New York Jets vs New England PatriotsWhen it comes to talking about some of the most long standing rivalries in the National Football League, the games between the New England Patriots and New York Jets often come to mind. The two teams have met 99 times in total, and have had their fair share of battles in the AFC East division. The New York Jets have always been a proud, successful franchise, and their crowning moment came in 1968, when Joe Namath guaranteed victory and made good on his promise. That remains the only championship for the franchise, but they have been very competitive in the more than 40 years since that day. New England, on the other hand, has seen the majority of their success in the new millennium, winning Super Bowl championships in 2001, 2003, and 2004. They came up just short of completing the NFL’s first ever 19-0 season in 2007, losing to the underdog New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Lately, this rivalry has fired up even more, as former Jets coach Eric Mangini reported his former boss, New England coach Bill Belichick, to the NFL for possible infractions. The two have never been publicly unsavory, but there has been growing hostility that is recognizable and makes this one of the league’s better rivalries. |
3* Selection: New England -10.5
I don’t care what the spread is in this game, I am taking the Patriots in this one to cover. Everyone knows by now what happened last week at Indianapolis. I’m telling you no one in the Patriots` locker room feels worse than Coach Bilicheck.
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This game, Jets vs Patriots is essentially a battle for first place of the AFC East. I am not too comfortable on picking a winner but I would definitely count on this being a low scoring defensive battle. Matt Cassel may be an efficient quarterback but he’s not the kind to put up huge numbers. Since losing Tom Brady, Belichik has been focusing mainly on maintaining possession of the football to win games. The Pats’ strategy is focused on short passes and on running the ball. |
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This weekend the matchup to watch will be New England Patriots vs New York Jets. I feel bad for the Pats. After having a perfect 16-0 season in 2007, they will be struggling to make the playoffs after losing QB Tom Brady for the entire season to injury. This loss completely changes perceptions of the team, the division, the conference and even the league. The Pats, whom many considered to be a favourite to win the Super Bowl, are no longer a powerhouse. Now the question is which team will step up in their place? |
