I don't think the Chargers will shut down your run game... but they don't have to do that - they just need to slow it down and force Sanchez to extend the chains. What the Chargers have done successfully of late is score early and minimize the damage the run game can do. Not only that, the Chargers use their run game to keep the other offense off the field once they have a lead. They're more effective at running the ball than the stats suggest.
Teams have been stacking the box all season. We've had our most success when we've ignored that fact and continued to push the run. No. He's quite possibly the best at his position (although I'd say Vernon Davis had the better season given his record setting performance with terrible QBs), but he's not nearly as dominant as Revis. Take another look at what Revis has done this season. It's one of the best CB performances of all time. Wrong. The Jets didn't have a lead all game. In fact, Sanchez GAVE the Jets the lead in that game, and that was against a much better defense than the Chargers have, especially against the run. It wouldn't surprise me if he were asked to do even less on Sunday. We have the best ST coach in the league and an excellent return game, even though we lost our KR. Sproles is a concern, obviously, and we've had a couple of hiccups late this season, but ST is always a strong point for this team.
he did play from behind....the Bengals struck with the first TD.....we didn't score till the 2nd quarter.
c'mon ignatius.... the Bengals have been collapsing like a cheap tent in a wind storm over the past 5 weeks. To suggest that their D is better than the Chargers isn't in your best interest. Chargers run D was 4th best in December....
I disagree completely. The X-Factor is NOT Sanchez anymore. The last few weeks when we have been able to run the football and make defenses stack 8 or 9 in the box against is when Sanchez has thrived the most. The X-Factor is going to be in the trenches. This game is simple, can the Chargers front 7 or 8 beat the Jets 6 or 7. The Jets' front line beat Cincinnati's and look what happened, Sanchez completed 80% of his passes (should have been 13/15 if Braylon didn't drop that TD pass) and everyone forgot about how much of a rookie Sanchez really was. X-Factor: Can San Diego stop the run? That's the question that will determine the outcome of this game. If the Jets are forced to throw the ball because we cannot run the football, we will be in for a long day in my opinion. Furthermore, the Chargers rank 31st in rush offense, they average less than 90 yards per game (don't quote me on this, didn't have time to look up the stats). Do you think that a defensive minded coach like Ryan will not be able to come up with some sort of package that can shut down the San Diego pass offense and force them to go away from their bread and butter in the passing game? It's much easier to win a game when you only need to prepare for the passing game. And don't pull the card, well, Manning and the Colts moved the ball up and down the field and they don't have a running game.. Philip River isn't a Peyton Manning.
Ok, let's talk just December. The Bengals run D surrendered 415 yards in 4 December games. Your defense surrendered 519 yards. The two games against the Jets were the two worst games for the Bengals run defense.
I'm not sure I understand this point about the Bengals. I watched the game they took SD to overtime, in SD. Yeah, they lost that game, but it sure looked close to me. Meanwhile even taking out the last regular season game, the Jets went into Cincy on their home field and beat them badly. Does that mean the Jets should be favored? Of course not. But how was it that Cincy was able to make it that close against SD, and then lose to the Jets?
Does credibility matter when you post? Rivers is decidedly "a Peyton Manning". There are piles of stats that attest to that fact including Rivers passer rating being the best in the league over this year and last, numerous come from behind victories, and the highest scoring offense in the league (while ranking near last in the run!). Of course Ryan is going to game plan to defend the pass! But in the end, both teams are going to have success and failures. Question is, who'll do it more consistently on Sunday? ...I like the home team...
MBGreen: I don't want to get into what EXACTLY constitutes playing from behind, but I hardly think 1 TD is that and it was early besides. Again, the picture I'm conjuring here is pressure. To your point, that is a kind of pressure and kudos for Sanchez for at least being able to step up to the kind of pressure one faces when down by 1 TD early. I think my overall point is that this game isn't coming easy like the Bengals. From reading the I-papers and talking with my friends (none Charger or Jets or Bengals fans), the consensus is that the Bengals played horrible. Some of that was due to your great D, but certainly not all of it..How will Sanchez react when its in the 3rd quarter down by 14 points? I don't know, but I guess it won't be a good reaction. btw, you all make great points. I can't disagree that D wins championships and if you win the game, it will likely be on that strength. And, maybe your running game does some damage, but again, in red zone is where it will count and FG's won't cut it.. May the best team win..
We played Chris Johnson and a Titans team that was playing for a chance at the playoffs. The Bengals didn't. BTW, Dallas had a pretty stout run game too...
*The Jets defense matches up well against a Chargers offense that can't run the ball (ranked 31st in the NFL this season). New York had the best passing defense, by far, and just the eighth-best rushing defense. *The Chargers have some issues against the run since Jamal Williams got hurt, so the Jets might be able to hold the ball longer and keep it out of Philip Rivers' hands. *San Diego lost to the Ravens, who are basically a carbon copy of the Jets. *The Chargers could be overconfident against a Jets team they don't know very well. Indy wouldn't have that problem. I'm not making a Namath-like prediction, because if the Jets fall behind at all they don't have a chance, but they're a bad matchup for the Chargers. cut and pasted from SI.com, I feel exactly the same. I didn't realize that the Bolts rushing game was so bad! Nice
Philip Rivers threw for 436 yards against "carbon copy" Baltimore Ravens defense. Had Norv kept the ball in Philip's hands at the end of the game... that game would have been won too. This team is not the same team that lost to the Ravens. It's so much better now in every way. It was a nice push for you guys. A great "run" for sure. But had the Colts kept their foot on the gas pedal, we wouldn't even be talking about this matchup right now. So be it. Let's get it on!!
Stats are stats, they might favor your argument right now, but any person who thinks that Rivers is better than Peyton Manning is a complete fool. The reads that Manning makes against a defense are so precise that it makes me sick to my stomach. In a few years, Rivers might be able to read a defense as well as Manning, but the fact of the matter is, that, Rivers is going to experience a defense that he has never seen before. He will not be able to read the blitz packages and coverage schemes as quickly and accurately as Manning did in the 3/4 of the Jets vs. Colts game. It just will not happen, Manning is on a different level than Rivers when it comes to making defensive reads and making certain audibles.
If it comes down to confidence in his team, I'm thinking Rex goes with what's brung him. Defer the ball.
BIg Blocker, The game of football is often a game of matchups and that beating one team that another team lost to, doesn't guarantee that you'll beat that other team? Reality proves the opposite*. In addition, teams fluctuate with their level of play and as the season wears on. In a nutshell, its called regression to the mean. You can have great games, but you're likely, unless you are just THAT good, to lay some eggs as well.. *excepting that the team in question is just outstanding and/or everyone else sucks..
The Ravens are hardly a carbon copy of the Jets. I guess you think that because of Rex leaving there. The personnel are completely different and the Jets D has clearly outperformed the Ravens D this year. Please tell us what similarities you see between the defenses?
Gates is probably the best TE in the NFL, and an absolute freak, but to compare him to Revis like is is just silly. Peyton Manning is the only player that can make an argument at "best at their respective position" over Revis.
I understand that quite well. Who said anything about guarantees? In fact I specifically said the Jets should not be favored. If you take a second look you might notice I was commenting on someone saying the Bengals had been playing poorly the last five weeks. They played SD well enough to take them to OT in that period. I have addressed the matchups separately. Of course they are relevant.
