Santonio Holmes!

Back in April, when the Jets made the trade for Santonio Holmes, I was cautiously optimistic, probably the way most Jets fans felt.  Yes, the team was getting a Super Bowl MVP and a clutch reception receiver but they were also getting a potential character issue.  I mean, he was suspended for the first four games this season, he is one strike away from a full season suspension, he has to compete with Braylon Edwards as the alpha receiver and he's a free agent at the end of this season.

So really, who were we getting?

Well, since he's come back from suspension, especially in four of the last 5 games, he has been the Jets MVP and can be a league MVP if he keeps it up.  Holmes has been everything and more for the Jets the last month.  A perfect teammate and the best friend for Mark Sanchez.

- Set up the winning touchdown by drawing a pass interference call in Denver.

- Catch and run to set up the winning field goal in overtime in Detroit

- Game winning catch and run, again in overtime, in Cleveland.

- 120+ yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner with 10 seconds left yesterday, vs Houston.

It has definitely turned into Holmes Time!

Holy sh*t

Ok, so going into yesterday's Jets game, I knew that I was going to be missing the game live.  I had my Tough Mudder run in the late morning/early afternoon so I would be DVRing the game and watching when I got home.  And watch it, I did.  I wasn't as loud and energetic and crazy as I usually am, mostly because the game wasn't live.  I had no idea what was taking place, but it just wasn't live.

As advertised, the defense is playing shut down football, Darrell Revis is an absolute stud, Mark Sanchez is leading the offense nicely and everything is moving along perfectly.  We're winning, 23-7, and I couldn't be feeling any better (except for the almost entire body soreness of my event, yeah, that's me, smiling with the beard).

And then Shonn fumbles and everything positive and all the emotion from the Meadowlands gets sucked out.  Bang!  Matt Schaub hits a ridiculously wide open Kyle Dressens for a 40 + yard touchdown.  Bang, the Jets give the ball back.  Bang! Arian Foster dives in for the touchdown and just like that, just over two minutes to go, we're trailing 24-23.  WTF!  But it's okay, we have 2 time outs remaining and plenty of time to move into field goal range.  But then, Bang!  Sanchez throws a pick and all seems to be over.  And then, Bang!  My DVR shuts off, it's 4 PM.

Upset, pissed off, annoyed, I grab my girlfriend's phone to look up the final score, expecting it to be the same or for us to have lost 27-23.  I'm staring at her phone in disbelief, until she asks me what's wrong.  All I can mutter is, 'we won'.  What the hell happened!  30-27, Jets win!  8-2, still atop the AFC East!  Sanchez, Holmes, Edwards, Tomlinson!  The Cardiac Kids do it again!

Like I said... Holy sh*t!

Weekend Recap

Now that's what I'm talking about!  For most of the game it was ugly and gut wrenching.  The stupid kicker misses three field goals and you watch the opposing team start to move quickly into your own territory during overtime until FUMBLE!!!!  Oh Chansi Stuckey, the ex-Jet, we love ya, we love ya, we love ya.  Keep fumbling the ball baby!

Going into the Dog-Pound this afternoon the Jets and its fans knew that this game would not be an easy one.  Although it was the Browns, and their 3-5 mark, on the schedule, it was not the same old Browns. Coming off two impressive victories over the Saints and Patriots while featuring a new power running back, the Jets had every reason to show up 100% today.  And when they needed it most, show up they did!

Mark Sanchez just keeps growing up this season.  Three more touchdowns this afternoon (two with the arm, one via the feet) and another late win.  The leg injury sure as hell scared the fans because there is no trust in Mark Brunell, but we didn't need to worry.  Sanchise bounced right back up and, when it matter most, found Santonio Holmes on perfect inside cross and Holmes made sure he wasn't going to get caught from behind this time around.  Touchdown.  Game over.  26-20.  Jets.  7-2!

I'll come back to talk about the idiot kicker later in the week.

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Friday night - Back and forth and back and forth and then again.  Back to back games for the Devils ended up in overtime and for the second straight time the game ended up on the stick of Ilya Kovalchuk.  Good thing this one ended with him taking a shot.  A shot that hit the back of the net!  Devils knocking off the Oilers 4-3 in overtime.

I'm fully away that they are still mightily struggling, hell, some would even say still sucking.  And as a huge Devils fan (with probably too much bias) I can't argue that, the record shows it.  But, nonetheless, they have accumulated three out of the last four points (reaching, I know).  They've scored seven regulation goals in those two games.  And they are getting a bit healthy.

They need to keep gaining points and scoring goals and winning games.  Get the confidence.  Get some swagger.  Start climbing the standings ladder.

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Oh yeah, the Nets.  Tough loss the other night.  Damn Nelson hitting that jumper with four seconds left.  You are what we thought you are, a young and struggling team that will provide some glimmer and disappointments this season.  3-6 so far.  Good thing that everyone outside of Boston in the division is pretty bad, so there's a chance for some Ws.  And, four of those six losses are against Miami and Orlando; two teams that will/should be battling each other in the playoffs come springtime.

Game Recap

I'm not even sure where to start on this one.  I said all along last week that I was not to confident going into the game and that the match up against the Lions scared me.  And I continued to feel that way until the last Nick Folk field goal went through the uprights and the Jets were 23-20 victors on the road in Detroit.

This was suppose to be an afternoon that allowed Sanchise to bounce back and regain his confidence against a weak Lions secondary.  Hell, Detroit even know that Sanchez had been struggling a bit and continued to put 8 men in the box and dared the Jets to win the game by passing the ball.  All Sanchez could do for the most part was overthrow and too widely throw his receivers.  Thank God that he was able to launch a beautiful pass down the left side line right before half-time to give the Jets some points, some momentum, some excitement and the lead before halftime.

Again though, in the second half, it was almost infuriating to watch.  I know that I was losing faith and getting extremely pissed off at how the team was 'moving' the ball on offense.  Use of the quotation marks because they couldn't move the ball.  Down by 10, under three minutes to play and only one time out, really there wasn't much to be optimistic about.

Then, the offense woke up.  Just like that it seemed.  With precision, Sanchez moved the team, quickly, down to the 1 yard line before sneaking it into the endzone on a keep.  Ok, defense, let's go!  And they did.  Thanks to some boneheaded Detroit coaching, the Jets force a three and out and get the ball back with 100 seconds left.  The offense kept it up (who would have figured), kicked a game tying field goal, got the ball first in overtime, kept with the spread formation, huge catch and run by Santonio Holmes and then the game winning field goal.  Just like that.  That easy.  Jets win!  6-2.  First place in the AFC East.  Damn.

Some of my thoughts from Section 316... Ford Field, pretty nice.  Lions fans... well, you can tell they aren't from New York.  They do an entire sing along song after each Lions touchdown; too gimmicky and stupid.  Ndamukong Suh kicking an extra point?  Again, stupid.  The referees were way to flag happy, on both sides.  Jets are loving the turnovers lately. Brian Schottenheimer, horrible offensive coordinator, until the last 100 seconds.  Sanchez; ulcer giver.  Jets, 6-2, first place in the division.  Good teams know how to win.

All comments are welcome.

The Return

Tonight's Jets game will be the first game with all possible players playing in the game (sorry Big Man Kris Jenkins, but it's not possible for you).  Santonio Holmes is back from suspension, Darelle Revis is back from his bum hammy, and Calvin Pace is back from his broken foot.  Damn is feels good to see #10, #24, and #97 back on the field tonight.

But, as we all know, the collective unit must perform on the field and not on paper.  Heading into this game, the boys are riding high, coming off of three straight (huge!) division wins and ready to show the nation that this team is for real.  What we all saw on Monday Night to open the season vs Baltimore was just a fluke and some nerves.  They will come out flying tonight and hitting everything in purple, hard.

The Jets should, and will, have enough tonight to extend their record to 4-1.  Sanchise has a new weapon to go to as well steady Dustin Keller and an improved Braylon Edwards.  Lets not forget about Mr. Revived, LT and his young, spry legs.

Sorry Brett, I'm not getting caught up in your return to the Meadowlands.  I'm actually thankful that you sucked at the end of the 2008 season, caused Man-penguin to lose his job and open the door for Rex Ryan.  You will have a chance tonight to maybe hit a home run or two, maybe.  But you're going to get banged up and bruised all over.  All-Day AP will run freely at times, he's too good to completely shut down but that's all Minnesota will have.

In the end, Jets 27, Vikings 13.

By the way... Another reason you know the Jets will win tonight... It's the 10 year anniversary of the Monday Night Miracle