#1 thing I love about Rex is that he has made this series equal. Which makes it a true rivalry again. Its a toss up who will win each time they play. Pattern says that too: Jets, Patriots, Jets, Patriots, Jets (Playoffs), Patriots. Sets up for a Jets win Sunday night.
True the home team has won every regular season game in this Rex vs. Bellichick matchup too. Playoffs, go to the road team...... and to all the Non-believers.
lets just say B.B mixes things up, what could he do differently on offense? Are we going to see a Pats WR run deep, Woodhead doing the Wildcat, what you think it will be?
The thing to worry about here is that Belichik will do as good a job of motivating his team as Rex did in the run up to the playoff game last year. I don't doubt that the Jets are the more solid team at the moment, given that they're playing at home and both sides of the ball are working well. It's still just a one game snapshot that we're about to see though and Brady has killed the Jets in the games the Pats have won over the last two years. If he goes off again it's going to be hard to beat them.
This is what I am worried about as well. And I would have to think canning Fat Al is exactly that - sending statement to the team. Jets did that when they shipped Mason this season. Jets had better be very careful this week.
I don't buy the motivation talk. Both teams are 5-3. The winner has an inside track on the division and a home playoff game. Nothing should be more motivating than that. Its just who will play better.
We got rid of Mason and then went on to lose in NE the next week. We played better but it wasn't an instant fix. Regardless both teams are going to be motivated. Even though Pats won first this season don't think they forgot about the playoffs game they are still out for blood.
The pats actually showed up on defense for part of the game last week. If Spikes is out (as expected) it might take some of the wind out of that sail though.
They seem to play better against us, and that's not completely our offensive's fault either. it's just a game they seem to get up for. However, using the giants game isn't a great example because they had their #1 RB, #1 WR and #1 offensive lineman out for the game. That was a seriously undermanned Giants squad. we( jet fans) knew Victor Cruz was going to be good based on preseason last year but him and manningham aren't exactly the most threatening 1/2 punch. Then their #3 was a guy who's barely played because of injuries, Ramses Barden (sp?). With Nicks, that receiving core is really dangerous. Without him, they're barely average. can you imagine if we didn't have holmes, mangold and greene for a game?
The interesting thing about the Jets-Pats matchup now is that the Jets are in the Pats heads for a change. The run up to these shindigs always used to be about "can the Jets compete with the Pats" and now it's flipped around. That's 100% Rex Ryan at work there. His players don't necessarily think they're better than the Pats but they know they can beat them head to head.
It probably shouldn't matter you're right. But we all know that any extra motivation that can be found is used all the time. But even with the fat Al cut, Rex just needs to hit on the overthrow the beast, And our guys will be fired up. I honestly believe the Jets truly hate the pats and they are going to come out and play very physical football this Sunday night
It got flipped around for good in the playoffs last season when the Jets went into New England and beat the Pats. That was a game there was no question that the Pats win prior to Rex Ryan showing up, because that's what great teams do to good teams routinely. Now the Pats are no longer great and the Jets are their equals on the field. That's what the flipped around meant. The Jets are spending this week thinking they're going to beat the Pats next Sunday and the Pats are wondering if they can keep it together. This is probably the single thing that Ryan has worked at the hardest since he got to NY. He started it off with the "not coming to NY to kiss Bill Belichik's rings" remark right after he was hired and he has followed up by beating the Pats in the regular season each year and then beating them in the playoffs last year. This is the year he gets on top of them in the standings and completes the transformation.
Haven't been around here as much lately, but wanted to pop in this week. I don't have much confidence in the Patriots winning this game at all. Jets are playing good football and Patriots aren't. Good luck to both sides.
How fucking slow is this week going ? And it's only made worse by the 830 start. Sunday itself is going to be eternities.
