With the excitement of the week one victory in the rear view mirror for the Jets rookie head coach and QB, the focus all week has been how to stop one of the best head coaches and quarterbacks in the league.
Rex Ryan will try to outwit the mastermind Bill Belichick while Mark Sanchez will attempt to play up to par with former MVP Tom Brady when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots on Sunday at the Meadowlands.
Both are easier said than done.
History isn’t on the Jets side either. The Pats have won at the Meadowlands eight straight times.
But the past is the past and this is a new era for the Jets. And like Ryan said when he was named the head coach, he didn’t come to New York to kiss Belichick’s rings.
After sitting out all of last season from tearing both his ACL and MCL, Brady returned to his first regular season action against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
Despite a bit of a shaky start, Tom Brady looked like Tom Brady in the end, leading his team to victory in the waning minutes of the game with two TD passes.
Ryan did not even think Brady got off to a slow start, blaming receivers for drops. He thought Brady looked like his old self from the get-go.
“He threw some in there that were dropped,” Ryan said in his Thursday press conference. “He looked Tom Brady back there—unfortunately.”
The Jets will have to keep the Pats run game in check and at least slow down New England’s high-octane pass offense.
And that starts with getting pressure on Brady.
“You got to push that pocket. You got to collapse that pocket. You got to put pressure on him,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s blitz happy defense will have to get after Brady early and often much like they did against the Texans’ Matt Schaub. But they will be facing a much better offensive line from the Pats.
New York will also have its hands full covering the likes of wide receivers Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and tight end Ben Watson.
But Ryan feels his Pro Bowl defensive back can handle the challenge of covering Moss after locking down on Texans’ stud Andre Johnson.
“Randy Moss is obviously a great player, great talent. Sometimes as big as he is, when he’s covered he’s still open,” Ryan said. “[But I think Darrelle] Revis will be up to the task. He’s as good as there is in this league.”
Offense
Offensively, New York has continue with the formula they’ll be using all season long—run the ball while Sanchez manages the game and takes care of the football.
“It’s important for me to be smart with the football and be on my game,” Sanchez said in his Wednesday press conference.
Ryan also knows Sanchez has the talent around him to do just that.
“Don’t forget you got that offensive line in front of [the defense] and that offensive line is an outstanding group. As good a group there is in this league. You got a couple great running backs, you got an excellent receiving tight end. You got good wideouts on the outside,” Ryan said.
“As challenging as it is for Mark and our offense, it will be challenging for their defense as well.”
While the Jets won’t put the game on the rookie’s shoulders, he did prove he can perform in the clutch against Houston. Third downs were where he was by far most efficient throwing the ball, completing 12 of 15 passes.
To New York’s advantage, the Patriots defense has a bunch of new faces and still appears to be in the process of gelling as a unit.
Prediction
If the Jets could come out with a win it would go a long way toward achieving their goal of making the playoffs.
Not only would they be looking like a possible wildcard team, but they’d put themselves in good position to make a run at winning the AFC East.
Giants Stadium will be rocking and the Jets have the confidence and talent to pull off the victory.
But when it comes down to it, it’s three-time Super Bowl champions Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Pats against a team with some players viewing this game as their Super Bowl, led by a rookie quarterback and head coach.
Pats manage to squeak by the Jets.
Matt Sugam also writes for The Daily Targum at Rutgers University.
