Jets Beat Bengals with Defense & Special Teams

The NY Jets(3-2) won this weeks game against the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals primarily with good defense and special teams which kept creating good field position. Even after both of Brett Favre's interceptions, deep in Bengals territory, the Jets held Cincinnati and got the ball back with good field position and scored a field goal and a touchdown in response. After Favre's fumble was returned for a touchdown by Chinedum Ndukwe(say that 10 times fast) on the first series of the game, the Jets came right back with a long 10 play TD drive of their own. That drive was set up by another great kickoff return by Leon Washington of 46 yards, shortening the field for Favre and the offense to drive downfield; and this was the case throughout the game with the Jets offense starting on average at their 46 yard line. That's what wins games, and it was accomplished with good special teams, great run defense(43 Net Yards), and pressure up front on the inexperienced Ryan Fitzpatrick(Sacked 5 times, Hurried 6) by Calvin Pace, Kris Jenkins, and company. So in a game that future Hall Of Famer Brett Favre made his share of risky mistakes, the New York Jets did what they needed to do with their other units to get the job done and get the ugly win; and we all know that an ugly win is still a win whether Favre considers it ugly or not. The Jets need to win, ugly or pretty, the next two games, which concludes the soft part of their schedule, at Oakland and at home against Kansas City. They could conceivably be 5-2 going into week 8 at frigid Buffalo (4-1) Nov 2nd. By that time the Jets need to play consistently in all three phases of the game because most of the remaining games, starting with the Bills, are against real teams and defense, special teams, and offense need to produce. If not they'll be losing some ugly games instead of winning them.

NY Giants Look Like The Team To Beat In NFL

Eli Manning and the defending Super Bowl Champion NY Giants are starting to look as though they've emerged as the team to beat in the NFL. Even without banished WR Plaxico Burress at their disposal the New York Giants slaughtered the Seattle Seahawks at Giants Stadium yesterday 44-to-6, dominating in all facets of the game. Manning played one of the best games of his career throwing for 267 yards completing 19-of-25 and 2 TD's. The Giants showed their depth at wide receiver with rookie Domenik Hixon replacing Burress as starter and catching 4 passes for 102 yards and one TD before leaving the game with a concussion and being spelled by Sinorice Moss (4 catches, 45 yds, 2 TD's). This combined with a strong running game by Brandon Jacobs (15 rushes for 136 yds 2TD's), Ahmad Bradshaw, and Derrick Ward produced 523 total yards of offense for the game. With that many yards on offense you don't even have to play good defense but the Giants did; yielding only 6 points to the Seattle Seahawks, a projected NFL Playoff team. That leaves the New York Giants and the unlikely Tennessee Titans as the only two undefeated teams in the NFL after 5 games into the season; and the Giants, being defending Superbowl Champs, are officially the team to beat in the National Football League. They are no longer the underdogs they love to be. It's a new role for these NY Giants and they look like they're ready for the prime time spotlight in the NFL right here and now.