Because that's where we're again headed.

I don't know why I trust sports figures. Not just athletes now, but coaches as well. I believed Herman Edwards when he said he wanted to be head coach of the Jets for the next 10 years - way back at the beginning of the season when the Edwards-to-K.C. rumors first started swirling. I believed him again at the end of the season, when Dick Vermeil had announced his retirement, and the rumors kicked up again, and Edwards said he didn't plan on going anywhere. But money speaks loud, very loud, I suppose. And despite Terry Bradway's claims that he wanted Edwards back, lately, he didn't. So Herman Edwards is gone, and all the Jets have in his place is a fourth-round draft pick.

The departure of Edwards isn't the only shoe to drop. No, so many shoes will be dropping in the Jets' offices it will be like an earthquake hit a shoe store. First of all, the players had a very good rapport with Edwards. I'm willing to bet 75% of the players who would have come back to the Jets while Edwards was still head coach will now look elsewhere (some of them may very well consider joining the Kansas City Chiefs). Those who are left behind will toil under a new head coach they will not like nearly as much, and will have to adjust to a new system.

Speaking of new systems, the coaches aren't going to be the same. Remember Mike Heimerdinger's one-year-stint as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets? Yeah, I doubt he'll be back for a new coach...he might, but I doubt it. It actually depends on who the new coach is - more on that later - but if it's an insecure guy who wants his own people in there, Heimerdinger's gone. If it's someone who's comfortable enough in what he does, maybe he'll keep Heimerdinger on, realizing that it would kill the Jets to have to learn another new offense.

Then there's defense. Donnie Henderson is probably not going to get the head coaching position, and I don't imagine he'll be sticking around for another coach. If he goes anywhere else as an assistant, he'll probably re-join Edwards in K.C. He's also being considered for head coaching positions elsewhere.

This is probably a good time to insert the current mailbag - featuring one relevant e-mail (OK, one e-mail at all):

"Johnny...

Obviously the playoff picks are important, but the Herm Edwards era is OVER in New York. I know earlier in a BLOG you said you liked him (when I questioned him), but now that he's leaving....thoughts?? How could this happen?? Are you upset?? What sort of coach should be the next coach?? Any specific names??

kevin
JJDBSDC Southern Bureau Chief"

Well, I did like Herman Edwards a lot. I really did. Yes, now that it's over, it's easier to see his flaws (get ready for clock management issues, Kansas City), but he was a great motivator, and you could see his players loved playing (and winning) for him. I liked rooting for him. He seemed honest with the media, wearing his heart on his sleeve....until recently. Clearly, I think you can tell I'm upset by this, because the Jets are spiraling into a bad time...because the Jets being the Jets, they will probably make the wrong choice for the next head coach.

The right choice for the next head coach of the New York Jets would be Mike Sherman. The former Green Bay head coach is no-nonsense, and might restore some credibility to a franchise that was heading in the right direction, but has just come crashing back to where it was 15 years ago. I also think he got a raw deal being fired in Green Bay, and it would be a steal for the Jets to be able to scoop him up.

The absolute WRONG choice for the Jets would be Jim Haslett. Here's why. The Jets under Jim Haslett:
2006: 6-10
2007: 7-9
2008: 7-9
2009: 7-9 (fired at the end of the season)
Welcome to mediocrity - or whatever lies just below mediocrity.

The right choice for the Jets would involve someone who doesn't underachieve (*cough* Haslett *cough*), and someone who can make the Jets believe they can win again. And I know I've beaten this drum before, but it has to be someone who believes in Chad Pennington's ability to bounce back and again be a good quarterback. This is probably an entry for a different day, but I saw a post-season interview with Pennington, and he said he's on track for his recovery. 32 weeks after his first surgery, he said, was opening day in Kansas City. 32 weeks after this most recent surgery, he says, will be mini-camp. So this time, he says, time will not be an issue. He's going to go out and compete with whoever else the Jets bring in to challenge him at quarterback, and I believe he's going to win out, and do well again as Jets' quarterback (there I go again, believing what an athlete tells the media). But I am shying away from the thinking that Chad Pennington's career is over.

How about this for an ideal situation, that I just thought up...Mike Sherman is hired as head coach. Pennington comes back, and wins the starting job over new backup....Brett Favre, who retired from Green Bay, but announced he was coming back to play for his old coach (I think he really liked Sherman), and agreed to back up Pennington if Pennington earned the starting job, which he did. That would be something.

I need to vent about something, now a little bit off topic. It's the word "unbelievable". This word has taken over the sports lexicon. Watch any analyst, sports broadcast, or even news show (it's snuck its way into the news lexicon to a point), and chances are you will hear this word used to describe something or someone. I've found lately that nothing is unbelievable, because so many crazy things happen in sports, you just have to believe what you see. But there people are, describing Vince Young's performance in the Rose Bowl as "unbelievable". Or Shaun Alexander's season as "unbelievable" (Oh, by the way - another rant - people are all over Alexander these days, as 'the best player you've never heard of'. No, I've heard of him. He's still the most selfish player in the NFL. He's not an MVP. Remember, last year, Alexander got mad at Mike Holmgren for keeping him out of a one-yard run situation when he could have scored a touchdown, and then he ended up missing the NFL rushing title by a yard? Well, this year he won the rushing title and set a touchdown record, and there's peace and harmony in Seattle. I was watching the Colts-Seahawks game, when Alexander was approaching the record, and he's running in from the sidelines in a goal-line situation to get his touchdown, when Holmgren is calling him back, because he doesn't want him in on that particular play. You might say that's a guy who's excited about playing, I say, based on his track record, that's a selfish player more concerned about individual statistics than team performance. By the way - the reason Holmgren wouldn't want him in in a goal-line situation? Shaun Alexander is a fumbler. And I think he'll cost Seattle a playoff game with his fumbles this year. So there.) Anyway, I get mad at myself whenever I use the word "unbelievable" - I wish others would try to curb their use of the word.

Playoff picks: I really like Washington to beat Tampa Bay today. Tampa is giving 2, but I think Washington will beat them outright. I just think Joe Gibbs has it together there, and can beat Chris Simms in his first playoff start. Also, Washington is probably looking for revenge from Tampa's dramatic comeback win over the Redskins in the regular season. I'll say Washington, 31-10.

I don't want New England to beat the Jaguars tonight. I definitely don't. But I have a feeling they will. Jacksonville claims to be underappreciated this year - I've been calling them the worst 12-4 team ever. They'll earn my respect if they come out and beat a good team. This is a team, mind you, that could only muster 10 points against the 49ers and eke out a 10-9 win. I think Jacksonville keeps it closer than the 7-and-a-half-points in the spread, but New England (disrespected? please give me a break) wins, maybe 23-17.

On Sunday, the Giants-Panthers game is a tough call. Eli Manning is making his first playoff start against a Panthers team that is similar to the one that went to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, but I think the Giants will win. Maybe it's because they're home, maybe because they've been playing well lately. I say Giants will cover the 2-and-a-half, and win, 27-20.

Then the Steelers visiting the Bengals. This one has Steelers written all over it. The Bengals have been struggling the past few weeks, they've reached the high of making the playoffs. I think Cincinnati will be dangerous next year, but look for Jerome Bettis to score a couple of touchdowns, and the Steelers to easily beat the Bengals, and cover the 3-point spread. I say Pittsburgh, 24-14.

My NFL New Year's Resolution - to cut down on my use of the word 'unbelievable', and realize that all sports figures, head coaches who I trust included, are not to be believed...dare I say, they are 'unbelievable'.

I'm feeling a bit of blog envy. My friends write better blogs than me. See the "Orange Couch" (which seems to be losing a bit of steam, now that I bring it up), and naturalbl0g.blogspot.com (this should be a link, but I can't even manage to make it a link...exhibit C as to why I'm feeling inferior blog-wise). Anyway, naturalbl0g is the best thing to hit the internet since espn.com. Or johnnymets/jets.blogspot.com. Check it out.

A little bit of Jets success, though, as I discussed with the author of the naturalbl0g, would go a long way to improving my interest in this writing space...so I guess I'm not totally responsible. On to the Week 11 picks.

I was wrong. I thought, in his spotty appearances, that Brooks Bollinger was capable of leading an NFL team. He's not. Credit the coaches for realizing that and making an effort (albeit it was with Vinny Testaverde)...now they need to get themselves a capable plan B, in case Chad Pennington's worst case scenario comes through next year.

Also, a note on the Herman Edwards situation...apparently, Edwards is a serious candidate for other head coaching jobs that might open up across the NFL after this season, in particular Kansas City. Edwards insists he'll stay in New York, but the speculation is rampant. Everything I'm reading talks about what a better fit Edwards would be for Kansas City, while Edwards is saying all the right things, that he wants to be in New York for at least 10 more years, etc. I want to believe Herman Edwards, because if nothing else, his credibility has been a big part of his coaching career so far. And I think he'll stay, as long as it's his decision. If he gets fired, I think he would be a lot happier with the lifestyle in Kansas City, where I'm sure there's a lot of passion for football, but let's face it, it's not New York. But from what I'm seeing, Edwards will not be fired, and I'm betting he'll be back in New York next year, with a pretty good crop of rookies after a high draft pick this year. That high draft pick will come after a bad loss to Denver this week, but I think the Jets will somehow manage to pull out a backdoor cover of the 13-and-a-half-point spread in Denver. I think maybe it'll be Broncos 30, Jets 17. With a late Jets' touchdown to get the spread covered. (Dave takes the Broncos, the wife takes the Jets.)

By the way, this is by far turning into my worst football season ever. The Jets suck, my picks suck, and my fantasy team(s) suck. I went 4-10 last week, Dave was 7-7, and the wife took charge with a 9-5 record. She leads at 72-68-4, I'm next at 66-74-4, and then Dave is 58-66-4. Dave is predicting another .500 week for himself. I just want more than 4 wins. By the way - the bye weeks are now over, so there are 16 games per week to pick. Here they are:

A big NFC matchup gets things started - the Bears hosting the Panthers, with the Panthers favored by 2-and-a-half. I know the Bears have been playing well, but they still need to show me they can beat a team like the Panthers. I take Carolina giving the points. (Dave and the wife also take Carolina.)

In Tennessee, Jacksonville is favored by 4 points. That seems about right. Jacksonville will probably win by 6, I take the Jaguars. (Dave and the wife also take Jacksonville.)

In Cincinnati, the Bengals once again host a tough AFC opponent, in the Colts (they lost to Pittsburgh earlier in the year). The Colts are 5-point favorites. I think the Bengals are now better than the Steelers, and could beat them. But I don't think they're better than the Colts. I look for them to go 10-0, and to cover the spread. (Dave and the wife take Cincinnati as well.)

The Patriots host the Saints, and are 9-point favorites. I don't think the Patriots will lose this game, but I think the Saints might keep it to a 7-point game. I take the Saints plus the points. (Dave and the wife both take New England.)

Saint Louis is home to Arizona, and are 9-and-a-half point favorites. It's always emotional when the Cardinals come back to Saint Louis...actually, no it's not. I take the Rams to win by ten. (Dave takes the Rams, the wife takes the Cardinals.)

Atlanta is at home, and is a 6-point favorite over Tampa Bay. This is a tough matchup for the Falcons, but I don't think Tampa is going to keep things rolling with Chris Simms. I think people are overblowing last week's performance a little bit. We'll see. Either way, I take Atlanta minus the points. (Dave and the wife take the Buccaneers.)

Washington hosts Oakland, and is giving 6 points. Washington should beat Oakland easy, unless they're so beat down by last week's disaster against Tampa Bay. I take Washington minus 6. (Dave and the wife also take the Redskins.)

In Dallas, the Cowboys are 8-point favorites over the Lions. The Cowboys should really win this one, as both teams head into their Thanksgiving games. I take Dallas. (Dave takes the Cowboys, the wife takes the Lions.)

The Giants host the McNabb and Owens-less Eagles, with New York favored by seven-and-a-half. I could see this game being the type where the Giants fall asleep against what has become a subpar team (see Minnesota last week), but I don't think it will happen two weeks in a row. I take the Giants. (Dave and the wife take the Giants too.)

Cleveland is a home favorite over the Dolphins, by 2 points. I'm not sure why. The Dolphins should win this game outright. I take Miami. (Dave and the wife take Cleveland.)

In San Francisco, the Seahawks are 12-and-a-half point favorites over the 49ers. Seattle is a crapshoot on the road anywhere, even if it is San Francisco. I'll take them, though, to win by two touchdowns...I'm not sure why I'm doing that. (Dave takes the Seahawks, the wife takes the 49ers.)

In San Diego, the Chargers are 10-and-a-half point favorites over the Bills. These have been two tough teams for me to pick this year - the Chargers because I don't like them at all, and the Bills because I can't figure them out. And it's not made easier by the fact that J.P. Losman is back and starting this week in San Diego. My dislike of the Chargers overshadows the inability to pick the Bills this week. At least for the spread. I think the Bills might win, but I'm definitely taking them plus-10-and-a-half. (Dave and the wife both take the Bills.)

There's No Line on the Steelers and the Ravens, in Baltimore. Tommy Maddox is starting for the Steelers. I'm taking the Ravens. Just a hunch. (Dave and the wife both take Pittsburgh.)

Kansas City is in Houston Sunday night, with the Chiefs favored by 7. I take Kansas City, although they haven't been playing too well lately. (Dave takes the Chiefs, the wife takes the Texans.)

Finally, Monday night it's Green Bay hosting the Vikings, with the Packers favored by five. I take the Packers, because they're home. (Dave takes Green Bay, the wife takes Minnesota.)

Tune in Wednesday for the Thanksgiving picks.

Just a quick update to get some things off my mind:

Terrell Owens missed someone in his apology to the world the other day: Fantasy Football Owners of Terrell Owens. He really screwed up my season. Maybe I was dumb to draft him, but by the time I had my draft, things seemed to be settled with the Eagles, I thought he would play out the season. What a jerk.

Wayne Chrebet is expected to retire after suffering another concussion on Sunday. As soon as his head hit the turf, I knew his career was done. It's a little sad - a big change for the Jets. But it would be even more sad if Chrebet winds up brain damaged. We'll never know, because he kept to himself as a player...in retirement, I doubt we'll ever hear from him again.

Brooks Bollinger will start for the Jets in Carolina on Sunday. About four weeks too late. That's the first mistake I will peg Herman Edwards with in his head coaching tenure - not turning the reins over to Bollinger sooner. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a bunch of jerks for not blowing out the Jets when Vinny returned....I can't believe the Jets won that game. It ruined the season. Bollinger throws a nice-looking ball. His only problem is he's short. He's been able to make runs late in the games where the Jets have trailed and he's replaced Testaverde. If he had started, the Jets might have won a couple. I don't care about a high draft pick...if that's going to happen, fine, it's going to happen. But let Bollinger throw the ball, and anything could have happened a few weeks ago - this division was wide open, a couple of wins could have put the Jets in first place. Now it's too far to climb, and that's not fair to Bollinger. It'll be fun to watch him play a game where he will be free to be a quarterback, not a hander-offer (like he was in the Baltimore game, where the Jets wouldn't let him throw the ball). Tough thing, though, with this start coming against the Carolina defense.

Speaking of Carolina and defenses...as in defense attorney....the Panthers' cheerleading squad will be short a couple of members. I wonder if Kevin, the JJDBSDC Southern Bureau Chief, got to cover that story. And I also think the blonde cheerleader could have done a little better for herself than the brunette she was with. If there are 33 members of the "Top Cats" (and there are - I counted), I'd rank the girl she was with at about number 30. Shoot higher, blondie.

Picks on Friday.

Because this is so late, I offer my apologies to those of you who actually look for my picks for anything other than entertainment purposes (and my apologies for not picking well thus far this season). Friday night was busy, and Saturday the website was down...but I'm still posting these picks with three hours to go until kickoffs....so we're OK.

I want to start with this e-mail from the Southern Bureau (also mentioned by Dave in Brighton...and heard on ESPNRadio):

"Johnny...

Found this stat online....

'Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson has as many touchdown passes (three) as all Jets quarterbacks combined. Three attempts, three TDs for L.T. New York's healthy but ineffective combo of Vinny Testaverde and Brooks Bollinger hasn't found the end zone in 111 attempts.'

Thoughts?? Do the Jets go QB in the offseason?? Do you sit up and night and wonder what Philip Rivers would look like in green?? Matt Shaub perhaps?? Do the Jets - like the Giants - try and make the big splash and trade up to #1 in the draft (for Leinart, I would assume)?? Or...are the problems bigger than just QB position??

And the big question - how much longer does their coach get a free ride?? He's just barely over 500 in his coaching record. And...he hasn't won anything.

kevin"

Lots to address in there. Let me start off by saying it's good to hear from Kevin again...I know football season isn't the best time of year for you, but I'm glad you're weighing in. As for the Tomlinson stat, it's pretty embarrassing. At least, I hope Testaverde is embarrassed by it. And here's some big news - I think Testaverde gets a couple of touchdown tosses today and the Jets beat the Chargers. Really, I do. The Jets, for some reason, have had the Chargers' number the past few seasons. In 2002, the game at San Diego was the one that propelled the Jets towards .500 when things looked very bleak, and the Jets went on to win the division. Last year, the Jets beat the Chargers in San Diego during the regular season, and then beat them again in that heart-stopping playoff game. Now it's the Chargers who are coming east, and I think the Jets beat them. It'll be mostly due to the defense, but I think Vinny does enough to help the offense get on the board a few times. This is also one of those stars aligning things, for me, because I've been saying how much I don't believe in the Chargers this year, and people are loving them because they've been losing such close games, but maybe this loss to the Jets will make people realize that the Chargers are going nowhere this year.

So there's my pick. To address the other issues in the e-mail - the win today by the Jets will have a negative impact on their chase for the first overall pick in the draft. But they'll still finish the season with a very high draft pick. I would love to see Vince Young as the Jets' quarterback next year, but I don't even think he'll come out this year. I do think quarterback is the biggest thing the Jets need to take care of...I don't think they can count on Chad Pennington being healthy (if it happens, great - but he's really seriously injured). Lots of people are saying Matt Leinart, and that's a real possibility - and it would give the Jets a bona fide QB (until he gets hurt, because the Jets can't get anything easy). Others are saying Brady Quinn...and that would be a typical Jets' move - because he probably won't be a good pro quarterback - he's perfect for Weis' system, and he will probably be a middling NFL QB. I want Leinart or Young...and I think the Jets would need to go quarterback over a guy like Mike Bush....but even an athlete like Bush wouldn't be the worst thing. I doubt they'll make a move for Rivers...if I get a chance this week, maybe I'll take a look at which quarterbacks are likely to be brought in by the Jets.

Lastly, the Herman Edwards situation. You're right. He's only 37-34 in his five years, with a 2-3 postseason record. But here's my argument in his defense (because I think he's a great coach). He went 10-6 in 2001, leading the Jets to the playoffs, losing in the first round. In 2002, the Jets started awfully, he made the QB switch, the team finished 9-7 and won the division. 1-1 in the playoffs. In 2003, injuries hit, 6-10, tough luck. In 2004, 10-6, wild card, 1-1 in the postseason. Now, 2-5, more injuries. He's only played with a full deck in three of his five seasons, and in those three seasons, he's done better than almost every other coach the Jets have had in their history. It's not often that the Jets are playoff contenders, and he has turned around this organization into a team that expects to be there every year. Now there's a big test, and if he doesn't get the chance to take the test, it would be unfair. The Jets are going to have to start from scratch somewhat. He had the pieces in place, for the most part, through his first four seasons (adding or taking away players here and there). Now he needs to build himself a team. If it doesn't happen quickly, fire him. I'll be fine with that. But he should at least get the chance to bring in his type of player, build his type of a team (as much as he's allowed, since he doesn't make all personnel decisions), and do what he does best, motivate, and get his guys to play, and see where the Jets are in a few years. I think he deserves that shot.

So, the picks. The Jets are five-point underdogs. I take them to win outright, Dave in Brighton takes the Chargers -5, and the wife takes the Jets +5.

Last week all three of us were 5-9. The wife is still the overall leader at 56-57-3, I'm next at 55-58-3, and then it's Dave at 43-54-3. A lot of road favorites this week - I'm not crazy about there being that many home 'dogs. This will probably be a crazy week.

In Minnesota, it's the Lions as 1-and-a-half-point favorites over the Vikings. The Vikings are going nowhere fast, and now Brad Johnson is the quarterback, with Daunte Culpepper out for a while. I take Detroit giving the points, despite Joey Harrington starting again in place of Jeff Garcia. (Dave and the wife also both take Detroit.)

Cleveland is a 3-point favorite over Tennessee in Cleveland. What a joke the Browns are - they're insulted last week because they were 2-point underdogs against the winless Texans. Well, guys, when you're that insulted you have to prove why, and go out and beat the winless Texans. Not become their first win of the season. Tennessee isn't bad enough to be an underdog here. I take the Titans, +3. (Dave and the wife both take CLE -3.)

In Kansas City, the Chiefs are four-and-a-half point favorites over the Raiders. The Raiders have started to play like I've been expecting them to all year, but that's been at home. I don't think they go into Kansas City and win. I've been wrong before (and quite often), but I'm taking the Chiefs minus the points here. (Dave and the wife also both take K.C.)

New Orleans is home to Chicago, and they are 2-point underdogs. Besides the Jets, the first of the home 'dogs. I don't know why I keep picking the Saints, since they're awful. But something about the Bears coming off a big win last week, then going on the road....I take New Orleans, +2. (Dave and the wife also take New Orleans.)

Cincinnati is a 3-point favorite in Baltimore. (Another home 'dog.) Baltimore stinks, though. I don't know how they played the Steelers so tight last Monday night. I take Cincy, -3. (Dave and the wife also take Cincinnati.)

Tampa Bay, at home, is a 1-point favorite over Carolina. Carolina is a lot better than Tampa Bay, no matter where this game is. And Tampa is without their quarterback. And they've lost to the Jets and the 49ers. That has to hurt. I take Carolina, +1. (Dave and the wife also both take Carolina.)

At Jacksonville, the Jaguars are 11-point favorites over the Texans. The Texans are coming off that first win, and I just found out they're probably going to be without starting RB Domanick Davis. It still doesn't change my pick. I'm not sure I've ever seen the Jaguars win a game by more than ten points. They just don't blow teams out. The Jaguars will win, but I take the Texans +11. (Dave and the wife also both take Houston.)

Atlanta is a two-and-a-half point favorite in Miami. (Another home 'dog.) Atlanta should have no problems in this one (meaning they will probably lose). I take the Falcons giving the points. (Dave and the wife also both take Atlanta.)

In San Francisco, the Giants are 10-point favorites over the 49ers. The Giants are legit. I might expect a Giants-Colts Super Bowl. They should blow the doors off San Francisco, even out west. I take the Giants...it doesn't even merit mentioning that the 49ers are a home 'dog. (Dave takes the Giants, the wife couldn't resist the big points, taking San Francisco.)

In Arizona, the Seahawks are four-and-a-half-point favorites over the Cardinals. Kurt Warner, I believe, is back at QB for the Cards. The Seahawks are bad on the road, but they're still road favorites here. I take Seattle, giving the points. (Dave and the wife also take Seattle.)

Big time home 'dog warning here - at Green Bay, the Steelers are 6-point favorites over the Packers. We took this line before it was announced that Roethlisberger wouldn't play (it's down to 3 now). But the Packers have been keeping games close, despite stinking it up. I think they have a shot at winning this one, so I take Green Bay. (Dave and the wife also take Green Bay.)

Sunday night, Philadelphia is a 1-point favorite over the Redskins. I took Philadelphia, and now Terrell Owens is suspended. I would change my pick, but I feel it's almost dishonest to do so without telling the wife or Dave, so I'll keep my pick at Philly. This is another home 'dog situation, by the way. (In the pool that I actually have a financial interest in, I switched my Eagles pick to the Redskins, so don't cry for me.) I take Philly. (Dave and the wife take Washington +1.)

Finally, Monday night, New England is the biggest home 'dog of them all. The Colts are 3-point favorites in Foxboro. I think this is where Peyton Manning finally gets his win at the Patriots. I take the Colts -3. (Dave in Brighton takes the Pats - "NE a home dog? Wow", he says. The wife also takes New England.)

Another week with a lot of similar picks. Should be a crazy week. Enjoy.

MOVE OVER MIAMI

Jets 17, Dolphins 7 (NYJ: 1-1; MIA: 1-1)

Week One is a distant memory. The Jets are tied for first place.

A couple of weeks ago, leading up to the season opener, I think I wrote something to the effect of: the Jets will need their defense to carry them early in the year, while the offense works out its bugs. Clearly they needed a stronger effort from the defense last week against Kansas City, but the offense was a lost cause. Sunday's game against the Dolphins was more of what I think we can expect from the Jets in coming weeks - great defense, effective-enough offense, and hopefully by the end of the year the offense is even better. The Jets are going to be good this year - everything is going to be OK - but they aren't going to blow teams out, and the wins probably aren't going to be pretty - they'll be typical Jets wins...but the point is, they will get plenty of wins.

The Jets got a lot of help Sunday too. First of all, they beat the Dolphins, so they're 1-0 in the division. That's big. They can't lose division games in the first place - let alone to Miami. They'll have a tough enough time with Buffalo and New England. But both of those teams dropped to 1-1 with losses on Sunday - the Bills lost to the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, and the Patriots lost to the Panthers in Carolina. I didn't see the Bills' win in Week One, but by all accounts they looked good. They didn't look good in Tampa. And the Patriots looked very vulnerable - a look that we haven't seen in a while. There are chinks in their armor...good news for the Jets.

The Jets' game against the Dolphins started ominously - the first snap from Kevin Mawae to Chad Pennington was dropped. Fortunately, it was negated by an offsides, and I'm sticking with the story that Pennington rushed the snap because he saw the Dolphins jump. But things quickly got better - the Jets drove 80 yards on 9 plays, scoring on a beautiful fade pass from Pennington to Laveranues Coles. The pass was even better because Pennington had a blitz coming at him - it looked like 8 Dolphins rushing - and he made the great play. 7-0, Jets.

The only bad thing about the first drive was that on Pennington's first successful snap from center, the crowd cheered, and they did the same on the first shotgun snap. That's slightly embarrassing.

The Dolphins' first drive was just as effective - they drove right down the field on the Jets, but the Jets tightened up and stopped Miami inside the 5-yard line. Olindo Mare lined up for a 20-yard field goal, and a bad snap resulted in a missed field goal. That's why I feel it would have been important for Herman Edwards to have challenged last week's touchdown by Priest Holmes - it clearly would have been overturned, and the Jets play strong inside the 10-yard line. They could have forced a field goal (or a missed field goal), and who knows what would have happened. But I should forget about Week One.

The defense played a great game - holding the Dolphins scoreless until the fourth quarter. They got much better pressure on the quarterback (granted, it was Gus Frerotte), but they played very well. Mike Nugent had his first field goal - a 41-yarder with about a minute left in the first half, and special teams played pretty well overall. Ben Graham had a good game - and one of his punts - out of his own end zone - kept carrying, and was actually dropped by Wes Welker, pushing the Dolphins back to inside their own 40.

The other good news was right after the Dolphins touchdown the Jets put together their own very good drive - a drive which ended on a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jerald Sowell, making it 17-7 Jets. Pennington was 7-for-7, for 74 yards on the drive. A good sign. The pass to Sowell came off a great play action fake.

Pennington can't come out of the gate throwing bombs (and when I say bombs, I'm talking Pennington bombs). I think it takes him a few short passes to warm up in the game, before he can start unloading. Pennington is never goint to rifle the ball...what we saw on Sunday was typical Pennington - well-placed passes - some look floaty, but they're effective. If the Jets are going to win games, that's how they're going to win them. He's going to underthrow some receivers, but the more comfortable he gets, the less we'll see of that.

The bad news from the game was the Dolphins were constantly in the Jets' backfield. There was a lot of pressure on Pennington, and the running game was virtually non-existent. That needs to be fixed.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are up next at the Meadowlands. They played the Colts in Indy, and held Peyton Manning and company to just one touchdown in a 10-3 loss. There was plenty of running room for Edgerrin James, though, so we'll see if Martin has a breakout game next week. It's going to be a tough defensive struggle, I have a feeling, but the Jets should be able to out-defense the Jags. I feel better about the Jets' defense versus Byron Leftwich than I do the Jags' defense against Pennington. But more on that as the week goes on.

One last thing - this Sunday was my first experience with the Sunday Ticket. Outstanding. I needed to develop a rhythm, though, because it was tough figuring out which games to turn to to catch good game action. And Tivo was essential when the Jets were on, because if I missed a Jets play while checking out another game, I could just rewind and see what I missed. I need to improve my channel-changing though. I'll get better at it next week.

Maybe it's the orange couch, but I've gotten an e-mail from another Jets fan and blogger, and it's made me realize that other people could actually be reading what I write, so I better get my act together.

For those of you who want another Jets option (not a total switch, mind you, but another option for Jets news) check out: http://www.thejetsblog.com/

The web site is quite good - it has standings, newspaper article links, a fan confidence rating, and it has links to great Jets sites and other NFL blogs (and hopefully maybe this one in the near future!). But like I said, check out the site, and then come back here for my unique perspective on all things Jets.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that the picks will be posted on Friday, instead of by Friday this week. I'm giving Dave from Brighton another day to try to get his picks in. I haven't heard from him since he went away - I'm hoping everything's OK. It's not like him not to call in with his picks against the spread from a vacation with his girlfriend. So unlike him. I trust he made the picks, though, and he's holding onto them, and he is not cheating, because anyone who knows Dave knows he wouldn't mess with my statistics by doing something stupid like cheating. Plus, he's so compulsive he would never be able to settle on the right number to cover up the cheating - he would probably think 16-0 was too high, as would be 15-1, 14-2, 13-3, 12-4, or 11-5. But then he might think he'd be underselling himself with 0-16, 1-15, 2-14, 3-13, 4-12, or 5-11. And he'd never be able to choose from between 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 wins. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from him yet. He's probably driven himself nuts.

But I'll keep you posted. I'll also make my Jets prediction for the week on Friday.

I'm going to tell you what. Sunday is going to show what the Jets are made of...it really will. I like Herman Edwards a lot. To a fault sometimes. I don't blame him for what has gone on when things go wrong. I give him all the credit when things go right, and I blame others for the stuff that goes wrong. But like I said at the end of last year - the others are all gone. Cottrelll...and now Hackett. Now, if something goes wrong, it's on Herm. And last week, a lot of that was the players' faults. (But the coach goes along with that.) But this is where Herman Edwards is best - psyching up his guys to go out and show that they're not as bad as they played against Kansas City. The Jets can beat Miami, and they SHOULD beat Miami this week. Edwards will be telling the players that, and if he's still effective when he speaks, they will believe him and take it to the Dolphins. If they don't, it's on Edwards, and it's going to be a long season, with a lot of Jets fans calling for Edwards to be next out the door.

Picks tomorrow.

If you're new - thanks for reading! If you're Dave, Kevin, Justin, or my wife, thanks for coming back!

Steelers 20, Jets 17 OT

I probably should have written this entry Saturday night, when the emotion was still running strong. But even now, three days later, I'm struggling (or as Joe Namath would say, "strug-a-ling") to write anything except &$*#!!(#()DougBrien(!#####. (Those punctuation marks are supposed to be curse words, but it doesn't look angry enough to convey how I feel).

Right off the bat I should have known the Jets were in trouble, when I realized that CBS's number two broadcasting team was Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf. This is the second-best CBS has to offer? Come on.

The Steelers jumped to a 3-0 lead, then 10-0 after a Troy Polamalu interception off a badly thrown ball by Chad Pennington set up a Jerome Bettis touchdown. The Jets came back with an ugly-looking field goal by Doug Brien, making it 10-3 in the second quarter. Early in the game it looked like the Jets were afraid to throw the ball. Pittsburgh wasn't afraid to throw, but they should have been - Ben Roethlisberger looked horrible.

Late in the second quarter, all my dreams started to come through. Santana Moss returns a punt 75 yards for the touchdown!!! The game was tied at 10! Halftime. For the first time I see an NFL commercial featuring an actress instead of an actor...but they're going to have to do a little better than Rene Russo for my tastes. (But it is a step in the right direction, NFL.)

Anyway, third quarter, not much happens, when all of a sudden - HOLY CRAP I CAN'T BELIEVE REGGIE TONGUE JUST PICKED OFF ANOTHER PASS AND OH MY GOD I THINK HE'S GOING ALL THE WAY - 86 yards for the touchdown. 1 7-10, Jets. I get all kinds of congratulatory calls, even from Patriots fans who are telling me they're rooting for the Jets so the Pats can host the AFC Championship Game....and I'm telling these people, just one more score. I can't believe what the Jets are doing here - they just need one more score and it's all over!

They never got that one more score.

All day long I was waiting for Pittsburgh to pull off one of their fancy offensive plays (direct snap, option, something), and they finally did it on second and goal from the four yard line with 6:00 left in the game. Hines Ward takes the shovel pass from Ben Roethlisberger to tie the game at 17.

But I'm thinking, OK, this is good, 6 minutes - that's plenty of time for Pennington. The Jets started at their own 23, and looked good, moving the ball down the field. They attempt a 47-yard field goal with 2:03 left in the game and it HITS THE FRIGGIN' CROSSBAR - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? So the Steelers take over after the 2 minute warning and HOLY CRAP I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DAVID BARRETT JUST INTERCEPTED ROETHLISBERGER AGAIN AND I THINK HE'S GOING TO TAKE IT ALL THE WAY...nope he's down at the 37-yard line.

OK. Wow. This is great. The Jets are going to win - all they have to do is move the ball down the field a little bit....the Jets get to the 25. Then they stop moving the ball. And here's where many people have many different opinions about what should have happened. The Jets only ended up gaining an extra yard or so, going way conservative in the final 40 seconds, not wanting to turn the ball over and lose the chance to win the game. I think the Jets would have benefitted from a couple of extra running plays - throw LaMont Jordan at the D a couple of more times, see if he can break one. But I wasn't unhappy when Brien came out for the 43-yard attempt. I said to myself, he missed one before, he can't miss one now. Of course, we all know he missed it. I've defended Doug Brien this whole season, for reasons I can't quite think of right now. I'll never have confidence in a kicker again. I've learned my lesson - if I'm ever coaching a team, I'll go for the touchdown, not a lousy kick. I didn't learn my lesson from San Diego - it took a Jets heartbreak for me. I hope Herman Edwards learned the same thing.

In overtime, the Jets won the toss, did nothing, and on third and ten, threw a 2-yard pass to Wayne Chrebet. Come on. This is the play being called at this juncture?!??!? Pittsburgh won on a 33-yard field goal. There's the recap. I'm too angry to write more about this game.

Let's talk about the future. I take small consolation in the fact that Paul Hackett will be fired. If the Jets would have made it to the AFC Championship Game, it would have been harder to make a case to fire him, but now there's no excuses. He's gone. So now I'm excited to see what Chad Pennington can do when he's not so restricted. Now we'll see what kind of quarterback Pennington is. The Jets have a bunch of free agents this year, and one of them is talking big....and it's a very unlikely suspect. I'll write about that later this week - tomorrow if there's time.

For now, I need to take a look at the mailbag (untouched since the end of Saturday night's game...I'm afraid of what I'll find):

"Johnny....

Now that the Jets are eliminated, I'll ask the biggest question that's been bothering me with the Jets this season...

What the hell is Curtis Martin wearing in the post game press conferences?? Why does he look like one of those things old women have in their front yard....the lawn jockeys. Does he look in the mirror and think....yes...this looks good.

He looks like an idiot.

kevin
Wilmington, NC"

Kevin- Interestingly enough, I think Curtis Martin always makes those "best-dressed players in the NFL" lists...what are those guys thinking? I agree - he does look like an idiot. Actually, less like an idiot, more like a clown.

Also, after the game, Martin talked about how disappointed he was with the loss, and how he had postponed all his business meetings until after the Pro Bowl, because he was sure the Jets were going all the way. What kind of business meeting does Curtis Martin have to attend? And does he dress like that in the boardroom?

"Dear JohnnyJets,

I should first say that I was rooting for a Jets upset Saturday, not only because I like the Jets but also because I wanted Pats to host the AFC Championship game instead of going on the road.

As I watched the Steelers move down the field in the fourth quarter against an exhausted Jets defense for the game-tying score, I had a familiar feeling rising in my throat -- worry followed by anger followed by resignation. It was my Red Sox feeling. The same one I get when I see the Sox faltering and I know, I just know, that they're going to blow it.

Of course, the Red Sox banished this feeling (forever?) this season. Do you think the Jets will follow the Sox lead and stock up on pitching in the offseason?

Dave in Brighton."

The inevitable comparison to the Red Sox. I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind. I need to write an off-season entry comparing the two fandoms. It was tough to be a Red Sox fan for so long...but it's also tough to be a Jets fan. My cousin, who has an 8-month-old son, and I were talking after the game Saturday, and lamenting how bad it was, and how at least our fathers saw a Jets championship. He said his son might be 32 before the Jets get this far in the playoffs again (not a stretch...although I do think the franchise is on the upswing for the first time ever), and he thinks he should raise his son to root for another team. He won't though...because we're stupid Jets fans.

I need to mention this - I'm not sure if it's funny or not, but it's my form of therapy (besides watching tapes of Jets' old playoff wins...the Jacksonville game from '99 and the Indy game from '03...yes, I'm sick). I was at the gym on Sunday, and there's this guy wearing Steelers garb from head to toe. I got so mad I imagined going up to him and kicking his ass. Even in my imagination, my kick was wide left. Thanks a lot, you've been a great crowd. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

The San Diego papers focused on Marty Schottenheimer's failures in the post-season - his career post-season record is 5-11. and he's lost 4 straight games in the post-season.

The New York papers focused on Herman Edwards' positive attitude. Nothing ground-breaking.

A couple of new developments - Wayne Chrebet will probably play on Saturday night, after his "mild" concussion suffered on Sunday. John Abraham will also play, back from his knee injury. I forgot to mention yesterday that Curtis Martin won the rushing title over Shaun Alexander by a yard, with 1,697 rushing yards. Nice job by him and the offensive line. That offensive line, though, allowed Chad Pennington to be sacked a career-high six times last Sunday - they better shape up before Saturday night.

Another note, just because I was talking about career playoff records. Herman Edwards (who I think has a relationship with Schottenheimer from their Kansas City days) is 1-2 in the playoffs. Chad Pennington is 1-1. Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, among other key Chargers - never played in the playoffs. That's got to work in the Jets favor nerves-wise.

I'm going to touch on a personal note, and tomorrow I'll get back to the real playoff scenarios.
The wife will not be here on Saturday night, and that is a very good thing. She claims she hasn't seen the Jets win all year...and I think she's right. I remember her sitting and watching with me parts of 5 of the 6 Jets' losses this year. So it's a good thing I won't be watching the playoff game with her. I've also broken down my record as a Jets watcher.
Sunday was my first loss watching the Jets at John Brewer's Pub - this year's place to watch my out-of-town Jets games. So:

John Brewer's: 3-1
In Person: 2-1
At Work: 1-0
At Cousin Eddie's house: 0-1
On TV at home: 4-3

So I'm taking a risk by staying at home and watching this playoff game winning-percentage-wise, but it is the site they've accumulated the most wins. At least the wife won't be around to jinx them.

Yesterday I talked about Chad Pennington in the so-called "big games". Today, I'll focus on the Jets as a whole in those types of games.

A Jets coach has never led the Jets to the playoffs three times in four years. Herman Edwards will try to accomplish that feat when the Jets take on the Rams on Sunday. If he accomplishes it, each time he will have done it on the last day of the season.

In 2001, the Jets won on a last second field goal at Oakland, winning the opportunity to go back to Oakland for a first-round playoff loss to the Raiders. (Vinny Testaverde was the quarterback that year.)

In 2002, as I mentioned already this week, the Jets beat the Packers, and got a miracle, last second win by the Patriots over the Dolphins, eliminating New England and Miami, and vaulting the Jets to the playoffs.

Last year the Jets were 6-10.

This is what Herm Edwards has to say about the scenarios the Jets keep putting themselves in:

"It's good for you," Edwards said Wednesday. "The harder, the better. Come on. The bigger the bully, the better. Come on. Because life is about a fight. You can't go run in your house and close the door. You're not in your neighborhood, so you'd better go fight. If we do that, we'll be OK."

This is why I love Herman Edwards. He will get the team psyched to win on Sunday. The Jets will beat the Rams. David Barrett will have a good game, silencing the Rams deep. Terrell Buckley will get burned a couple of times, but the Jets will score enough to win. The question for me is, what will happen with the Jets in the weeks after the Rams? (And I don't even want to think what will happen if the Jets lose...but I really don't think they'll lose. No way. I'm convinced.)

I'll start with e-mail, then have to get back to installing my brand new iPod.

"Dear JohnnyJets,

How would you describe the feeling in Jets nation, now that the team might go 10-6 but not make the playoffs?

Do you think Chad has learned a lesson about picking a fight with people who buy ink by the gallon, as Tommy Lasorda once said?

Signed, Dave (back) in Brighton"

Dave, welcome back to Massachusetts. Real quick on the Pennington point - I think he learned his lesson mid-week last week, because he kept talking about it as a mistake. He won't be saying anything controversial for a while, and will be hearing a bunch of masked "I told you so"'s all week this week.

As for your first point, about the feeling in Jets nation, it's about the same as usual. Utter disappointment late in the year. 10-6 and not making the playoffs would be a slap in the face, but it would be just the latest chapter in the disappointing life of a Jets fan. However, I don't expect 10-6 and no playoffs - I fully expect 11-5 and playoffs, and then whatever happens after that. As was printed by Gary Meyers in the Daily News today, the Jets should beat the Rams next week, because they beat bad teams and the Rams are a bad team.

The Jets have a disappointing history (not that I need to tell you that), and the best thing about Herman Edwards and Chad Pennington is that they are so positive all the time. There wasn't a lot of positivity coming out of the Jets clubhouse on Sunday (rightfully so), but it does give you hope for the future, with the positive attitudes usually in the clubhouse.

Here's the playoff scenario - the Jets need to win to get in the playoffs....that's the most important thing. If the Jets lose, they need either Denver or Buffalo to lose. Hopefully the Jets take care of business themselves.

Hopefully I'll remember, because I'm actually working a bit this week, but tomorrow I want to talk a bit about Chad Pennington's performances in "big games".

Sunday, 4pm, Jets (5-0) at Patriots (5-0) - Gillette Stadium

I've been accused of being a homer. A person who roots blindly for his team, no matter what the situation. A person who always thinks his team is going to win, despite all evidence that seemingly points to the contrary. And all that has nothing to do with why I'm picking the Jets to beat the Patriots this weekend. The reason I'm picking the Jets to beat the Patriots this weekend is because the Jets have played the Patriots very well during New England's recent stretch of dominance, and if anyone is going to put an end to this winning streak, it's going to be the Jets. This weekend. I'm almost positive of it.

FYI, Jets fans, good article in this week's Sports Illustrated about the relationship between Chad Pennington and Herman Edwards. Two of my favorite men in the whole universe. And it is because of these two men that the Jets will find a way to beat the Patriots. Throw in a little Curtis Martin, and that's like a bonus. I've previewed this game all week - there's not much else for me to say about it. I'll keep quiet until Sunday...but I'll end with this: the Patriots are favored by six points over the Jets. That's way too much. I'm glad the Jets are underdogs by that much, and that not a lot of people are picking the Jets this weekend, from what I've seen. That can only help matters. I'm taking the Jets, 24-21. It's going to be a close one, but the Jets will pull through.

Here are the rest of my picks for this weekend, for entertainment purposes only, of course (I went 9-5 last week, a strong showing, but nothing compared to the 13-1 posted by Dave from Brighton...nice work Dave. Perhaps next year in this space we can compete against one another. We'll have to talk. Have your person call my person. Anyway, I'm 47-39-2 on the season.):

In Baltimore, the Ravens are a 5-and-a-half point favorite over the Bills. I haven't liked picking the Ravens much all season, but I have a feeling this one will be all Baltimore.

The Giants are home to the Lions, and New York is favored by six-and-a-half points. That seems like a big spread to me, considering we're talking about the Giants. I've been impressed by them so far this season, and I think they'll win, but I don't think the Giants will cover. I'll take the Lions plus the points.

Philadelphia's a 7-point favorite over the Browns in Cleveland. The only reason this might be kept close is because it's in Cleveland, but the Eagles are looking really good right now. I'll take the Eagles.

The Colts are a 9-point favorite over the Jaguars. Jacksonville kept themselves alive as contenders in my eyes last week...I'll take them plus the points in Indy to stay competitive.

The Vikings are giving six-and-a-half points to the Titans in Minnesota. Tennessee already pulled off an upset (or at least an upset in my eyes) at an NFC North opponent this year when they blew out Green Bay in Green Bay. I don't think it'll happen again, and Minnesota is a lot better than Green Bay right now. The Vikings are my pick.

Carolina is a 3-point favorite over San Diego in Carolina. I'm not sure why. I think San Diego is playing a lot better football right now than the Panthers. I'm taking the Chargers, getting points.

The Rams are a 6-point favorite over the Dolphins, in Miami. There's a slight chance the Dolphins will pull off this upset, since St. Louis is on the road. I don't know why I think that, I just feel it in my bones. But if I were putting money on the game, I'd take the Rams. So that's what I'll do here. Rams, -6.

Tampa Bay is a 7-point favorite over Chicago. This game's in Tampa, and it's probably the worst game of the week. Not probably, definitely. I'll take the Bears.

The Chiefs are a 3-and-a-half point favorite over Atlanta. The game's in Kansas City, but the Chiefs are not better than the Falcons. At least, I don't think they are. I'm taking the Falcons, getting points.

The Cowboys are reeling, and they're underdogs this week. Dallas gets three-and-a-half from the Packers in Green Bay. I'm taking the Packers. I think they're recovering from their recent struggles...Dallas has some recovering to do still.

In Arizona, the Cardinals are getting six-and-a-half from the Seahawks. Two losses in a row for Seattle. They'll put an end to that in emphatic fashion against Arizona. I'll take Seattle.

Oakland is home to New Orleans on Sunday night. The Raiders are favored by three points. Actually, this is the last game listed on the list, but I wonder if there's a Sunday night game this week opposite Game 2 of the World Series. Oh well, this might be a 4 o'clocker. Either way, the Raiders are favored...I'll take the Saints, getting points.

Monday night (for sure), the Broncos are giving six to the Bengals. Denver should run all over Cincy. I'll take the Broncos.

Enjoy the weekend - World Series and Football! And check out johnnymets.blogspot.com for an update there. I'll try to keep updating that site for the World Series.

Jets 22, 49ers 14

I forget if I ever mentioned this, but Jonathan Vilma has an on-line diary running on ESPN.com, on the NFL page. I read it a lot during training camp, and I thought it ended before the season started. I thought it was a "life of a rookie during his first NFL training camp" sort of thing. But last week I was tooling around the NFL page on ESPN.com and I saw the diary, and read it. It was right after the Jets-Bills game, and if you remember, at the end of that game, as the Bills were driving late in the game, Vilma had a pass in his hands but dropped it. It would have been his first career interception. He wrote about that in his journal, saying something along the lines of, "If you saw the game, you know that I almost had my first career interception. That would have been a big one. I hope when I do get it, it is a big one, and I return it for a touchdown." Something along those lines. Go look it up if you want to read exactly what he said. (But not until you finish reading what I have to say.)

The point of all this is that Vilma got his first interception on Sunday, against the 49ers. And it was a big one. HUGE. Granted, it was partly a bad decision by Tim Rattay, partly a great play by Vilma, and although he didn't return it for a TD, I'm looking forward to see what Vilma has to say about his first career INT.

It came with 1:30 left in the game, after the Jets were forced to punt after another unsuccessful attempt to put away an opponent. After the interception, the Jets FINALLY put the game away on a touchdown run by Curtis Martin, his second of the day.

I partly take the blame for this game being so close. There was an event at my school that caused me to miss the first half of the game. I made it to a bar to catch the entire second half, which included all of the Jets touchdowns, and, now that I think about it, perfect defense. The 49ers didn't score once. So, I think if I had been watching the entire game, it probably would have been a blowout.

For the first time in their history, the Jets are 5-0. So I don't really know how to react. I, like every other Jets fan, have never seen the Jets start a season this well. My concern (because when you're a Jets fan, there always tends to be a concern) is that the margins of victory are getting narrower. This game was a 1-point game, not 8, as the final score indicates. Last week, of course, was 2 points. There's not much more margin for error.

The other thing about the final score is that it didn't have to be that close. It could have easily been a three-point Jets lead towards the end of the game, as opposed to one. Trailing 14-3 at halftime, the Jets scored a touchdown early in the third quarter. Instead of just kicking the extra point, the Jets went for two to try to make it 14-11. They failed, so it was 14-9. When the Jets scored their next touchdown, they had to go for two, and failed again. Hence, the 15-14 score late in the game. This type of game management is one of Herman Edwards' weaknesses as a head coach, and I thought it would be solved this year. But apparently it has not been. The fact that he's going for two in that first instance shows a lack of confidence in his offense, to me. By trying to make it a 3-point game, instead of accepting a 4-point deficit, I am led to believe that Edwards doesn't think the offense can get another touchdown. Maybe it's just me...but I don't think so. And if I'm sitting there knowing that the Jets should NOT be going for two, how come he doesn't know that. That's all I'm wondering. I still love ya, Herm.

A couple of breakout games on Sunday. Martin continues to be great - he had 110 rushing yards and the two touchdowns. But LaMont Jordan finally saw some action. I only saw one drive where he touched the ball a couple of times, but that drive ended with Jordan taking the ball into the end zone from about 15 yards out. So the calls for Jordan to get more playing time are going to pick up again (from more than just Mark in Miami). Also finally getting some balls thrown his way was Anthony Becht. I think the Jets finally lit a bit of a fire under Becht by using Chris Baker so much. And I think Becht was given a shot after a key Baker fumble last week. (Becht has been the starting tight end, but Baker has seen the majority of balls thrown his way.) In this game, Becht had four catches for 47 yards, but it wasn't just that. Becht was thrown the ball on the run, and each time that happened, he barreled over a defender. That hadn't been happening in recent years - Becht would catch a pass and be tackled right away. In short, he looked like an NFL tight end on Sunday. I don't know whether his performance merits the Jets keeping him when he becomes a free agent at the end of the year, but it definitely meant he should have more passes thrown his way. (I have a feeling this also depends on whether or not Santana Moss is back in the picture anytime soon. I don't think he played in this game at all, unless it was early on. But, obviously, Chad Pennington had to find other targets.)

So it's finally here. The Patriots beat the Seahawks, the Jets beat the 49ers. They will both meet next week at 5-0. And, as I wrote here a few weeks back, the Patriots will have the added burden of trying to wash away the bad sports taste left by the Red Sox in New England fans' mouths. The Jets will try to end the Patriots' record 20-game winning streak. I am going to have to be on my A-game this week. Can't miss a posting. No excuses. Send your e-mails by Monday night...they'll be here for Tuesday. Let the hype begin.

Rather than a San Francisco 49ers-focused preview here, this entry is more of an injury report. Yesterday I wrote about Pete Kendall and Brandon Moore. Today, Santana Moss' name appears on the injury list for the Jets. Moss strained his hamstring late in the third quarter of last week's game against the Bills on one of his best punt returns of the year so far. He returned to the game for one play, then we didn't see him again. Moss is listed as questionable for the 49ers game. The Jets should be able to beat the 49ers even if Moss doesn't play. My fantasy team, unfortunately, I can not say the same for.

The good news for the Jets on the injury front is bad news for San Francisco. I mentioned before, Julian Peterson is out for the year. Now it appears the 49ers' leading receiver so far this season, tight end Eric Johnson, won't play on Sunday because of broken ribs. That makes a thin team even thinner.

One last football note - Mark, you'll get your wish this week. The Daily News reports that Herman Edwards will give plenty of playing time to LaMont Jordan this week. No word on why he decided now is the time to do it, and it remains to be seen whether or not it actually happens, because we've been hearing this for three years now.

Let's shift the focus to baseball for a minute, since 100% of my readers root for either the Red Sox or the Yankees. If I write something baseball on johnnymets.blogspot.com, I will direct your attention there. Being that I haven't written much football today, I'll just finish up here with a couple of baseball notes.

I'll mention this again before the post-season ends, but I have an obsession, which some of you know about. If I have no rooting interest in the post-season, I want the World Series to feature two teams who have never played each other before, so that eventually, every team will have faced every other possible team for the championship. (This doesn't just apply to baseball - it applies to every sport. And even when I do have a rooting interest, I root for a team to face my team that they've never faced before.) I hope I'm not confusing you. For example, we've had a good run in baseball and football the past few years:

Baseball: Yankees vs. Marlins, Angels vs. Giants, Yankees vs. Diamondbacks, Yankees vs. Mets.
Football: Patriots/Panthers, Raiders/Buccaneers, Rams/Patriots, etc..

The Yankees are by far the world leaders in this category. By my unofficial count, I think the Yanks need to play only the Expos, Brewers, Rockies, and Astros to complete the full set. So, needless to say, I am rooting for the Astros to win the NLCS, get to their first World Series, and set up a new matchup, no matter who wins the ALCS.

Speaking of the ALCS, I don't want to upset any of my loyal readers, but the Red Sox are absolutely cursed. If they didn't win in 2003, they're never going to do it. I maintain that. This year's curse appearance definitely has to be Schilling's ankle, in case you're looking for something to point to. I wish you Sox fans good luck...but I also offer my condolences.