And awaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy we go! At long last football has arrived, my friends, and although my hopes are low for the J-E-T-S this year that in no way dampens my enthusiasm for the return of America’s Game. Just finished checking my fantasy lineups in four different leagues. Got my picks filed for the week. Soon Tracy and I will don our Martin and Chrebet jerseys and head out to Lime Bar for the game. Even the weather gods are getting into the spirit of things, delivering us cooler, crisper air for the occasion. Football! Finally.
I could write a 5,000-word post on the Jets weird offseason, horrible preseason, and debaculartastic season to come. Instead, I’ll summarize:
1. I think it was a huge mistake to sign Tebow. Literally the worst thing they could have done if they had any intention of righting Sanchez’s game and moving forward with him. I think Woody Johnson did it for media coverage and to sell tickets. The guy is a joke of an owner.
2. Regardless of who’s behind center, they’ve got no one to throw to. I read a comment from a Jets fan somewhere saying “Antonio Cromartie claims he’s the team’s second-best receiver. The sad thing is he might be right!” Ugh.
3. Even if it’s moderately successful somehow, I don’t look forward to watching a Sparano-devised, wildcat-heavy offense. That’s not good football, and it will never take any pro team to the promised land. (It’s painfully ironic that in an era where the high-flying passing attack – the kind of football I adore – is ascendant, my team is going with ground-pound-and-gimmick.)
Prediction? 5-11, good for third or last in the AFC East. Sanchez gets benched at some point in the season. Locker room implodes in a smog of acrimony. Rex is fired towards the end of the season or shortly thereafter, completing the four-year Jets coaching cycle of high hopes, higher hopes, crash, burn that I’ve now seen played out under Parcells, Edwards, and Mangini. (You wonder if maybe it’s not the coaching staff that’s the problem?)
But hey! Maybe they’ll surprise me. #LOLNo
Like I said, though. It’s football season! Not gonna let a small thing like my team sucking dampen my spirits. There’s so much more going on than Gang Green’s slow death march to destiny. There are questions! Questions like:
1. Peyton Manning in Denver. How’s that going to work out? I’d be thrilled to see the Peyton of Old return, and Denver looks to have a team around him that could make it happen. Tune in to SNF tonight to see Laser/Rocket Arm play the first game of the rest of his life against Team Vanilla.
2. Luck vs. RGIII. They’re not scheduled to play each other, but they’ll be playing each other every week.
3. Did the Bills do the right thing handing Mario Williams a record-breaking contract? And, in the near term, if I gave you an Over/Under of 3.5 for Williams sacks on Sanchez today, you’d be tempted to take the Over, wouldn’t you?
4. How do the Saints respond to BountyGate? It has to be weird going from being the league’s official Feel-Good franchise due to the New Orleans/Katrina connection to being Villains (or scapegoats, depending on your take) almost overnight.
5. Will the Patriots have a defense this year? And if they don’t, will it even matter?
6. Bonus: Will the Jets get it together and make me look like a jackhole for slagging on them?
See? Drama! Excitement! FOOTBALL!
OK, so here’s what we’ve got for today’s games in the 860:
CBS Early: Patriots @ Titans
FOX Early: Redskins @ Saints
FOX Late: ‘Niners @ Packers
As I said, with the Pats bumping the Jets off CBS, we won’t be around here for the early action. Doing the Jets Fans in Exile thing down at the Lime Bar instead. (And may I say? It’s so awesome to have a great little bar with the Sunday Ticket only two miles down the road.)
Enjoy the games and we’ll catch you on the flipside.
Whoa. I was just typing how wrong the Niners were to try to take the air out of the ball too early in the game, and Mr. Rodgers throws a really bad looking INT.
Agreed, RG3 is going to be very good, but he lit up our secondary like a veteran. I expected him to hurt us running it a lot more.
OK, owner of Howard’s Hooters, I think I got that FB group. I set it to secret (?) and tried to remember everyone to invite.
As I recall, Saints lost last year’s season opener by 8, failing to tie the game on the last play. They went on to go 11-5 and win a playoff game. Still, we managed to make the youngest starting QB in modern times look like Joe Montana. Grim.
Dude, RGIII isn’t exactly some random rookie QB.
Saints sure did put up a fight at the end, ‘Shift.
We should start a fb private group for the Couch.
Yeah, even Drew had to get in on the screw-up bandwagon today. Go figure. It’ll look like a better game on paper if this current score holds, but we were bad on both sides of the ball today.
Well, Chris, Washington is trying to implode. I hope they have enough time left to complete the job.
Just saw that pick. My condolences.
Damn, the Vikings just tied it up!
Did y’all see that Jags TD? Impressive.
I’m living for getting this brain-fart of a game behind us and moving on. FUGLY.
I’m just living in the moment.
Good idea. Trying to do the same thing myself
True, Glenn. But it’s not over yet. The Skins can still implode. They’re good at that.
Refs hosed us on that phantom interference call in the end zone, true, Chris, but we just look like its first game of preseason on both sides of the ball.
Looks like Jets have it in cruise control today. I’m trying to figure out who these clowns are masquerading as NFL players in Saints’ unis.
Cromartie: Love the pick 6. Hate the showboating.
And wow! How bout them Jets?
Saints getting screwed by the replacement refs, I see.
Bad call by Rex there, settling for three. You’re up 14. Rip their throat out.
Also, encroachment much?
Hello
. Happy Football Sunday!
Hi, M!
Hey, Michelline!
Saints four drives: one TD, three three-and-outs. That part I did NOT see coming. The shitty D, everyone knew. RG3 has one incomplete pass the whole game. Yes, he’s good, but he is a rookie.
Brees now has 50 straight games (including playoffs) with at least one TD pass. Gives him the record over Johnny Unitas. Wow. Dude is awesome.
My other FFL is an 8 team league, so we are all stocked with talent. We’ll see how that plays out, but I expect crazy high scores every week.
I have Pats-Titans on the other channel. Go Titans!
Sanchez ti Kerley! J!E!T!S! Jets! Jets! Jets!
In keeping with my own internet tradition, I’ll answer Joe’s points/questions/issues. Jets will be a freak show in the locker room and still finish 8-8 or better. They just seem to thrive on craziness.
I fear for Peyton, but hope he (and the docs) know what he’s doing. I look forward to seeing that game tonight and finding out if he’s a shell of himself or still has it. Steeler D will be a big test for him.
I take RG3 over Luck for rookie o’ the year, mostly because I think RG3 has better players around him. Colts really hit the ‘restart’ button in terms of personnel.
I can’t make an intelligent comment about the Bills, lacking any knowledge of them.
No team has ever gone into a season with a decimated coaching staff as my beloved Saints will. I guess we’ll find out how important coaches are on game day. I predict a LOT of 45-42 final scores. Saints’ D blows chunks, but DREW BREES!!! I see us winning 10-12 games this year, just on that O. Damn, they score first TD of year as I type this. Big pass to Graham, of course.
Pats can suck a bag of gangrenous dicks. That is all.
Hi, all. Glad we still have our comfy couch. Saints D got trampled, but held ‘skins to a FG, and now Brees’ turn. Huzzah.
Bills-Jets and Skins-Saints. So not a total fail. The Saints are always entertaining, and RG3!
Good background noise while I work on resumes and cover letters.
And it works on my phone!
Couch!
She’s talking about ESPN’s Howie Schwab in case anyone was wondering.
Woohoo! The Couch! Woohoo!
Also, we’ve been invited to one Maison Schwab for any other weeks where our Jets get bumped. How cool is that?
Actually that should be Chez Schwab. Or Maison de Schwab.