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NY Jets Must Trade Darrelle Revis Now

February 19, 2013 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

 

Photo via Gary Rothstein for New York Daily News

Photo via Gary Rothstein for New York Daily News

What’s an NFL offseason without Darrelle Revis and NY Jets drama?

Last night, a brief interview between Darrelle Revis and Andrea Kremer aired on the NFL Network.  During the interview, Revis addressed his feelings upon hearing his name was circulating in trade talks.  To put it simply, he was “speechless.”  Additionally, Revis reiterated his desire to stay in New York, despite the Jets’ interest in trading him.  According to Revis, Rex Ryan and GM, John Idzik, both indicated the trade rumors didn’t originate with them causing Revis to believe owner Woody Johnson provided the directive.  When specifically asked if Revis believes Johnson doesn’t want to pay him, Revis responded, “That might be a situation. That might be something. That might be an option.”  Bottomline, Revis feels he deserves more insight into his situation, as the team’s best player; while also caveating that sentiment with the obligatory, “I know it’s a business.”

Yes, Darrelle; it is a business.  While transparency is appreciated, that’s not how this business works.  No matter how much you feel you’ve given to the organization and earned in return, it means nothing.  That’s the way of the world for any employee-employer relationship.  The owner’s, and in this case Woody Johnson, first priority is protecting his investment.  If exploring trade options for you, his biggest fish seems like the most logical course of action, he has that right.  Should he inform you of his decision out of respect and courtesy?  He could, but he doesn’t owe that to you.

For Revis, this is less about staying with the Jets, and more about getting paid when his contract expires at the end of this season.  It’s always about the money with him.  He is looking to become the $100 million man and the highest paid defensive player in the history of the league, and I’m not mad at him for that.  But unfortunately, paying $20 million a year to a defensive player doesn’t fit the Jets’ plans as they try to recover from the mess Mike Tannenbaum left behind and look beyond 2013-2014. Additionally, due to a clause in his contract, the Jets don’t have the option of franchise tagging Revis next season.  If the Jets don’t move Revis this season, they may lose him for nothing when he becomes a free agent.

There in lies the problem(s) for Revis.

As the Jets are currently $20 million over the cap, it’s next to impossible for the team to actively participate in free agency.  Due to Revis’s ACL tear suffered last season, there is room for lots of doubt as far as his health is concerned.  Though, to his benefit, Adrian Peterson’s remarkable recovery proves it’s possible to return as dominant as ever.  If anyone can duplicate Peterson’s superheroic comeback, I believe Revis can, but there’s no way to guarantee or know for sure.

It also doesn’t help Revis that the Jets’ defense didn’t implode without him.  Thanks to Antonio Cromartie and Laron Landry, two pro bowlers, the Jets’ passing defense finished the season ranked second.  From Johnson and Idzik’s perspective, and mine too, the Jets are deficient in soooo many other areas, they can theoretically afford to lose Revis.  Based on these numbers, salary cap and overall performance of the defensive unit, the Jets wouldn’t be responsible if they didn’t use Revis as bait.

Idzik has already indicated the Jets will be active in this year’s draft.  That, along with tight cap space, and Mark Sanchez still our number one QB, leaves me with low expectations for the season.  Since we’re rebuilding, I’d rather roll the dice on Revis, see what we can get in return, and start to put the pieces together now.

I’d love to see Revis stay, but whether it happens now or later, Revis Island will eventually secede from Jets Nation.  No need to delay the inevitable.

If you missed the interview, watch it here:  http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000140216/Health-of-the-Game-Revis-to-new-team

-@sdotrenee

 

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: Darrelle Revis, Jets, John Idzik, New York Jets, NFL Network, NY Jets, Revis, Woody Johnson

Guess What? I’m Back!

February 1, 2013 by Shana Renee 4 Comments

IM BACK_ASE

Sports Heads!

I’m back! Oh, how I’ve missed thee.

I know it’s been a minute, three months to be exact, since I’ve last updated the blog. But just know I’ve had good reasons for stepping away.  Although it would be easy for me to blame the NY Jets for my disappearance act, they’re not the reason. OK, well maybe they deserve part of the blame.  After all, eulogizing the Jets week after week wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I set out to do weekly game recaps. But in an effort to keep it all the way real with you, the truth is I burnt myself out.  The daily hustle and flow, or should I say non-cash flow, of the solopreneur life broke me all the way down, y’all.  My creativity vanished and so did my passion and confidence.  I was so confused and unsure about what I wanted that I seriously contemplated working for the man again.  Now I shudder at the thought of that because I am utterly and completely not about that life.  I knew that all along, and yet, the safe but extra boring route still seemed like a good move..at the time.  The thoughts of receiving a steady paycheck, and collecting stamps in my passport caused me to swerve off course a bit.  But thankfully, my all-star team of family and friends (you know who you are!), successfully took the wheel and convinced me to stick it out. And I’m forever grateful they did.  Their words of encouragement, coupled with prayer and soul-searching reminded me that pursuing what I love and not compromising who I am to achieve true happiness is one of the reasons I started this journey in the first place.  My hiatus may have been unexpected, but it was necessary as hell, and probably one of the best decisions I could’ve made.

Not only am I energized to be back on the keys, but I’ve channeled that energy into something dope that I hope to share soon.  Over the next few months, the blog will evolve to include more of me…not like pictures and stuff, although if you’re interested in that sort of thing, follow me on instagram @sdotrenee ;-) , but I’m talking about inviting you into my world, and sharing more of my voice, point of view, and interests with you.  I know dope people, who do dope things, and I’m going to allow you to experience some of this as I attempt to explore the convergence of sports + music, sports + fashion, sports + film, and so on and so forth.  Not to worry, you’ll still get my commentary on current sports topics, but that’s not where it stops anymore.

I can’t thank you enough for holding me down over the years. It’s been a wild and crazy and scary journey, but your unwavering support is why I’m still here doing what I do. I just ask you to continue to rock with me, and spread the love by sharing, liking, commenting, and tweeting it all to the masses.  To borrow the words of the MTA, if you see something (you think is dope, ridiculous, dumb, or spot on), say something! I want to hear from you.  It’s that simple.

And with that, I’ll leave you with this inspiring pep talk from Kid President. Trust me, Ray Lewis ain’t got nothing on him.

Yes, together, let’s make this an #awesomeyear.  And let’s get started today by liking ASE on Facebook, following me on twitter, and instagram…lol.  Many thanks.

Ahhh, it feels good to be back! Look for new posts starting Monday.

Go 9ers!

-@sdotrenee

 

Filed Under: Featured, Pro Sports Tagged With: All Sports Everything, Baltimore Ravens, Kid President, NY Jets, Ray Lewis, San Francisco 49ers, Sports Blogging, Super Bowl

The Morning After: New York Jets vs New England Patriots (26-29)

October 22, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via Jim Rogash/Getty Images

 

Sigh…yesterday’s  NY Jets 26-29 OT  loss to the New England Patriots was tough to digest. Actually, it still is.  Mark Sanchez and co. had so many opportunities to pull out the win, but just couldn’t get it done.  And as everyone knows, when you’re playing against Tom Brady, you have to play for the win.  Not for the tie, or not to lose the game, but to win it.  Because if given the opportunity, Brady will leave you with nothing but huge regrets.  And that’s exactly what happened last evening.

THE GOOD

- From the first drive, the Jets offense played with purpose and effort.  Tony Sporano didn’t miss the memo with regard to the Pats weak pass defense.  Straight out the gate, Sanchez tested the Pats’ secondary and was rewarded for it.  He led the team to an impressive scoring drive on the Jets’ first possession.  And save for a terrible INT and a fumble which resulted in a safety, Sanchez played well the majority of regulation.  Overall, he was 28/41 and threw for a season-high 328 yards.

- The diminutive Jeremy Kerley, who stands tall at 5’9, has emerged as Sanchez’s most trusted receiver, since Santonio Holmes went down.  Kerley put in incredible work yesterday, catching seven passes for 120 yards.  Now, if he would only stop fielding punt returns at the 5 yard line and instead, let the ball bounce into the endzone for a touchback, he’d really be alright with me.

- Despite playing without Darelle Revis, it seems the Jets defense is finally turning things around. Yesterday they held a top five offense to just 17 points, 259 passing yards, and 131 rushing yards.  Although Rob Gronkowski scored two touchdowns, the Jets secondary neutralized Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker, not making them much of a threat.  If only the Jets defense hadn’t mailed it in on the Pats game-tying drive to end the fourth quarter, the Jets would’ve left Foxboro with the win.

- Although it was a wasted effort, I can’t deny how clutch Nick Folk has been all season.  Because the Jets have struggled to locate the endzone, we’ve relied on the 11-11 kicker to keep us in the game, and he’s nailed it every time.  Due to kicking 54 and 21 yard field goals earlier in the game, and a 43 yarder minutes before, I incorrectly assumed leg fatigue would result in Folk missing the 43 yard field goal attempt which resulted in the Jets briefly gaining the lead.  In that instance, it felt good to be wrong.  It’s just too bad his teammates let him down.

-  The warrior that is Joe McKnight. 

 

THE BAD

- Only Sanchez can be defined as good and bad, at the same damn time.  But that’s exactly what he was,  yesterday.  We can rely on him to make at least two momentum killing plays per game.   After watching many wild finishes at the end of yesterday’s games, I couldn’t help but wish I had a quarterback that could execute a come from behind win in two minutes or less.  Instead, Jets fans are saddled with a guy who fumbled a snap and had to kick the ball out the endzone to avoid a touchdown recovery by the Pats.  And also the quarterback, who on the last play of the game in OT, thought trying to throw it away was the right call.  Instead of taking the sack and giving his team one more chance to make a miracle happen, the Patriots recovered the ball. Game over.  If the Jets intend on contending, we have to get a quarterback who is equipped to make better decisions when the game is on the line.   Period.

- And speaking of better decision making, why did Tony Sporano call a slant to Chaz Schilens on 3rd and 2?  Aside from a 23 yard pass play to Dustin Keller, the Jets had success grounding and pounding the ball to Shonn Greene most of that drive.  Yet, when we’re in the redzone, and it’s 3rd and 2, the Jets decide to pass?  And to Schilens?!  With the way our offensive line has been blocking lately, there’s no question Tebow or Greene, would’ve gained the first down.  After six games, one would think Sporano and the rest of the coaching staff would improve with regard to when to call Tebow’s number, but they haven’t.  Just another example of how the Jets left points on the field…a huge no no against the Pats.

- I’m not going to kill Stephen Hill for dropping that pass, because aside from that, he played well.  HOWEVER, if Hill would’ve held onto the ball, the Jets would’ve been in a position to win that game.  I know that missed opportunity will haunt him until at least next week, let’s just hope he uses it as motivation to improve and make clutch catches in the near future.  He has the potential to be a star on this team, he can’t allow his butterfingers to hold him back.

 

THE UGLY

- The amount of ifs and woulds mentioned in this post is sickening, but rather appropriate because it highlights how many missed opportunities the Jets really had.  This loss will definitely rear its ugly head down the road.

Next week, the Dolphins head to Metlife Stadium to seek redemption.  It’s also the final game before the Jets’ Week 9 bye.  Based on the Jets improvements over the past couple of weeks,  I’m optimistic they’ll go into the break with a .500 record.

-@sdotrenee

P.S.  My apologies for abandoning ASE and TMA the past couple of weeks.  I needed to step away a bit to work on some things.  Appreciate the continued support!

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Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: AFC East, Jeremy Kerley, Joe McKnight, Mark Sanchez, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL, Nick Folk, NY Jets, Rex Ryan, Shonn Greene, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady

The Morning After: San Francisco 49ers vs New York Jets (34-0)

October 1, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

 

Photo via AP/Bill Kostroun

Santonio Holmes’ facial expression says it all.

As a Jets fan, I’ve witnessed some brutal games, but Sunday’s 0-34 loss to the San Francisco 49ers was historic and epic and pathetic.

I don’t know what can be said about Sunday’s game that I didn’t say last week.  However, I’ll give it a shot and hopefully won’t sound like a broken record in the process.

THE GOOD

Moving on…

THE BAD and THE UGLY

The issues with the Jets begin with management and trickle down to the player level. The coaches are hugely responsible for the lack of execution on game-day, but I’m specifically talking Mike Tannenbaum since he’s responsible for personnel decisions.  That is the source of the unraveling thread.  As such, I wholeheartedly believe he deserves the majority of the blame.  During the offseason and then the preseason, I grew impatient by the moves or rather, lack there of.  Tannenbaum’s big free agent get was Tim freaking Tebow.  And he wasn’t even signed for the purpose of being a legitimate backup QB, but instead to scare Mark Sanchez straight and lead the wildcat.  Both which have yet to manifest itself.  Meanwhile, the persistent problems the team experienced last season have germinated:  inability to stop the running game, an ineffective offensive line, a weak receiving corp, and even worse rushing game, have all become liabilities to the team because Tannenbaum refused to resolve these issues.  He did, however, sign Laron Landry, one of the only positives this season, so I’ll give him that, but nothing more. In fact, I’m also going to bring up old shit and blame him for signing Kyle Wilson, the 2010 first round draft pick who has become a colossal disappointment.  But more on him later.

When you eliminate Darrelle Revis from the equation, the team lacks depth and dependable players at virtually every position.  Across the board, we’re thin.  When everyone with a shred of football knowledge dooms your season because a defensive player is shut down for the remainder of the season, that says it all.  A serious championship contending team should be able to survive that sort of deathblow because it’s stacked with weapons.  This certainly does not apply to the Jets.  Our defense was our best offense because the offense is incapable of even sniffing the endzone.  But without Revis, it’s a free for all on both ends of the field.  And now that a sometimey Santonio Holmes also may be finished, the Jets are being eulogized for the second consecutive week.  You must look in the direction of Tannenbaum.  If Revis and Holmes remained healthy, the Jets may have been barely decent enough to let Tannenbaum weasel himself out of the line of fire.  But no matter how you cut it, all roads lead directly back to him.

Again, as I said last week, I’m not making excuses for Mark Sanchez.  It’s a hard known fact that he doesn’t have what it takes to lead the Jets, and I’d venture to say he’s the worst quarterback in the league right now, especially when you compare a QB in his fourth year to that of sophomore Cam Newton, and rookies, RGIII and Andrew Luck.  After blowing our minds in the first game, Sanchez put up a QB Rating under 50% for three weeks in a row: 46.4%, 34.3%, and 2.8%.

Once again, Sanchez had an ill-timed turnover in the redzone. Last week, he threw an INT in the endzone and this week he fumbled when we were in field goal range near the end of the first half. He overthrew passes and under threw passes. He took sacks when he should’ve thrown it away. You know…the usual.  Pathetic, but at the same time, his offensive line has let him down, and he has no one to catch the damn ball. *Paging Keyshawn Johnson (but not really)*

Before this week, the receiving corp was paper thin, and now with Holmes hurt and Keller still nursing a hamstring injury, it’s thin as air. “Rookie sensation” Stephen Hill has been an absolute bust. The first week he looked like a future star, since…he’s either been a non-factor or hurt, so like I said, a bust. And the running game isn’t any better.  In fact, it’s worse!  Shonn Greene is absolute trash and although Bilal Powell has been slightly more productive in that role, combined they ran for a useless 45 yards.  Just pitiful.

And let me tell you this, Tim Tebow is not the answer, savior, or solution to the problem.  If anything, he has a whole layer unto himself on this horrible smelling onion.  Tebow can’t throw worth a damn. And his ability to throw defenses off and effectively run the wildcat seems like too much to ask. It took the 49ers to show the home team what the wildcat can do for you when properly executed.  The 9ers beat the Jets at their own game.  The irony, lol.

The coaching staff has no clue how to use Tebow.  I would suggest using Tebow as a receiver since we have no one else to throw to, but when they’ve tried that Tebow showed he can’t run routes and the ball dinged him in the helmet.  During yesterday’s post-game press conference, Rex was pressed about whether it’s time to make a QB change, and he essentially said he doesn’t believe Tebow has what it takes.  Remember, he’s comparing Tebow’s ability to Sanchez’s inability so that must tell you everything you need to know about how much faith the coaches have in Tebow.  But then again, they maintain that Sanchez is the right man for the job, so who knows.  So far, neither quarterback has one upped the other.

Which brings me to Tony Sporano.  Since he’s arrived, the offense is more dazed and confused than they were under, wait for it…Brian Schottenheimer.  No one was happier than me to see Schotty depart New York, but now I can’t help but wonder if he was actually a better offensive coordinator.  Soparano, the wildcat guru and king of the rushing game has been terrible so far.  The team’s one rushing touchdown and five passing touchdowns, three of which came in Week 1, are proof positive of that.  Yesterday, the Jets were 2/13 on third-down plays.  They only had nine first downs compared to San Fran’s 26…smh.  It would be nice if Sporano finally executed a game plan that didn’t make people shamefully miss the Brian Schottenheimer era.

And finally, on to defense.  The memo is out, run the ball against the Jets and you’ll have your way.  For the most part, the Jets defense contained the 9ers offense in the first half, but eventually things got of hand in the second half.  In all, the 49ers had 245 rushing yards.  Eight different people ran the rock, and we let them.  The game really blew up in our faces in the fourth quarter, when the defense was probably gassed from playing  36:56 compared to the offense’s 23:04.  There were no redeeming qualities about yesterday’s defensive performance, but I can tell you the weakest link.  Kyle Wilson.  He is a joke.  I’m not even criticizing him for not being a suitable replacement for Revis, because no one is capable of filling Revis’ shoes.  However, what annoyed me most about Wilson’s game was how he repeatedly got beat, only to be rescued by Alex Smith’s poor throws, and then react by trash talking and taunting receivers as if he was responsible for the incomplete pass. How delusional can one player be about his talent level?  Since he was signed in 2010, Rex hailed Wilson as the next big thing.  Two years later and we’re still waiting.

Before the season began, we all knew Weeks 4 and Week 5 were going to be a big test for the Jets.  And that was before we knew Mark Sanchez was going to regress like he has, or we’d be without Revis and Holmes, and possibly Keller too.  The only thing that makes facing the Texans more daunting than it already seemed is doing it on Monday Night Football, for the whole nation to see.  Awesome.

In other news, the New York Yankees clinched a playoff spot, yesterday.  That helped numb my pain a little.  If you’re a Mets-Jets fan, find comfort in knowing you have my condolences.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: AFC East, Antonio Cromartie, Darrelle Revis, Jeremey Kerley, Kyle Wilson, Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, NY Jets, Rex Ryan, San Francisco 49ers, Shonn Greene, Tim Tebow, Wildcat Offense

The Morning After: NY Jets vs Miami Dolphins (23-20)

September 24, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via Robert Mayer/PressWire

WordPress refused to fight fairly this morning. Based on the timing of this post and the switched up format, take one guess who excelled in that battle. Hint: Not me.

Thankfully, the NY Jets were more successful than I. Although the Jets 23-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins in OT wasn’t pretty, any of it, a win is a win. And with that win, the Jets are currently sitting atop the AFC East with a 2-1 record. The Buffalo Bills, division rivals, also hold a 2-1 record, but the Jets have an early advantage because they remain undefeated in the division. However, not even that, coupled with another Patriots loss, is enough to cause ignorance to the colossal fact that the Jets are not a good football team. Period.

Not exactly breaking news, I know, but I wanted to withhold my official ruling until I had an opportunity to see more than two games. We’re now three weeks into the season and the team’s deficiencies at virtually every area of the game are way too obvious to think otherwise. And unfortunately, I don’t see anything improving anytime soon simply because the Jets have been tiredly singing and forcing upon us to the same pitchy, off-beat tune for a while.

Mark Sanchez, now a four-year quarterback, doesn’t have the skill or football IQ to excel at the pro level. Although he has moments of promise, they’re far too fleeting to expect a vast transformation. Terrible redzone efficiency, overthrowing receivers, continuously throwing into cover two and cover three situations are all inherent flaws of his game that are too big to ignore. In the past, the team was able to overcome his deficiencies with a solid running game, an indestructible defense, and a Jets receiving corp that consisted of more than one reliable guy. However, since then, the Jets team as a whole has deteriorated. Our rushing defense is such a joke that we barely beat a team with a rookie quarterback and no legitimate wideouts. If Reggie Bush wasn’t knocked out of the game with an injury, there’s no doubt the Jets would be the team with the 1-2 record.

When will Jets brass finally admit Sanchez is not the answer? If you’re not going to replace him at least give him enough support so he can effectively do his job. The team’s offseason acquisitions did absolutely nothing to benefit Sanchez’s QB-style, which I equate to a four-year old’s bowling style. Keep reading. You’ll get it.

If you take little Johnny bowling, and don’t put up the rails to prevent the ball from rolling into the gutter, yet expect a strike or spare at every turn, you’re wasting your time. Even with the bumpers, it takes the ball forever to make it down the lane, but at least you know there will be some knocked down pins to show for your time. Like little Johnny, Sanchez needs rails in the gutter, or a capable surrounding cast that will rise to the level of his playing ability. Without it he’s lost. Sanchez has never been a particularly good quarterback, it’s just that he’s had bumpers to pad his ok performance that we called Plaxico Burress, Braylon Edwards, Jericho Cotchery, Jim Leonhard, and on and on. Why genius-boy Mike Tannenbaum thought it was more prudent to channel Phil Jackson’s zen-master mind games and sign Tim Tebow to help boost Sanchez’s confidence rather than beef up the receiving corp or defensive unit remains lost on me. He waited until the eleventh hour to finally pull the plug on Wayne Hunter when Hunter should’ve been the first to get the axe after last season. That is extremely concerning because it’s as if there is no sense of urgency to win. Towards the end of last season, all of the Jets’ weak spots were exposed and well-documented. Yet, virtually none of the holes were plugged to start the season. Newsflash: Not only is Rex Ryan an average head coach, but the defensive edge he was lauded for has seemingly disappeared. Was all his strength in his weight? The more pounds he loses, the weaker the defense becomes. The Jets’ defense has been ebbing for a while and is no longer in a position to pick up the slack while the mediocre offense narrowly escapes with wins. That’s especially an ugly truth, now, as the number one shutdown corner in the game, Darrelle Revis, has a torn ACL. *weeps uncontrollably* Without Revis Island to fear, quarterbacks will have free reign to distribute the ball and steamroll the Jets. It’s just all bad.

When a win leaves you with the same yuck mouth taste as a loss, you know it’s going to be an excruciatingly long season. I haven’t completely written them off yet because we’re only heading into Week 4 and stranger things have happened, but with the 49ers coming to town after a shocking loss to the Minnesota Vikings, I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

I know…I’m a typical Jets fan.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: AFC East, Darelle Revis, Mark Sanchez, Miami Dolphins, NFL, NY Jets, Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow

The Morning After: NY Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers (10-27)

September 17, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Well, with a 27-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Jets didn’t waste anytime proving the doubters right.

THE GOOD

- I’ll start with a positive footnote that is unrelated to anything the Jets did or didn’t accomplish yesterday — the New England Patriots lost.  That, along with wins by the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, means the AFC East is all tied up 1-1.

- The most obvious positive takeaway from yesterday’s game was the opening drive. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better drive — 90 yards, four of five completions from Mark Sanchez, and a Santonio Holmes touchdown.

THE BAD/THE UGLY

-Having said that, there were many lowlights in yesterday afternoon’s game.  Aside from the opening drive, the team largely mirrored its dreadful performance from the preseason– inability to locate the endzone, lots of dropped balls by receivers, and a weak offensive line.  Even against a “shorthanded” defensive unit who had to pick up the slack due to Troy Polamalu and James Harrison sitting out, the Jets couldn’t get anything going.  Stephen Hill, the rookie sensation we all praised last week, completely went AWOL.  At 6’4 he provides the height we need in order to stretch the field, but if he can’t break away from man-to-man coverage, he’s going to do nothing but further taint Mike Tannenbaum’s questionable draft record.

Speaking of Tannenbaum, yesterday was a prime example of why he should’ve made bolstering up the receiving corp more of a priority.  With an inexperienced rookie, two undersized receivers in Santonio Holmes and Jeremy Kerley, and a subpar backup at tight end in for Dustin Keller, the Jets lack the size and weapons to compete against a secondary as lethal as the one it succumbed to yesterday.  Perhaps the offense is dedicating too much time on perfecting useless Wildcat plays that didn’t receive any action until mid-way through the third quarter?  Trust me, I’m no proponent of Tebow Time, but if the Jets are depleted elsewhere, why not mix it up to see if it’ll throw the Steelers off balance a bit, especially since the running game didn’t prove more fruitful than the passing game.

Any remnants of Sanchez’s record-setting performance from a week prior were fully erased.  After looking sharp on the opening drive, Sanchez threw one incomplete pass after another, and eventually finished the day 10-for-27 for 138 yards and one touchdown.  Although you probably don’t need me to further explain how terrible his outing was, I will.  Yesterday’s 17 incompletions tied his lowest completions total since his rookie year.  Talk about regression.  But to be fair, Sanchez’s forgettable statline was a team effort.  From Austin Howard’s struggles, to an ineffective running game, to Tony Sporano’s failure to make adjustments during the game, the Jets came up short all around.  Not good.

- Defensively, things weren’t much better.  Once I heard Darelle Revis was officially out, my expectations plummeted.  With Rashard Mendenhall still on the mend, and Revis Island closed for the weekend, it was obvious the Steelers would rely on its vertical game to beat us.  Although the Jets blitzed Roethlisberger and successfully recorded a few sacks, it wasn’t enough to stifle Big Ben’s mobility and productivity.  Broken and missed tackles abound. Top that off with lax coverage and mounting penalties by Antonio Cromartie and Laron Landry, just forget about it.   The costly mistakes ultimately ruined any chance the Jets had of staging a comeback.  In the past, when the Jets have struggled offensively, the defense performed well enough to keep them in the game.  No such luck yesterday.

The bottom line is this, the Steelers exposed the hell out of us, on both sides of the ball.  But speaking from a place of glass half full, I’m happy it happened this early in the season.  I’m also hopeful it’ll give the Jets a much needed reality check, especially as they travel down to South Beach to face Sporano’s former team.

Yesterday the Dolphins surprisingly outplayed the Raiders and proved they may be as much of a wild card as the Jets.  Even with an appearance on Hard Knocks, it’s unclear who the Dolphins are as a team.  However, I do know, if the Jets allow Reggie Bush to repeat yesterday’s 172 yard, 2 TD outing, we’ll be digging ourselves out of a deep hole as we prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans in Weeks 4 and 5.

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: AFC East, Ben Roethlisberger, Darrelle Revis, Mark Sanchez, NFL, NY Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow

The Morning After: Buffalo Bills vs NY Jets (28-48)

September 10, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Wow. What a way to kickoff the NFL season.  Overall, there were many surprising moments.  Robert Griffin III stunned and out played Drew Brees in his NFL debut.  Adrian Peterson’s supernatural abilities were on display after returning from a torn ACL.  Peyton Manning may be on a different team, but he is indeed the same old Peyton, The 49ers made Green Bay look ordinary.  The Bears new look offense wowed.  And Matty Ice’s Falcons rolled over the Chiefs.

However, I, without a doubt, was most shocked by the impressive play of my New York Jets, who defeated the Buffalo Bills 48-28.  No one, and I mean no one, expected the Jets offense, defense, and special teams to explode for a total of 48 points.  After much fuss was made of the team’s inability to score a touchdown during the preseason, the Jets proved why sports analysts, bloggers, experts, fans, and journalists, should take a wait and see approach rather than prematurely eulogizing a team due to its poor preseason performance.  Rex Ryan tried to tell us the preseason wasn’t an accurate reflection of who the Jets are, but most of us dismissed his warnings as puffery.  While the Jets have successfully restored my hope, at least for one more week, my expectations remain tempered. One game alone is not enough for me to book a ticket to New Orleans, but it is enough for me to suspend my countdown to the start of the NBA Season.

Let’s get into it.

THE GOOD

Pleasantly and shockingly, there are many highlights from Sunday’s Bills vs Jets game.

- All hail Tony Sporano!  It wasn’t immediately clear what Sporano’s gameplan was during the preseason, besides a whole lot of Wildcat, but based on yesterday’s offensive explosion, I think we have a pretty good indication.  Sporano repeatedly dug into his deep bag of tricks, and wowed us with an offense fit for a four-year veteran.  Mark Sanchez’s training wheels have appropriately been removed, finally giving him license to let loose, something he was continuously denied under the Brian Schottenheimer regime.  And as Sanchez proved with 266 passing yards, three touchdown passes, 1 fumble, 1 interception, and a gaudy 123.4 quarterback rating, he’s ready.  With better protection upfront, thank you Austin Howard(!), Sanchez had sufficient time and coverage to release the ball.  Not even the Bills biggest offseason acquisition, Mario Williams, could rattle Sanchez.  Howard, so far proving to be a vast upgrade over Wayne “Turnstile” Hunter, reduced Williams to one measly tackle and zero sacks, to which Williams subsequently reacted to by whining and ripping the replacement refs.

In all, Sanchez hit up seven different receivers.  But it was obvious his new favorite target may be 6’4 rookie, Stephen Hill. (I’m suddenly feeling good about my decision to draft Hill in my fantasy league.)  After facing criticism for dropping many catchable balls during the preseason, Hill shined in his first NFL start.  He responded with two touchdowns and 89 yards. Jeremey Kerley also took advantage of his opportunities, but that’s nothing new.  The versatile second-year player not only showed out on offense, but he also returned a punt for a 68-yard touchdown. Although Sanchez’s familiar targets, Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller, took a backseat to younger receivers, I fully expect Sporano and Sanchez to involve the vets more in the upcoming weeks.

Moving on to the running game.  No doubt about it, Shonn Greene’s running game lacks finesse.  But he’s a workhorse who quietly gets the job done.  Though Sanchez was definitely the star, Greene made a strong contribution with 94 yards and one touchdown.  Again, solid blocking by the offensive unit created opportunities.  However, if Greene is going to remain the featured back, he has to protect the ball better.  Two fumbles, though both were recovered by the Jets, are simply unacceptable.

Overall, the Jets offense had a great day.  The diverse playcalling, complete with a successful flea flicker, did not disrupt the Jets flow.  Despite a couple of delay of game penalties, players across the board seemed to have a great command of the playbook as they continuously shuffled in and out of the game in response to Sporano’s gameplan.  Initially this worried me, but as the game continued, I eased up because it was obvious the players were more than well prepared.

- The defense was in attack mode.  Not only was Ryan Fitzpatrick held to less than 200 yards passing, but he also threw three interceptions, which the Jets converted into 21 points.  Early on, Darelle Revis, Kyle Wilson, and Antonio Cromartie, delivered the clear message that quarterbacks are engaging in risky business when throwing in their direction.  It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Fitzpatrick was able to gain momentum, and I attribute that more to the Jets becoming lazy on defense than Fitzpatrick actually making adjustments.  Also, Stevie Johnson, the one wide receiver who’s supposedly been able to occupy Revis Island, was shutdown and held to three receptions for 29 yards against Revis, and 55 yards and one touchdown overall.  I am disappointed our defensive line didn’t come up with one sack yesterday despite pressuring Fitzpatrick.  However, I strongly expect them to rectify this on Sunday when they face Ben Roethlisberger.

 

THE BAD

- Although the Jets looked impressive overall, they did not play a perfect game.  The most obvious need for improvement surrounds its rushing defense.  After Laron Landry knocked Fred Jackson out of the game with a monster hit, CJ Spiller was inserted as the number one back.  He ran for 169 yards and one touchdown.  This is not a good sign, especially considering how the Jets struggled to defend the run all of last season.  And after one game, it doesn’t seem they’ve improved much.  Watching the Jets lazy attempts at tackling Spiller was frustrating, especially in the fourth quarter.  However, if the Jets tighten up its rushing defense, and the secondary continues to shutdown its opponents’ passing game, the Jets will definitely be tough to beat.

- Heading into Sunday’s game, the buzzword was Wildcat.  And after being sworn to secrecy during training camp, the Jets finally let the cat out of the bag.  The only problem is, there wasn’t much to fear as the Wildcat lacked bite.  Through nine plays, the Tim Tebow-led Wildcat only resulted in a 19 yard gain.  However, I’m confident Tebow will eventually become more effective in that role, largely because he must if he expects to receive playing time.  Based on what Sanchez displayed yesterday, Tebow’s chances of overtaking him as a starter are nil.

 

THE UGLY

- Yesterday’s “ugly” comes courtesy of the always classy Jets fans.  The sportsmanship, or lack thereof, displayed in this video is disgusting.

- It’s Week 1 and Santonio Holmes and Bart Scott are already getting chippy with the media. Can’t we all just get along, for at least one week? I get it, but damn.

While Jets fans should be excited about yesterday’s record-setting outcome, we shouldn’t get carried away.  It was only one game and Week 2 will be here before we know it.  This coming Sunday we head to Pittsburgh.  Though the Steelers looked a lot rusty against a triumphant Peyton Manning and Denver Broncos, I don’t expect a walk in the park.  Ryan Clark, James Harrison, and Rashard Mendenhall sat out the season opener, but all may return for Week 2.  In other words, the NY Jets need to put this Bills win behind them and get prepared for the battle that lies ahead.

 

-@sdotrenee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: AFC East, Antonio Cromartie, Buffalo Bills, Darrelle Revis, Jeremey Kerley, Mark Sanchez, New York Jets, NY Jets, Rex Ryan, Shonn Greene, Tim Tebow, Wildcat Offense

Jets “Can’t Wait” to Trade Bart Scott?

February 28, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

After following Rex Ryan from Baltimore to New York and signing a six-year, $48 million contract, it appears Bart “Can’t Wait” Scott and the New York Jets may be parting ways. Over time, the linebacker has been less effective and no longer considered the leader or centerpiece of Ryan’s defense. In his first two seasons with the team, his total number of snaps topped 1,000. In 2011, they dipped to 677, according to Pro Football Focus. His reduction in minutes are attributed to his inability to effectively cover on passing downs. As expected, Scott is reportedly very unhappy and “extremely frustrated” with his new role within the Jets’ defense.

The team’s advice to Scott? Seek a trade.

But only if it were that simple.

After restructuring his contract, Scott is due to receive $4.2 million in guaranteed money this season. And based on last season’s performance, the Jets no longer think he’s worth that type of money. Plus, in an effort to get faster and younger on defense, Scott no longer fits the bill. He’s knocking on 32 and has seemingly crossed that fine line between valued veteran and aged liability.

The Bart Scott situation is the latest example of Mike Tannenbaum exercising bad judgement. I understand his rational to restructure Scott’s contract in order to free up cap space (Scott took a $1 million pay cut last season) and address immediate needs. But now that that’s behind us, and Scott’s performance continues to slip, and the Jets once again need cap space to upgrade the team, in retrospect, guaranteeing a 31-year-old Scott $4.2 million was a bad business decision on Tannenbaum’s part. Scott’s ineffectiveness, coupled with him flipping off a photographer in the locker room, doesn’t improve the Jets on or off the field, both areas of concern for the troubled team.

As of now, the Jets regrettably hope another GM will clean up Tannenbaum’s mess and take Scott off their hands. Cutting Scott doesn’t appear to be a logical option with so much guaranteed money owed to him. But then again, I’m having terrible flashbacks of the Alan Feneca situation. Because cutting him and drafting Vladimir Ducasse worked out so well for us.

Although Scott said his diminished role is “destroying him”, he’s also (not surprisingly) still open to returning to the team. He is scheduled to meet with Ryan and Mike Pettine in the coming weeks to discuss this situation. If the outspoken Scott doesn’t agree to restructure his contract and take less money for a smaller role, I predict an ugly situation will develop. It will play out publicly in the media and further damage Scott’s trade value. Scott will eventually get cut by the Jets and sign with another team for less money, while Tannenbaum once again makes the team eat another over-sized contract.

- S. Renee

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: Bart Scott, Jets Trading Bart Scott, Mike Pettine, Mike Tannenbaum, NY Jets, Rex Ryan

The Internal Mind of a Loyal NY Jets Fan

January 23, 2012 by Shana Renee 3 Comments

Photo via AP

Fact.  A Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants is the worst possible outcome for a New York Jets fan.  Back in ’08, I remained in a coma-like state, for 60 minutes, motionless and emotionless.  Not even David Tyree’s heroic helmet catch which sealed the Giants’ triumphant win over the evil Patriots revived me.  Upon living through that nightmare, I prayed on behalf of myself and Jets Nation, that we’d never have to subject ourselves to such a torturous activity, ever again.  Clearly that was for naught.   Because now, the realization that I and the rest of Jets Nation are forced to endure this worst case scenario for the second time in four years has me in a drunken stupor off haterade.

Most sports fans who are detached from the Jets-Giants-Patriots dynamic inaccurately surmise that Jets fans would instantly and wholeheartedly throw our support behind Big Blue, our hometown rivals.  After all, a win for the Giants is a win for New York, and a loss for the Pats, right?  And regardless of who we may support the other 364 days of the year, cheering for the Giants on Super Bowl Sunday will not force our allegiance to Gang Green to be questioned, because the one exception to the rule is that the Giants will be taking care of business against the hated Patriots and that’s really all that matters to Jets fans, right? Well, my response to this school of thought is eh, wrong.

I can’t think of a more disingenuous act.  With every glance of a newspaper cover, click of a TV channel, loaded page of a sports website, Jets fans will not be able to escape the sad truth that the Patriots and Giants are playing for the chip.  Although the Jets fan base made great strides over the past couple of years and detracted some of the shine from Big Blue, the fact is, the Giants will always own New York.  Over the next two weeks, Jets fans will be reminded of the second-class citizenship we really hold in this city.  We will be subjected to the sports media worlds 24/7 love affair with the Giants, making it damn near impossible to not watch, read, or listen to Giants/Patriots babble without thinking about how the Jets ended their pitiful season.  And just as we were finally able to move on and accept that 2011-2012 just wasn’t our year, this gets thrown in our faces.

Also, I do not want to exist in a bizzaro world where little brother Eli surpasses big brother Peyton in the Super Bowl ring category.  And for him to possibly reach the mountaintop on Peyton’s home turf adds another layer to the story.  Because the world we live in judges NFL athletes based upon the number of Super Bowl appearances and rings they have, pundits, analysts, experts, bloggers, or anyone with an opinion, are going to beat the “does this make Eli better than Peyton” convo to death.  Here’s the quick and ONLY answer:  NO!  But should Eli win his second Super Bowl, the entire landscape of the NFL may be flipped on its head because Eli is going to challenge everything we know to be true.  And by cheering for Eli, I believe I’m indirectly encouraging this conversation to take place.  Therefore, I’ll refrain.  I’ll refrain from rooting for the Giants.  I’ll refrain from rooting against the Giants.  I’ll refrain from even acknowledging that the Patriots are in the Super Bowl.  To put it simply, I’ll refrain from watching the Super Bowl altogether.

These are my confessions:  I’m a loyal Jets fan to a fault and I won’t allow myself to celebrate the holiest of sports holidays.  Furthermore, what makes this more painful to accept is admitting the Jets, a team better known for running their mouths than running their offense, put their fans in this lose-lose situation and played a critical role in Giants/Pats Part 2.  If (and yes I know these are a lot of ifs, maybes, wouldas, couldas, and shouldas, but that’s all I have right now so let me live)…if the Jets handled business during the regular season and beat the Patriots and/or stripped the Giants of their playoff hopes on Christmas Eve, the Pats may have had a more difficult journey and the G-Men wouldn’t have had an opportunity to make another cinderella run toward the Super Bowl.  But no, instead the Jets failed in every possible way and now fans are left to swallow whatever consumes the shitty cesspools of Jersey water.

iVomit.

-@itsshanarenee

P.S. Be clear, the opinions expressed here are only that of Shana Renee.  I do not represent every Jets fans, nor do I judge the ones that are supporting the Giants.  They can do them, I’m gonna do me.

Filed Under: Featured, NFL, Pro Sports Tagged With: Eli Manning, Jets Fans, New England Patriots, NY Giants, NY Jets, Peyton Manning, Super Bowl, Will Jets fans root for the giants

NY Knicks Fans, look on the bright side, at least…

January 17, 2012 by Shana Renee Leave a Comment

Photo via Jim McIsaac

At the start of the NBA season and following the Tyson Chandler move, experts predicted the New York Knicks had improved so much that they’d become the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference.  The only teams expected to best them were the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics.  But now, almost one month into the season, we see that the Knicks’ season has gotten off to a bumpy start and they are currently clinging to eighth place.  However, since misery indeed loves company, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention they aren’t the only team who hasn’t lived up to lofty expectations.

Knicks fans, let’s commiserate on this…

No. 1

The Boston Celtics are currently worse off than the Knicks.  For real, their 4-8 record proves it.  And if you’ve watched them play at all this season, especially during the current span of their five-game losing streak, you can admit and take pleasure in witnessing the mortality of the Big 3 as they finally transition from “aging” to “aged”.   Any NYer or Knicks fan should find joy in celebrating the steady downfall of a Boston franchise, especially after they unapologetically and emphatically ruined our highly anticipated return to the playoffs last season.

No. 2

The Miami Heat have also failed to get in a groove this season.  After starting on a high note and running teams out the building, the Heat have hit a rough patch.  As we know, Dwyane Wade is injury prone so him being sidelined early in the season isn’t shocking.  Yet, while D. Wade sits out, the untimeliness of LeBron James’s clutchless gene flare up has prevented the team from finishing strong.  James’s lack of killer instinct and D. Wade’s nagging injuries have resulted in the Heatles losing three in a row and an unimpressive 8-4 start.  While that’s not a terrible record, by any means, the expectations for the Heat are so off the charts that anytime they take an L, an alarm sounds.  As long as the Miami Heat continue to struggle, it makes the Knicks pill slightly easier to swallow.

No. 3

Knicks fans, let’s also be thankful that the team didn’t hire Mark Jackson.  Don’t forget, many of you were petitioning for James Dolan to bring back the New York native and Knicks alum as the team’s new head coach.  For the record, I wasn’t aboard that sinking ship.  But after finally getting the opportunity he’s been waiting for, Jackson’s off to an eh start.  Despite beating the Knicks, Bulls, and Heat, the Golden State Warriors are 4-8, and haven’t given me any reason to think he would’ve been the right man for the job.

No. 4

At least YOU have the NY Giants, right?  I say YOU because I’m a Jets fan and am still trying to digest the possibility of a New England Patriots/NY Giants rematch.  My worst nightmare revisited.  But if you ride for Big Blue, then you have them to distract you from the Knicks for at least another week. But if you’re a Jets/Knicks/Yankees hybrid like me, let’s celebrate knowing spring training is only six weeks away.  And finally, to any of Jets/Knicks/Mets fans out there, sorry homey.  It’s going to be a long winter and spring.  *pours out liquor*

No. 5

After a scandalous off season, Jim Boeheim has coached Syracuse University to a 20-0 record.  They are ranked No. 1 in college basketball and are breaking all kinds of SU records.  Big East fans, let’s enjoy it while it lasts because before we know it, we’ll be saying so long to the Orange.

- S. Renee

 

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Filed Under: College Basketball, College Sports, Featured, NBA, Pro Sports Tagged With: Amare Stoudemire, Boston Celtics, Carmelo Anthony, Chicago Bulls, Dwyane Wade, Golden State Warriors, Knicks, Lebron James, Mark Jackson, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Eastern Conference, New York Knicks, NY Giants, NY Jets, Syracuse University, Tyson Chandler
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