Instead of my usual dose - which can very little, admittedly - of pre-press conference wit and charm, I arrived late this morning because I took a left instead of a right from my hotel in Parsippany and blah, blah...yeah, I got here about 40 minutes later than I wanted. But going through some of the comments from last night I saw one that was worth bringing out here (they're ALL worthy of that in some fashion, of course) in the big space.
Anyway, it was from a reader, Jeff. Here's part of what he wrote:
"i do agree this is a trap game. but it's a trap for the media, not the jets. i mean, put aside all the juicy media storylines and name one player on the dolphins who should scare the jets? this game will be a blowout. as CG noted, how is it all of a sudden the dolphins are a tough team to beat when chad is the QB. just three weeks ago he was just the weaklink on a much better team -- and the success of the team was being questioned bc of his lack of ability. it's illogical. it's as if the fins were the team in need of the missing QB piece instead of the jets. it's the world upside down. the dolphins are a borderline expansion team outside of pennington and their two RBs."
So is that the case? Are the people covering the team, including myself, making too much of the "trap" nature of Sunday? Jeff raises some good points, though I think Ricky Williams, Pennington and a more physical - at least based on the preseason - are all legitimate concerns. But I could be wrong (yes, Darrell, I know I often am) and might be overstating Miami's hand. Though, in the end, I think the Jets will escape with a win.
Anyway, I know cutting and pasting a reader's comment is a cop-out blog post of sorts but, alas, no GPS system in the Solara is your loss. Or gain depending on perspective.
Okay, same schedule as yesterday: Eric Mangini at 10:15 followed by locker room access and then 30 minutes of practice viewing. I'll have more.
P.S. A thank you to the readers of this blog familiar with the Florham Park area who have posted various suggestions or simply a "welcome." While I'm not moving from Long Island, I'll be spending a lot of time here so your comments specific to that were/are appreciated.
Comments (13)
EB: Calm down. Catch your breath. Did the other Eric fine you for being late? No need to feel you copped out by addressing Jeff's perceptive point. Nice to see a fan who's not a nervous Nellie.
At the risk of violating blogger's etiquette and getting hammered as someone who is enthralled with his own cleverness, let me repeat myself--lest anyone be deprived of such wit (lol):
I am more concerned with the last game of the year, when we face the Dolphins and Flipper for the second time deep in December in the Meadowlands. They'll have nothing to play for by then except the chance to end our 15-game winning streak and spoil our perfect season.
Do I get residuals? Erik, if you post again quickly, I may have to run this one again. Oy vey, This boldly puts me in Jeff's camp. Jason, are you taking pictures of this?
Time to invest in Garmin EB, or your could simply print up a google map from the hotel to the complex before you leave HQ to go to NJ. I guess the life of a rookie beat guy isn't all futons and solaras eh?
Erik,
Look at it this way, if you are reimbursed for mileage from the Newsday heads, at 3.50ish a gallon, you just made some serious cash!!
If GAME 1 of the Favre era vs. Pennington, can in any way be constituted as a 'trap game' (which I define as being overlooked because of a HUGE next game), then all 53 JETS players deserved to be cut. Cmon, it is opening week, I have been pumrped since about Aug 5th. And it isn't like we were 12-4 last year....
All that being said, the NFL nowadays has possiblities of any team beating any other, it will be close---STOP THE RUN--and we will win.....
Thanks Eric for the awesome coverage......
Any truth to the rumor Ned Yost is getting a part-time gig as an official scorer???
Concerning Miami, it's a division game and a division opponent no matter how much they suck, always give the other team hell. With that being said, they suck. Plain and simple, they suck. Everyone say it together: They suck! Their OL would be a solid back up for ours. Their QB was our back up. Their defense was very solid in preseason against vanilla offenses. They shutout KC. A team Herman "Time Bandit" Edwards has so mind-blowingly dismantled it's astonishing not only in its speed, but in its thouroughness.
Should the Jets be taking this team seriously? Damn straight. If the Jets are as good as we think they could be, they better DOMINATE. I hope to see the Jets lay waste to the Tuna (who is NOT coaching) and the Miami Dullphins.
Erik, i think the Jets will escape with Chad's shoulder on a stick. Which Ricky Williams will then try to smoke (couldn't help it). The citizens of Miami shouldn't worry about Hannah, they should worry about hurricane IRA. Last year we were a depression, then as we grew stronger we became a storm. Now we are focused we are tightly wound thunderstorm-filled hurricane that will rain destruction on the poor souls in the Miami Dolphins. Go Jets!
Agree, with all the new players and last years crappy record this will not be a "trap" game.
I never considered it one, they will be pumped.
IF it is close, it will be because of a combination of some or all of
A) The Jets untimely move.
B) QB not having full grasp of playbook or enough time with his teammates, resulting in a sloppy offensive game filled with penalties and turnovers.
C) Jets coaches playing very vanilla on defense, in part due to B) and in part because they elect to save the creative stuff for the Pats.
D) Favres traditional bad opening game.
E) confusion on special teams due to coach change.
Erik, most important question.
Are we ever going to make this blog user freindly?
Just lost half my comment, which probably makes some of you happy, but nonetheless is frustrating to me and I assume all.
You have done such a great job here that everyone has remained very patient through this mess, but every other blog out there has the comment thing figured out there is no reason the Newsday techies can not get this straightened out.
Kudos to the Giants for re-playing the WFAN radio broadcasts of their post-season victory march to Lombardiville--from Tampa to the Pats SB game--over a four-night period, leading up to their home opener tonight.
What can we do to top this. I know. Replay our stirring end-of-season 13-10 overtime win over Kansas City thanks to Nugent's clutch FG. It may have been Clemens last game and it only dropped us three spots in the draft.
Concur Wayne. There is too much transitioning going on with this team for my liking. The move, coaching, QB(no regrets though, just timing),...
The only reason the game will be close is because Ricky williams IS a beast running the ball. Chad will give everything he has to win, in his cute intangable way, but their offense will go as Ricky goes. If their O-line creates a seam or he gets outside he is a motherload to bring down. Hey if we are unable to seal with a one dimensional offense then our D will have problems all year.
Just remember what all the Chad fans would say, "give him a ground game, give him a dominant defense and he's a winner". He doesn't ever carry the team he just manages a good game. So we shut down Ricky and make CP beat us deep.
Gotta with Wayne80 on the blog. I love to read it, but gave up trying to post anything that took longer than 10 secs to type., because they get vaporized. Jets need to be careful this week. It was a gimmie before Chad went there, but now I'm not so sure.
The audio of Erik's 2008 Jets Season Preview (that he did on the Long Island Sports Talk radio show) is now up at http://hosted.filefront.com/patchyfogg
It’s 41 commercial-free minutes of nothing but Jets talk, and is in MP3 format. Please check it out, if you get a chance.
Thanks.
If the JETS have problems with Chad, what will Brady do to them?
Don't worry Sunday will be fun, players will be focused.
Erik: You ought to move to Manhattan. It's better than Long Island and New Jersey and it'll be between work and the beat you cover.
Yo, Joe Musgo. Wow! Stupendous. Three thumbs up. Best Analogy of the Year. And the most ink that Pociask ever got.