WEEK 1: JETS - DOLPHINS

Jets Win; 20-14

4:03 PM -- Did I not predict that?  Revis!  You made me seem like a genius today and I love you for it.  It was such an ugly win... but it's a win.  There's a lot of questions about the defensive secondary and the play calling on offense at the end of this one.

4:01 PM -- Drew Coleman! How do you not PICK THAT?!?!?

3:55 PM -- Damien Woody took away the first down with a false-start... and the Jets run the ball on 3rd and 7?  Not really agreeing with that one.  1:43 to go, Dolphins down by 6, and Chad's at the helm... this is a sick nightmare.

3:51 PM -- 2-Minute Warning.  The Jets are in the same situation as I mentioned before: 3rd and 2.  Now... THIS TIME... if you're going to hit the RB, just hand it off and let Jones plow ahead behind Mangold.  If the Jets are going to pass... please, please, please... have the play be designed to have ALL THE RECEIVERS go beyond the first down marker... let's see what happens... (and yes, my fingers are crossed).

3:47 PM -- So, um, Chad's frustrations turned into a fierce drive by the Dolphins down field.  Chad was using his TEs (Fasano and Lee) with Ted Ginn Jr. as a change-up during the drive.  With 3:27 left, the Jets are only up by 6 and the pressure's back on Brett Favre and the offense, all of whom have (as I mentioned earlier) looked really good today.

Your move, Coach Mangini.

3:42 PM -- So, I think that Coach Mangini and I had similar demands at half-time: Pressure Chad Pennington.  Bryan Thomas just racked up his second sack of the game and Chad Pennington (the cool, calm, and collected former Jet) is visibly frustrated.  Haha, I love it!

3:38 PM -- Dwight Lowry has single-handedly broken up two TD attempts by Pennington with about 9 minutes left in the game and has looked unusually technically-sound for a rookie.  Really awesome stuff from the Jets' rookie CB, a 4th Round Pick from San Jose State.

3:22 PM -- Is it wrong for me to still be pissed in a 20-7 game?  Either way, I am.  Can we please throw the ball BEYOND the first-down marker when it's 3rd and 2.  Or... here's a novel idea, HAND IT OFF!  Don't throw those ridiculous Chad Pennington-esque passes across the flat.  This is Brett Favre...  how about we let him use his arm a little bit, Coach Mangini.

3:06 PM -- Chansi Stuckey looked great on this series with about 2:00 left in the 3rd.  Favre to Stuckey brings them to about the 10, and Thomas Jones finishes the job... which ties his total TDs for last season, haha.  Absurd.  Mike Nugent is coming out with his bruised thigh, and makes the PAT.  

The offense is looking so good right now, the defense needs to keep applying the pressure to Chad and feed off of this vibe.

3:01 PM -- "Favre to Cotchery."  Get used to it.  I love these guys.

The Jets are definitely coming out with a smash-mouth, blue-collar approach with the trio of Favre-Jones-Cotchery in the second half.  I'm really enjoying watching this team operate right now.

2:55 PM -- The Dolphins O-Line is ridiculous.  Can they hold a bit more?  I mean, chalk it up to inexperience for Jake Long and company, but this is definitely something that can pad the ego of the Jets' pass-rushers.  Turnover on downs, the 'Phins seem to be losing confidence on the offensive side of the ball as this game goes on... so it should be only a matter of time before the defense follows suit (starting with Joey Porter, of course).

2:48 PM -- A blatant fumble to start the half by the Jets... which adds insult to injury when the idiots upstairs tell Eric Mangini that it would be a good idea to challenge it...

***SECOND HALF***

2:24 PM -- The first half draws to a close with the Jets leading by six.  I'll be back for the second half, but here's a few first half notes to hold you over:

• Jericho Cotchery appears to be ahead of Laveranues Coles in Brett Favre's eyes.
• Thomas Jones' motor is on full blast.  I don't know if that's more a product of the Miami run-defense or that he's ready to have a renaissance season in '08-'09.
• Dustin Keller is losing looks to Bubba Franks... which isn't too surprising to me.
• Chansi Stuckey looks to be ahead of Brad Smith (so much for my prediction) on the depth charts.
• The Jets defense hasn't impressed me.  They've done a great job on the pass rush, but Ronnie Brown is having his way with the front line.

2:21 PM -- Really lackluster effort by the Jets as the 2nd half draws down to the final seconds.  A few hand-offs and a fumble recovered by Favre?  Does this team want the game to be this interesting.  The Dolphins will get the ball with :22 left in the half.  Will they go for a Hail Mary with Chad?  Haha, here's hoping.

2:15 PM -- Kellen Clemens is taking reps with Mike Nugent as a possible place kicker... this is rich...  Here's hoping Brett really starts picking apart the defense because I don't want this to actually factor in...

2:09 PM -- Shaun Ellis and Vernon Gholston (as predicted earlier) welcome Chad to the other side of the ball.  I love it.

2:03 PM -- What the hell was that?!?!?  I love Brett Favre right now (shades of Eli Manning in Super Bowl XLII), but I can tell this is going to be a love-hate thing for the rest of the season.  Either way... Jets 13, Dolphins 7.

2:01 PM -- The Jets' offense was fluid until a Favre sack and short-yardage pass to Thomas Jones put them in a 4th and 13 situation.  Mike Nugent, my favorite Jet, now appears to be unavailable to attempt a field goal.  This should be fun for the rest of the game...

1:56 PM -- Favre has a few dinks-and-dunks mixed with a little vintage Thomas Jones to move down the field.  I wouldn't mind seeing another deep ball to keep Miami's secondary on their toes.  Either way, the Jets are moving in response to Chad's TD.

1:47 PM -- Pennington to Fassano.  I think Chad literally had about 3 minutes to throw that pass.  Jets 7, Dolphins 7.  Did I mention how much I hate Mike Nugent?

1:46 PM -- Miami has a bit of a drive going right now... which only accentuates the disgust I'm feeling toward Mike Nugent right now.  Ronnie Brown is making me reconsider everything I said about the Jets' run-defense earlier on.

The Jets' zone coverage was just picked apart by Chad.  He found David Martin close to the Jets' 5 right between three Jets' defenders...  My stomach is turning right now.  The defense really needs to make a stand.

1:37 PM -- I just want to emphasize how much I hate Mike Nugent.  It's like John Hall circa '96-'97 all over again...

1:36 PM -- Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are slipping the carries as of now... it seems as thought Washington is getting more of a bounce against this Miami defense line though.  A Favre-Franks 14-yard reception was a nice sign among a few Washington/Jones carries, though the Jets couldn't convert (after Coles dropped a TD in the end zone).

Mike Nugent.  Are you freakin' serious right now?!!?  Once again this "can't miss" DOES!!!  

1:26 PM -- Miami gets going with Ronnie Brown... but takes him out in favor of Ricky?  I don't really understand that; but I'm glad it happened.  Williams has done absolutely nothing in the short-yardage game, which is a GREAT sign for the Jets' run D this year.  

On an aside, Darrell Revis dropped his first interception of the year... very disappointing, but I guess he'll be ready for it next time (or that's what I'll keep telling myself...).

1:18 PM -- Play action that we haven't seen in a long time!  I don't want to hear anything else about how great a play-faker Chad is, because Brett looked magical on that deep ball to Cotchery.  I'm loving this guy right now!

1:17 PM -- Chad's apparently trying to prove something here.  He threw it twice after unsuccessfully attempting to use Ricky Williams up the middle again (thank you Kris Jenkins!).  Three-and-out AGAIN!

1:12 PM -- Favre passes, hands off, and takes it himself.  You gotta love that.  Jets convert on their first series of the year!  Hopefully a sing of things to come.  Thomas Jones has received two of the four snaps thus far and definitely has the Miami D thinking twice about rushing the pass today.

On their second series of the opening drive, the Jets showed shotgun twice.  Which is about two times more than they showed all of last year...

1:05 PM -- Three-and-out.  Most noticeable addition... Kris Jenkins.  He stuffed Ricky Williams twice during this series and was really impressive.

1:00 PM -- The Brett Favre jersey is on and I'm ready to rock and roll.  Laveranues Coles is active and joins Jericho Cotchery as Brett Favre's main targets.  I would look for Dustin Keller and Brad Smith to have a pretty big impact in this one though.  I think that Smith has surprising speed and could be an underground sleeper in this game.

On a side note... it's so weird to see Chad in a Dolphin's jersey... here's hoping Vernon Gholsten welcomes him to Miami in appropriate fashion.  Stay tuned.