New England Patriots versus New York Jets football game.
The significance of this game cannot be overstated for either organization. Both franchises enter the game with six wins and three losses in the AFC Eastern division and are tied for first place.
The patriots have had an injury plagued season, with star quarterback and reigning league MVP Tom Brady going down for the season in the opening game. This past week the patriots have lost their best, and one of the leagues premier defensive players, in Adalius Thomas. In spite of this, the remarkable Patriots have competed weekly, and have in recent weeks been improving steadily, and are now once more considered serious contenders to win the AFC's Eastern division and perhaps to receive a bye in the opening round of this year's playoffs. The patriots schedule consists of home games with the Jets the Steelers and the Cardinals, and road games versus the Dolphins, Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills. The Patriots are considered favorites to easily handle the Seahawks and Raiders and have a very good chance of beating either the Dolphins or the bills. Their home games are considerably more difficult, but they are likely to be “Vegas” favorites to win those games as well. Considering the Patriots’ schedule, it is extremely likely that they will end the season with between 10 and 12 wins this season. If they beat the Jets they will have beaten them twice this season and have the tiebreaker against the Jets. If they then beat the Dolphins in Miami later this season, they will more than likely win tiebreakers against all AFC East opponents, thusly winning the AFC East with as few as 10 wins and almost for certain with 11.
The NY Jets signed many big name free agents during the offseason. These include three new offensive linemen and three defense players on the front seven, including Mr. Jenkins. Several acquired players are former Proball players. In addition, the Jets traded for Brett Favre, the former Green Bay Packer and future Hall of Fame quarterback. The Jets began the season slowly and disappointingly, at times looking like they were terribly coordinated and not prepared to play. This was no more apparent than during the week two loss at home vs. the New England Patriots with a score of 19 to 10. As the season has gone on, however, the Jets have shown some improvement. During the last two weeks the Jets have looked like a super football team with a huge divisional road win against the Buffalo Bills by 26 to 17, and a home blowout by 47 to 3 over the lowly St. Louis Rams. It should be noted that two weeks earlier the Patriots struggled to beat the Rams at home, eventually winning a hard fought game 23 to 16.
The New York Jets have home games versus the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins left on their schedule. The Jets’ road games are tonight at the New England Patriots, next Monday night at the undefeated Tennessee Titans as well as December games at San Francisco and Seattle. San Francisco and Seattle are both weak teams whom the Jets should handle with relative ease. Denver, Buffalo, and Miami are decent teams but once again teams the Jets should be able to beat from home.
Should the Jets lose to the Patriots tonight they will have to win two more games than do the Patriots during the rest of the season in order to win the Eastern division. This means that if the Patriots were to win 11 games this season, the Jets would need to win 12, requiring them to win all their remaining games. Should the Jets win tonight's game, they will have the best record against AFC Eastern division teams, with the remaining two games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins to be played at home in Giants Stadium. It is entirely likely that if the Jets win tonight’s match up, the Jets will win the AFC East with as few as 10 wins this season due to having the tiebreakers with all AFC East opponents. (If the Patriots lose tonight it then becomes more likely with their schedule that they will not win more than 10 games this season). Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, both of whom are tied and leading the AFC North division with 6-3 records, have a very difficult schedules remaining for the last seven games of the season. It is most unlikely that either of those teams will be able to do any better than win four out of the remaining seven games. This would mean that 11 wins will in all likelihood get either the Jets or the Patriots the second seed in the AFC and the bye week that comes along with the second seed.
The importance of tonight's ballgame cannot be overstated for either the New York Jets or the New England Patriots. For the New York Jets it is essential and imperative that they win this football game for this season to end successfully. This game alone can propel the New York Jets from a possible wild-card team to a division winner with a possible bye in the coming playoffs.
The game itself should be a hard hitting and low-scoring event with both teams attempting to control the ball as much as possible. The New York Jets are entering this game somewhat healthier and should have an advantage, with its ever-improving offensive line, and recently dominant defense against a rookie quarterback. However, any game involving the New England Patriots, and it’s genius head coach Bill Belichick, has an equalizing factor. Belichick has been the master of game plans devised to make even the most steady quarterback throw interceptions and to take a quarterback out of his rhythm, thereby greatly reducing this quarterback's ability to put up big points. From a Patriot’s point of view the main concern would be that the Jets offensive line is capable of taking control of this game, which could tire out the Patriot’s very strong but older front seven on defense when matched up with the Jets behemoth offensive line. Additionally the Jets defense has been far more aggressive of late and it is on a weekly basis creating turnovers that have been resulting in defensive touchdowns. This combined with the Jets ability to stop the run would appear to present a situation in which the New England Patriots will be forced to throw the ball up the field. The New England Patriots coaching staff has made every effort to avoid having inexperienced Matt Cassell take chances with the football since he has taken over for the venerable Tom Brady. The Jets main concern in this ballgame will be covering Randy Moss and not giving a big touchdown, as well as a very real concern that Brett Favre, who is extremely susceptible big mistakes, will throw one or more interceptions that can be returned for touchdowns.
It is my opinion, that this football game is the New York Jets game to lose. Should they play a clean and aggressive game on both offense and defense, the game could be one-sided with the Jets winning by ten points or more. This is somewhat unlikely, but as a big Jets fan, I am hopeful.
Football scores are impossible to predict but ill take a shot: Jets 24, Patriots 21.
The significance of this game cannot be overstated for either organization. Both franchises enter the game with six wins and three losses in the AFC Eastern division and are tied for first place.
The patriots have had an injury plagued season, with star quarterback and reigning league MVP Tom Brady going down for the season in the opening game. This past week the patriots have lost their best, and one of the leagues premier defensive players, in Adalius Thomas. In spite of this, the remarkable Patriots have competed weekly, and have in recent weeks been improving steadily, and are now once more considered serious contenders to win the AFC's Eastern division and perhaps to receive a bye in the opening round of this year's playoffs. The patriots schedule consists of home games with the Jets the Steelers and the Cardinals, and road games versus the Dolphins, Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills. The Patriots are considered favorites to easily handle the Seahawks and Raiders and have a very good chance of beating either the Dolphins or the bills. Their home games are considerably more difficult, but they are likely to be “Vegas” favorites to win those games as well. Considering the Patriots’ schedule, it is extremely likely that they will end the season with between 10 and 12 wins this season. If they beat the Jets they will have beaten them twice this season and have the tiebreaker against the Jets. If they then beat the Dolphins in Miami later this season, they will more than likely win tiebreakers against all AFC East opponents, thusly winning the AFC East with as few as 10 wins and almost for certain with 11.
The NY Jets signed many big name free agents during the offseason. These include three new offensive linemen and three defense players on the front seven, including Mr. Jenkins. Several acquired players are former Proball players. In addition, the Jets traded for Brett Favre, the former Green Bay Packer and future Hall of Fame quarterback. The Jets began the season slowly and disappointingly, at times looking like they were terribly coordinated and not prepared to play. This was no more apparent than during the week two loss at home vs. the New England Patriots with a score of 19 to 10. As the season has gone on, however, the Jets have shown some improvement. During the last two weeks the Jets have looked like a super football team with a huge divisional road win against the Buffalo Bills by 26 to 17, and a home blowout by 47 to 3 over the lowly St. Louis Rams. It should be noted that two weeks earlier the Patriots struggled to beat the Rams at home, eventually winning a hard fought game 23 to 16.
The New York Jets have home games versus the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins left on their schedule. The Jets’ road games are tonight at the New England Patriots, next Monday night at the undefeated Tennessee Titans as well as December games at San Francisco and Seattle. San Francisco and Seattle are both weak teams whom the Jets should handle with relative ease. Denver, Buffalo, and Miami are decent teams but once again teams the Jets should be able to beat from home.
Should the Jets lose to the Patriots tonight they will have to win two more games than do the Patriots during the rest of the season in order to win the Eastern division. This means that if the Patriots were to win 11 games this season, the Jets would need to win 12, requiring them to win all their remaining games. Should the Jets win tonight's game, they will have the best record against AFC Eastern division teams, with the remaining two games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins to be played at home in Giants Stadium. It is entirely likely that if the Jets win tonight’s match up, the Jets will win the AFC East with as few as 10 wins this season due to having the tiebreakers with all AFC East opponents. (If the Patriots lose tonight it then becomes more likely with their schedule that they will not win more than 10 games this season). Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, both of whom are tied and leading the AFC North division with 6-3 records, have a very difficult schedules remaining for the last seven games of the season. It is most unlikely that either of those teams will be able to do any better than win four out of the remaining seven games. This would mean that 11 wins will in all likelihood get either the Jets or the Patriots the second seed in the AFC and the bye week that comes along with the second seed.
The importance of tonight's ballgame cannot be overstated for either the New York Jets or the New England Patriots. For the New York Jets it is essential and imperative that they win this football game for this season to end successfully. This game alone can propel the New York Jets from a possible wild-card team to a division winner with a possible bye in the coming playoffs.
The game itself should be a hard hitting and low-scoring event with both teams attempting to control the ball as much as possible. The New York Jets are entering this game somewhat healthier and should have an advantage, with its ever-improving offensive line, and recently dominant defense against a rookie quarterback. However, any game involving the New England Patriots, and it’s genius head coach Bill Belichick, has an equalizing factor. Belichick has been the master of game plans devised to make even the most steady quarterback throw interceptions and to take a quarterback out of his rhythm, thereby greatly reducing this quarterback's ability to put up big points. From a Patriot’s point of view the main concern would be that the Jets offensive line is capable of taking control of this game, which could tire out the Patriot’s very strong but older front seven on defense when matched up with the Jets behemoth offensive line. Additionally the Jets defense has been far more aggressive of late and it is on a weekly basis creating turnovers that have been resulting in defensive touchdowns. This combined with the Jets ability to stop the run would appear to present a situation in which the New England Patriots will be forced to throw the ball up the field. The New England Patriots coaching staff has made every effort to avoid having inexperienced Matt Cassell take chances with the football since he has taken over for the venerable Tom Brady. The Jets main concern in this ballgame will be covering Randy Moss and not giving a big touchdown, as well as a very real concern that Brett Favre, who is extremely susceptible big mistakes, will throw one or more interceptions that can be returned for touchdowns.
It is my opinion, that this football game is the New York Jets game to lose. Should they play a clean and aggressive game on both offense and defense, the game could be one-sided with the Jets winning by ten points or more. This is somewhat unlikely, but as a big Jets fan, I am hopeful.
Football scores are impossible to predict but ill take a shot: Jets 24, Patriots 21.
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