Archives for October 12, 2003

‘”I didn’t see the Jets being 0-4 at this point,” quarterback Drew Bledsoe said.’

‘”This whole thing is more of a blessing than a negative. When the smoke cleared, not only did I end up financially OK, I ended up on a very good team and I’m actually back down in the box playing the run. I’m able to have fun in this defense. It allows people to make plays and flow to the ball.”‘

‘Here’s how I rate those six nominees in order of the probability of being elected this time around for the shrine in Canton, Ohio…’.

‘The bye week also didn’t hurt the Jets. “It probably came at a pretty good time for them with their injuries and some of the changes they were talking about making in their line-up,” said Buffalo coach Gregg Williams. “For them (the bye week) probably came at a pretty good time. Maybe they’re re-energized, a little more refreshed, and rested coming off of a tough month. We know we’re going to get their best.”‘

‘”Getting the young guys in the mix has been a positive thing for us,” center Kevin Mawae said. “The tempo in practice has been a lot better than it has been the last three or four weeks. You need a lot of energy to play this game. At times, it feels like guys are just out there working instead of having fun and playing. It might be a product of the fact that we’re losing. You feel you have to be perfect on everything. When you get caught up in trying to be perfect, everybody tries to walk a tightrope.”‘

‘Cottrell used the extra week to study the first four games – all 258 plays – determining which defensive calls worked best against certain plays. He will adjust his play-calling accordingly. A baseball analogy: If a pitcher, behind in the count, allows most of his home runs with curveballs, he’s going to start throwing another pitch.’

‘This is the Holy Grail the Jets are in search of today: One win, a first win, a baby step toward easing the ever-increasing vise-grip pressure the team has endured through the first quarter of the season.’

‘But if a coach’s job is to give his team the best chance to win the game, then Abraham should play against the Bills today. He has five sacks in six career games against the Bills and is clearly the team’s best pass rusher. If Kobe Bryant can practice with the Lakers, then Abraham can play today for the Jets.’

‘One area where the Jets and Bills are pretty even is in the running game, where Buffalo has averaged only 58.4 yards per game and an average of 2.5 yards per rush. The Jets are the only team worse, with an average of 52.3 yards per game.’

‘Hobson, a second-round pick out of Michigan (53rd overall), was immediately anointed Lewis’ heir apparent upon his selection last April. He’s a high-energy, intimidating player who runs through opponents when he tackles them.’

‘Jets 24, Bills 20.’

‘The Jets have been incredibly bad against the run, surrendering an unimaginable 174 yards each weekend on the ground.’

‘Other than that, look for a shakeup at LB, where youngsters Victor Hobson, Kenyatta Wright and Jason Glenn will get some playing time, subbing for the under-achieving starting trio of Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones and Sam Cowart.’

‘More than anything, a QB has to score points, and that’s what Vinny Testaverde has not been doing.’

‘The odds are clearly stacked against them, with only one team every escaping an 0-4 start to grab a post-season berth, while the Jets themselves have never done better than a 5-8-1 record when starting this badly. Still, they were 1-4 at one point last season, which would be their record if they can handle the Bills.’