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Coming off consecutive AFC championship
defeats the New York Jets are focused to
get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl
for the 2011 season. Each of the last two
defeats had contrasting game flows. When
they lost to the Colts it was a third quarter
explosion by the Indianapolis offense that
put the game out of reach. In last years
defeat to Pittsburgh the Jets played awful
the first half and faced a double-digit
deficit at halftime. The Steelers controlled
the time of possession and dominated the
offensive and defensive lines. The second
half was completely different as New York
had the momentum. But they could not muster
a defensive stop in the closing minutes
to secure another possession for the victory
drive. Quarterback Mark Sanchez had an up
and down season in 2010. He started very
slow, played effectively toward the middle,
than tapered off at the end. Sanchez finished
with a 75.3 quarterback rating and 54.8%
completion percentage, which are both average.
The Jets brass want a 90 QB rating with
a 60% completion clip. He threw for about
3300 yard with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
These numbers are also average and tell
us that he is more of a game manager rather
than an elite passer. Offensive coordinator
Bryan Schottenheimer probably wants 4000
yards passing and at least 20 touchdowns
with no more than 10 interceptions. See
how Mark Sanchez progresses in 2011 by securing
New York Jets tickets. Running back Ladanian
Tomlinson surprisingly rejuvenated his career
showing the flashes of his old speed and
quickness. He finished with 914 yards rushing
and 6 touchdowns. These numbers are not
gaudy but the 4.2 yards per carry average
is impressive. He also had 368 yards receiving
and was close to the team lead in receptions.
Overall the signing of Tomlinson can be
considered a success. Fellow running back
Shonn Greene averaged 4.1 yards per carry
and produced close to 800 yards. There were
points when he lost confidence and subsequently
turned the ball over more than once. The
tandem of Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards
had solid seasons. After Holmes sat out
of the first four games due to a suspension
it took him some time to develop a connection
with Mark Sanchez. Toward the middle of
the season he started playing better and
finished with almost 800 yards receiving
and 6 touchdowns. Braylon Edwards cut down
on his dropped passes and finished with
904 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns. Tight
End Dustin Keller had a dependable season
leading the team with 55 receptions with
clips of 700 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns.
Keller is Sanchez's lifeline when coverage
is tight on Holmes and Edwards. The offense
should be more effective this season so
purchase Jets tickets to see the growth
in person. Overall the defense played inconsistently
in 2010. There were major problems with
the front seven players in terms of pass
rush. Two seasons ago Rex Ryan utilized
the "all out" blitz on passing
downs causing major disruptions considering
the lack of time to read coverages. Last
season the pressure and sack numbers were
inconsistent. Just by looking at sack numbers
individually, Bryan Thomas led the team
with a pedestrian 6. The team total was
40 which is ok but not any where near what
an elite defense produces. The secondary
was more effective than the front seven.
Although they did get dissected at times
it was more the result of the lack of pressure
from the defensive line and linebackers.
Going into the playoffs the loss of Jim
Leonhard was a major blow but since the
unit had depth and talent coach Ryan disguised
coverage very well and they played excellent.
If you are a fan make sure you get New York
Jets tickets to root on the team this year.
The AFC East will be a two-team race between
the New England Patriots and the New York
Jets. The Jets are a fearless team that
exudes confidence and a strong will. It
will be interesting to see if they can make
it over the hump and give Rex Ryan an AFC
Championship trophy after 3 straight defeats.
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