New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) and Indianapolis Colts defensive back Jalil Brown (25) battle for the ball in the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Monday, September 21, 2015.
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Sure, Bowles turned the Cardinals into one of the NFL’s best defenses during his tenure there, but Ryan has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best defensive minds in the game. He didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday and Friday. In reality, it’s all about figuring out what Rams team is going to show up.
Geno Smith (jaw) is cleared, but Bowles said he hasn’t decided if Smith or rookie Bryce Petty will be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday. Colts’ QB Andrew Luck, easily one of the “elite” passers in the National Football League, looked like a mere mortal on Monday night against the Jets, throwing just one touchdown and three interceptions.
The young man who has added bulk and technique to his game received word he’ll be active when the Eagles, seeking their first victory of the season, oppose the undefeated New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. With or Without Eric Decker the Jets should be able to succeed through the air against the Eagles porous secondary.
That said, I picked the Jets to win in our weekly predictions because the Eagles haven’t given me anything empirical to be confident about.
Brandon Marshall will be counted on for a huge game. One more interesting fact about the Jets this season is that they haven’t completed a pass to a tight end yet. Not only is the season off to an excellent start for them, but they are facing a disappointing Eagles team that is teetering on an implosion. Coach Dan Quinn says that the edge rusher is ahead of schedule but wasn’t ready to speculate when he’d see game action, waiting to see how Reed performs in practice today and tomorrow. But it feels like this may be a “course correction” game for both teams.
Gone is running back LeSean McCoy, quarterback Nick Foles, receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, offensive lineman Evan Mathis and much more. “We’ll see how it progresses and how it goes”.
The injuries to the Jets’ receiving corps were obvious to Kerley. Does that mean the Eagles will win? “We have to protect that a little bit”.
But to borrow from Yogi Berra, if 0-2 turns into 0-3, it could get late early for a quartet of teams that fashioned themselves as Super Bowl contenders coming into the season. Through the first two games of the season, the Patriots have allowed completions on six of 13 pass attempts that traveled 20 yards or more; 195 yards were gained on those completions, and there have been two touchdowns and three picks on those throws. The Jets need to be thourough in their preparation for these two as they are very tough to cover and stop. If he misses consistently it could cost us games, and even a spot in the playoffs. Running backs Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are both averaging more than 4 yards a carry. “I’m progressing. Every day is crucial”. To put it politely, it looks like the team may have made a mistake.
Belichick has always prided himself on a defensive strategy that changes from week to week, focusing its game plan on taking away an opponent’s greatest strength and forcing the offense to beat them with a series of left jabs rather than a solid right hook.
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“And, right now, the ball is just bouncing our way and I hope it keeps bouncing to us”.
