AFC Divisional Clash: Jets/Patriots

Trash talking. It's part of the modus operandi of the New York Jets, specifically head coach Rex Ryan. Well, I believe the Jets and the Boisterous One may have made a critical mistake. You know you may me talking too much when Reggie Jackson tells you to shut up.

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Yet, the venom continues to spew. Antonio Cromartie, Bart Scott and Ryan have all called attention to themselves and their team. Ryan says it's personal. Cromatie called Brady an ahole. Scott says Welker's days in a uniform are numbered. All I ask is that these guys that crow back it up. And even then, it will be the same should they prevail in this contest.

And the Patriots, for the most part, just watch it flow. That's how they operate off the field.

The hottest of NFL rivalries (I said hottest, not best) takes center stage in Sunday's late game.

Game Time: 4:30 PM ET
Network: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

When the Patriots have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	32.4 (1st)	363.8 (8th)	240.4 (11th)	123.3 (9th)
defense	19.0 (6th)	291.5 (3rd)	200.6 (6th)	90.9 (3rd)

The most likely NFL MVP, QB Tom Brady, performed about as well as you could considering a couple of circumstances.

One was the unknown associated with WR Wes Welker's return for destroying his knee in 2009's final regular season game. That question was loudly answered with Welker being second in the league in receptions with 112.

No player had a better 2010 season than Brady.
(Image by americanistadechiapas via Flickr)

The second was the trading of his only legitimate deep threat in WR Randy Moss. Well, Moss floundered and was released by Minnesota, reappeared with the Titans and pretty much disappeared.

Enter WR Deion Branch, former Super Bowl hero. It was like he never left. But the biggest surprise/addition was the of RB Danny Woodhead, a Jets reject. Woodhead, achieving cult hero status in the Boston area, has been the straw that stirs the drink. He can run and he can catch. Tell me how he ends up in New England? Easy. The kid's coachable.

The Pats even have a power running game with BenJarvis Green-Ellis. He eclipsed the 1,00 yard mark this year with 1,008 yards.

And don't forget the numerous targets at tight end in rookies Ron Gronkowski and Aaron Hernanadez. A pretty potent offense. They usually score early and score often. They do not commit turnovers. How do you defend all that?

Jets head coach Rex Ryan will face the Pats for the third time this season. The first game, the Jets overcame a halftime deficit and defeated the Patriots 28-14. The second game was a disaster. A 45-3 loss at Gillette Stadium, the site for this game.

The defense is the Jets calling card. As is usually the case, the pressure may fall right on the backs of the Jets defense. While we all know of the talents of CB Darelle Revis, teams have taken to task of picking on CB Antonio Cromartie. Teams have been successful with that approach. And Cromatie must not only shut his yap, he must shut down the Pats receivers.

But that may be asking too much. The Jets D line must produce massive pressure on Brady. If not, another long game will ensue. And it could get out of hand as quick as the last time these teams met.

When the Jets have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	22.9 (13th)	351.0 (11th)	202.6 (22nd)	148.4 (4th)
defense	19.6 (8th)	366.5 (25th)	258.5 (30th)	108.0 (11th)

For the last two postseasons, QB Mark Sanchez has shown a bit of maturity. While he didn't dazzle in any of the three playoff games in which he has played, he has managed to show the world that he can play the position. The drive he led last week that led the a game winning field by Nick Folk proved to me that he has moxie.

Sanchez will be key for the Jets.
(Image by Seamus Murray via Flickr)

Now, the rest of the offense must follow. We know that the Jets will run the ball and run it some more. Just like the defense, the running game and Jets are hand in hand. RBs Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson must have the exact type of games they had against the Colts. Keep the Pats offense of the field.

The Jets do have other weapons in WRs Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holes and TE Dustin Keller. But the best weapon, WR/KR Brad Smith, may not be available. Smith runs the Wildcat, returns kicks and lines up at receiver. He could be the Jets MVP that's how valuable SMith is to the entire Jets gameplan.

The saving grace may be that the Patriots aren't exactly a smothering defense. They're not your prototypical championship defense. But they get the job done. They keep you out of the endzone. The Pats defense yielded over 366 yards a game, ranking 25th. But they only allowed 19.6 points per contest, good for 8th overall. Another bend, but don't break defense.

In other words, you can move the ball on them, but your chances of putting the ball in the endzone are not great.

But the best aspect of the Patriots defense may be their ability to force turnovers. That's really an understatement. The Pats were a +28 in turnover margin, best in the league. They forced 38 turnovers. Only that week 2 game in the new Meadowlands accounted for the only game in which New England's defense did NOT force a turnover. They forced three in the rematch.

Sound familiar? Isn't that how the Saints operated last season? Explosive offense. Opportunistic defense.

I'm not giving the Lombardi to the Pats yet. I'm just sayin'.