Are You Ready For Some Football?

Yes I know that this isn't opening week in football but so what. That said lets just get right into it. First, we break down Jets vs. Patriots.

The Jets are coming off of a solid win against the Texans. To be honest, I had a feeling that they would win that game, but not in the fashion that they did. The defense was solid and the rookie QB Mark Sanchez looked good. He did make some bad passes but they go unnoticed because only one of them was intercepted. I'm not saying that he is the next Joe Montana but Jets fans have something to be excited about for the first time in a long time. But it was the defense that really was the story for me. They put pressure on Matt Shaub all day and never let up, which was done without two of their best pass rushers in Calvin Pace and Shaun Ellis because of suspensions. The overall defense didn’t let up a single point either, yet another reason to be excited. But this week, the mighty Patriots come in to town and look to upset the good feelings that were built up since the NFL Draft back in April. As obvious as this sounds its true, this will be a much harder game to win. The Texans have really one legitimate receiver in Johnson and then the drop-off is massive, the Patriots have Randy Moss as the #1 but then Wes Welker to go to in the slot and is extremely dangerous in the open field. Ask the Giants secondary from the Super Bowl. The Bills confirmed what the Giants showed the world in Super Bowl XLII, if you can pressure Tom Brady, things can happen. However, in the blitz happy Ryan defense, that usually leaves a one-on-one downfield. This is where the lock down corner Darelle Revis will come into play. One week after shutting down Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson, is confident in his ability to duplicate that feat against New England Patriots star wide receiver Randy Moss. Keep in mind the Patriots have won eight straight when visiting the Jets since a 20-19 loss Sept. 11, 2000, during Belichick's first season at the helm. That streak continued with a 19-10 win Sept. 14 but New England lost 34-31 in overtime at home to New York on Nov. 13. The Patriots might be without linebacker Jerod Mayo, last season's team leader with 139 tackles, due to a knee injury suffered Monday. His status isn't quite clear as Belichick would only confirm the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year won't miss the rest of the season. I’m picking the Patriots to win this game but not in blowout fashion. Something that will hold key to the game is how well Mark Sanchez will read the Belichick style defense. They never line up the same way and it can be very confusing to someone who has very little experience.

The Bottom Line: If the Jets can maintain constant pressure on Brady, I give them a shot to win, but Sanchez needs to have another mistake-free game.

The Pick: I’m taking the Patriots to win the game but not in blowout fashion because the Jets defense is good enough to keep it close. Patriots 27 – Jets 17

Now we move to the Giants vs. Cowboys.

If the New York Giants are going to spoil the regular season christening of Dallas’ new billion-dollar stadium, then Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw must bring their A-game. Both teams won last week’s season opener, but the Cowboys were gashed by Tampa Bay on the ground for 174 yards in the 34-21 victory. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams picked up 97 yards on only 13 carries while former Giants running back Derrick Ward gained another 62 yards on 12 attempts. Each scored a touchdown. If New York gets that kind of productivity and the defense plays as it did against Washington, we could see an upset in Big D. The G-Men have history against them, however. Dallas has won four of the last five meetings, and three of the last four in Dallas. The only Dallas loss however was the one that mattered most, the 2007 Divisional Playoff game. If the Giants are unable to get anything going on the ground, DeMarcus Ware and Co. will be able to pin their ears back and head right for Manning. Surprisingly, Dallas was unable to register a sack last week in Tampa after Ware led the NFL with 20 sacks a season ago. Tampa quarterback Byron Leftwich completed 61 percent of his passes and threw for 276 yards as the Buccaneers totaled 450 yards of offense. For Dallas, the recipe for success is eerily similar. The Cowboys have their own one-two punch in the backfield. Establishing Marion Barber and Felix Jones on the ground will open things up for Tony Romo. Dallas rushed for 118 yards against the Bucs, led by Barber, who had 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Romo enjoyed a superb opener, throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns, including seven passes to Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams for a combined 221 yards. It’s clear that the Cowboys don’t miss Terrell Owens. Romo’s efforts this past Sunday made up for the lackluster defensive performance in the Sunshine State. While Dallas’ defense was underwhelming in victory, New York’s unit overwhelmed Jason Campbell and the Redskins. They held the Redskins to 272 yards, 85 rushing, and forced two turnovers with three sacks, including one and one-half by NFC defensive player of the week Justin Tuck. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, back after missing last year with a knee injury added a sack and a forced fumble of Campbell. He then returned the fumble 37 yards for a score in the 23-17 win. Manning was not spectacular against Washington, but was efficient, going 20 of 29 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception, completing passes to seven different receivers. That kind of efficiency begins with pass protection and a solid running game. Both teams have basically the same strengths. It’s just a matter of which squad can establish the ground game early, pressure the quarterback, and create a turnover, something Dallas has struggled to do the last few years. The clubs have already begun the war of words, with Jacobs and Ware both saying they “hate” the other team. It would seem the passion on the field in this storied NFC East rivalry has finally caught up to the passion in the stands. The passionate ones in the seats could be the difference in this game, if Dallas can feed off its crowd in the home opener. The Giants will do all they can to silence the expected sell-out crowd. That could be easier to do with their 260-pound tailback on the field. With Jacobs in the lineup, this is a completely different Giants team, and New York just might be leaving Big D with a big W.

The Bottom Line: The Giants running game. If they can establish the run with Jacobs and then change pace with Bradshaw I can see a win for the Giants, if not it will be a long day for the offensive line and Eli Manning. The Giants defense also has to put pressure on Tony Romo. The Giants secondary is banged up and may not be able to keep up with Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton for very long.

The Pick: I’ll take the Giants in a modest scoring game. Defense will be there on both sides but since it is a divisional game, points will be put on the board. Giants 27 – Cowboys 21.