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Premium – This is a bottom-line business, and the Jets won today. That is the bottom-line, but this winning formula might not be ideal against some of their upcoming opponents.
The Raiders starting Derek Carr is ridiculous. He’s clearly not ready, and one Jets defender took the decision personally.
“I am very surprised they started him,” said the defender. “It was disrespectful to us.”
Considering the Jets just won by 19-14, you have to wonder what would have happened in the Raiders started a competent game-manager, like Matt Schaub.
I know Schaub doesn’t have the greatest arm, but started for seven years in Houston. He knows what he’s doing out there.
Carr was lost tonight. He threw one TD at the end on a basically a Hail Mary, and another on a short field, early. Between those plays, it was ugly.
The Jets win reminded me of some of their wins last year, over teams like Cleveland and Miami.
Low scoring games, against pedestrian quarterbacks, that they won with strong defense, a terrific running game, and a moderate contribution from the quarterback.
“Small ball” is a good way to describe it.
This works fine against teams that don’t have big-time quarterbacks.
But it’s hard to consistently win this way against teams like Green Bay and Denver, coming up on the schedule.
Let’s be honest, the Jets cornerback situation isn’t ideal right now, but Carr did almost nothing against them.
Watching the game today, you would have thought the Jets had two lockdown corners, in Walls (who you know I think is underrated) and safety Antonio Allen.
Carr is in way over his head right now. He’s not playing Hawaii and New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference anymore.
To the Jets’ credit, they dominated him, which they should do.
And still, they only won the game by a small margin.
“It’s a victory and I know we have to get better,” Rex Ryan said.
One of the reasons this game was closer than it should have been, was Geno Smith throwing a pick to Charles Woodson deep in Jets territory that the Raiders turned into a touchdown, and Smith fumbling on the Raiders three-yard line, with the Jets in scoring range.
These plays helped keep the Raiders in the game.
One part of the Jets’ mission statement for 2014, was to get Smith to cut down on turnover
And while he did some good things today, those two turnovers were a huge part of this game, and why it was so close, along with too many penalties.
The Jets deserve credit for winning this game. Their play in the trenches, on both sides of the line, was dominant.
But this formula isn’t going to work again teams with better quarterbacks.
Facing Carr, who is way over his head, really helped the Jets cause today.
But next up is Green Bay with their franchise quarterback, at Lambeau Field, with the Packers having 10 days to prepare in a must-win game.
The Jets formula today might not work there . . .
While the Packers had a rough opener on the injury front with RB Eddie Lacy suffering a concussion, and right tackle Brian Bulaga tearing an MCL, the Jets seemed to come out of this game pretty clean.
I like to watch the training room after the game, and who comes in and out of there, and the only things I saw of note, was RT Breno Giacomini leaving with a big ice bag on his left knee. It doesn’t seem serious.
The other injury was backup ILB A.J. Edds with a hamstring. He looked pretty upset after the game. Remember, he’s had injury issues throughout his career, that is why he’s bounced around so much. My guess is he misses the next game . . .
September 7, 2014
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