Jets Takeoff

The Top Five Teams in the NFL through Week 3

5 (tie). Indianapolis Colts (3-0): Any time Peyton Manning is under center, the Colts have a chance to win, and the defense has allowed just 45 points in three games. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are having big seasons so far at wide receiver.

5 (tie). Minnesota Vikings (3-0): They wanted Brett Favre from the moment he said goodbye to Green Bay, and the end to the Vikings’ win Sunday over the 49ers was the reason why. You don’t win that game with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels at quarterback.

4. New York Jets (3-0): The Jets have the league’s best defense right now, a rookie quarterback who has the confidence and poise of a veteran, and a head coach who has his players believing they can win. This is as good as fans in New York have felt about the Jets in a long time. Sunday’s game at New Orleans will be a huge test.

3. New York Giants (3-0): The Giants have been hit hard by injuries, but they turned in an impressive performance Sunday in shutting out Tampa Bay. Any team in the league would take Brandon Jacobs at running back, and Steve Smith and Mario Manningham have given Eli Manning reliable targets to throw to.

2. Baltimore Ravens (3-0): We know about the Ravens’ defense - still one of the league’s best - but the offense has been spectacular, averaging 34 points per game. My suprise pick to reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC, Baltimore is for real. Big matchup this week at New England.

1. New Orleans Saints (3-0): This team can light it up, and Drew Brees is on pace to have an MVP season. There are questions on defense, but the Saints are averaging 40 points per game, and they play four of their next five at home.

Notes: Indianapolis has beaten Jacksonville (1-2), Miami (0-3), and Arizona (1-2), while the Vikings have beaten Cleveland (0-3), Detroit (1-2), and San Francisco (2-1). Note the combined records of the teams the Colts and Vikings have beaten…. The only 3-0 team not to make the Top 5 was the Denver Broncos.

The top three reasons why the Jets won today, improving to 3-0 on the year:

1) The Defense: Though they allowed a couple touchdowns and some second-quarter yardage when the Titans grabbed the momentum, the Jets’ defense was as good as ever after the Titans scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, the last time Tennessee would put points on the board. Kris Jenkins was unstoppable in the second half, dominating the line of scrimmage. And David Harris made the two biggest defensive plays of the game: An interception late in the fourth quarter with the Titans driving, and a big sack on Kerry Collins one possession later. The Jets play great team defense, and they had remarkable energy and tenacity in the fourth quarter. Another stellar defensive performance by the Jets.

Jerricho Cotchery

2) Jerricho Cotchery: The Jets’ best receiver came up huge in the second half. He scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez that gave the Jets the momentum back midway through the third quarter. Later, in the fourth quarter, he had a 46-yard reception down the left sideline that set up a Jay Feely field goal. Cotchery finished with eight catches for 108 yards, and came up big when the Jets needed him most. Also give credit to Sanchez for delivering accurate, sharp passes to his No. 1 receiver.

3) Ryan Mouton: Tennessee’s rookie kickoff and punt returner had a nightmare game, and this wasn’t his first. His first-quarter fumble on a kickoff return after the Jets had gone up 7-0 led to a 14-0 deficit for the Titans. In the fourth quarter, his fumble on a punt led to the Cotchery touchdown. Mouton spent his other kick returns trying to stay as far away from the ball as possible, or calling for a fair catch. The Titans expected big things out of this rookie. Today, he gave more to the Jets.

Game stats from NFL.com

14-10 Jets at the half, but there’s more to this game than the score. Here are my halftime highlights:

• Mark Sanchez finally looks like a rookie. After rushing for a touchdown on the opening drive, and throwing for another on the Jets’ next possession, Sanchez has hit a wall. His fumble at the start of the second quarter changed the momentum of the game, led to a Titans’ score, and now the Jets have gone three-and-out on three consecutive possessions following the fumble. No first downs and -3 yards in the second quarter for the New York offense.
• Tennessee has all the momentum. Kerry Collins is throwing the ball well and his receivers are stepping up. LenDale White has the Titans’ only touchdown, but Chris Johnson has 48 yards on 10 carries. Tennessee is the first team to score a touchdown on New York’s defense this year.
• The Jets defense is human. Still a pretty good performance, but Collins has had some success and the Gang Green”D” has given up 166 total yards.
• These Titans’ uniforms are awful. The Jets should be wearing Jets’ uniforms and the Titans should be wearing Titans’ uniforms, not Houston Oilers’ garb.
• Final score prediction: Jets 24, Titans 20

When: Today at 1 p.m. (Ch. 2,3)

Where: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Line: Jets by 3

What to expect from the Jets: After two wins as an underdog the Jets are favored today, and they’ll face a Titans team that is better than their 0-2 record would indicate. The Jets’ defense has been the best in the league the first two weeks and expect more of the same today. Their defensive speed should present problems for Titans’ quarterback Kerry Collins. The Jets will be without cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland. Their toughest assignment will be to stop Chris Johnson, one of the best running backs in the league. The Jets will try to establish the running game today as the forecast calls for rain this afternoon at the Meadowlands. Eventually, Thomas Jones is going to have to have a breakout game. Having said that, Mark Sanchez faces a pass defense that ranks last in the league.

What to expect from the Titans: Tennessee has been a disappointment so far, but they were considered a playoff team at the start of the season, and eventually they’ll have a breakout game. Expect a lot of Chris Johnson today, especially on what will be a wet turf. Johnson ran for 197 yards last week, caught nine passes for 87 yards, and scored three touchdowns. He’ll be featured all day. With the Jets’ speed on defense and the wet conditions, this could be a long day for Collins, and if it’s a long day for Collins the Titans are looking at an 0-3 start to their season.

Prediction: I’ve gone against the Jets the first two weeks and they’ve won. I’m taking Gang Green in this one. The league’s best defense, a rookie quarterback playing like a seasoned veteran, confidence, and home-field advantage. Rex Ryan deserves a lot of credit. Jets 20, Titans 16

As the Daily News is reporting, the Jets have given a game ball to noted fan and season-ticket holder Ed Anzalone, better known as Fireman Ed, in recognition of the fans’ support during the team’s 16-9 win Sunday over the Patriots. With his Jets-themed fireman’s hat and Jets’ jersey, the New York City firefighter is best known for leading the crowd in chants of J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Fireman Ed is not deserving of a game ball following Sunday's win over New England.

I was at the game Sunday and it was the loudest I’d ever heard the Meadowlands for a Jets’ game. The fact that the Jets would single Fireman Ed out is insulting to everyone else who helped create the homefield advantage for Gang Green. All 78,312 of them. The Jets are ostensibly saying that Fireman Ed is their best fan, and they’re wrong to do that. I’d also argue that it’s not true.

The Jets did keep one game ball for their own trophy case and they’re certainly deserving of that. If the Jets are going to give out another game ball, it should be delivered to all the fans in attendance Sunday, not just the one wearing the fireman’s hat.

To his credit, Anzalone said the following about Jets’ fans: “Their passion is as great as mine is. There’s no difference. I’m just blessed to be able to lead the orchestra, to get them crazy.”

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m under the impression that Jets’ fans go to games to see the Jets, and only join Ed’s “orchestra” because it happens to be included with the price of admission.

And Rex Ryan said this: “On behalf of the fans and representing the fans, we gave him a game ball… He wasn’t the only fan you would notice, but I don’t know the names of everybody else,” Ryan said. “I’m sure there was Fireman Joe and everybody else out there. It was great because they’re our fans and we decided it was a little token of our appreciation to give him a game ball.”

The game ball should have been given to all the fans, Rex.

A WEEKLY LOOK AT THE PATRIOTS, DOLPHINS, AND BILLS

New England Patriots (1-1): Alright, so we’re well aware of the Jets’ improbable 16-9 win Sunday against the Patriots, but more needs to be said about New England. With Tom Brady back, most NFL observers thought that the Patriots’ high-powered offense would steamroll through defenses, and that Bill Belichick would continue drawing up his crafty and intuitive defensive gameplans. Two problems: First, Brady & Co. have yet to hit stride (though New York’s defense had a lot to do with that), and second, the defense is in rebuilding mode, though I’d expect them to get better as the season progresses. They missed Wes Welker Sunday and they’ll miss Richard Seymour all year. The Patriots are still a playoff team - still one of the best teams in the AFC - but a couple more “off” performances and we’ll have to reevaluate. New England hosts Atlanta this week and should get a win.

Buffalo Bills (1-1): The Bills have been impressive, and yes, they should be 2-0. In Sunday’s 33-20 win over Tampa Bay, Buffalo gained 438 total yards, 220 through the air and 218 on the ground. Trent Edwards threw two touchdown passes (one to T.O.), and Fred Jackson rushed for 163 yards and caught six passes. Buffalo held Tampa to 57 yards on the ground and 4-of-16 on third-down conversions, and though the Bucs aren’t a very good offensive team, those are impressive numbers. Buffalo had a 17-0 lead after the first quarter and this time they held on for the win. We’ll learn a lot about the Bills this week when they host the red-hot, and explosive, New Orleans Saints.

Miami Dolphins (0-2): The surprise team of 2008 is finding 2009 to be far less welcoming. Against the Colts Monday night, the Dolphins lost the lead four times in a game they dominated on paper. Miami had 27 first downs to the Colts 14. They ran 84 plays to Indy’s 35. And they outgained the Colts on the ground, 239-61. One more eye-opening stat: Miami had the ball for 45:07, Indy for 14:53. How did the Dolphins lose you ask?  Three-hundred-three yards passing by Peyton Manning (including two long touchdown passes of 80 yards and 48 yards), seven catches for 183 yards from Dallas Clark, and 14 fourth-quarter points. Still, when you put up the numbers Miami did, especially first downs and time of possession, you have to win the game. It doesn’t get any easier for Miami with a road game at San Diego this week.

Darrelle Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL.

He’s the best player on the league’s top-ranked defense. Two games into the season, Darrelle Revis has established himself as the premier cornerback in the NFL. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the numbers:

Against Randy Moss this Sunday, in the Jets’ 16-9 win, Revis held one of the league’s best receivers to four catches for 24 yards. One week earlier against the Bills, Moss had 12 catches for 141 yards.

In New York’s opener, Revis took star receiver Andre Johnson out of the game right from the start. Johnson finished with four catches for 35 yards. He was a non-factor. This week against the Titans, Johnson had 10 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

In two games against Revis, Moss and Johnson combined have eight catches for 59 yards. In their two other games, a combined 22 catches for 290 yards.

Need more? Watch the games. On Sunday, Revis made the catch of the day, intercepting Tom Brady on a deep pass down the sideline. One on one with Moss, Revis was the one who came down with the ball.

Revis is only in his third year. A first-round draft pick in 2007, he’s lived up to the hype, and then some. In 34 games played, he’s recorded 152 tackles, nine interceptions, 34 passes defended, and he hasn’t missed a start.

Revis is a superstar. He’s also the best cornerback in the NFL.

Here are the day’s top stories following the Jets stunning win over the New England Patriots, 16-9, Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands:

Greg Bishop’s game story: “Play Like a Jet” (NY Times)

Christian Red on Gang Green’s Defense (NY Daily News)

Steve Serby says Mark Sanchez “outswaggered” Tom Brady (NY Post)

Greg Logan focuses on the fan’s role in yesterday’s win (Newsday)