On Thanksgiving night the New York Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10 at the New Meadowlands Stadium. The victory, which is the Jets fourth in a row, moves Gang Green to 9-2 on the season and keeps them in first place in the AFC East. Here are some notes from the game.
Smith explodes- Brad Smith, the Jets jack of all trades, showed off his dynamic skill sets on Thursday night as he had a 53-yard touchdown run and a 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Smith, who is scheduled to be a free agent next year, provided a much needed spark to not only the Jets, but the fans in the stands as well.
Defense dominates- The Jets defense led by linebackers David Harris, Bart Scott, and Calvin Pace held the Bengals to 163 yards of total offense. It was evident from the first series of the game that Gang Green’s defense wanted to make up for their poor showing last week.
Quiet time- Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco like to talk the talk and once again the Jets secondary led by Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie walked the walk. Both of the Jets corners were solid in coverage and held T.O. and Ochocinco to a combined total of 7 catches for 58 yards. An argument can be made that both Revis and Cromartie should be headed to the Pro-Bowl.
Taylor made- You can love him or hate him but the fact is that Jason Taylor continues to make big plays in this defense. Taylor may not be racking up sacks but he has been very consistent against the run and effective collapsing the pocket. A case can be made that Jason is not getting enough snaps in this defensive rotation.
Why Schotty? The offensive playcalling remains confusing as it seems like the Jets are always in 3rd and long situations. The wildcat formation will only become a threat if the Jets allow Brad Smith to throw the ball once in a while. And running the ball to get in position for a field goal? Are you kidding me? The Jets offense has become very predictable in certain formations and it makes you wonder how much self scouting they really do.
Got Folked- If Nick Folk is the answer I would love to know what the question is. Once again Folk missed a field goal which is starting to become a weekly occurrence. Jets management can take all the bows they want for the acquisitions of Holmes, LT, and Cromartie, but the Folk move is going to blow up in their face. Time to cut your losses and bring in a new leg.
McKnight getting special- Rookie running back Joe McKnight continues to excel on special teams as he is all over the field on kick coverage. The rookie appears to be very explosive and one can only wonder when he will get some snaps on offense.
Message to management- I understand the Jets want to create a festive atmosphere but can we please stop the smoke stacks when there is an apparent big defensive play? If you want a rowdy, passionate crowd you should not have priced all of the die-hard fans out of the stadium. Also if you want to cut some corners feel free to eliminate these “mini concerts” at halftime and bring back the frisbee dogs and the punt,pass, and kick competitions. At least those acts entertain the fans.
Let the hype begin- Next up for the Jets is a battle for first place against the 9-2 Patriots. The Pats have to be the early favorites as they are playing at home where it seems like they have not lost a regular season game in like a 100 years. But then again who was the last team that won there? Also the Patriots have Danny Woodhead who apparently has become a folk hero in Boston. All kidding aside this has the makings to be an incredible game and could end up dictating home field advantage in the playoffs.