JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS 10-7

JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS  10-7 
by TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online

If you've been around Gang Green nation long enough, then Sunday's 10-7 loss to Atlanta in the game's final minutes should come as no surprise. No franchise in the NFL snatches defeat from the claws of victory with it all on the line (The Houston Texans haven't been around long enough but their resume IS growing) more often, year in year out, than the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS. Need proof? Please. It would be like reading you the Dead Sea Scrolls. We'd be a light year into the future by the time we were done with THAT laundry list.

Recent debacles in the past twenty odd years include 1986, when the Jets went from  from 10-1 to just a 10-6 wildcard entry. Then falling at Cleveland during the divisional playoffs in OT thanks to Mark Gastineau's idiotic late hit on Bernie Kosar . The 1994 Dan Marino fake spike play, and ensuing tailspin that sent the first place Jets led by  Pete Carroll, to oblivion.USC would soon follow for the guy who during the "milk it, milk it" Bruce Coslet era, motioned to Pete Stoyanovich the choke sign after a miss. The Dolphins star kicker then hit a game winning bomb moments later. The Jets were up 10-0 in Denver in the AFC Championship under Bill Parcells in 1999, only to watch John Elway rally the Broncos to their first world title. 

How about 2008? The Jets were 8-3 and alone in first, until Brett Favre started throwing the ball like Pat Ryan. The 9-7 finish ended the bizarre Favre- Eric Mangini marriage. Now this. A chance to control destiny vanishing into the the endless Meadowlands swamp. This after fighting for a month to get back into the AFC playoff hunt. The Jets botching three field goals were the culprit. Three! They held the struggling Atlanta offense to 3 points all day, only to allow a Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez TD with 1:15 left. Mark Sanchez? The rookie made some timely plays in his return from two knee injuries that have him resembling Joe Namath in the knee brace department. However, three more interceptions helped lead to another crushing loss that now leaves the Jets needing a win against the undefeated Colts in order to have life during the final week. Yikes.

It didn't have to be this way. The 7-6 Jaguars lost on Thursday. The 7-6 Dolphins lost on Sunday. The Jets were right there. Safety Kerry Rhodes symbolized the team's frustration." This (bleep) is crazy, man. We (bleeping) got exactly what we wanted and we couldn't get it done." 

When Sanchez (18-32 226 1TD 1int) hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards for a 65 yard TD pass, the Jets took 7-3 lead.  It stayed that way until the final minute. The Jets vaunted ground game however was bottled up for most of the day as the Jets had trouble adding to the lead,. Thomas Jones managed just 52 yards, as the Jets tried to attack one of the leagues worst pass defenses. The plan backfired. That's because three FG attempts were wasted. One because of a high snap, the other a Kellen Clemens drop, the third was on Feely. 

The inability by the Jets to tack on more, gave life to an Atlanta team that was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night, thanks to the Dallas win over the then 13-0 Saints. Falcons QB Matt Ryan, back from a toe injury that had kept him out two games, engineered a drive that left the Falcons with a fourth down inside the ten with just over a minute left. The whole stadium knew where the ball was going, to soon to be hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez. It did, as a zone full of Jets encircled him, too far to disrupt the first TD in 34 possession against the Jets. What a time to let that happen. Sanchez threw an interception shortly after that sealed the Jets fate. 10-7 was the final.

The Jets defense has now had the lead three times going into the game's final five minutes. The result has been 0 for 3. Losses to Miami on Monday night, Jacksonville and the Jones Drew kneel, and now Atlanta. Two for three would have equalled a first place tie with the now not so unbeatable New England Patriots. One win would mean an 8-6 record and control of their own destiny. 
Instead it's win and get help. The 7-7 record is not all the defense's fault. Maybe
 too much was expected of Sanchez too early. The interceptions have been piling up since September. Signs of a rookie QB's growing pains that the Jets may have tried to will away by all of the preseason talk about a killer defense and run first approach to the year.

Nonetheless, the recent three game win streak that left the Jets first in rushing and defensive yards allowed, regenerated hope that seemed lost during the mid season swoon that saw the once 3-0 Jets fall to 4-6.. Now hope is fleeting again. If you follow the Jets, you are well accustomed to watching a team that loses the game BEFORE the big game. Yet it's in the club's DNA to both tank in an Atlanta type game, yet show up and steal the Indy one. Rex Ryan who said "we're out of the playoffs after the loss retracted his statement , admitting on Monday that he was "dead wrong." Ryan's no math major but who could blame the single minded focus that comes with gearing up to run the table. 

Now there's a new table to run. A two game table. It's now over. However, because of the tragic loss to Atlanta, the final run will have to start with 14-0 Indy, if the Jets want to still be talking about 2009, not 2010 next Monday. A tall order. As Jet fans fasten their seat belts once again this Sunday, they know that in all likelihood, Peyton Manning and co. will ensure that it will be for the last time in '09. Then again, if you follow the Jets, you have been witness countless times to the fact 
that nothing EVER goes as planned.

A LOOK BACK AT THE THREE KEYS TO ATLANTA:

JET D FORCING TURNOVERS:  Jet D was hot coming in, but forced the big goose egg. Atlanta picked off Sanchise 3 times.

THROW IT SMART NOT SCARED:  We asked for 50 percent completion , we got it at 18-32. We asked for 200 yards and got that at 232. Smart? Three picks for Sanchez, again. Some timely throws but in all, too many mistakes. The missed FG"s exposed the Int's.

WATCH WOODHEAD: We felt that the Jets super conservative passing game would be aided by the emerging Wes Welker, Wayne Chrebet type. Rookie slot WR/RB Danny Woodhead DID get more involved but the opportunities missed in the kicking game again nullifies the good what  Woodhead's increased role could provided.

follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter @ thejetreport

Atlanta Falcons' DeAngelo Hall Goes Off In Loss To Panthers

I don’t know why Atlanta Falcons Cornerback De Angelo Hall went off in the game againt Carolina, but I’m sure it was related to the kind of year he’s had thus far. D-Hall’s been torched. He was taken to school by Chad Johnson in the second game of the season, and the Panther’s Steve Smith wasn’t so kind either. Still, he’s been beaten before, so that can’t be the only reason for his actions that producd not one but two personal foul penalties.

But after reading the AJC, it seems that Hall’s got a hot head, and Smith may have figured out how to get to him. It certainly worked, as the Panthers scored on the critical three-penalty-drive that led to their victory over the Falcons 27-20. For his part, Hall’s facing a team-given punishment and is going to take it like an adult: "I made a mistake. I promise it won't happen again, no matter what."

We’ll see.

Mike Vick Gives $10,000 for Va. Tech Families

Vick Gives $10,000 for Va. Tech Families
By Associated Press
April 18, 2007, 11:03 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has teamed up with the United Way to donate $10,000 to assist families affected by the massacre at Virginia Tech, his former school.

"When tragic things like this happen, families have enough to deal with, and if I can help in some small way, that's the least I can do," said Vick, who played for the Hokies before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Falcons in 2001.


The Vick Foundation is collecting donations from local communities in both Atlanta and Virginia that will be placed in the United In Caring Fund for Victims of the VA Tech Tragedy and the special fund at the United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd counties, which serves the Virginia Tech area.

Vick's foundation said the money will be used to provide help with funeral expenses, transportation for family members and other support services.

Texans Name Schaub Starting QB

Texans introduce Schaub as starting quarterback-See my comment

By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP Sports Writer
March 22, 2007

HOUSTON (AP) -- David Carr is done as the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans.

The Texans acquired Matt Schaub in a trade with Atlanta on Thursday and said for the first time publicly that Carr's five-year tenure as the starter is over.

"Matt is our starting quarterback," general manager Rick Smith said. "We're trying to help David find another place. We're trying to trade him today, maybe the next couple of days."

The Schaub Era begins with the same cloud that lingered over Carr's final season: Vince Young. The Texans could've drafted the hometown star who led the Texas Longhorns to a national championship, but opted to stick with Carr in hopes he'd finally live up to his status as the first pick in franchise history.

Houston showed its faith in Carr by giving him a contract extension last offseason.

"Yes, we've made mistakes," team owner Bob McNair said. "Not just there, that's not the only place. And we'll make mistakes moving forward. The key is you've got to make more good decisions than bad decisions."

Carr became the face of this expansion team from the time he was taken No. 1 overall in 2002. He won his opener, but the Texans have gone 24-56 over five years, never posting a winning record.

Houston went 6-10 last season and Young added to the sting by carrying the Tennessee Titans to wins in eight of their last 11 games, including a dramatic overtime victory in Houston.

Now, Schaub gets a chance to make Texans fans forget about Young.

Schaub's agent, Joby Branion, said Schaub signed a six-year deal worth $48 million.

Schaub hasn't started a game since 2005 and threw only 27 passes last season. McNair said Schaub brings "the leadership that we think is needed."

Schaub acknowledged that he'll have to overcome his lack of experience.

"There are going to be a lot more things as the starter that you have to do and handle on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to being the backup," Schaub said. "It's just a matter of knowing that going in and meeting it head on."

Schaub, who was a restricted free agent, could have signed with any team, but was sold on the Texans during a round of golf he played with Kubiak on Monday.

"The thing he told me was he was going to do what it takes to be successful, as an offensive team, especially," Schaub said. "It's just an incredible opportunity for me to take the next step in my career, leading a team and running the huddle."

The Texans and Falcons also swapped first-round picks in the upcoming draft -- Atlanta now has the eighth pick and Houston dropped to No. 10. Atlanta also received second-round picks in the next two drafts.

Schaub entered the league through the same draft as Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers and J.P. Losman. Kubiak said the Texans grabbed Schaub just as he's starting to blossom.

"We wanted a player who's ready to go into his prime and that's what this young man is," Kubiak said. "This guy is ready for his opportunity to run a football team. We're catching him at the perfect time. We could walk across that field today and he could take us out of the huddle."

Before landing Schaub, Houston tried to sign Jeff Garcia and Patrick Ramsey before the two joined other teams. The Texans also reportedly were pursuing Jake Plummer, who retired.

The Falcons took Schaub in the third round of the 2004 draft. The 6-foot-5 Schaub set school records at Virginia for pass completions (716), passing yards (7,502) and touchdown throws (56).

"This player is what an NFL quarterback should be," Smith said. "He's a leader. He's a strong, smart accurate passer. As we looked at the market and assessed how to get better at the position, we entertained a lot of ideas.

"At the end of the day, the acquisition we've made today is perfect for us."

Carr had similarly glowing numbers at Fresno State when the Texans chose him with the first pick in 2002. He completed 60 percent of his passes with Houston, but also threw 65 interceptions and was sacked 249 times in five seasons.

Houston also has quarterbacks Sage Rosenfels, Bradlee Van Pelt and Quinton Porter on its roster.

Carr has two years left on his contract that will pay him about $11.5 million over the next two seasons.

"We're hopeful he will continue his NFL career and be successful," Smith said.

A message was left seeking comment from Mike Sullivan, Carr's agent.
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So this is where it ends for Carr in Texas. He wants to go west, maybe to Denver to back up Jay Cutler, or maybe to Oakland, where the QB spot is wide open no matter who gets drafted. He has to decide weather he thinks he's still "Starting" QB Quality or not.