I'm still not sure I understand this "Jets Nation" show's schedule. Apparently, it's just an off-season show, so Saturday was its last episode. Although, it will still be on during the regular season, with the same name, so I'm not sure how that works. And even though the show aired for the first time on Saturday, the day after the first day of training camp, it contained absolutely no information about the first day of training camp.

I do know this about "Jets Nation" on SNY, though - the show still sucks. It's just awful. Host Brian Custer is OK, but Greg Buttle is awful - he's just a blowhard. Ray Lucas is a less-loud version of a blowhard. Both guys talk in circles, so they don't really make a point, and it's just hard to follow what they're saying. So that's the first 10 minutes of the show - then, mercifully, they go away.

Then Adam Schein comes on. I didn't think I'd like Adam Schein. Once in a while, when I was working overnights, he'd be doing the overnight show on WFAN, and I'd catch his show, and I didn't think it was great, but it was far better than sports talk around here. But on this show on Saturday, Schein was awesome. Good opinions, backed up solidly, and he was a refreshing breath of fresh air coming after Buttle and Lucas. So Schein's presence on SNY shows some promise. But still no training camp info from the show.

So I have to resort, I guess, to the newspapers for my Jets info. Apparently, Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger, and draft pick Kellen Clemens are getting even amounts of time practicing with the first team. So everyone, at this point, is getting a fair shot at the number one quarterback job. Some are saying this is Eric Mangini's way of protecting Pennington's shoulder. I get the impression that this is Mangini's way of letting Pennington play himself out of a job. I don't get the impression Mangini likes Pennington - because he's not "his" guy. I think Mangini wants to groom Clemens for the job for next year, and wants Ramsey to win the job this year, as a transition guy. But I'm rooting hard for Pennington to prove everyone wrong.

Other news out of training camp is that Curtis Martin's situation seems to be pretty bleak. He's apparently really suffering from this injury and the rehabbing.

Justin McCareins is back practicing - he had failed a conditioning test, but passed it the next opportunity he got.

I think I heard that SNY is going to have a training camp Jets show during the week - they need to step up their coverage. There's lots going on at Jets camp, and lots of fans want to know about it...so it's SNY's responsibility to do a better job covering it. If they claim to be the station that covers the Jets year 'round, they'd better start showing it.

NEW ERA

Day One of Training Camp has come and gone, and the Jets' new era is underway. It's going to be tough for fans and media, because Eric Mangini is from the Bill Parcells/Bill Belichick school of "don't say anything" - it will be tough for us to get complete answers regarding injuries, or pretty much anything else, for that matter.

You know what's really tough - I haven't been able to find anything anywhere about Day One of camp, and specifically how Chad Pennington looked.

Here's where SNY is going to show if it's worth watching. I'm TiVo-ing "Jets Nation" on Saturday. This show was a joke during the off-season - just three guys sitting around and arguing. But the day after the first practice of training camp - it better be comprehensive. If it's not, I don't know if I'll bother watching the rest of the year. So hopefully I'll have more info Saturday.

ROOKIES: D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, the Jets' first-round draft choices, as well as 2nd round pick Kellen Clemens, are all under contract, which is good. The Jets don't need holdouts hanging over their heads in addition to all their other question marks.

INJURIES: Curtis Martin, Justin McCareins, and Trey Teague were all placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List (the PUP) on Thursday, before the first day of practices. This is more of a formality at this point, meaning that they just can't practice. Once the season begins, the PUP is a bigger deal, because that means the players are inactive for a longer period - like until Week 6. The problem here, though, is that Curtis Martin's knee is still not fully healed from his surgery at the end of last season. Apparently, he was expected back by now. I guess the good news is that he's not going to be rushed back before he's ready...but the bad news is that his career could be coming to an end fast.

I'll be updating periodically throughout training camp - thanks for coming back to the site!

I don't feel much like rhyming about the Jets' loss to Jacksonville.

I suppose the game was a great one to watch. A 26-20 overtime game, with the Jets forcing overtime in the game's final minutes. Unfortunately, the Jets lost it, and they probably lost their chance at doing anything this season in the process.

I hate negativity. That's why I can't stand a lot of Jets fans. It's all negative. I try my best to be positive constantly. I try to give the coaches the benefit of the doubt. At least the coaches not named Paul Hackett. But when you're a Jets fan, there's always a part of you that's constantly focusing on the negative. Despite all of my positive thoughts about Chad Pennington's arm, part of me believed it wasn't right. I would rather look at the 7-for-7 on the final drive (where the Jets passed) versus Miami than the fact that his throws were wobbly. I'd rather not think about what would happen if Pennington took another shot to the shoulder.

Well, Pennington took another shot to the shoulder, and there's no denying it now - he can't throw the football. And despite how much he says they need to cut his arm off for him to not play, he can't play. The Jets can't let him go out there - they're only going to cost themselves games. And I think - and this is total speculation - that Pennington's career could be in serious jeopardy...let alone his season.

Now, the Jets actually did something smart before the season. And that was sign Jay Fiedler, just in case Pennington's arm didn't recover in time. Well, now Fiedler could possibly miss the rest of the season with a serious shoulder injury. Only the Jets would sign a capable backup as a plan B, (although I don't believe Fiedler is capable of winning a playoff game), only to see that quarterback suffer the same fate as the starter.

So next week in Baltimore the Jets face the prospect of starting Brooks Bollinger. Positive thougts - Bollinger looked the best of the three quarterbacks the day I saw the Jets in training camp....negative - it had to be the worst day of practice of the summer. The Ravens' defense has got to be salivating at the thought of facing Bollinger. He played last season a little bit in the game against Arizona...and Arizona's defense gave him a hard time. Baltimore's defense has been struggling...this is the time for them to right the ship.

Now quarterback names are being thrown about - and the name Quincy Carter has even come up. I'm not positive, but didn't Carter bail on the Jets at the end of last season? Weren't there rumors that he was back on a drug suspension at the end of the year after the Jets took a chance on him? I hope they don't turn to him again.

I'm going to throw something out here that I kept forgetting to mention at the beginning of the year. I never understood why a team like the Bears, when they lost Rex Grossman, didn't take a chance on Rohan Davey when he was cut by New England. He's played well in NFL Europe, and I'm going to suggest the Jets take a chance on him. They're obviously not sold on Bollinger, if they're so anxious to look for help, and Davey has been on the World Champs for the past few years. And at the very least, he's got the arm that Mike Heimerdinger can take advantage of in his system. Come to think of it, he's a bit like Steve McNair - in build, size, and running ability. Who knows? Maybe there are other issues with Davey...but the Jets are in a desperate situation.

I had to take a day before I wrote about the Jets' situation. I needed to stew a bit. I'm not going to even get into the punt returning problems Justin Miller had. Or the offensive line problems that resulted in Pennington and Fiedler getting roughed up in the first place. It's tough, rooting for the Jets. You hate to say, "Same ol' Jets", because it looked like they were turning a corner, but it looks like we're dealing with the same ol' Jets.

Nothing from the mailbag - so we'll focus on the new Jets news from Monday.

The Jets got banged up in Sunday's win over the Dolphins. Curtis Martin is going to have an MRI on his knee. So far this year, he's had absolutely no room to run, and my dad made the point that he looks like the Curtis Martin of two years ago so far more than the Curtis Martin of last year (and as a point of reference, he says last year's Martin looked like the regular Curtis Martin...in other words, great). I still say the Curtis Martin of two years ago was pretty darn good...but the point is well taken. He hasn't looked like he's had much of a burst. And apparently he suffered the knee injury in the first quarter on Sunday. There was one play where he took a hit along the sideline, and it took him a good 10-15 seconds after the play to get up. You never see that from him. Still, he doesn't say he's hurt. That's the problem - even if Curtis Martin were seriously injured, he would never say it. Hopefully the MRI turns out well. Derrick Blaylock would be OK as a short-term solution, but the Jets need Curtis Martin for the season.

No matter who's playing running back, there's going to be some injured guys as their lead blocker. Both Jerald Sowell and B.J. Askew were hurt in the game. Both sprained ankles. Heimerdinger loves using Sowell - I wonder if this would hurt the Jets. Also, Erik Coleman apparently broke his thumb - the Jets can't afford to lose many guys in the secondary.

If you want a quick recap that pretty much sums up the Patriots-Panthers game on Sunday, check out the "Orange Couch" on wect.com - my friend Kevin was there, and he wrote about it. I feel the same way about the Pats - they still have to be considered the team to beat. But what I like about them losing is it's a situation they rarely face...and it's always a question mark as to how they're going to bounce back. And for them, it doesn't get easier - at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Could the Patriots lose two in a row?

Next week, as I mentioned yesterday, the Jets have Jacksonville. That's why I said before Derrick Blaylock could be a very good short-term solution - the Jets will be able to run on the Jaguars, and Blaylock can run as well as Martin could in that situation. After that, though, the Jets need Martin back. This could be a rough couple of weeks for the Jets - they're already beat up a bit, and after the Jaguars, they play the Ravens. Then Tampa. Then Buffalo. Really, it's a very tough schedule all year for the Jets.

I like having two staggered NFL games on a Monday night. I will be in bed before the late game is over, but I should make it through the first one.

Good news - I heard from Dave in Brighton - he's back from California, and safe. The bad news - he didn't make picks for Week One. Disappointment from the entire johnnyjets.blogspot.com staff. We'll have to do winning percentage at the end - although me and the wife will be going head-to-head wins-wise.

Jets at Chargers, Saturday, 8pm (5pm Pacific)

Playoff time!! It looks like it'll be raining on Saturday night when the Jets and Chargers face off. Actually, I think it will be raining a lot, and the field will be quite muddy. I like the Jets' chances in the rain and muck.

Curtis Martin is going to plow ahead no matter what the conditions. The wet weather could work against LaDanian Tomlinson, since he relies more on his speed. (Just my speculation - there are no facts to back these statements up.)

The Jets will have Santana Moss back to return punts...a hamstring problem kept him from doing that the past few weeks. That's good, because Justin McCareins makes me nervous every time he goes back for a punt return.

It's looking less and less likely John Abraham or Wayne Chrebet will play - which means we'll see more of Bryan Thomas and Jerricho Cotchery. Not great, but two guys who have been playing well of late.

Jonathan Vilma was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year - well-deserved honor. He's been playing great -the Jets need the rest of the defense to play like Vilma's been playing, or else they are toast.

I think we see a return of the dominant Jets' defense of the middle (not the end) of the season, and I think Curtis Martin does most of the work to get the Jets to Pittsburgh. Jets, 24-14.

Here's the rest of my picks:

Indianapolis, 34-17
Green Bay, 20-13
Seattle, 3-0 (which is to say, I have no idea, nor do I care about this game)

GO JETS!!!

The big criticism about Chad Pennington is that he can't win the big game. While Chad Pennington is not my favorite person right now, I will argue that Pennington can win, and indeed has won, the big game in his time in New York.

This season's big games have been defined as Week 7 against the Patriots, then against the Steelers, and last week again versus the Patriots. In week 7, Pennington was one of the reasons the Jets lost, making a poor throw on the Jets' last possession on a drive that could have won the game. But the Jets had other opportunities to win that game, and some dropped passes and fumbled balls were among the reasons the Jets lost. As for the other two games, we're not seeing the same Chad Pennington. He is hurt, and is playing with a bad shoulder. I'm not making excuses, I'm just saying what's going on...Pennington should not be playing. Anyone who has seen him make throws in the Pittsburgh game or the New England game can see he's clearly not himself. What is tougher to explain is why his shoulder didn't look so bad against Seattle or Houston...actually, Houston wasn't his finest day throwing the football either, in retrospect. And maybe Seattle's suspect defense made Pennington look better than he is.

Anyway, there are the facts for Chad Pennington being unable to win the big game. But in 2002, Chad Pennington won three big games in a row...and the situation was similar to the situation the Jets find themselves in now. After losing to 2-12 Buffalo, the Jets needed to beat New England (in New England, I believe), then Green Bay in order to make the playoffs. Pennington was outstanding, winning both games, (and Green Bay did play its starters for the first half of the latter game, before they started pulling guys out once the Jets started to blow them out - lest you think the Packers rolled over for the Jets) and then Pennington played really well in the playoffs - which is a really big game, beating the Colts. Pennington had a rough outing the following week in Oakland, and that might have made him gun shy for future big games, but I don't think so. I think Pennington has done OK in his career in big games, and I don't buy the fact that he can't win the big game.

I do buy the fact that he's got a bad shoulder, and he's killing the Jets if he's trying to hide it. That's all I'll say on Pennington, for now.

Dave writes in again today:

"Dear JohnnyJets,

On the radio today, my favorite midday sports anchors Dale and Neumy were talking about some of the lines on this weekend's games. The fact that some teams don't have anything to play for makes this either a minefield or a gold mine, for entertainment purposes, of course.

Buffalo minus 3 against the Steelers, Chicago minus 3 against Green Bay, and perhaps most notably, Denver minus 9 against the Colts.

What's your strategy this week to put .500 in the rearview mirror once and for all? Better yet, what's The Wife's strategy?

Dave in Brighton"

I was thinking about this same thing, Dave. It reminds me of when we had this conversation about the Dolphins following the firing of Dave Wannstedt. It's so tough to tell what's going to happen any week, let alone when teams start resting players. You'll see my picks on Friday (brutal week last week, by the way - 5-10-1, back to a game under .500), but Buffalo minus-3 looks awfully good, especially considering what they have riding on this game. Denver minus-9 is tough, because the Colts are too good to be that kind of an underdog this year - they might rest Manning, but remember, their defense has been really good this year too. So my strategy is to just think about which team is better, no matter what, just like I did on Monday night when I picked the Eagles over the Rams. That worked out well. The Wife's strategy is the same as always - don't stress, just pick, then laugh at me when the picks come out better.

The Jets got by without Chad Pennington, now, they're going to have to survive without John Abraham. Abraham didn't play in the second half of the win over the Texans on Sunday, and now will reportedly miss 2 to 3 weeks with a knee injury. All the Jets are saying is that Abraham will miss the Steelers game this week, but the Daily News says sources close to the team think Abraham will miss at least two weeks. So that's some bad news - here's the good news...the Jets have now allowed the fewest points in the NFL. Their defense has been very good - no we'll see if they can keep it up without Abraham. Actually, one last point on Abraham - now Bryan Thomas steps into the starting job for at least a few games, and he has played extremely well this season so far. He had a great game in Buffalo, which was overshadowed by the loss, and has played very well in the games he's been in. So I expect the Jets defense to keep it up.

A couple of other housekeeping issues - The Wife hit with Dallas Monday night, in what was quite possible the greatest game in a couple of years (too bad I was sleeping)...so she's now up to number 72 in the country. She moved up about 40 spots after a 10-6 week. Not bad. I guess that's it for the housekeeping. On to the e-mail:

"Dear JohnnyJets...

A couple questions on the same topic this week...

-Which is worse...the NFC or the NBA's Eastern Conference?

-If the Jets played in the NFC East, would they be 11-1?

-How do you feel about the possibility (likely possibility?) that a
7-9 will make the playoffs this year?

10-5 through Sunday's games,
Dave in Brighton"

Dave - congrats on the 10-5...nicely done. Too bad you're not number 72 in the country. Let's answer your questions...I don't know if the NFC is worse than the NBA's Eastern Conference. I would say the NFC is better, simply because people know it exists. I can't say the same about the NBA's East. Or West.

If the Jets were in the NFC East, they could be 11-1 - but they're the Jets..so there are no guarantees on any of these sorts of things. They could be 1-11, for all we know. Sorry I can't be more definitive...but the Jets are in the AFC East, and they're 9-3...I'm happy with that.

Finally, I haven't gone through remaining schedules for the NFC teams, but I think it's very likely a 7-9 team is making the playoffs in the NFC. At the most, the wild card team will be 8-8...and these teams are playing so poorly that 7-9 is more likely. Meanwhile, the Jets could go 13-3 (more likely 12-4 or 11-5), and barely win the wildcard.

One more thing - the Jets can clinch a playoff spot this weekend...if they win, Denver or someone lose, and the Chargers and Ravens win, I think. I'll try to get it straight....but the Jets need to beat the Steelers. That's the priority.

This is tough. The Jets fan in me really wants the Patriots to lose to the Chiefs in this Monday night game, but the no-money-earning teacher in me really wants the $75 bucks I could win in my weekly pool if the Patriots win. I think I'm just going to have to go to bed and check the score in the morning.

Well, here's some cheery news, before we get to this week's mailbag. Curtis Martin suffered a sprain in his knee during Sunday's game in Cleveland, and word out of the New York papers is that Chad Pennington may need season-ending surgery on his shoulder. One thing at a time. First, Martin. He plays through insane amounts of pain, sometimes to his and his team's detriment. So he'd have to be shot in the leg, I think, in order for him to not play - I think it only matters how ineffective he is. And based on his five second-half carries on Sunday, after the injury happened, I think the knee sprain won't make Martin too ineffective - he ran OK after the injury. As for Pennington, this would finish the Jets. With Pennington at quarterback, the Jets have a shot at beating the Steelers, Seahawks, Patriots, and Rams. With Quincy Carter at quarterback, the Jets maybe have a shot at stealing one of those games on defense. And the way Pennington was talking after Sunday's game, Quincy Carter might just be at quarterback.

Pennington says he's sure he'll play again this season, which is a bit reassuring. But before Sunday, it was sounding like there was an outside shot at Pennington being back for the December 5th game versus the Texans. The way it sounds now, that's definitely not going to happen, and it sounds like Pennington will miss at least a full 6 weeks with the injury (it was originally speculated that Pennington might not even miss the 4 weeks of the 4-6 week injury).

Anyway, that's some good news for your Tuesday morning. Let's look at the mailbag:

OK, maybe I should start checking to see if there's mail before I write that line. Because there is none. I'll do mail tomorrow if anyone feels like contributing. Otherwise I'll try to do a look-around the AFC East.

Did you know that if you say "strained shoulder" three times fast, it sounds a whole lot like, "HOLY SHIT I THINK THE JETS ARE IN A WHOLE LOT OF TROUBLE, AND I THINK I MIGHT CRY!!" (A note to the younger readers...I usually refrain from using profanity, mild though it may be, in my postings, but desperate times call for desperate measures.)

Chad Pennington's shoulder injury that I referred to yesterday, when I said he might play next week against Baltimore, is a strained rotator cuff, and Pennington won't play next week against Baltimore. He also won't play the following week at Cleveland. And the week after that, in Arizona, and the week after that, versus Houston, are also in doubt. Pennington is out 2-4 weeks. Happy 6-month-iversary indeed.

So the Jets' decision back in August to sign Quincy Carter, slightly controversial though it may have been, means that Quincy Carter will be the starter for the next couple of weeks, instead of Brooks Bollinger. Carter looked OK against the Bills on Sunday, in limited action...he handed the ball off to Curtis Martin in the end zone, which resulted in a safety, then later led the Jets to a score, hooking up with Santana Moss on a 51-yard touchdown pass on which the defender fell down. Not much of a body of work. However, let's hang our hats on this - Carter did lead the Cowboys to the playoffs last season. My hat's a-hangin' baby.

On the subject of Pennington being hurt, it is e-mail day, so we have this:

"Dear Johnnyjets,

Re: Pennington's shoulder woes. As a Boston resident and talk radio listener, I like to overreact and see doomsday scenarios before I have all the facts, which is why my question this week is:

Was $64 million too much to give a guy who started 29 games and missed 19 in 3 seasons from 2002 to 2004?

Is there any concern among team officials, or by you, the Voice of All Jets Fans Everywhere, that Pennington may be injury-prone through his whole career?

Dave in Brighton"

Dave, my friend, I'm going to trust your numbers, because it's late, and I can't really go looking them up....well, actually, let's do some quick math: 16 games in 2002, 16 in '03, 8 in '04. Total = 40 games. In 2002, Pennington didn't start the first four games, came in relief in the fifth game, and started the rest of the season. So the body of work we're looking at here is really 11+16+8 = 35 games. Pennington missed the first six games of 2003, came in relief in the seventh, so we'll say he missed 7 games that year. So we're looking at a guy who played in 28 of a possible 35 games. If he misses the full four weeks here, he plays in 28 of a possible 39 games.

My point, throwing all these numbers around, is that Pennington is not injury prone, he just got hit badly twice in two years. The broken hand/wrist was an awkward fall, and this hit on Sunday was a situation where he dove (dived?) instead of slid (slided?) and got hit square. I'm not ready to say Pennington is injury-prone yet...and the bobble-head doll on my desk is nodding in agreement as I type this. (If however, the bobble-head is healthier than the real-life version for the third straight year next season, and we're having this conversation again, I might change my mind.) Moral of this story: Pennington is well worth the money.

We also have a cryptic e-mail from our good friend Al Montoya:

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

-Al Montoya
Ann Arbor, Michigan"

Not sure if this is an ode to our favorite television anchor/reporter, or a reference to Pennington's injury. But thanks for writing....oh wait, Al sends us this also:

"Hey there. It's me, Al. Longtime reader, fourth time emailer... I've got a mildly amusing anecdote for you...

Remember last week when you chided me for suggesting that you should have amended your [warped] perspective on the Patriots' win over the Jets? You stressed in your reply that the web site is, "johnNYJETS.blogspot.com," not "johnNEPATS.blogspot.com." Well (get ready for some hilarity...), previous to your reply, I had always read the site's address as "Johnny Jets," as opposed to "John NY Jets."

See, I thought you had essentially dubbed yourself "Johnny Jets," short, no doubt, for "Johnny Jets: Global Protector of All Things New York Jets." (Because, ya know, your name IS John after all. By the way, do you wear a green cape?) Now I realize the error of my ways. Riotous, huh?

See ya.

-Al Montoya
Ann Arbor, MI"

Well, Al, unfunny though your story may be, it raises an interesting point. I think the name of the website can be interpreted in whichever way the reader chooses to read it. I'm fine with it either way. Johnnyjets has a better ring to it than Johnnymets...and I originally started with Johnnymets, intending it to be JohnNYMets...but I didn't want to confuse people with lots of capital letters in the web address, in case that affected the way it needed to be typed in. So, long story short, whichever way you wish. (I do, though, like :Johnny Jets: Global Protector of All Things New York Jets. That's got a nice ring too.)

All right, folks...I'd better get to bed before I strain my rotator cuff with all this typing. Tomorrow I'll recap the AFC East from last weekend.

Bills 22, Jets 17

Who invited the 2003 Jets? A disaster in Buffalo, just like last year. The difference is, this loss doesn't put an end to the Jets' season...it just makes things difficult. How can things be difficult, with the Jets sitting at 6-2, you ask?

For starters, Chad Pennington left the game with a bruised shoulder - apparently he left the game on his own accord, telling Herman Edwards he felt like he was hurting the team more than helping them. Pennington should play next week....but on the chance he doesn't, the Jets' hopes ride on Quincy Carter. And next week begins the rough stretch on the Jets' schedule. Baltimore comes to town, and if the Jets couldn't move the ball against the Bills' defense, imagine the success they'll have against the Ravens' D!! And here's the worst part of the loss to the Bills - it's a division loss. So the Jets are now 3-2 in the division, while the Patriots are 3-0. So unless the Bills can upset New England next Sunday, the Patriots will be sitting pretty atop the AFC East.

Here is probably the most frustrating part of the loss to me. The wind was very bad in Buffalo, and it was supposedly going to wreak havoc with the passing game. But in the first quarter the Jets came out throwing, and moved the ball right down the field. The drive ended with a missed field goal, but later, when the Jets scored their first touchdown, they moved the ball 80 yards, and 74 of those yards were in the air. So, why, I ask you, would the Jets resort to running the ball exclusively in the third quarter? For example, on 3rd and 9, trailing 17-10? Why run!!??!?!? Throw the ball!! So frustrating. I suppose Pennington might have felt like his shoulder was preventing him from throwing in that situation...but still, the Jets weren't moving anywhere on the ground - air it out a bit.

What a horrible afternoon. In case you're wondering, it didn't ruin the six-month-versary...but it sure didn't help things. I need to grade some papers...we'll continue to delve into this disappointment throughout the week. Your e-mails tomorrow too.

Sunday, 1pm, Jets (6-1) at Buffalo (2-5)

The Jets have a real shot at being all alone in first place by the end of Sunday. (More on the Patriots-Rams in a little bit.) Buffalo was the site of the end of the Jets' season last year, and that will be in the forefront of some of the Jets' minds this weekend. (You may remember, the Jets went to Buffalo with a chance to win the rest of their games to make it into the playoffs in Week 14 last season, and laid an absolute egg...Chad Pennington just wasn't sharp all last year after coming back from the injury, and this was the first game that we really saw it. In very cold temperatures, Pennington and the Jets lost, 17-6, beginning and end-of-season losing streak.) I have a feeling the Jets will continue what they started against Miami last week and just blow the Bills out of the water. This one probably won't be as close as the first game between the two teams.

The Jets will most likely be without Wayne Chrebet, who has a back problem, and if that's the case, Jerricho Cotchery will start in his place. The Bills might be without Josh Reed, but that won't really matter. What might matter is there's a chance Troy Vincent will play for the Bills...I think that would be his first action all season. So he might be rusty, but if he's effective, that could be a problem for the Jets. I don't think Lawyer Milloy will play - he also missed the game last month.

The Jets are starting to talk Super Bowl again. Not in a cocky way, but the same way they were talking about it when training camp broke back in August. They're saying anything less than a championship this season would be a disappointment, and they're talking about how they've done what they've needed to do. They know that the toughest part of their schedule is still to come - but you've got to win the games they schedule for you, and the Jets have done that 6 out of 7 times (and hopefully 7 out of 8). Next week, the Jets host Baltimore - and it's all uphill from there. But let's focus on this week for now - the Jets are favored by three in Buffalo. I say, 24-10, Jets.

As for the rest of the schedule - I had my worst picking week by far last week - couple that with the fact that I had my blog entry erased, and last weekend was probably one of the worst of the year for me. (The Jets win was on Monday, so that doesn't count for the weekend.) Anyway, I was just 5-9 last week, 59-54-3 on the season. I need to pull away from the .500 mark, for entertainment purposes:

(Here's a joke I thought of last week, that I hope doesn't offend any of my readers. We just had Jehovah's Witnesses come to the door. That part is not a joke - that really just happened. But here's the joke part - at the school, we had a Halloween parade last Friday, but one of the kids in the class didn't want to participate because his mom felt Halloween was worshipping the devil. Which is fine, whatever. But the other teacher I work with said, 'I've seen that type of thing a lot, usually Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Halloween.' So, sarcastically, I say, 'Yeah, I could see why they don't like Halloween. They're very uncomfortable with knocking on stranger's doors and asking for stuff.' Oh man, am I funny. Just had to share that. OK - onto the picks.)

Philadelphia is a pick-'em at Pittsburgh. The only good thing about my blog being erased last week is that I made a mistake saying Baltimore had a good shot at unseating both the Eagles, then the Patriots, from the ranks of the unbeaten in consecutive weeks. A miscalculation on my part. That would be the position the Steelers are in now. Incredible - both are home games, too. I am sold on the Steelers right now, and am convinced they'll be a problem for whoever they play the rest of the year (earlier this year I kept picking against them because I felt Roethlisberger would lose eventually). Well, I still think the Steelers are better than I've been giving them credit for, but I think the Eagles win a defensive struggle this week to get to 8-0. It'll be close, though, so I'm glad this is a pick-'em.

Detroit is a 3-point favorite over the Redskins, in Detroit. I just feel like if the Lions can beat the Giants in Giants Stadium, they can beat Washington in Detroit. (The Lions also came close to winning in Dallas, but close doesn't count, as we found out with the Jets versus the Patriots.) But I digress. The Lions are the pick, giving 3.

Dallas is a one-point favorite against the Bengals in Cincinnati. Dallas needs a win to get back to .500, and this is a winnable game for them. I'll take Dallas.

The Panthers are giving 7 to the Raiders in Carolina. Neither team is very good, and I don't think one team is better by a touchdown. So I'll take the Raiders getting the points, even though I think the Panthers will probably win.

Miami is a 3-point favorite over Arizona in Miami. Arizona doesn't seem to be able to win on the road, and Miami doesn't seem to be able to win at all. I think Arizona has a better chance at winning on the road than Miami does at all. Arizona, plus the points.

Kansas City is giving three in Tampa Bay. The Chiefs are on a roll, so are the Bucs, but the Chiefs are a better team, I think. I'll take the Chiefs, -3.

The Giants are nine-point favorites over the Bears at the Meadowlands. Interesting few weeks for the Giants - they've played three straight games against NFC North teams, one week removed from playing the Packers. (The Lions are in a similar boat, playing their third straight against NFC East teams. Not that it matters, I just noticed.) I think the Giants win this game, but I don't see them blowing anyone out (not counting the Vikings, who the Giants just seem to own.) So I'll take the Giants to win, but the Bears to cover the nine-point spread, somehow.

Seattle's a 6-and-a-half point favorite over San Francisco. Seattle should be able to win this one in San Fran, by a touchdown.

Another one out west, San Diego hosts New Orleans, and the Chargers are giving six-and-a-half. The Chargers are still streaking, and the Saints always disappoint. So I think the Chargers will cover.

The Patriots are a 2-point favorite over the Rams in St. Louis. I guess coming off a 21-game winning streak the Patriots get the benefit of the doubt, and that's why they're favored...but all that counts right now is that they've lost one game in a row...and I think it's about to become two. Ty Law is out 4-to-6 weeks, and there are rumblings he might miss the rest of the season. Things have broken well for this team so many times in the past that they might be able to win through the Law injury, and the fact that RB Corey Dillon might not play, but at least for this week, I think, they'll lose. The Rams are also 4-0 under Mike Martz in the week following a bye week...not that that makes a huge difference, it's just another stat I like. So I'll take the Rams getting points at home - this one'll be a high scorer. I'd probably also go over the 48 over-under if I were picking those too.

In Denver, the Broncos are six-and-a-half point favorites over the Texans. The Texans have been playing well, and I'm not sure they win this game, but they'll keep it to 3 or 4 points. So I'll take Houston.

Sunday night, in Baltimore, it's Cleveland getting six from the Ravens. The Browns always play the Ravens tough, but with Jamal Lewis coming back this week, I think I like the Ravens.

Monday night's a tough one to pick. The Colts are six point favorites over the Vikings in Indianapolis. Indy's desperate for a win, and the Vikings are coming off a blowout loss at home to the Giants. I think Indy probably wins this game, especially with Randy Moss not likely to play, but I think Minnesota has the guns to keep it close. So I'll take the Vikes, plus the points. The over/under on this game, incidentally, is 58 and a half. That's a high-scorer. I'd probably take under if I were doing that....just so you know. 55.

Enjoy the games - the Jets are on in the New England area this week. You know where to find me if you need me - on the couch from 1-4. Thank goodness it's a 1 o'clock game - my wife seems to think people go out for their six-month wedding anniversaries, so I have to go out Sunday late afternoon. Hopefully it'll be a happy dinner....if the Jets lose, it'll be a miserable half-anni-versary.

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.