 |
|
wPride Of The Fall |
|
|
 |
If Baseball is America's Pastime, Football is its Heartbeat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
w9.04.2002 |
|
|
|
Sean (B'00) gives us a NY Jets capsule!
"Jets Preview
Everywhere I go these days, everyone seems to ask the same question: “Sean, is the beginning of the 2002 NFL season as big as it seems?” I have only one response for them: “No, the beginning of the NFL season is BIGGER than it seems.” With that in mind, here is my 2002 New York Jets preview, complied with help from my buddies Lomas and Dirty Sanchez. Thanks guys!
Offense
Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet, of the lengthy contract extensions, are class pros and should play as well as ever. This year the offense will throw more and run less, and explosive WR Santana Moss could make some big plays. If QB Vinny Testaverde stays healthy, he’ll play well. The O-Line, despite losing two quality starters should be fine with J.P. Machado and Kareem McKenzie stepping in.
Defense
The biggest improvement is to the D-Line. The additions of #1 pick Bryan Thomas, DE Steve White (Bucs), and DTs Larry Webster (Ravens) and Josh Evans (Titans) gives the Jets quality depth at one of their worst 2001 positions. LB Sam Cowart can be a game changer. The secondary will feature more physical players, including 3 new starters. The main issue for the defense – how fast will it gel with so many new starters?
Special Teams
K John Hall is good enough to hit a game winning 53-yard field goal on the road on grass. ‘Nuff said. P Matt Turk is a big improvement from the aging Tom Tupa. And Santana Moss could make the return game explosive. Coach Mike Westhoff, one of the best in the business, should have the Jets playing well on the return coverage teams.
Coaching
Herm Edwards enters Year 2 with the Jets. He is a good leader and the players like playing for him. Defensive coordinator Teddy Cottrell is one of the best in the business, but must make sure everyone is on the same page over the first three crucial weeks. Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett took some lumps in 2001. He promises to make have the West Coast Offense throw more. Don’t worry, though, $46 million man Curtis Martin isn’t going anywhere and will get his share of carries.
Predictions
The Jets have the talent to win 12 games. They also have enough question marks (the O-Line, Secondary, many new faces, health of key players, tough division) to lose 9 games. The first three games (Bills, Pats, Dolphins) will be crucial. Here’s the prediction: Jets 10-6, AFC Wild Card. BTW, the P-Men repeat as division champs, but it will be close." Thanks, Sean!
---------------------
Before I give this week's take on college football, be sure to read ESPN Magazine's Edgerrin James diary. James, the Colts' starting tailback, gives a devastatingly precise critique of incentive-laden contracts.
Two weeks into the college football season and the big surprise is the ascension of Virginia Tech to the Top 10. Coach Frank Beamer in previous seasons had the Hokies fattening their win column on the Akrons of the world, but last week's 26-8 thrashing of LSU in Blacksburg, coupled with a 63-7 win over Arkansas State in the opener, has the Hokies in the catbird seat. The Hokies' solid play shows that the Michael Vick era of 1999-2000 was no fluke, and that VA Tech can certainly play a role in shaping the overall national picture.
The collapse of Colorado against Colorado State wasn't a "surprise" -- Buffs coach Bennett has lost all of his season openers since he took Ralphie's reins, and each time except for 2000 did the Buffs show considerable improvement. Until CU gets into its Big XII schedule, we won't see how they'll mature. LSU still has an excellent chance to capture both the SEC West and the conference as a whole despite the loss to the Hokies. Beamer's teams are nearly invincible playing at home, and with Marshall, Texas A&M, Miami, and Syracuse on the schedule, the Hokies still need to pass some formidable tests.
The only visible "disappointment" in the Top 25 was Louisville, who fell 22-17 to hated archrival Kentucky and negated the Heisman hopes of QB Dave Ragone. Louisville certainly could still run the tables in Conference USA, but hopes of a BCS bowl and a Heisman disintegrated after an uneven, frenetic performance against one of the SEC's mid-level squads (honestly, the only bottom-tier team in the SEC is Vanderbilt).
This weekend, two monster matchups will help set the tone for the early portion of the season. Alabama, locked down by a 2-year bowl ban for NCAA recruiting violations, travels to Norman to take on the ATM-#2 Sooners. This game will show how Alabama will manage under the strict NCAA sanctions regime and measure how much improvement OU's offense has managed in the offseason and the 37-0 win over Tulsa on Friday night last week. Does pro football offer anything on the impact of Oklahoma-Alabama? Very rarely.
The ATM#1-Hurricanes travel to Gainesville to renew the hatefest with the Florida Gators. Coach Ron Zook's team looked solid in the post-Spurrier era, handing UAB a 51-3 spanking in the Swamp. The Hurricanes, the closest thing in college football to an NFL squad in terms of size, speed, and composure, are an imposing presence and one of the few teams in the college game capable of matching UF's speed on offense. I expect Canes QB Ken Dorsey to have a big game, but who knows?
posted by
Lorenzo at 9/04/2002 08:36:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|