First off, I just want to thank any Jets fan that went to the game Sunday. The noise level is exactly where I would like it to be this season. I hope that level of intensity can be maintained throughout 2011/2012. Now I would like to talk a little about the Jaguars game coming up this Sunday. Our offense is a hard thing to wrap our heads around. What we all thought our biggest strength was, turned out to be our biggest weakness, last Sunday. Will Sanchez ever be allowed to throw that many passes in a game again? Who knows, maybe Rex and Shotty just wanted to let the league know that we can. This week, we could have an entirely different offensive look, where we run the ball 25 to 30 times. That would probably be a big mistake though.
On Offense
When we think of big defensive teams, we don’t think of the Jaguars. They may still have a ways to go before anyone really pays them any mind, but they are quietly becoming very good against the run. They have some big and athletic guys in that front 7, which are built to stuff the run. This was made evident in last week’s game against the Titans. I think we can all agree that one of the best running backs in the game, if not the best, is Chris Johnson. This guy has had big games against some of the best defenses. Last week, he only manages to squeeze out 24 yards. This performance might be up to interpretation. Some might say CJ probably did badly because of his holdout. I don’t believe that. He is an elite running back in the league. He shouldn't need much to get going.
I know we can’t abandon the run, but we would benefit more by going after the Jaguars through the air. They are built to be stout at the line, and not let anything past them. They are not built to put constant pressure on the QB. One of their two sacks last week came from an all out blitz by our very own, Drew Coleman. They don’t have a Ware, who can make everyone look silly. Sanchez might actually get some time to throw the ball this game.
We need to attack their secondary. They might not be as decimated by injuries as the Cowboys are, but they are not that strong back there. When the 2nd CB might be Lowery or Coleman, something has to give. Mathis is a decent CB, but he can’t be everywhere. This means Plaxico, Keller, Mason, and LT could have some big numbers coming their way.
On Defense
For our defense, there is only one man we need to worry about. We know him as MJD. John mentioned in an earlier post that both of the Jaguars’ tight ends could miss the game Sunday. Besides Lewis and Miller, they really have no other receiving weapons for us to worry about. Revis will be all over Mike Thomas. This means we can put a lot of focus on Drew.
This guy has embarrassed the Jets defense in the past, and I expect a decent game for him again on Sunday. We have put 8 or more men in the box against him in the past. He still managed to have a great game against us last year. I highly doubt that we will be able to stop Jones Drew. What I hope we are able to do is limit his damage. If we can keep MJD from controlling the game, we may very well be 2-0 to start off the season.