200 Miles From the Citi

Super Sunday? Eh...It's OK

2012-02-05T05:38:22Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume VI)

The Super Bowl!

Football.

Commercials.

Glitz.

Glamour.

It's all such a big deal.

Dare I say, though, it's too big of a deal?

Enjoy your day, Giants and Patriots fans.

I bet it's no fun.

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I can't even imagine what a 6-to-9 hour pregame show would be like before a 6:30 kickoff. You can have it.

Not to mention the bye week. Man. Who needs it. Imagine what it must be like to be a Patriots fan this month. A bye week, two playoff games, another week off, then the Super Bowl. Yawn. Talk about a momentum killer.

And then the game itself. One half of football, then a half-hour halftime? Does anyone even care about the second half of the Super Bowl? No thank you.

I know a lot of Giants and Patriots fans. They probably feel sorry for me for having to sit through a second Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in five years.

But no.

I feel sorry for them.

I'll just relive past glory and think about the Jets' Super Bowl III championship, years before the current spectacle that takes away from the game itself.

And also 10 years before I was even born.

The current Super Bowl format...Who needs it?

*I guess I need to make a pick. You may (or may not) remember that the Giants have killed me in my picks all year long - starting with a too-early elimination from my survivor pool when they lost to the Seahawks - at home. Therefore, my Super Bowl pick is clearly the Giants, 24-20.

*Our guest pickers all NFL Postseason have weighed in on the Super Bowl as well (I'm at 4-6 with my picks):

-Justin From Sports Crackle Pop! (and big Giants fan, also 8-2 picking this post-season): Giants, 34-24

-Dave From Ann Arbor (and recent Patriots fan, also 6-4 this post-season): Patriots, 19-0

-Southern Bureau (who we have to thank once more for our artwork, and who is 5-5 this post-season): Patriots, 24-17 (although if you ask him again, I have a feeling he might pick differently)

*I'm having trouble finding the Street & Smith Baseball Preview magazine. My hope is that they were holding off on putting it out until Prince Fielder signed...because the magazines that are out right now don't have him on the Tigers. I'll give it another week, maybe, before I pull the trigger on a magazine.

*Now that we're on the subject of baseball, how about this as a headline, from mets.com this week: "Only question for Mets is at top of lineup". If that was the only question for the Mets entering the 2012 season, I'd feel a lot better about it than I really do.

*People are awfully forgiving of Josh Hamilton, huh? I'm not quite sure I get that.

*Somewhat good news this week from Florida - Hall of Famer Gary Carter made it out to the PBAU Sailfish's season opener. He reportedly shook hands with the players and watched a few innings of the game. I'll be honest - there's no way I thought the next news we heard about Carter would be anything but the worst. I'm over the moon about this.

Remembering It's A Business

2012-01-29T05:57:20Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume V)

David Wright said recently that he wasn't looking forward to dealing with trade rumors throughout the 2012 season.

He talked about how he watched it all last year with Jose Reyes and sees it coming his way this year...and he's hoping to avoid it becoming a season-long issue by addressing it during spring training.

Like David Wright, I'm not looking forward to trade rumors involving him all year - I hate the idea that he might end his career with a team other than the Mets.

But I suppose I'll adjust.

I always have.

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Mike Gartner and Tony Amonte, to be specific.

They were a couple of my favorite Rangers. And at the time, my 15-year-old self couldn't imagine the Rangers winning a Stanley Cup without them.

But the team had a plan. Amonte and Gartner were part of blockbuster deals the team pulled off late that season as they made a championship run.

I still think of Amonte and Gartner occasionally, and I feel badly that they weren't part of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion Rangers.

But I think more fondly of the guys who were.

I suppose that's how it'll be with David Wright - I'll always keep an eye on him and his numbers and the teams he ends up playing for, if indeed the Mets decide to trade him away.

But I'll move on.

Especially if the players they get in return end up helping to bring a World Series championship back for the Mets.

And like I did with Gartner, Amonte, and so many other players who have come and gone, I'll follow Wright from afar, if need be, rooting for him to have the success that in some weird, remote way his departure could help bring to the Mets.

*Super Bowl XLVI - A rematch of Super Bowl XLII! Lots of people are thrilled. Not me.

*Crazy Championship weekend, huh? Special teams disasters cost me my Ravens-49ers matchup. Is Billy Cundiff the worst post-season goat since.....oh man. I hate writing this name. Doug Brien? No. Let's go with Nate Kaeding. Yes. That feels much better.

*Thanks to the Southern Bureau for this link - an article by Jeff Pearlman about the Hall of Fame person Gary Carter is. It's nice to read about why your boyhood hero is deserving of all the worship you gave him.

*I've used the word 'boyhood' a lot in the past week talking about Carter. I don't know that I like it.

*Anyway, in case you missed it, here's a link to my article on what it's like waiting for any update on Carter's health...or the news that seems more and more inevitable. And I bet people are clamoring to see my chart from Gary Carter's 300th home run chase. Here's that 24-year-old piece of paper:

Waiting On The Kid

2012-01-24T02:21:20Z

When I was 10 years old, I spent a lot of the summer waiting on pins and needles.

I don't remember much about that summer:

I don't remember if my family and I traveled.

I don't remember what we did for my 10th birthday in July.

I do remember that I watched a lot of Mets games...waiting for Gary Carter to reach a special milestone.

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But had you told me that then I would have denied it up and down and defended Carter with the blind faith that may or may not still color my sports fanaticism.

All I knew that summer of 1988 was that Gary Carter was on the verge of home run number 300 - a more significant number back then than it may be today.

How significant? I can tell you that he became the 59th player in baseball history to reach that plateau...but I can also tell you that it took him 225 at-bats before he broke a home run drought to get #300.

I can tell you this because I have in front of me the yellowed piece of paper on which the 10-year-old me wrote down all of the stats regarding the fading 34-year-old future Hall of Famer's chase.

He hit the homer off Al Nipper, pitching for the Chicago Cubs, to left-center in the 2nd inning of a game the Mets won, 9-6, at Wrigley Field. Carter was 1-for-5 in the game (that fell in the 'What-for-what' category of my homemade stat sheet), which took place on August 11, 1988.

I remember that home run - and the anticipation of it - as I spent that summer watching and waiting for big news on Gary Carter.

I couldn't help but draw that parallel with the recent news that new tumors were found on Gary Carter's brain.

In the year I now turn 34, it is Carter who is fading again - this time in a much different way than at the end of his baseball career.

Once again I'm on pins and needles, constantly hoping for good news on Gary Carter.

And dreading hearing the big news that seems inevitable.

Matchup Weekend

2012-01-22T05:17:40Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume IV)

It's been a few years since my sole focus on the NFL's Championship weekend was the matchups.

But here we are.

The success of the Jets the past couple of years has made my personal sports-watching eccentricities secondary to the actual game on the field.

But with the Jets' disastrous 2011 season not bringing them anywhere close to the AFC Championship Game for a third straight season, I'm forced to go back to the personal mind games I created when the Jets were terrible for most of my life.

And I'll admit - it's my desire (need?) to see a new Super Bowl matchup that is driving these picks.

]]> Giants have played both the Patriots and the Ravens in the Super Bowl...so I'm picking the 49ers. Simple as that. I'm rooting for and picking the 49ers. It's not that I hate the Giants - I'm not one of those Jets fans who hates the Giants - I'm pretty indifferent. I know many Giants fans, and most of them are not obnoxious - I'll be happy for them if the Giants win. But I'm picking the Niners...and I think they have a real shot. First of all - their defense is better than any the Giants have faced during the recent tear they've been on. Secondly, it sounds like the weather may be a bit sloppy on Sunday night in San Francisco. The 49ers play a sloppy kind of game - in a good way. They don't turn the ball over, and they force the other team to do so. They can win the type of game that is played in this kind of weather. The Giants are going to go after Alex Smith and try to force him into mistakes...I think he'll surprise them. 49ers, 20-13

I have something to say about Tom Brady. I meant to bring this up last week, but it turned out to be moot anyway because he had one of his best games all season. As great a year as Brady has had, there have been quarters of games, or even entire halves, where he has looked awful. To the point where you think he must be injured because of how terrible his throws have looked. Like last year's playoff game against the Jets kind of awful. (This year, I'm talking part of the game against Indianapolis, part of the last Buffalo game, and even the first half of the second game against Miami for a bit. To name a few.) But the Patriots offense was on the field so many times and getting so many possessions that it was as if Brady was able to work his way through his difficulties and get in a good rhythm and never look back. I'm going to say that this week the Ravens don't let Brady get comfortable. I think they'll be in his face, and he'll be on the ground, for a good portion of Sunday's game. I know they didn't put on much of a pass rush last week, but I think that was part of their strategy against T.J. Yates. I think we'll see a totally different - and dominant - defense against New England. The Baltimore offense should find the going a little smoother against this Patriots' defense, too, than they did against Houston. Ravens, 24-17

Thanks once again to the Southern Bureau, we have graphic representation of my picks - I was 3-1 last week to get to 4-4 in the playoffs...and now here are the picks from the rest of the gang:

Justin from Sports Crackle Pop! (3-1 last week, 6-2 overall): Patriots, 38-27; Giants, 31-21

Dave in Ann Arbor (2-2, 4-4): Patriots, 28-27; Giants, 31-17

Southern Bureau (1-3, 3-5): Patriots, 40-13; Giants, 28-12

My friends - all predicting another Giants-Patriots Super Bowl - have no regard for my matchup sanity.

*So I had planned on missing the Patriots game entirely (I'm finding it increasingly frustrating to watch them dominate games...I don't think that'll happen against the Ravens, but you never know) by taking my girls' basketball team to a college women's basketball game. Then they moved the game up to avoid the Patriots game. Guess I'll just grin and bear it.

*Obviously the news about Gary Carter's health this week is devastating (new tumors were found on his brain). But the past few weeks the updates on his health were few and far between, and the ones that came out were not all that encouraging. You got the feeling it was a 'no news is bad news' situation. We'll stay tuned.

*By the time you read this, Joe Paterno may indeed have died. But he may still be alive. Here's what happened for sure: Saturday night there sure was a lot of irresponsible journalism surrounding his health. I just find that sort of thing inexcusable. If you're not sure (and those reporting he had died when he hadn't shouldn't have been sure), don't go with the story. Meanwhile, what a wild turn of events in Paterno's life, huh? You always hear about people who give their heart and soul to their work, and the people who say they would die if they stop doing their job...Looks like that was true when it came to Paterno and coaching football.

*For those wondering, my brother sounded great Saturday night at the Middle East in Boston. Honestly, it was one of the best shows I've seen him do. March 10th he'll be back to do another one at the same spot. Don't miss it.

A Touch of Class Amidst Chaos

2012-01-15T05:10:07Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume III)

Just two weeks into the off-season, things have been as nightmarish as possible for the New York Jets.

Locker room dissension.

Lack of leadership.

Teammates taking anonymous shots at one another.

Coaching staff upheaval.

It has certainly not been a quiet couple of weeks.

But the latest in the series of off-season changes - the one that everyone saw coming despite claims to the contrary - the one that could have been handled as poorly as everything else so far - might have been the least controversial.

And we have Brian Schottenheimer to thank for that.

]]> There was no way Schottenheimer was coming back to the Jets.

One could argue that there was no way he should have been back before this season, before he was given his contract extension.

Much like Rex Ryan's decision to hand a captain's 'C' to Santonio Holmes, he may have been blinded by loyalty to Schottenheimer.

I always think back to the scene in 'Hard Knocks' where Ryan and Schottenheimer talked about winning a Super Bowl together and giving championship rings to their dads - two sons of old-time coaches looking to share that bond with the men who helped them get where they are.

I think holding onto that dream prevented Ryan from severing ties with Schottenheimer sooner than now.

But it was unavoidable. Ryan must have realized that Schottenheimer had to be the fall guy - or else Ryan was going to be facing some serious job scrutiny himself.

The Jets let everyone believe Schottenheimer would be back if he didn't get a head coaching job - but then as soon as he didn't get that job (in Jacksonville), he was gone.

And this is where Schottenheimer helped save part of the Jets' off-season. The press release said Schottenheimer announced that 'he would not return' in 2012. As though it was his decision. We know it wasn't.

Sure, Schottenheimer has a lot to gain by taking his medicine like a man and going quietly along until he gets a new job - which he surely will.

But I for one am glad that Schottenheimer didn't take shots at people on his way out the door.

That he didn't blast the organization and its flaws elsewhere that he had very little to do with.

That he didn't chime in on the attacks on Mark Sanchez.

I'm thankful for him taking the high road as the Jets turned right around and named Tony Sparano as his replacement...giving us one last chance, probably, to see how Sanchez can play - this time with someone else calling the plays.

So thanks, Brian Schottenheimer, not so much for the time served, but for the way you left.

I appreciate that you haven't brought the organization down any more than it already is.

At least, you haven't yet.

There's still a lot of off-season remaining.

*You know what drives me nuts? How as Demaryius Thomas was running towards the end zone in overtime last Sunday night, the Steelers defender (I'm not sure if it was Ike Taylor at that point or Ryan Mundy) didn't dive to try to trip him up inside the 10-yard line. How do you not do every single thing possible to try to prevent that touchdown? If he dives, trips him up, forces a field goal, Pittsburgh gets a chance to try to match or win with the new rules. But it happens all the time - it's like defenders would rather see the player score and avoid being on the wrong side of the highlight reel than make that last effort.

*I continue to torture myself by listening to the Rich Eisen Podcast each week. Two comments: 1) About once a month he has Hank Azaria on, where he plays a broadcaster named Jim Brockmeyer. It's hilarious. 2) Jim Mora, whenever he is a guest, is just darn likable. There are redeeming elements to the show other than Eisen himself. (I took great pleasure in the fact that this week's episode had not one but two "re-starts" that were not edited out, where Eisen or his guest had messed up and they started over again. I like when that sort of thing slips into the published final result.)

*The 49ers-Saints game was insane. Am I shocked the Niners won? No. Am I shocked they won 36-32? Yes. No way I thought they'd outscore the Saints in the type of game that one turned into at the end. For the rest of my picks, as well as those of the Southern Bureau, Justin from Sports Crackle Pop! and Dave in Ann Arbor, you can check out yesterday's picks posting.

*There's not much recovery news on Hall of Famer Gary Carter. There's been just one update since the holidays, and his condition isn't exactly improving. He's not really getting much worse, but it's certainly a struggle, and the news is not as encouraging as it was early in his diagnosis. However, Carter did return to PBAU to coach as baseball workouts began last week. Maybe that - being around the game he loves - will help spur some more recovery.

*If you happen to be in the Boston area next weekend, my brother Matt Sucich is playing the Middle East in Cambridge. I'll be there - you should come on out as well.

Playoff Picks - Divisional Round

2012-01-14T05:01:06Z

The Giants.

The Patriots.

The Packers.

The Broncos.

If you know me, you know that I'm not looking forward to these teams making it to the Super Bowl.

Not because I hate them (I have nothing against the Giants, Broncos or Packers), but because of their previous Super Bowl appearances.

Giants-Patriots, Packers-Patriots, Packers-Broncos, Giants-Broncos.

Those Super Bowl matchups have all happened. And I don't like repeats.

The problem with this week is that one of those teams from each conference is going to advance to the Conference Championship round.

Leaving us very little room for error to avoid a repeat matchup, which equals a waste of a year for me.

Which teams will cause me angst for the next week? Read on for my picks.

]]> Saints against the 49ers. (San Francisco, for its part, has also played Denver in the Super Bowl.) There's also the fact that San Francisco is a home underdog. Home field advantage in this divisional round is such a big deal. I think a home underdog is a gross underestimation. My problem is the 49ers' offense - even if they hold the Saints to, say, 17 points, can the Niners score 18? I'm hoping they get 19. 49ers, 19-17

I'm not going to say 100% that the Broncos will lose. How could you? They've already lost to the Patriots - just a few weeks ago. Will lightning strike twice? And how come the clearly inferior team gets the greater focus against a team like New England? I just don't see how Denver goes to New England and hands the Patriots another loss in their first playoff game. Their only hope might have been if they aired it out and took the Pats by surprise - but that's not a surprise anymore because that's just what they did against Pittsburgh last week. I think they'll put up some points, and they'll keep the Patriots from scoring way too many - but that still means the Patriots will put up 30+ in my opinion. Patriots, 31-20

If I'm doing anything other than watching football at any point this weekend, I'm doing it from 1-4pm on Sunday. Ravens versus Texans just doesn't do it for me. Last week, though, the Texans played a better game than I expected, and I think they'll hang with the Ravens. But I do think Baltimore will pull out the win. That's all the time I'm spending on this game. Ravens, 24-17

Hello again, Giants. You've stuck around one more week to make me incorrectly pick the game you're involved in. I don't know that I see the Giants going to Green Bay and beating the Packers. I think their string runs out here. Why? No good reason, really. If Green Bay loses, I think it's next week. This one should be an entertaining game, though. Packers, 31-21

Those picks again? There they are to the right, with the help of the recently unemployed Brian Schottenheimer (and additional thanks once again to the artistic talents of the Southern Bureau). Oh, speaking of the Southern Bureau, he's one of our guest pickers. Last week I was 1-3. This week I'm going chalk with the four home teams. Here are the other picks (not against the spread - you can go look those up if you care):

Justin from Sports Crackle Pop! (he was 3-1 last week, with some pretty accurate scores to boot): Saints, 28-17; Patriots 42-23; Ravens, 21-13; Giants, 35-31

Dave from Ann Arbor (2-2): Saints, 38-35; Patriots, 37-24; Ravens, 24-14; Packers, 31-24; and

The Southern Bureau (2-2): Saints, 35-17; Patriots, 42-20; Texans, 17-14; Packers, 42-3

Curious about exactly how we did last week? Or what the Southern Bureau's artistic genius looked like then? Here's that link. Enjoy the 2nd round of the playoffs. We're back tomorrow with the Sunday Paper.

Could've Been Worse?

2012-01-08T05:16:23Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume II)

It's time for a final word on the 2011 Jets season.

A disappointment for sure, but in the end, maybe a good thing.

Maybe this is rock bottom, and there's nowhere for the Jets to go from here but up.

And if a .500 record is rock bottom, well, that's proof the Jets have come a long way under Rex Ryan.

But as big of a disappointment as 2011 was for the Jets, missing the playoffs when it was Super Bowl or bust....Jets fans sort of saw it coming (see the final Sunday Paper bullet point for the link I've been pushing all week).

And, believe it or not, things could have been a lot worse than 8-8 this season.

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I've been tracking a bunch of key moments this season, thinking about moments that would end up being "turning points" - when the Jets completely turned the corner, put their troubles behind them and began their march to the championship.

-The first such moment came in October - the Jets' first game against Miami. I wrote about Jim Leonhard's big tackle of Daniel Thomas, when the Dolphins were on the cusp of taking an early 10-0 lead. Largely because of that play, the Jets put an end to their 3-game skid, improving from 2-3 to 3-3. They had a real chance to be 2-4, with things falling apart in the clubhouse early, had they fallen behind the (at that point terrible) Dolphins to the tune of 10-0.

-The following week the Jets faced a 14-3 deficit to the Chargers in the first half before Mark Sanchez finally connected with Plaxico Burress on third down to get the Jets some momentum. I wrote then about how big of a turning point that play seemed. The Jets went on to win the game, but in retrospect it was not as impressive a win as it looked at the time. It would have been a devastating loss.

-Later in the season the Jets pulled out an impressive come-from-behind win against Buffalo, with Plaxico Burress again playing a key role, tiptoeing as he made a catch along the sideline on the Jets' game-winning drive, where Sanchez then found Santonio Holmes for the winner. Burress' catch came on 3rd and 11. It was a great catch, but it was that close to the Jets facing 4th and 11 and losing that game to the Bills, which would have dealt their playoff hopes a huge blow on Thanksgiving weekend.

-And finally, the week after that the Jets pulled away from the Redskins late, but it was a close game for a long, long time. And they were already down 7-0 on their first offensive drive, when they decided to go for it on 4th and 1 deep in Washington territory. They converted and scored a tying touchdown, but that was a yard from disaster for the Jets as well.

And don't forget how close the Jets came to losing in Week 1 against Dallas. That's a lot of close calls for a team that finished 8-8. Could you have imagined if even two of those plays fell through and we're talking about a 6-10 team? The end-of-season explosions probably would have come to light in mid-season.

Now let's happily leave the 2011 regular season behind us.

*I've mentioned this before - the New York team that I love that I have the hardest time following closely while living in Massachusetts is the New York Rangers. Partly that's due to the NHL often getting the shaft from ESPN, partly that's due to the fact that while I seek out every Jets game (only 16 of those) and get the MLB package for the Mets, I don't invest as much into the NHL. So I catch the Rangers when they play the Bruins, and I watch them when they're on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). And I haven't spent much time yet this year writing about the New York Rangers. It's been exciting. This has the makings of a special year for them. (Too bad, outside of the Winter Classic, they've lost almost every other time they've been on national television and I've been able to see them.) We'll keep tabs on it - perhaps that's where I'll find writing inspiration in light of the NFL playoffs sans Jets.

*My chances of winning any money in the Bowl Pool are over. Thank you for your support.

*The NFL has its 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame. I always say I have a difficult time deciding who is or who is not a Hall of Famer - in any sport. But last year I made the case for Curtis Martin - and I stand by it. I'll link to this a few times this month, I think - the more awareness the better.

*Correction: Yesterday, when praising Dave in Ann Arbor's luck, I wrote that the Detroit Lions made the playoffs for the first time in two decades. I got my playoff game draught confused with my playoff win draught. Apologies.

*If you missed my picks yesterday, here they are again, along with Dave in Ann Arbor's, Justin from Sports Crackle Pop!'s, and the Southern Bureau's.

*And, the last time I'll link to this, but I might have missed other Jets fans, so I'll repeat it: We shouldn't be very surprised by this year's Jets debacle. I think we all saw it coming. Check item #1 on this link from July, 2010.

Playoff Picks - Wild Card Round

2012-01-07T14:50:22Z

Sometimes I'm not sure if anyone enjoys reading me picking the games.

I mean, I enjoy making them and all, but do they really serve a purpose?

Are people out there waiting with baited breath for my picks and counting on said picks in order to enjoy their weekend of NFL Playoff football?

Then I think back to January 6, 2007. My pick - Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20. Remember, when Tony Romo fumbled the snap on a potential game-winning kick?

Yeah, I picked that. Well, not that exactly. But I nailed the score.

And that's good enough reason for this blind squirrel to keep hoping he finds another nut, five years later.

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I'm rooting hard for the Cincinnati Bengals. I know that they haven't beaten anyone of substance...but if we're being honest, not one team fighting for that sixth seed was doing great. And of those teams, Marvin Lewis was probably the coach who deserves the playoff win against the Houston Texans more than anyone else. (I've said tons about Marvin Lewis - hope you're a regular reader.) The Bengals this year became the anti-Jets - and isn't that a sign of hope that if you get rid of your headache players your team may be able to go out and make the playoffs, no matter who your quarterback is? Anyway, the Texans aren't going to be the cakewalk I expected they might be - their defense is quite good, and Andre Johnson makes any quarterback better...but I think Cincinnati squeaks by in this game. Bengals, 16-13

This is so important to remember in these playoffs: Many of the members of the current New Orleans Saints have won the Super Bowl. And many of those same players were on the team that lost to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs one year ago. Do you think they're going to let that happen again? Sorry, Detroit Lions fans, but they're not, and your team is going to pay the price. I'm not sure yet if the Saints are going to take that revenge factor all the way to this year's Super Bowl...but I know they'll win big in the first round of the playoffs. That's what Super Bowl-caliber teams do. Saints, 41-21

Long-time readers may know that I can't pick the Atlanta Falcons games to save my life. This year's readers may remember that the New York Giants were my 2011 foil. Guess who has no idea what's going to happen at 1pm on Sunday? I've completely lost faith in the Falcons as a Super Bowl contender - remember the past couple of years I was huge on them. And because I've lost faith in them......that's why I'm picking them to win on Sunday. Atlanta, 24-20

And finally, the banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers go to Denver in the last game of the weekend. The Broncos are reeling, and things won't get any better this week. The Denver defense will keep it somewhat close...but I don't see the Steelers defense giving up too much to Tim Tebow. Steelers, 20-10

So, to recap, with a graphic courtesy of the Southern Bureau:

And finally, I rounded up some friends of '200 Miles From the Citi' for their thoughts on this weekend:

Justin from Sports Crackle Pop!: Bengals, 21-17; Saints, 45-24; Giants, 24-20; and Broncos, 13-10.

Dave from Ann Arbor, MI (previously Brighton, MA): Texans, 17-10; Saints, 35-31; Falcons, 28-27; Steelers, 20-17 (Dave is the luckiest sports fan I know. He has attended Rex Sox no-hitters, moves to Michigan and suddenly the University of Michigan is relevant in football once more, and the Detroit Lions are back in the playoffs after two decades. In other words, take these picks to the bank.)

The Southern Bureau: Texans, 17-13; Saints, 42-29; Falcons, 28-17; Steelers, 35-3

And, since we're (I'm) bragging about predictions here, I posted this on Twitter Friday, might as well share it here...and I will put this in tomorrow's Sunday Paper as well, so don't you fret about that - This post from July 27, 2010 shows that if we're being honest with ourselves as Jets fans, the end-of-season debacle should come as no surprise - check out what I put as the #1 thing to know about the 2010 Jets.

Plenty Of Blame To Go Around

2012-01-02T05:22:14Z

How do the Jets lose a must-win game?

How do they make it not even matter that almost every other outcome worked out in their favor...but they couldn't take care of their own business in Miami?

It's easy to point the finger at Mark Sanchez and his three costly interceptions.

So, so easy.

It's also easy to point the finger at Santonio Holmes, whose teammates accused him of quitting on the team.

But there are plenty of culprits as to why the 2011 Jets finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs - and you don't have to focus the lens simply on Week 17 to identify them.

]]> Mark Sanchez all season long. It's a stance that's a lot harder to take after Sunday. And I'm certainly coming around to the argument that he is a flawed quarterback. But I'll stand by this - everyone who's talking about Sanchez's poor decision-making needs to think about the fact that he has been under pressure constantly this season. I mean, constantly. As a result, every decision he's had to make this year has had to be made fast - and maybe it's not fair to judge his decision-making on a season where he's had a less-than-average amount of time to make those decisions.That said - only one of his three interceptions on Sunday was in the face of tremendous pressure (I feel it necessary to quantify 'tremendous' pressure - it seems like he's been under some kind of intense pass rush all year)...the others were Sanchez mistakes. But Sanchez can't do everything himself...and he didn't have much help this year.

-The receivers get some blame. Dustin Keller had a great year, but he joined Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes - and even Jeremy Kerley isn't in the clear here - with some key drops at key times. One of the incredible things about watching the Saints offense - and to some extent the Packers, but I notice it mostly with the Saints - is that the receivers look like they have stick-um on their hands. They make incredible catches and hardly ever drop passes. Maybe Drew Brees throws a better ball than Mark Sanchez - and I'm not saying Sanchez is capable of throwing for 5,000 yards in a season. All I'm saying is that Brees looks great because he has some great receivers. Sanchez's receivers could help make him look better. I'm sure in some sense they were hurt by the lockout in this area - Sanchez never seemed to build a rhythm with Burress. But you would think that after four months some kind of a rhythm would begin to take shape.

-The offensive line isn't doing Sanchez any favors either. It's their fault he has taken the beating he has this year, and it's their fault the running game hasn't been as dominant this year as it has in the past. (Although Shonn Greene shares some of that blame too - though he doesn't get his own bullet point here. He's just not a dominant every-down back. LaDainian Tomlinson, on the other hand, gets a gold star - he had a very good year and looked great in the season's final game. By 'great', I mean he looked like he wanted to win the game. Unfortunately, not all of the Jets looked that way.)

-A stat flashed up on Sunday when Nick Folk lined up to kick a field goal. He had the third-lowest field goal percentage in the NFL. That's the Nick Folk I feared would rear his head - he missed some key kicks this year. And when you have an offense that relies heavily on getting any points - not necessarily getting it into the end zone every possession - you have to make those field goals. (T.J. Conley's punting wasn't always so hot either, but let's move on.)

-The defense, which was supposed to be this team's strength, certainly let them down on a number of occasions this year too. Antonio Cromartie, with his missed tackles (and special teams fumbles), single-handedly cost the Jets games, and the unit as a whole had its down moments. Take the Dolphins' single touchdown drive on Sunday - 21 plays, and the defense couldn't stop them on third down. That included everyone - including Darrelle Revis, who otherwise had an incredible season. Revis compared with the rest of the Jets' defense makes me wonder why anyone would ever throw his way...that's how vulnerable the rest of the unit looked at times in 2011.

-Coaching was part of the problem this year as well. To not get the team to win in a must-win situation in the season's final week - and to see so many false start-type penalties in such a key spot - that's on the coaching. Beyond that, it's controlling players like Holmes, it's play-calling...

There's a lot on this Jets team that needs to change. I'm sure some of the coaching changes will happen as soon as this week. But in order for 2012 to be better than 2011 there needs to be a lot of personnel changes on the field as well.

Back-to-back AFC Championship Games to missing the playoffs. That's not trending in the right direction.

Win And You're In...With A Loss, And A Loss, And Another Loss

2012-01-01T05:40:44Z

Sunday Paper (Year 4, Volume I)

The Jets certainly did nothing these past couple of weeks to show that they had earned themselves a "win and in" situation in the season's final week.

All season, in fact, these Jets barely looked like a capable playoff team - let alone one that should "control its own destiny."

Thus we enter Week 17 with the Jets needing help in order to make a third straight run in the playoffs.

Lots and lots of help.

And I'm here to tell you that it's not quite as long of a shot as it may look.

]]> Let's break it down:

-One of the biggest wild cards in the battle for that final AFC Wild Card spot might be the Jets themselves against the Dolphins. The Dolphins have been playing better late in the season than when the Jets faced them in the early part of the year, and the Jets are, we know, struggling. The Jets can't worry about others until they take care of business themselves - and this game will tell us a lot about how much the Jets' players are still responding (or not) to Rex Ryan. I think the Jets will pull out a win. Then they'll have to watch...

-The Titans are in a 1 o'clock game, and I can't believe they're still in this playoff picture. I mean, they lost to the Colts! They're in Houston to take on the Texans...who lost to the Colts. Hm. Sounds bleak, huh? But the Titans have been streakier than the Jets this year. And the Texans, despite their offensive woes, still have a pretty intimidating defense. And they did beat the Titans 41-7 earlier this year. Andre Johnson is expected to play - he could raise the play of the rookie quarterback. Interesting that the Texans have some kind of control in this game over who they will end up meeting in the first round of the playoffs. I think they knock out Tennessee. (After all, they're also playing for some kind of momentum heading into the playoffs, aren't they?) Then it's a wait for the 4 o'clock games...

-The Broncos are playing the Chiefs, and can you pick this game? I can't. The Chiefs beat the Packers, leading you to believe they could beat the Tim Tebow-led Broncos...but Tebow and the Broncos have excelled in the fourth quarter with their back against the wall - this is essentially the fourth quarter of their season. How do you bet against them?

-Or for that matter, the Raiders, who finish their season against the Chargers. I think the Chargers, who are eliminated from playoff contention, would like nothing more than to knock off the Raiders, but my biggest worry is these AFC West teams - I think getting one of these two teams to lose is the Jets' biggest hurdle to their playoff berth, because....

-I don't think there's any way the Bengals beat the Ravens. They haven't been able to beat Pittsburgh or Baltimore this year, and the Ravens are still playing for a first-round bye. It's not like they're going to be resting on their laurels - the Bengals would have to earn this one, and I don't think they do.

And if you're looking for precedence? How about just three weeks ago? In Week 14 the Jets beat the Chiefs and the Broncos beat the Bears. That week the Bengals, Titans, and Raiders all lost - exactly what the Jets need to happen today.

And one last piece of hope from the "anything can happen" department: why can't the final day of the NFL season be as crazy as the final day of the Major League Baseball season, where certainly crazier things happened than what the Jets need to happen today.

It'll be nerve-wracking. But with the Jets - it's rarely any other way.

*It's been a few years since we haven't had a Jets playoff run to write about in January...this could be a pretty boring January on the blog if the Jets end up missing the post-season.

*I'm hanging in there with the Bowl Pool, thanks for asking. 19-4, actually. But it's not about wins - it's about total points. (It's a confidence pool - you rank them 1-35. There's still a long way to go.) I'm feeling good, but not great - I'll feel great about it if I make it through Monday's six games unscathed - that tends to be the day things usually fall apart for me. Still, it's been a great start. I'm proud of it.

*I hate that in order for the Jets to make the playoffs the Bengals have to lose. It's amazing what Cincinnati was able to do this year, and all the credit has to go to Marvin Lewis. Remember when I commented last year after the number of times he or someone near him was wearing a mike? I said it before and I'll say it again - that guy coaches his butt off - I think he does a great job. Seems like they got rid of a lot of uncoachable players....and look at what's happened.

*Yes, I've re-read all I've written above. And yes, I realize how much disappointment I'm setting myself up for. But, first of all, believing it will happen makes it all the more sweeter when it does. And secondly, as the Southern Bureau has told me on more than one occasion...the disappointment and heartbreak makes for a better blog.

*Happy New Year. If you missed it amidst the holidays, here's a link to the Top 10 Stories on the Blog from 2011. If you'd like to play a guessing game, below is a snapshot of each of the 10 moments - you can see if you can guess the stories. On to 2012.

On The Couch

2011-12-29T19:17:51Z

I know, I know, I should have scheduled this session sooner.

You've probably been worried about me, what with the Jets' season almost completely falling apart on Christmas Eve. (It's not over yet - but that's a story for the Sunday Paper.)

Thank you for worrying. And sorry for not doing this more immediately following Saturday's game.

But the crazy thing is, Doc, I'm doing great.

Or at least, not nearly as bad as I thought I'd be doing.

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Or if the Jets win and the Bengals win. Or the Titans win. Or BOTH the Broncos and the Raiders win.

Sorry, Doc. I didn't mean to raise my voice. Just got a little anxious there. That's a lot of potential problems. But that's not why I'm here right now.

I might feel differently this weekend. But right now I feel OK.

It's funny - some people get depressed around the holidays...I think the holidays really helped me through this one. Well, not really Christmas Eve. That night was pretty miserable. (I wonder if the 'depressed around the holidays' thing comes from some fan whose team crapped themselves on Christmas Eve. I could see it happening.)

But the joy of Christmas Day - seeing my daughters opening their presents, being together with family - it's like the Jets never choked away their chance at the post-season. I only thought about it sometimes. And it didn't make me too sad.

Like I told you - I think I'm doing OK.

It's just that - you know - I spend expend so much energy on this team. I go out and find them on TV when I can't watch at home. I have to spend Christmas Eve finagling different ways to watch the game...then trying to listen on my phone before dinner and presents. And what do I get for my troubles? Just the Jets going out and having one of their worst performances of the season with everything on the line. Protect the quarterback! Make a tackle! DO SOMETHING!

It's really hard, doc.

And now we face a must-win situation on Sunday, with some must-loses in the mix as well.

And if the Jets lose, or if they don't get into the playoffs, I don't have Christmas Day to look forward to the next day. No, the end of my Christmas vacation will be staring me in the face.

Wow. That will be terrible.

Maybe we should schedule an extended session for next week.

'Twas The Day Before Christmas

2011-12-24T05:46:43Z

I had this grand idea that I was going to re-write "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" with a whole slew of references to the Jets-Giants game and the slate of NFL games.

I opted not to.

First of all, it was really difficult.

Secondly, it seems like a lot of people will be doing that sort of thing today.

Thirdly, it wasn't coming out all that well.

And lastly, it all centered on comparing Rex Ryan to Santa Claus, especially the lines, "He had a broad face and a big fat round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf...."

So that's it.

Rex Ryan is fat like Santa.

That's all I got.

Now...the game.

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I need to start with this: the Jets and Giants are not rivals. At least, not in my opinion.

It's not like Mets and Yankees, where a larger divide began to form between their fans when they started playing one another six times a year in 1997...and then you had to pick a side after the Subway Series in 2000.

Maybe if I still lived in New York I'd know obnoxious Giants fans who would flaunt their 3 Super Bowl championships in my face and I'd hate the Giants more - but I don't hate the Giants. Never have. The Jets and Giants play each other once every four years. Sometimes it's important...like today. Like in 1988. But once every 20-plus years doesn't make for a rivalry.

No matter what Rex Ryan says.

Which brings me to point number two. Boy, has he had a lot to say this week.

First he repeated what he said in his book - the Jets are the better New York team the past couple of years. He cites the Jets' two playoff appearances versus the Giants' none in that time. Of course, that's immediately preceded by a Giants' Super Bowl win, but that wasn't at the time Rex led the Jets.

Then Rex said if the Jets lose, it's on him. Owner Woody Johnson was asked about the talking and called his coach 'brilliant'. Then Jets and Giants players started talking back and forth, and former Giant Michael Strahan said Rex's players are going to start thinking of him as a joke.

I don't know that I'll go as far as Strahan yet...but I'll admit that to me as a fan, where I used to get excited that Rex Ryan was pumping up his guys with his words, I now tune him out a bit. It's kind of like white noise - a lot of it is the same old stuff, and I might tune in a little more sharply if he broke out some new material.

But I'll say this: the way the Jets' players are talking this week, they sound confident. They sound more confident than the way they've played recently. That has to be a good thing.

And then there's this, which I'm positive plays into the amount of talking Ryan has done this week: Whenever there's this much chatter out of Ryan and the players, they tend to play well. I don't have numbers on it, but I bet they've won more than they've lost.

Because I do know one of the oddest things about the lead-up to last year's AFC Championship Game loss was just how little talking the Jets - and Ryan - did leading up to the game.

So maybe there is a method to his madness.

*There's no traditional Sunday Paper this week - tomorrow's edition will be the Top 10 of 2011 for '200 Miles From The Citi'. So I'll do a couple of bullet-point-style thoughts here...a Saturday Paper, if you will.

*First of all, a big hand for the Southern Bureau for his Rex Ryan/Santa artwork. He's back with another piece tomorrow.

*I've said it before, hopefully I'll get a chance to write about it again, but how good are the Houston Texans looking right now as a round one playoff opponent? That front line on defense is still a little scary (especially against the Jets' offensive line this season), but that offense can't win a playoff game.

*I'm off to a great start in my bowl pool, thank you for asking.

*The Patriots are on local TV today, and it's Christmas Eve, so the family get-together doesn't allow me to go to a bar to watch the Jets. Solution? My mom's idea, actually - she'll set up her computer in front of the TV and we'll Skype so I can watch the game. I can't believe we haven't thought of this sooner. If it works...162 Mets games, on my computer.

*Speaking of the Mets, this week they reportedly decided to cut their Gulf Coast League minor league team. They were one of a few Major League teams with 9 affiliates, this still puts them in a minority with 8 (most have 7), but it's a sign of their finances, because it's a cost-cutting move. Besides the financial aspect here, sentimentally I'm bothered by it because this was the team with which Hall of Famer Gary Carter began his managerial career.

*And speaking of the Hall of Famer, according to the blog by his daughter, Carter's been having a bit of a rough go this past month or so. If you're the prayerful type, send a good thought or two his way this Christmas Eve.

*With that, I'll leave you with this verse of my unfinished poem:

When I heard a voice, so booming and loud,

Sounding a little undeservingly proud,

The man with the voice, that wrote uncashed checks

I knew in a moment, it must be Coach Rex.

...Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

The Ol' Clunker

2011-12-21T01:34:41Z

The Jets had put themselves in a position leading up to last weekend where they could have afforded a loss on Sunday.

They were playing an NFC team.

They were not going to catch the Patriots in the division, so it's not like it cost them something like a bye week in the playoffs.

Sure, it potentially hurts their playoff chances, but no harm done by the end of the weekend.

So it's not so much the loss.

It's the way they lost.

But, with the Jets, we've seen this situation before.

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In 2009 it was the 31-14 loss to the Patriots in New England - the Jets' sixth loss in seven games.

Last year, it was the disappointing 38-34 loss to the Bears in Chicago with a playoff berth at stake.

And this year, it was Sunday's 45-19 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

I'll admit - it shouldn't be surprising that the Jets lost to the Eagles so badly. Mobile quarterback, athletic tight end...back to a weak performance by the Jets' offensive line - it really sounds like they had no chance on paper. This is a team that has looked way vulnerable at times - certainly more vulnerable-looking than the previous two Jets teams.

But there was something about those teams when the calendar got to late December...and then into January.

Consider:

-After the Patriots loss in 2009 the Jets won five of their final six to storm into the playoffs and advance to the AFC Championship Game.

-Last year, the Jaguars lost shortly after the Bears loss by the Jets, giving the Jets a playoff spot...from which they advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

The Giants and Dolphins remain on the 2011 Jets schedule.

Fans can find reasons in both of those games to be plenty nervous - a desperate team facing a similar playoff situation as the Jets in Week 16 and a division rival whose Super Bowl will be to ruin the Jets' season in Week 17 - but considering the Jets' recent history, they might be just hitting their stride.

This year's story doesn't end with Sunday's blowout loss to the Eagles.

In fact, the fun just may be beginning.

Making Or Breaking My Week

2011-12-18T05:20:21Z

Sunday Paper (Year 3, Volume LI)

Today at around 7pm a weekly ritual commences.

The end of the Jets game will pretty much dictate the rest of my week.

A Jets loss, and I feel like I wasted my Sunday - and the loss sticks for a couple of days.

A win, and I already can't wait until next week.

And those emotions are pretty much times ten when I have to go out to watch the game.

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And in the past two weeks I've experienced the full range of associated emotions.

Last week was pure joy in the big win against the Chiefs. But the previous week in Washington was so nip-and-tuck for most of the game that I resigned myself to the Jets losing the game before they came back late and turned it into a comfortable win.

So two weeks ago I went from thinking my weekend had been wasted (OK, maybe just my Sunday) to being on cloud nine because I was so glad I stuck through the bad part of the game to experience the big win, then following that up with a rather comfortable win last week.

I really think, when I'm out somewhere watching the Jets and they win, it's kind of like I won a small lottery.

(Do other people feel this way when they watch their team, I wonder? I really have no idea...there must be others like me. I don't know many people, though, who allow their team to dominate their life as much as this, though.)

Why is the in-bar experience different from the comfort of my own home? Well, it's not, tremendously. But at home I'm not going to and from the TV...I'm just there. No commute, in other words. So it's not as much of a time commitment. On rare occasions, if I had work to do, I could get it done in front of the TV. I'm not bringing my school work to the bar at TGI Friday's on those other Sundays.

Still, though, whether I'm at home or at a bar, come 4pm on Sunday, or 7pm on Sunday, or 11:30 Sunday night or Monday night or Thursday night, you'll have a pretty good idea of what kind of a mood I'll be in for at least the next 24 hours.

Let's hope tomorrow's going to be a good day.

*I have no illusions that Jim Leonhard's injury won't hurt the Jets defense in some way...but I think it's less devastating than last year's Leonhard injury. Last year it was demoralizing - it happened during practice on the Thursday before the Monday night showdown for first place with the Patriots. While it still hurts to lose one of your defensive leaders, it happened in a game, where it's more expected than in practice, and it doesn't totally change any game plans, with the full week to get ready for the Eagles. A too-rosy outlook, perhaps, but the bottom line is I don't think it hurts the Jets as much as a year ago - and they still went to the AFC Championship Game without him then.

*Unfortunate for the Jets that their two biggest injuries recently - LaDainian Tomlinson's knee injury and Leonhard's - came in unimportant situations. Leonhard came on an interception as the Jets were pulling away in an eventual blowout against the Chiefs, and Tomlinson's came in garbage time late in the Jets' loss to the Patriots when that game was well out of hand.

*The Sports Illustrated 'Year In Sports Media' issue is this week, and in it, they praise Mike Mayock. I had no issue with him as a studio-type, but unlike SI, I've been less than impressed by his color work on Thursday Night Football. Maybe it's the absolute awfulness of Brad Nessler in that role and I'd like Mayock with a different play-by-play guy...I don't know. I thought they've both been pretty intolerable this year.

*Interesting that in the same issue the players' poll dumped on Cris Collinsworth as their least favorite TV personality. I used to hate Collinsworth when he was only on HBO's 'Inside The NFL'. But since he's made the move to color guy, I think he's been outstanding. I felt like I was in the minority and most people liked him when he was a studio guy...and now I feel like I'm in the minority because it seems like most people don't like him as a color guy. I think he's great.

*Lots of news this week about the Mets' financial state. Another loan, some noise out of MLB that people are starting to watch the Mets' situation more closely. Good. They should have been doing that already.

*Also some noise on twitter that the Mets are weighing offers for Jon Niese. Or, I suppose more accurately, they're not really shopping him, but if an offer knocked them out, they'd consider it. I would hate to see them trade a young lefty, but I've gotten past the point where I think anyone on the roster is untouchable. If the Mets can catch a windfall for anyone, I would not be surprised to see them ship the player.

*And I wrote that before the Padres fleeced the Reds for Mat Latos. Niese isn't as good a pitcher as Latos, but if the Mets got the kind of haul the Padres did...that's the kind of trade I'm talking about being OK with.

*It's bowl season baby. (And one of my favorite pools of the year - the bowl pool.) Three games already in the rear-view mirror on Saturday, and football every day between now and January 9th, between the pro and college game. Now it feels like the holidays.