Jets get help Sunday from the most unlikely source

Jets get help Sunday from the most unlikely source

It came from fans by proxy, Jets fans turned Jacksonville Jaguar rooters for a day, which under most circumstances would be as wise as betting your life savings on Andrew Bynum playing every game on the NBA schedule (sorry Sixers fans). As one loyal Bottom Line reader texted me as his Monmouth County based Gang Green gathering erupted in stunned ecstasy: why it impossible to look at the schedule and predict wins and losses.

Every year some bad team which looks dead, beats some much better team (which either takes them for granted or has an odd set of circumstances work against them) and we get to analyze how a team like the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars (owners of the worst 0 8 start since 1990 Paul Soliai Jersey according to Football Insiders calculations) could beat the rolling Tennessee Titans, 29 27, in Nashville.

The ramifications from the Jets standpoint are this: on their bye, with seven games remaining (only three of which are at home), they needed help. They 5 4 and without getting into the specifics as to who they may or may not beat (learning our lesson from the above game), suffice it to say that winning more than 10 games will be http://www.nflfalconsofficial.com/Nike-Devin-Hester-Jersey.html very difficult.

The Titans schedule http://www.nflfalconsofficial.com/Nike-Tyson-Jackson-Jersey.html at least on the surface looked much easier and since Tennessee owns the tiebreaker over Jake Matthews Women Jersey the Jets (by virtue of their Week 4 beatdown), Gang Green needs in essence to finish a game ahead of the Titans to snag the final AFC wild card if the race comes down to the two teams (since presumably the first will go to the second place team out of the AFC West, either the Broncos or Chiefs).

On paper, it shouldn have happened, but in many ways this was Tennessee season in microcosm: a lot of great things, but a lot of horrific ones too. Alterraun Verner had another stifling game at cornerback, gaining his fifth interception. Kendall Wright made some big plays at wide receiver and Mike Munchak team never seemed to lose its poise.

The problem was that the Titans were again at a loss for offensive leadership as Jake Locker got hurt (seemingly a monthly occurence) and had to be replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who did as he so often did in Buffalo, putting up respectable numbers (264 yards, two touchdowns) which camouflaged one horrific play (a lost fumble that that the Jags Will Blackmon returned 21 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter) that cost his team the game. Chris Johnson didn have a carry that resulted in more than six yards, which put all the pressure on Fitzpatrick and the 24th ranked passing game.

The defeat was Tennessee fourth in five games, which suggests that its 3 1 start was a mirage. Some losses resonate more than others and as Jets fans celebrate their surprise help, with the Paul Soliai Kids Jersey Colts (twice) and Broncos on the Titans schedule over the next four weeks, one has to wonder if the Titans will even be in the playoff discussion in a month.

MORE PRETENDERS: The Seattle Seahawks bounced back nicely from their near upset at the hands of the Buccaneers (who will attempt to give the Jets more help tonight when they host the distracted Dolphins), but yesterday 33 10 rout of the Falcons in Atlanta was just one of five atrocious performances by 2012 playoff participants teams with championship aspirations at the start of the season, but ones who must do some soul searching as we are into the heart of the schedule.

Begin with Atlanta, which many will excuse by virtue of the missing Julio Jones at wideout and Sean Weatherspoon at linebacker because of injury. Over the last three games, the defending NFC South champions have been outscored 94 33 and it easy to see why: Atlanta is poorly constructed, lacking a pass rush, unable to run thanks to a porous offensive line and, with tight end Tony Gonzalez likely to retire, about to get weaker heading into 2014.

The Falcons made some nice moves to upgrade their secondary in the offseason (including drafting cornerback Marcus Trufant). But it was too little too late for a team that has allowed 23 points or more in all nine games and now must count on undrafted players like linebacker Paul Worrilow (a University of Delaware product, who has had 19 tackles in back to back games) to carry them.

The Packers and their sieve like defense that allowed the Eagles to roll for over 400 total yards we won elaborate on. But how can one explain the Colts, who were blown out at home by the 4 6 Rams, who received a career game from backup Kellen Clemens and an even better one from Tavon Austin (who became just the third rookie in NFL history joining Randy Moss and Gale Sayers to register three touchdowns of at least 55 yards or longer in a game, according to Elias)? With the Titans up next, Indy performance had all the makings Jake Matthews Authentic Jersey of a trap game letdown, none of which applied to the evenly dismal efforts of the Bengals and Ravens in Baltimore.

The Bengals, as has been the case lately, couldn capitalize. A lackluster 5 for 19 on third down conversions and purveyors of three turnovers, they are becoming more and more of a sloppy road team, which suggests a first round playoff exit if they are able to make it there at all.