E-Boland & Gang Green

By Tom Rock

Got a call from Mike the Jets Fan this morning, and he was pretty bubbly after the win against the Patriots. It’s been almost four full years since the Jets topped their AFC East nemesis, so it had him thinking playoffs for the first time since Chris Baker was pushed out of bounds. If the season ended today the Jets would be in a three-way tie for the final wildcard spot with Jacksonville and KC. Mike’s even thinking of picking up a Giants jersey for the game next Monday against the Jaguars, though knowing him he’ll probably wait to see what becomes of the Jets in their game against the Bears on Sunday. The best way to get in is to win the division, and that possibility was kept alive with the win at NE.

That Browns loss – the entire game, not just the call – will probably haunt this team until they either clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Raiders on Dec. 31 or are eliminated from the picture with a loss at Miami on Dec. 25.

Eric Mangini’s voice was a little gravelly today. He seems to be battling a cold and coughed a few times during his press conference. Though maybe he was hoarse from yelling “Whoopie!” throughout the night and turning cartwheels through his neighborhood in the damp November night air. This was a big win for him on both a personal and professional level, and while he tried hard to use words that covered his elation, his smile and mood betrayed his attempts at even-keel-ness.

Players of the week for the Jets were Jerricho Cotchery on offense, Shaun Ellis on defense, Matt Chatham on special teams and Stacey Tutt was the practice player of the week. Looks like those green hoods will be off the parking lot signs again this week.

Tough week for the pickers with all the upsets, the Jets included. I went 6-9 in the Newsday Gridiron Guide and still managed to expand my lead by a game over Staple -- we both have the Bucs tonight. Poor Glauber, not only did he go 3-12 in the Sunday games, but his winning streak with New York teams came to an end when the Giants lost to the Bears. Of course, none of the four of us who pick for the paper are above .500, so we're all on a bit of a losing streak and my futility is merely degrees less severe than the others'.