THE NEW YORK JETS OFFSEASON REPORT

Year one of the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez era was a roller coaster ride for sure. The New York Jets had many ups and downs, but it ended pretty well with a trip to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship. Yes, they were slaughtered by some guy named Peyton in the 2nd half, but there were many positives to take from the deep playoff run. The Jets have had a pretty active offseason to say the least. They have added a ton of big names, said goodbye to a couple old friends, and took a few key pieces in the draft. Let me try and go through it all for you all.

First let me tackle the pre-draft moves. The first trade was a third rounder to San Diego for Antonio Cromartie. Despite a drop off in performance and effort from this former all-pro, I think he will be very good playing opposite Revis Island. He is young and should be inspired to perform especially since is in a new environment and will constantly have to hear about how good Darrelle Revis is. You think he might have something to prove? I think this will be a great fit for the Jets, and improves that side of the secondary big time.

The next move was merely to add a big name to the roster. LaDainian Tomlinson is a future first-ballot hall of famer for sure, but his hey day is long gone. He has been a well below average back the last couple years. The Chargers had shifted from being his team to Philip Rivers's team a long time ago. I don't like this move for the Jets. They should have coughed up an extra $2 million to keep Thomas Jones on the roster. I know Jones slowed down at the end of the season, but he rushed for almost 700 yards more than Tomlinson last year. Shonn Greene better be really good because it is hard to see Tomlinson being very useful. Maybe he'll have a few 1-yard touchdown runs, but that will be about it.

The Jets then added troubled receiver Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh for a fifth round pick. This was a fabulous move. Granted Holmes will miss the first four games due to a drug suspension, but he is a former Super Bowl MVP that will play opposite Braylon Edwards. This will give Sanchez another weapon in difficult situations and should help him a lot. I believe the move will also enhance the value of Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery showed a drastic loss of speed last year, so moving him to the slot can make him a great possession receiver. Dustin Keller improved as the season went on too, so Sanchez should have no shortage of toys to play with.

Then recently the Jets added former Dolphin, Jason Taylor. Personally I think the guy is a phony for signing with the Jets. No one hated the Jets as much as Taylor during his 10+ years with the Dolphins. I was shocked to say the least. From a football standpoint, he should add something to their pass rush. He is getting up there in age though, so it's possible he just falls off the map. I believe he has more tread left on the tires than Tomlinson, however. Even if he has a great season, I will continue to laugh at him for cameras catching him saying the game was over on that famous Monday night when the Jets came back from 30-7 down against the Dolphins in 2000.

Now to the 2010 NFL Draft. The Jets apparently got a steal in Kyle Wilson at #29. The Boise State cornerback will immediately be the starting nickel corner. With Cromartie and Wilson on that side of the field, the Jets shouldn't be torched like they were by the Colts in the AFC Championship. However, the Jets then made a puzzling move in my opinion. I don't mind that they drafted Vladimir Ducasse in the 2nd round, but I don't get why they would release pro-bowler Alan Faneca as a result. I know he was due a big payday, but it was only $2 million more to keep him on the roster opposed to what his release cost. Ducasse better be good, because otherwise the loss of Faneca is a big hit to the offensive line and the running game.

The other big news from the draft was the trade of Leon Washington to the Seahawks. The Jets took a similar, younger player in Joe McKnight in the 4th round. Once they took him it opened the door for a Washington trade. Even though I have loved Leon as a Jet, the move makes sense. Washington is coming off a severely broken leg that may really hamper what made him such a dynamic player. I wish him well, but from what I've heard about McKnight, he can possibly step right in and be the next Leon Washington anyway. Plus he's younger and not coming off a major injury. Here is where I really trust Mike Tannenbaum's talent accessing abilities. He is a fabulous GM and done great work in these drafts. I also liked the addition of fullback John Conner in the fifth round. Tony Richardson is getting old and who better to learn from for Conner.

So overall I think the Jets have improved their secondary and their receiving core big time. They should be tough to pass on and Sanchez should be much better in year two and build on his impressive postseason. The running game takes a big hit replacing Jones with Tomlinson and then cutting Alan Faneca. There will be a lot of pressure on Shonn Greene to become a big time back next year. I have no confidence in Tomlinson, so the Jets have to hope Greene takes the next step and that Joe McKnight makes an immediate impact. The Jets are clearly going for it and anything short of a Super Bowl appearance next year will be a disappointment.

Pat Morgan

The Patriots Now Just One Away From Perfection

-Patriots 21, Chargers 12
Heroes: Laurence Maroney & Kevin Faulk
Goat: Chargers' red zone offense
Turning Point: Junior Seau tackles Michael Turner short of the 1st down on 3rd and 1 inside the NE 5 @ 14-9 Pats
Next: Super Bowl XLII vs. Green Bay/NY Giants

In a game where Tom Brady would throw three interceptions and the Chargers would gain more yards in the passing game than the Pats you would have given the Bolts a great chance to win. The Chargers definitely redeemed themselves this postseason for a very poor start this year, but unfortunately couldn't make the big play when they needed to today to beat New England.

The Chargers lost the game with their inability to get the ball into the endzone. They reached the Pats' red zone three times and traveled deep into their territory four times. You cannot beat the Pats settling for field goals even if you pick off Brady ten times. Give credit to the Patriots' defense though for their superb play deep in their own territory. The biggest play of the game was Junior Seau's stop of Michael Turner when the Chargers seemed poised to take a 15-14 lead off Brady's second interception. Seau and the defense had a terrific game today, and really redeemed themselves for some shoty play lately.

As mentioned, Brady threw three interceptions, so how did the Pats get enough offense to win the game today? The heroes are definitely the two running backs in Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk. Maroney dominated the Chargers' frontline in the 2nd half. He had about 15 yards at the half, but finished with 122 for the game. Maroney has had a huge postseason, especially when everyone thought he was a bum this year. Faulk was brillant in the passing game. He took several dumpoffs from Brady and made great things happen, including the spectacular diving catch that effectively ended the game in the fourth quarter. There has been no bigger unsung hero during the Pats' run of Super Bowls than Kevin Faulk.

Even though the Chargers were unable to come up with the big plays they needed, they should be very proud of themselves for what they accomplished this postseason. Philip Rivers showed a great deal of guts playing the way he did today. Other than two bad interceptions, he was very good. The CBS Halftime analysts were completely out of line when they said Norv Turner should have replaced Rivers with Billy Volek for the 2nd half. Rivers played the entire game when his star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, who has a similar injury, couldn't make it through one possession. Those analysts need to get their heads examined. Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers really played well again, and this team has the complete package to possibly win a Super Bowl next year.

But today belongs to the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has done a remarkable job this season putting together this 18-0 team. They should be able to roll through the NFC Champion and complete their perfect year. The weather will be much better down in Arizona, so expect to see the full fire power of the Patriots' offense.

I want to congratulate my co-blogger, Shawn Marosek for predicting that the Pats would never have more than a 10 point lead in the game. His prediction of weather playing a major role was dead on. Great job, Shawn!

Pat Morgan