I started the year with a bang! 2-2…..lol
Bengals @ Jets: 20-26
Bengals banged up, Jets D will force Dalton into mistakes
Bills @ Ravens: 17-20
Ravens better than most think, Bills banged up and missing too many pieces
Dolphins @ Seahawks: 13-30
Seahawks will run an array of RBs and Wilson will connect with his two targets
Patriots @ Cardinals: 17-33
Cardinals D will force Jimmy into numerous mistakes
This week we have divisional match ups as the Jets visit Buffalo tonight in a nationally televised contest, and the Dolphins walk into Foxboro on Sunday.
The theme from week one was simple, all four games were close, and all four games could have ended either way. I think that trend continues this week.
Jets @Bills
The Jets ride a 5 game losing streak into Rex’s Domain. 0-2 against Rex, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is 1-8 lifetime against a Rex defense. The Bills looked inept on offense against the Ravens. The Jets forgot how to score in the red-zone, after being one of the top in the league just a year ago.
Both teams need a win, starting 0-2 is basically having a huge hill to climb to get into the playoffs, as 10-4 the rest of the way may not be possible.
Comparing these teams:
- Jets Offensively – The Jets have more weapons at their disposal, and proved they can score against a very good Bengals D. Although they left a lot of points off the board. The tandem of Decker-Marshall-Fitzpatrick had their worst day as a group since it was formed last year. The Jets OL played extremely well, even with two young kids rotating in place of Breno. Matt Forte introduced himself to Met Life in a big way, showing that so far there is no signs of aging. Keep an eye on Enunwa, as he is being used at many positions; he can be a WR opposite Marshall with Decker in the slot; he is the slot man and also the TE. I have found my new favorite player in un-drafted out of Ohio State, Jalin Marshall, the kid does it all, he is very quick. Thanks to Marshall Jets return game looked better than it has in years.
- Bills Offensively – The Bills had a hard time scoring on Sunday against a mediocre defense, and that may be the worst news to come out of Baltimore. The Ravens never allowed Tyrod to get into game rhythm, and Roman’s offense just never really clicked. Sammy Watkins is playing in pain, and his status for tonight remains unclear. Corey Glenn is out, and that could be the biggest loss. Tyrod Taylor needs to get back to managing Roman’s rather “dull” running offense with big plays when needed.
- Jets Defensively – This unit was spectacular against the Bengals, with the only negative news being “Old man and the Sea” Revis has lost control of his island. The DBs overall played very well, but allowed AJ Green too much room to maneuver. LBs were faster and better than a year ago, evidence being Giovanni Bernard never had the chance to hurt them in the short passing game. The big story was the DL; as Sheldon was watching the game on tv, his line mates manhandled one of the best OLs in football. New member McLendon made us forget Snacks, frankly, Snacks never really rushed the QB the way this ex Steeler did. Mo Richardson looked real good, and he is not really at 100%. The monster (as Rex called him), Leonard Williams had the kind of game everyone envisioned when he was proclaimed the best player in the 2015 draft.
- Bills Defensively – The Bills played better than a year ago. Held the Ravens, who have a lot more weapons than a year ago, to minimum damage. Mario si gone, but he was hardly missed. The concerns are were will sacks come from. Darby looked like a rookie after looking like a veteran a year ago. Rex’s schemes rarely produce big sack numbers, and as the season goes on, there will be a new Mario, disgruntled at the way the system uses its players.
Prediction: This has all the makings of a blow out ready to happen, but then again there was that feeling week 17 last year too. Rex is extremely good at getting his players up for a game (unfortunately only when its personal to him), and the Bills will be ready for the challenge. Ultimately, Todd Bowles wins his first game against Rex’s Bills, but it will be a fight. I expect the Jets to use Marshall and Decker more often, with a lot of screens to Forte. The score should be close unless the Jets DL has a huge night. Final score: Jets 20, Bills 13
Dolphins@Patriots
Let me try the Juggernut’s approach…..We simply don’t have enough information to give you a score, but I will anyway.
Week one the Patriots stunned the NFL world, as they walked into SB favorite Arizona, without Tom Brady and Gronkowski, and it didn’t really matter. The Dolphins expected to get killed in Seattle, they almost pulled the upset.
The Dolphins played the most inspired game I have seen them play in a awhile. At no point last year, even when The Soup Man came in, did they play this organized, especially on defense. The defense bares keeping an eye on, if they can continue to play as they did in the North West, then it can be a real special season. The offense looked worst than last year, mostly because of the lack of playmakers. Landry is among the best, but Stills is no Matthews, and Parker is a no show. Arian Foster played very well, and if somehow he remains healthy, then he can be a huge factor as they take the ball out of Tannehill’s hands. Ryan was not awful, but wasn’t a true leader as you would expect a veteran QB to be.
The Patriots are Bill Belichick, period! Bill’s game preparations and in-game adjustments are probably the best ever. The game plan with young Garoppolo was just brilliant. They allowed the kid to shine, while simply managing a very simple offense. The biggest surprise to me was the defense. The Patriots defense played the best since a couple of years ago, and if that continues, then another appearance in the SB is not out of the question.
Prediction: This game will be close, mostly because the game plan will remain simple for New England, and the Dolphins D will do all they can to get in Jimmy’s face. Eventually the Patriots win on a Tannehill blunder, final score: Patriots 17, Dolphins 16
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