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AFC Title Game: Jets v Steelers
Pittsburgh is 2-4 since 1994 in NFL championship games played at home — 1994, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2005 and 2009. This is 2011 so what happened then doesn’t matter. None of the Steelers were around for the first three games and barely any in 2002 (Hines Ward).
When the Jets beat the Steelers 22-17 on Dec. 19, Pittsburgh was without Troy Polamalu, one of two or three players in the NFL whose presence and absence is worth points — in some cases, maybe a touchdown. We were going to throw out that game anyway, so let’s do it, even though Polamalu wasn’t really Polamalu in his return Saturday against Baltimore — Ryan Clark was Polamalu in his stead.
One of the problems with analyzing teams is that we’re prone to overanalyzing them.
My friend Peter King in his latest column on SI.com declares the again-missing Aaron Smith as the best run-stuffing defensive end in the league. The “football scientists” at Pro Football Focus dispute it. Who knows? Last year, with Smith (and Polamalu) missing, the Steelers missed the playoffs. This year, with Smith missing, second-year man Ziggy Hood was ready to step in and provide a reasonable facsimile and the Steelers won the AFC North.
At this stage, the Steelers are probably harder opponents for the Jets to beat than the Patriots, because of their defense and because Ben Roethlisberger is harder to sack than Brady — rushers bounce off him. Neither offense will score a lot of points — never do, really — but the Pittsburgh defense is much more equipped than New England’s to put pressure on Mark Sanchez, who still has problems with pass rushers in his face.
One thing about all the pregame mouthing off the Jets do: They’ve proven that the canard about “bulletin-board material” doesn’t matter. The only effect it had on the game in New England was the benching by Bill Belichick of Wes Welker for a series because of his retaliatory “footie” remarks about Rex Ryan. (Maybe it did have an effect, if you buy the theory that Brady wouldn’t have thrown his first interception in three decades if Welker had been on the field.)
Patriots and Belichick Only Care About Winning
Bill Belichick’s only fetish is winning. Feet, legs, people wearing furry outfits, none of that entices him.
He wants to win NFL football games so much everything else in life is a distraction. Can you imagine Bill Belichick making a foot fetish video with his wife? Of course not. That’s wasted time. The feet, Belichick would think, you can’t sleep with the feet.
Rex Ryan is different, Falstaff in a headset, a walking quote machine who generates Internet page views at a faster clip than Brett Favre’s text pictures. But Rex is all bluster, if he loses to the Patriots he’ll be flipping fans off at the next UFC fight. He’ll get over the defeat, come back next year talking more trash. Belichick is different. He marinates in his defeat, pulls his hoodie over his head and hibernates like the Emperor in “Return of the Jedi.” Every thought comes back to football, every waking moment is an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.
The Other Side
Every other coach bows prostate before Brady and Manning. What do you have to lose by trying to get inside their heads? You can lose face, which most coaches hate. Ryan can handle it. That’s why he’s getting personal this week with the modern-day Lombardi.
– David Whitley on why Rex Ryan and the Jets will down Bill Belichick and the Patriots
Wonder how good at what he does Bill Belichick is? His coaching tree is a sequoia with no branches. Everyone who has left him to succeed on his own has fallen to the forest floor, looking up dazed at the sky above — Bill Belichick’s brilliance is solitary. Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels, Eric Mangini, and Charlie Weis? Failure, failure, failure, failure. Belichick could plug in your Aunt Gladys and have her named coordinator of the year.
He’s that good at what he does.
Wild Card Wild Weekend
OK, we all know Seattle doesn’t really belong in the NFL playoffs. And if anyone doesn’t, just look at the spread: New Orleans, which is traveling 2,100 miles to the Pacific Northwest, is a 10 1/2-point road favorite for Saturday’s opening postseason game.
Is it a little too much?
Well, the Saints’ running game has problems: Both Pierre Thomas and rookie surprise Chris Ivory went on injured reserve this week — leaving the major burden on fumble-prone Julius Jones, a Seahawks reject; and putting a bigger load on Reggie Bush, who is usually better with less use.
It also means Drew Brees will throw more, which probably won’t be a problem.
And Brees overmatches either Matt Hasselbeck (and his sore back) or the inexperienced Charlie Whitehurst — Pete Carroll has been coy all week about his starting quarterback. If it’s Whitehurst, he’ll see blitzes from Gregg Williams that … well, he really won’t see them coming and the revolving door offensive line probably won’t block them.
And it’s not as if the home-field advantage in Seattle is as great as it’s been in the past — the Seahawks allowed 42, 41 and 34 points at Qwest Field to the Chiefs, Giants and Falcons, respectively.
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Steelers Steamed
The Steelers did some complaining after their loss to the Jets that New York’s cornerbacks held them and bullied them during the NFL game.
They had a point on one late play, as Emmanuel Sanders was prevented from scoring a touchdown by a grab of the jersey in the final minutes. But the complaints went farther than just one single play.
“I got held every single play,” Steelers WR Mike Wallace said. “But … you have to keep playing ball.”
It’s worth noting. Because the Jets have built their defense on aggressive corner play, which allows them to play man and rush the passer. New England won Super Bowls with aggressive corner play. The Jets will ride a similar formula.
In addition, the Steelers may have to get used to winning with Troy Polamalu sidelined. He missed the Jets game with a lower leg injury, and probably won’t play the rest of the regular season. With Polamalu, the Steelers’ defense has someone who can change the game on any single play. Without him, they let the Jets convert 46 percent of their downs and top 100 yards rushing while the Steelers defense got no turnovers and one sack.
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Looking Back on the Draft
Mark Sanchez was taken fifth in the NFL draft by the New York Jets two years ago. Colt McCoy lasted to the third round this year.
Sunday the two played and the only difference between them was Sanchez had more talented wide receivers, one of whom came up with a game-winning play with 16 seconds left in overtime.
McCoy threw for 205 yards and had a rating of 88.8. Sanchez threw for 299 and had a rating of 87.2. Sanchez has had nothing but hype since he entered the NFL.
McCoy earned a ton of respect.
“Quote me on this,” said Jets defensive lineman Trevor Pryce. “They have a quarterback now. I’m glad I’m not in the AFC North so I don’t have to see him get better. They’ve had a quarterback problem for a long time. They now have a legit quarterback.”
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Brett Favre Unbecoming of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy
This Brett Favre-Jenn Sterger mess is another black eye for the NFL. It’s also an opportunity.
If Favre behaved as he’s alleged to have behaved toward Jenn Sterger during the otherwise forgettable time both spent as employees of the New York Jets, then he’s probably guilty of sexual harassment in the workplace and certainly guilty of acting like an ass. And as seriously as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to take the first possibility, the acting-like-an-ass thing is the big-picture concern he needs to address.
The specifics behind the relentless parade of NFL behavior cases — illegal gun possession, drunk driving, sexual harassment — are all serious issues in their own right. Taken together they illustrate the underlying problem, which is that these players, regardless of background or circumstances, are a bunch of arrogant clowns who think they can do anything they want and get away with it.
The Favre case, thanks to its timing and the height of its profile (Favre and the Vikings are playing the Jets in New York on Monday night), offers Goodell a chance to use the personal conduct policy to deliver a strong message. And he needs to do just that, because right now it’s clear that the NFL’s personal conduct policy is not an effective deterrent.
Every week it’s something else. Braylon Edwards. Leroy Hill. Ben Roethlisberger. Vincent Jackson. Even Brian Cushing and Santonio Holmes’ drug suspensions, which aren’t even covered under the personal conduct policy. Nobody who’s watching this stuff could possibly think that these players have the policy in mind when they make decisions about the way they live their lives, and until they do, it is not going to be as effective as it needs to be. Read More >>
Its a Man’s Game, How Far will the NFL let Ines Sainz Push?
The treatment of Mexican TV reporter Ines Sainz by the Jets players at practice last weekend “should have been better,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Friday, but the league won’t be taking any action against players or coaches.
I can tell you for certain, this would be another consideration altogether if male reporters were pushing for access to female locker rooms.
“It is our responsibility to provide a professional setting for members of the news media and other business associates that work with our teams and the league,” Goodell said in statement. “We appreciate Jets owner) Woody Johnson stepping up promptly to properly manage the situation at his team.”
As part of the nearly week-long investigation where 17 people were interviewed, the NFL has determined there’s a need for all 32 teams to undergo a training program on how to interact with reporters. The programs, the NFL said, “will supplement the league’s current media policy and improve the ability of clubs to maintain a professional environment in the workplace.”
The inquiry into the treatment of Sainz, a reporter with TV Azteca, determined there was “unprofessional conduct” on behalf of the Jets, including targeting her during drills last Saturday. In a letter to the Jets, Goodell wrote “there seems little doubt that passes were thrown in Sainz’s direction,” although no player “bumped, touched (or) brushed against” Sainz.
In the locker room, Sainz told investigators that she didn’t hear any catcalls or sexually offensive comments, and didn’t witness any inappropriate gestures. She did, however, note that that locker room environment “could have been better.” Read More >>
Darrelle Revis Is Right: Jets Should Stand Down, Pay Up
Woody Johnson and the New York Jets are posturing, which is fine. With more than a month left before the season starts, it’s still the time for that. So they posture, and Darrelle Revis postures, and all the while the team’s best player is missing training camp, fans are panicking and HBO is licking its chops over the prospect of unprecedented “Hard Knocks” ratings. Nothing is lost, except the money the Jets can fine Revis every day he doesn’t show up.
Johnson, Rex Ryan and the Jets spent the past couple of days making public proclamations about how ready they were to move on and play the 2010 season without Revis. This is a good tactic, since there’s a chance it scares Revis back to the negotiating table and closer to a deal on the team’s terms.
What it’s not, however, is true. The Jets don’t — can’t possibly — believe they’ll be all right if they have to play this season without Revis. His absence would be devastating, as he himself realizes. And it is for that reason that the Jets should swallow hard and pay him what he wants.
The issue is the contract of Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, currently the NFL‘s highest-paid cornerback at $15.1 million per season. Revis correctly believes himself to be better than Asomugha, and because money is the way such things are measured, he believes he should make more. Read More >>
NFL Crackdown on Failure to Comply
In what appears to be an effort to lay the hammer down on anything the league can catch up with the NFL has finally decided to fine the Jets $75,000 for not disclosing Brett Favre’s shoulder injury late in the season.
“We have been fully cooperative with the league throughout this investigation and respect their decision,” the team said in a statement.
The head coach at the time, Eric Mangini, however has obviously placed the situation behind him as he has since moved on.
“I have worked with the league on this matter and now consider it closed,” he said in a statement. “My focus is on our preparations for the Broncos.”
Not to mention Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum whom both were been assessed individually as well in the amount of $25,000 dollars each for their direct roles in not adding Favre to the injury report due to a torn biceps tendon, bringing the incident cost to a total of $125,000.
Jets Sellout Sponship
With all things money driven, the New York Jets have decided to take advantage of the NFL rule that allows teams to sell sponsorship on their practice jerseys. Next thing you know player jerseys will look as cluttered as the NASCAR sponsorships. Or better yet include ad space that each player can generate revenue individually. Can anyone say Ocho Cinco Energy Drink? Currently the NFL is keeping tight reins.
“The NFL wants to be certain that the brand you’re associating with meets the high standards of the league, so there are controls,” the Jets executive vice president of business operations, Matt Higgins, said. “There’s no desire to NASCAR-ize the jerseys, so there’s only one allowed at a time.”
All of these revenue based decisions come with more then just simple ramifications for the team or sport. Although the patches can be no larger than 3 1/2-by-4 1/2 inches and has been limited the Jets training camp jerseys will now adorn the New Jersey based heath care provider, Atlantic Health, that owns the naming rights to the Jets training facility already.
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