Grading Out Jets/Texans

A quick grade report before we flip the focus to Jets/Bengals which is only three days away...

Quarterback (A+) - Welcome to the 2010 New York Jets season where 300 yard passing performances and last second heroics are common place. Mark Sanchez continues to play at a level higher than even the most optimistic Jets fans could have anticipated. Any questions about him being able to make all the throws at this level or having the maturity to play quarterback in New York just sound foolish at this point. The best news? The Bengals defense who just allowed a 49 spot to the mighty Buffalo Bills is now coming to town.

Running Back (C) - The only reason this grade is even this high is because of LaDainian Tomlinson's 7 receptions for 71 yards. The Jets never got going running the football as both Shonn Greene (15 carries, 42 yards) and Tomlinson (12 carries, 36 yards) struggled. To make matters worse, Greene lost a fumble, his second of the year which helped ignite the Texans comeback.

Wide Receiver (A) - (Take a moment to hold your arms out and run around Santonio Holmes style)...the Jets receivers are living up to their pre-season hype as Holmes had yet another 100 yard performance and 2 touchdowns. Braylon Edwards added on 4 receptions for 86 yards with a touchdown, his team leading sixth of the season. Patrick Turner even pulled in his first career reception for the Jets.

Tight Ends (C) - Paging Dustin Keller...2 receptions, 7 yards, no touchdowns since week 4...Keller? Keller?

Offensive Line (D) - Not a pretty day for the big guys up front. They allowed three sacks and didn't get a great push in the running game. Wayne Hunter struggled to replace Damien Woody, who sprained his MCL and could miss Thursday's game.

Defensive Line (C) - Vernon Gholston actually almost had a sack but beyond that it wasn't a productive day at the office for the Jets front. They did hold Arian Foster to under 100 yards but he still moved the ball well and a pass rush was nowhere to be found.

Linebackers (C) - The problems in coverage and getting pressure on the quarterback remain a major concern heading into December. An unusually quiet game for David Harris also.

Secondary (C) - Surprise, surprise the Texans tight end (Joel Dressen, 106 yards and a touchdown) killed the Jets, who continue to have communication issues in the secondary. Darrelle Revis was very good on Andre Johnson most of the day but did leave David Anderson wide open for a big play late in the game. Brodney Pool had 7 tackles.

Special Teams (B) - Robert Turner had a killer personal foul penalty late in the game on a kick return. However, Nick Folk got back on track with 3 field goals. Steve Weatherford was great again and Jim Leonhard continued his strong season returning punts. Also, how about Joe McKnight with 3 special teams tackles?

Coaching (B) - It is hard to get on the coaches too much because the Jets keep winning but Rex Ryan needs to do a better job manufacturing a pass rush.

AFC Playoff Picture: Jets Are Sitting Pretty

The New York Jets are riding high with a three-game winning streak and an 8-2 record, which has them tied with the New England Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East.

Looking around the rest of the AFC, the Jets are sitting pretty in the AFC playoff race -- regardless of whether or not they are able to best the Patriots for the AFC East title. At 8-2 the Jets are not only tied with the Patriots for the AFC East lead, but for the best record in the league.

Here is how the rest of the playoff picture shapes up in the AFC:

• In the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are both 7-3.
• In the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts are 6-4, and the Tennessee Titans are 5-5.
• In the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs are 6-4, the Oakland Raiders are 5-5 and the San Diego Chargers can get to 5-5 if they can beat the 3-6 Denver Broncos tonight.

The AFC East Miami Dolphins are 5-5, but would appear to have little to no shot with the Jets and Patriots in their division.

At A Loss For Words: Jets Do It Again

What can you even say at this point?

Were you surprised the Jets jumped out to a commanding 23-7 lead? Most of us expected the Jets to handle a finesse Houston team at home this week and it seemed they were en route to doing just that.

If you have been a Jets fan your whole life, were you surprised to see them squander that lead and find themselves down 24-23 with less than a minute left? The Jets have traditionally found ways to let us down and more recently haven't been able to put teams away. Shonn Greene rediscovered his fumblitis. Our starting tackle was out of the game and we couldn't protect the quarterback. Our "big time" defense was again letting tight ends run wide open all the over field and an offense go up and down the field in a big spot.

Yet, haven't you been watching this year? Weren't you confident in our franchise quarterback to lead us back, even with zero timeouts and barely any time on the clock? If you weren't, it is time to realize Mark Sanchez is the real deal and he has some serious weapons at his disposal at the receiver position. This year's version of the New York Jets is never out of the game. 

In an unpredictable NFL season, Sanchez and the Jets have been consistently clutch. People will still carry on with the lucky talk and yes, Jason Allen is the give that keeps on giving. Can we get this guy waived and hope the Bengals pick him up for Thursday? However, another week has passed and another game has been won by the Jets, who are now at 3 in a row since their 9-0 loss to Green Bay on Halloween. 

All you can do on this Sunday night, is shake your head and realize you are witnessing something special this year...and maybe go buy a Santonio Holmes jersey.

Jets 30, Texans 27: Jets Win Despite Blowing 16-Point Lead

East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) – Santonio Holmes caught a six-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining, as the New York Jets were able to sneak past the Houston Texans, 30-27, despite blowing a 16-point lead.

Trailing by four, 27-23, with no timeouts and 49 seconds remaining, the Jets took over at their own 28-yard line. LaDainian Tomlinson caught a 15-yard pass to get the ball near midfield. Following a spike, Braylon Edwards caught a 42- yard pass down the right sideline with 16 ticks to go. On the next play, Mark Sanchez connected with Holmes in the left corner of the end zone for a 30-27 edge.

The Texans (4-6) lost at the end of the game for a second straight week. Last Sunday in Jacksonville, the Jaguars converted a Hail Mary in the final seconds to hand Houston a tough loss.

Sanchez completed 22-of-38 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for the Jets (8-2), who have won three straight games.

Holmes caught seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, while Edwards hauled in four passes for 86 yards and score for the victors.

Matt Schaub connected on 19-of-33 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown for the Texans, who have dropped four straight games. Arian Foster rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

Trailing by 16 points in the fourth, Houston started its comeback with a seven-play, 59 yard drive. Neil Rackers ended the march with a 38-yard field goal to cut the gap to 23-10 with 12:21 remaining.

Jets running back Shonn Greene fumbled the ball on the ensuing possession. The Texans recovered the ball and on the first play, Joel Dreessen caught a 43- yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to make it a 23-17 game with 9:14 to go.

Following a punt by New York, Houston took over at its own 27 with over six minutes to play. David Anderson caught a 35-yard pass and Andre Johnson hauled in a 20-yard pass to set up the visitors at the 15-yard line. Foster capped the seven-play drive with a one-yard TD run to give Houston a 24-23 edge with 2:18 left.

Kevin Bentley then picked off Sanchez and returned the football 18 yards to the 10-yard line. The Texans ran the ball to make New York use all of its remaining timeouts. Rackers then made a 22-yarder to give Houston a 27-23 lead with 55 seconds to go.

The Texans went three-and-out on offense to start the game. Matt Turk then booted a short 33-yard punt that Jim Leonhard returned 30 yards to the Houston 29. The Jets, though, only got a 37-yard field goal from Nick Folk.

Houston bridged the first and second quarters with an 11-play, 67-yard drive. Foster capped the march with a two-yard rushing touchdown to give the visitors a 7-3 edge with 10:17 remaining until half.

New York responded with a touchdown of its own to take the lead back. Holmes and Edwards caught passes of 26 and 27 yards, respectively, to put the Jets in the red zone. Edwards hauled in a four-yard TD pass to give the home team a 10-7 advantage with 5:18 to go.

Folk added a 33-yarder with 58 seconds remaining to make it a 13-7 game at the half.

The second half started with Folk missing a 53-yard field goal. New York, though, found the end zone on its next possession. Tomlinson caught an 18-yard pass to highlight a nine-play, 92-yard march, which Holmes capped with a 41- yard TD catch for a 20-7 lead with 4:38 left in the third.

Folk made a 30-yard field goal just nine seconds into the fourth quarter to give the Jets a 23-7 lead.

The Jets have won all five of their all-time meetings with the Texans and handed Houston a 24-7 defeat at Reliant Stadium in the 2009 season opener… Schaub spent a night in the hospital earlier this week with a right knee injury…Texans linebacker Zac Diles (illness) and tight end Owen Daniels (hamstring) missed the game…New York was without wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (groin)…New York hasn’t beaten a team by more than one score since a 29-20 win against Minnesota in Week 5…Foster caught six passes for 59 yards…Dreessen hauled in four passes for 106 yards.

Texans At Jets: Cotchery, Lowery Won't Play

The New York Jets will be without wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and cornerbacks Dwight Lowery and Marquice Cole Sunday when they face the Houston Texans. For the Texans, quarterback Matt Schaub remains questionable with a knee injury.

INJURY REPORT

Texans

Out — TE Owen Daniels (hamstring), DE Jesse Nading (knee)
Questionable — LB Xavier Adibi (hamstring), LB Zach Diles (illness), QB Matt Schaub (knee)
Probable — DE Mark Anderson (arm), LB Kevin Bentley (knee), G Mike Brisiel (knee, ribs), DT Shaun Cody (knee), RB Arian Foster (not injury related), CB Kareem Jackson (shin), WR Andre Johnson (ankle), LB Stanford Keglar (quadricep), C Chris Myers (shoulder), P Matt Turk (right hip), WR Kevin Walter (knee), DE Mario Williams (groin)

Jets

Out — CB Marquice Cole (hamstring), WR Jerricho Cotchery (groin), CB Dwight Lowery (head)
Probable — LB David Harris (calf), C Nick Mangold (shoulder), LB Joshua Mauga (hamstring), LB Calvin Pace (foot), CB Darrelle Revis (hamstring), QB Mark Sanchez (calf), G Matt Slauson (knee), WR Brad Smith (back), S Eric Smith (ankle), T Damien Woody (knee)

Jets Waive Defensive Tackle Jarron Gilbert

The New York Jets have waived defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert. The announcement was made by General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Gilbert, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, was signed to the Jets active roster on Oct. 27, 2010, after initially signing to the Jets practice squad on September 7, 2010. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round, 68th overall, of the 2009 NFL Draft, and played in four games for the Bears, contributing on defense and special teams. He was waived on September 4, 2010.

A first-team All-American in 2008, Gilbert started 38 of his 48 career games at San Jose State and is the school’s all-time leader with 22.5 sacks.

Mark Sanchez: Last Two Weeks 'Good Test' For Jets

Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets are 7-2, and Sanchez joined KLAC in Los Angeles with Petros and Money earlier today to talk about how things are going with the Jets.

Here, courtesy of Sports Radio Interviews, is part of that radio spot.

On if there’s cause for concern about needing overtime to beat both Detroit and Cleveland, or if that’s just the typical week-to-week grind of life in the NFL:

“It’s so different and you get each team’s best effort every week, especially after your on a show like Hard Knocks, especially if you have a coach like Rex who’s talking Super Bowl before camp even starts. So, it’s been a good test for us to test our resilience, just to test our meddle a little bit. And hopefully we can win some of these in regulation, that’d be nice.”

On how he’s stayed calm through mistakes and rallied his team late in games:

“Absolutely. Just trying to keep the same demeanor, stay positive, have a winning demeanor the entire game. It’s contagious, the other guys see it. When you’re down, when you hang your head, other guys notice as well. So that stuff can spread throughout an entire team and put you all in a slump, so you want to stay positive, and I’ve been working hard to do it. Brunell’s really helped me with that.”

On how an emotional players like him as actually worked on keeping his emotions in check during games:

“I think celebrating wildly is harder to control than getting upset. If I can control the upset stuff and stay kind of in the middle, and then get excited when we throw touchdowns, that’s fine. But it’s hard, because I’m someone who kind of wears his emotions on his sleeve, and it’s frustrating when things don’t work. You know coaches spend hours during the week, we spend hours during the week watching it on film, repping it in practice, and then it doesn’t work in the game – it’s frustrating. So, it’s just something you have to constantly think about, and have a plan when you do throw an interception, just kind of keep your head up, find a spot up in the third deck, and just walk off the field and kind of stare at that one spot. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, and it keeps you from looking down at the ground. It’s working.”

Houston Texans At New York Jets: Game Breakdown

Offense: There is no team worse in the NFL at defending the pass than the Houston Texans and considering how well Mark Sanchez has been playing the previous few weeks, there is no reason not to take advantage of it. Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Dustin Keller should all have favorable matchups throughout the game and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jets take more shots down the field than normal to them. It is looking like Joe McKnight and maybe Jeff Cumberland will get a crack at taking some of Jerricho Cotchery's reps, along with Brad Smith. The Jets spent an extended amount of time in their "Tiger" formation last week. You would think they would use it a little less this week with Smith taking over more wide receiver duties.

In the running game, hopefully Shonn Greene will continue to stay in the 18-22 carry range, while LaDainian Tomlinson stays around the 13-16 mark, along with doing his normal work receiving out of the backfield. It would be nice to see Greene keep building momentum heading into December and get another 100-yard game under his belt. He has only had one so far in 2010.

This is a week where the offense should really flourish against a porous, finesse defense. The Jets have scored at least 20 points in seven of their games this season and it might be time for them to get their second 30-point performance of the year.

Defense:  The Jets are well equipped to take away the two things Houston has done best so far this year, run the football with Arian Foster and throw the ball to Andre Johnson. If the run defense keeps doing what they've been doing and Darrelle Revis plays the way he did against Calvin Johnson two weeks ago, the Texans are going to have a very tough time moving the football. They will be forced to rely on players like Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones and Joel Dressen to make plays against the rest of the Jets secondary, which has been inconsistent at times. However, Antonio Cromartie is more than capable of taking Walter or Jones out of the game. It will really be up to Kyle Wilson, Drew Coleman and the safeties to improve the consistency of their coverage.

The Texans will likely try to attack the Jets in a similar way to the Lions and Browns, which is to work the middle of the field, particularly on short crossing routes. Rex Ryan and members of the Jets defense have expressed displeasure with their level of production up to this point in 2010. This is a great week to start the turn around because honestly the Jets haven't been one of the best defenses in the NFL so far. It would make a nice statement to shut down one of the top offenses in the league like Houston.

The defense has played well at home this year, unlike the offense. They have allowed 10, 14, 20, and 9 points respectively. Beyond that, four of their five interceptions this year have came at the New Meadowlands. Hopefully the trend will continue and the Jets can begin climbing back towards being an elite defense in the NFL.

Special Teams: This is a big bounce back week for Nick Folk. If he misses a couple more field goals the Jets are going to have major problems moving forward at the kicker position. On returns, I feel like Kyle Wilson might actually be do for a huge return and maybe we will get a look at Joe McKnight at kick returns now since Brad Smith will be playing more offense.

Jets Vs. Texans: NFL Week 11 Wednesday Injury Report

The New York Jets can seriously cripple the Houston Texans' playoff chances when the two teams meet at the Meadowlands this coming Sunday. The Texans have lost three straight, most recently to the Jaguars on a last-second Hail Mary. The Jets meanwhile have squeaked out overtime wins the last two Sundays, and look to retain at least a share of the top overall spot in the AFC and NFL.

Here's the official Wednesday injury reports for both squads.

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Houston Texans At New York Jets: Key Storylines

The Jets return home for the first time since Halloween to face the stumbling 4-5 Houston Texans. Here is a look at the top storylines heading into their Week 11 match-up:

1) Welcome Back to the Island - Darrelle Revis began his epic 2009 campaign by shutting down Texans WR Andre Johnson in his own building, holding him to four receptions for 35 yards. Johnson has racked up 781 receiving yards so far, while averaging 15.0 yards per catch. However, as we saw two weeks ago in Detroit vs. Calvin Johnson it looks like Revis is up to his old ways of taking elite WRs completely out of the game. Houston has other talented receivers in Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones, and will likely focus on getting the ball on whomever is matched up with Kyle Wilson or Drew Coleman. It would be nice to see somebody in the Jets secondary finally get an interception, considering the team hasn't had one since Week 5 and only has five total on the season. Matt Schaub has thrown seven interceptions this year.

2) Strength vs. Strength - Arian Foster leads the NFL in rushing yards with 920. The Jets are currently ranked fifth in the league against the run and haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher yet this season despite facing Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, and Peyton Hillis. Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito aren't household names and don't generate a pass rush. Yet, they are perfect fits for Rex Ryan's 3-4 scheme, which relies on the defensive lineman to stop the run and counts on the outside linebackers to get after the quarterback (which they haven't been so far this year, see No. 3). If the Jets can keep doing what they have been doing against the run all year it will force Houston to be one-dimensional, except they don't have the benefit of Andre Johnson having a mismatch like he does most weeks.

3) Pass Defense Concerns - As we discussed a little earlier, Houston has a dynamic passing offense with multiple weapons. The Jets can certainly match-up on the outside with Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. However, Joel Dressen has been a pretty good pass catching tight end for the Texans this year and if Owen Daniels ends up playing, he is an obvious threat. We have seen time and time again the Jets struggle to cover the tight end and the opposing team's slot receiver, which should be a combination of Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones. Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, and Brodney Pool all need to improve their play, particularly in pass coverage. Kyle Wilson had a good game last week, so let's see if he can put together another strong effort against a couple of pretty good slot receivers.

Another part of the Jets pass defense concerns is their lack of a consistent pass rush. It doesn't feel like Rex Ryan's blitzing is having the same effect it did last year. Jason Taylor leads the team with four sacks but he isn't around the quarterback enough. Calvin Pace has been quiet since returning from injury and Bryan Thomas hasn't done much since his terrific opening game against the Ravens.

4) The Greatest Show on Turf - The last two weeks have been the two highest yardage totals Mark Sanchez has thrown for in his career (336 against Detroit and 299 against Cleveland). I am normally a major advocate for the Jets to run the ball more often, but this is the week, against Houston's 32nd-ranked pass defense, to it let fly a little more than usual. The bottom line is that Houston doesn't have the personnel to matchup with Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Dustin Keller and the Jets should be able to take advantage of that, especially with the way Sanchez is playing lately.

5) Replacing J-Co - It will be interesting to see who takes Jerricho Cotchery's active roster spot this week and the bulk of his reps. Will the Jets keep Joe McKnight active for the second straight week and give him some work in the slot? Will tight end/wide receiver Jeff Cumberland be active for the first time this season and get some reps? I am worried about Brad Smith taking too many reps as the No. 3 WR because it will take away from his Tiger formation set of plays.

New York Jets Vs. Houston Texans: NFL Week 11 Game Capsules

The New York Jets will try to extend their winning streak to three games this coming weekend when they host the slumping Houston Texans. The Jets have won in dramatic fashion for two consecutive weeks - both in overtime, and both the product of clutch pass plays by Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. The Texans meanwhile are coming off a heart-breaking loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans appeared to be heading to overtime, only to see the Jaguars successfully complete a 50-yard Hail Mary as the clock expired. At 4-5, the Texans season is pretty much at stake this weekend, so the Jets should expect Houston's very best effort.

Here's a few trends, figures and notes from the two teams' series history, as well as up-to-date stats for both squads.

HOUSTON TEXANS (4-5) AT NEW YORK JETS (7-2)

SERIES

STATS

Houston Texans At New York Jets: First Look

The Opponent: There are few things you can count on every year in the NFL, yet one of them is that everybody will overrate the Houston Texans in the pre-season and they will finish 8-8 or 9-7, along with not making the playoffs. Of course this year has been no different, as the world overreacted to the Texans week one victory over the Indiannapolis Colts and has now seen them tumble to a 4-5 record. Similar to most seasons, the Texans have a high powered offense but can't stop anybody. They are a finesse football team that never plays well in a big spot and doesn't match-up well against physical teams like the New York Jets.

Houston Key Offensive Players

Quarterback - Matt Schaub

Running Back - Arian Foster

Wide Receiver - Andre Johnson

Wide Receiver - Kevin Walter

Wide Receiver - Jacoby Jones

The Texans finally have some much needed balance on offense thanks to the emergence of Arian Foster at running back. Andre Johnson is having another strong season but struggled heavily against Darrelle Revis last year. Antonio Cromarite should be able to handle Kevin Walter because of his size and speed. One thing to be concerned about is that the Texans have two quality pass catching tight ends in Owen Daniels (if he plays) and Joel Dressen and as we have seen time and time again, the Jets can't cover the tight end.

Houston Key Defensive Players

Safety - Bernard Pollard

Defensive End - Mario Williams

Linebacker - Brian Cushing