A few impressions of the game from down in Tampa:

 

Lots of Jet fans came to the game, many of the Bucs

fans I talked to weren't season ticket holders and got

their game tickets from season ticket holders.  A few

thousand TB fans had a bag on and about the same

amount of TB fans wore their bags ON their heads.

 

The TB fans who were there were very quiet.  I'd say

10,000 left at halftime, about the same started leaving

near the halfway point of the 3rd quarter and after the

Revis pick it was pretty much all Jet fans. 

 

Clemens is gone in '10, the Jets will sign a veteran QB

to back up Sanchez (if he's healthy I'd love to see them

bring back Pennington).

 

They make a pretty good sausage & pepper sandwich

for $6.25.

 

The Jets are STILL unbeaten in regular season road

games that I have attended

seen in person is the "Mud Bowl" AFC Championship

game in Miami>.  Other than that:

 

5-0 in Miami

3-0 in Buffalo

2-0 in NE

2-0 in TB

2-0 in Giants Stadium

1-0 in Washington <3-0 win>

1-0 in San Diego

1-0 in Denver

 

Almost as weird:  0-9 in Yankee games I've attended

vs. the Rays <0-2 @ Yankee Stadium, 0-7 in Tampa>

 

As for the game:

 

Lots of Jet fans, I'd say 10-15% of the crowd were Jet

fans.  They were almost as loud when the Jets made a

big play as Buc fans were on the few occasions when a

TB player made a play. 

 

Talk about depressing?  I've never seen fans so down

on their team as Tampa is on the Bucs.  Word here is

Morris isn't running anything close to a pro NFL team

down here.  I heard Rich Gannon on the TB radio pre

game show say Morris ran a high school level practice

on Wed and Thurs.

 

Jets looked good, a little tentative in the 1st half.  They

were dictating the flow of the game defensively but the

Jets were unable to salt the game away until that Revis

INT midway through the fourth quarter.  They weren't

able to capitalize on the breaks the defense kept giving

the offense.

 

Clemens looked shakey all day long though he should

have had a TD pass that a wide open Cotchery flat out

dropped.  The Jet defense, which now leads the NFL in

fewest points allowed and in total defense, totally shut

down the Bucs so effectively that on the Buc post game

radio show the Tampa play by play guys replayed just

the first four 1st downs TB got, the onsides kick that TB 

recovered, their lone FG and the Green fumble that the

Bucs recovered.  That was their entire post game show,

lasting all of about a minute and a half.

 

The Jets were totally dominant, far more than the final

score indicated even though they seemed to be playing

at three-quarter speed through most of the game.  The

Jets did what they had to do, very businessmen like.

 

I'd say the Jets now have a pretty good shot at running

the table but less than 50% shot of making the playoffs.

 

Atlanta is decimated with injuries & despite playing NO

close at home yesterday the loss virtually finishes any

hopes of making the playoffs due to the fact they lose

the tie breaker to all the teams ahead of them.  Atlanta

lost to the Giants, Eagles & Cowboys and they lose the

tie breaker to GB based on conference W/L record. 

 

Indy has wrapped up homefield and Colts #2 QB Jim

Sorgi, Mannings backup the past five years is now on

IR.  After Manning takes a couple of snaps to keep his

consecutive games played streak alive the Colt QB will

be rookie QB Curtis Painter, whose next NFL pass will

be his first NFL pass. 

 

With Manning, Freeney, Wayne and Addai seeing little

to no action and with Bob Sanders out the Jets defense

and ground game should be able to beat Indy.

 

The Jets close at home in Week 17 against Cincinnati

who must win @ SD this Sunday to have any hope of

securing a bye in the first round.  If they lose they've

got nothing to play for either meaning they'll also rest

most of their big play starters.  Because the Jets do two

things very well, run the ball and cover their opponents

WR's, I think they will beat Cincinnati playing all of their

big play starters anyway.

 

Even at 10-6 however the Jets need Miami, Baltimore

and Jacksonville to all lose one game or for Denver to

lose at least two games because the Jets don't own the

tie breaker against any of these teams.

 

Here's their remaining schedules:

 

Denver:  OAKLAND, @ Philadelphia, KANSAS CITY

 

Denver will probably lose @ Philly but it's VERY hard

to see them losing to either Oakland or to Kansas City. 

It's VERY possible Denver's absurd last second tipped

ball win over Cincy in Week 1 could help keep the Jets

out of the playoffs.  10-6, winning a Wild Card berth.

 

Miami:  @Tennessee, HOUSTON, PITTSBURGH.

 

Miami could lose any or all three of these games and

could win any or all three of these games.  I don't see

Miami running the table, the Titans probably being the

most difficult road block.  However, if the Dolphins do

beat Tennessee they've got a good shot at being 10-6 

and at being the Wildcard.  9-7, out of the playoffs.

 

Jags:  INDIANAPOLIS, @New England, @ Cleveland

 

Jacksonville should be the first team to beat Indy this

year, and if they do the Colts have absolutely nothing

to play for.  The Pats WILL have something to play for,

the righting of it's ship, and this is the game that most

likely will keep Jacksonville from getting to ten wins. I

can't see Cleveland, even with their beating Pittsburgh,

winning at Jacksonville.  9-7, out of the playoffs.

 

Baltimore:  CHICAGO, @Pittsburgh, @Oakland.

Here is why I don't think any 9-7 team or a 10-6

Jets team will make the playoffs.  I can't make a

strong case for any team remaining on the Ravens

schedule beating them.  Chicago's season is over,

the Raiders are a huge mess and Pittsburgh can't

seem to beat anybody.  Pittsburgh could end the

season for both Baltimore & Miami but is being a

spoiler enough motivation for the defending SB to

play hard the last two weeks of the season to finish

well?  No.   10-6, winning the last Wild Card berth.

 

The Jets, being who and what they are sometimes,

if ever they did get a beat Cincinnati and you are in

the playoffs kind of scenario would probably go out

there and TIE one for the Gipper!

 

But seriously, if they did get to 10-6 and missed the

playoffs with a rookie QB & a rookie HC and in those

six losses were so many close and fixable losses you

would have to say all things considered that the Jets

were really pointed in the right direction.