What a statement Rex Ryan! Known for his genius when it comes to NFL defenses, Rex Ryan displayed yesterday, why he was so successful running Baltimore's defense for 10 seasons. The New York Jets, showcasing a rookie QB and a rookie coach, gave their fans a glimpse of what might be a dominating defense and a consistent, steady offense yesterday against the Houston Texans. Without their two best defensive players, Sean Ellis and Calvin Pace, the Jets still held Houston running back Steve Slaton to 17 yards rushing, wide receiver Andre Johnson to 35 yards receiving and quarterback Matt Schaub to 166 yards passing with no scores and an interception. Now, Houston is not New England, but they do have a very good offense. The Texans were the 3rd best offense in the league last year, averaging just over 23 points per game, 267 passing yards per game and 115 rushing yards per game. They fell way short of those totals in game one of their 2009 season.
Jets fans on the other hand, should be excited about this season after seeing what happened yesterday (9/13/09). Mark Sanchez, the 5Th overall pick of this year's draft, gave the Jets a chance on every snap and with Brian Schottenheimer calling the plays, the offense stayed balanced and poised. Thomas Jones rushed for 107 yards and scored twice and the versatile Leon Washington added 60 yards on the ground while also making 4 catches for 24 yards. The Jets utilized the tight end position and Dustin Keller produced 94 yards receiving, making two big catches for 25 and 40 yards each. The Jets looked fresh and energized. They kept it simple and executed on both sides of the football. There will be mistakes, like the interception yesterday thrown by Sanchez, but it seems like the coaching staff has really prepared this year's team for almost anything and the players have all responded well. Getting over Brett Favre and his indecisive retirement plans could have stung much more if it weren't for Mike Tannenbaum making the right decisions during this years draft and going with Rex Ryan as the new head coach. Eric Mangini really never fit well in NY, he was too passive and he needed to be with a team and in a city that doesn't care about losing as much. Cleveland is a perfect fit for him and now he can be as quiet and monotone as he wants because that city only really cares about Lebron James, not the Browns nor the Indians.
Watching the Jets, it felt like a new franchise yesterday, moving past all of the drama surrounding Belichick and his former coaches and spy gate. Now it is Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez's team. No more Chad Pennington or Favre or Mangini or Coles. The Jets have now removed any distractions from the team and have turned their focus to winning and consistency. It's just too bad they play in New Jersey. For it has been said before on this blog, the NEW YORK JETS and NEW YORK GIANTS are the only professional sports franchises to play their home games in another state. Could anyone imagine the Pittsburgh Steelers playing in Ohio? Or the Dallas Cowboys playing in New Mexico? Pretty dumb to think about isn't it? Well, all Giants and Jets fans must stay used to the idea because the new Meadowlands Stadium is about to open in 2010 and both teams have locked themselves into playing in Dirty Jersey for years to come. Thanks a lot team ownership! Maybe the Mara's and Johnson's were confused on where the state lines were when they decided to re-up in East Rutherford....guys NYC is on the other side of the Hudson River!
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