Although it was only the second week of the 2009 NFL season, there was a playoff-like atmosphere in the Meadowlands on Sunday. All week long — and throughout the offseason — the New York Jets had taken shots at the once-fearsome New England Patriots. Upon his arrival in New York, first-year head coach Rex Ryan told the New York media, "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings." It's still a little early to draw any conclusions, but if anything can be gathered from the Jets' 16-9 victory against the Patriots on Sunday, it's that Ryan's "talk big, play big" coaching style is working.
Though the Jets did not, in safety Kerry Rhodes' pre-game words, "embarrass" the Patriots on Sunday, they did manage to keep Tom Brady and company out of the end zone — the first time the Patriots did not score an offensive touchdown since a 21-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 14 of the 2006 regular season.
After attempting a mere five passes in the first half, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez exploded in the second, completing 11 of 17 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Yet, despite the positive yardage, Sanchez's most impressive play came when he took a nine-yard sack late in the fourth quarter.
Unable to find anyone downfield, the rookie was smart enough to realize that the Patriots had no timeouts remaining and elected to take a sack in order to keep the clock running, rather than hurl the ball out of bounds and stop time. Though he is just in his first year, Sanchez appears to have the poise of a veteran, and his high football IQ could prove to be essential down the road for the youthful Jets.
When the Patriots got the ball back in the final minutes, the Jets' defense backed up Sanchez's heroics, stymieing any hope of a New England comeback. The win was certainly impressive for a New York team with a first-year head coach and quarterback, but perhaps the biggest story coming out of the game was how vulnerable the Patriots seem to be. New England is a Leodis McKelvin fumble away from being 0-2 in the AFC East, which would put them in the cellar of a division they once dominated. The loss isn't the end of the world for the Pats, but if they want any hope of returning to the playoffs, they have a lot of wrinkles yet to be ironed out.
In addition to the Jets' upset, there were a number of other unexpected results on Sunday. Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears rebounded from a disappointing Week One loss to upset the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, while Chad Ochocinco and the Cincinnati Bengals Lambeau-leaped all over the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin. The Tennessee Titans fell to 0-2 after their once-vaunted defense surrendered 34 points to Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans, and the upstart San Francisco 49ers took care of the Seattle Seahawks at home thanks to two runs of 75 or more yards from running back Frank Gore.
Out of all the squads that suffered big losses, the Titans should be the most concerned. Their defense, which finished the 2008 season ranked seventh in total defense and second in points per game, blew a 14-point first-half lead, allowing Schaub to explode for 357 yards and four touchdowns through the air.
After two first-quarter touchdowns from running back Chris Johnson, the Titans' defense ceded scores on consecutive drives. But more importantly, Tennessee forced zero turnovers and allowed Houston to convert on two fourth-down attempts.
The loss to the Texans puts the Titans in an early hole as they prepare for a tough stretch of games in the next three weeks. This weekend Tennessee will travel to take on the Jets, where it will face a tough task in dealing with a surging Sanchez.
If the Titans can't put pressure on New York's offense, they might be facing an 0-3 record, which would already give them as many losses as they had during the entire 2008 regular season. It hardly gets easier for the Titans after playing the Jets, as they have a date with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road — a team that, albeit 0-2, always plays Tennessee tough — and the Indianapolis Colts at home. The Titans are a good team, and may in fact dig themselves out of their early season hole, but the schedule is certainly not in their favor.
