Silverman: Jets, Healthier And With More Motivation, Will Find Way To Beat Pats
By Steve Silverman
» More Columns
Another encounter with the glorious New England Patriots is at hand for the Jets. With just two games left in the regular season, every game is crucial if the Jets are going to have any hope of making the playoffs.
With the Denver Broncos having a one-game lead and the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers holding the tiebreaker edge, it may take a near-miracle to get into the postseason. But if the Jets don't beat the Patriots this week and the Bills in Week 17, all hope will likely disappear.
Beating the Bills and Rex Ryan would be sweet, but let's get back to the matter at hand. How in the world are the Jets going to get the best of the defending Super Bowl champions, a team that has beaten New York in eight of its last nine encounter?
It seems the Pats always find a way. Whether it's by embarrassing proportions or it's close, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady clearly have the edge.
Todd Bowles may be a coach with promise, but he is still a first-year leader. It doesn't seem fair to ask him to get the best of a coach who is competing with Vince Lombardi for the top position on the all-time list.
The Jets can't ever sneak up on the Patriots. Belichick is much too sharp for that. The Pats still need a win to clinch home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs, and there will be no letup.
The only way the Jets are going to get the best of the Patriots is if they line up against them, hit them first and hit them hard.
Here's the interesting thing about this Week 16 game: The Jets may be able to do just that and win the game.
They have reeled off four straight wins and have a 9-5 record. They have a quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick who has led the team with his guts and intelligence, and he has also made the clutch throws the team has needed.
They have a hard-driving running back in Chris Ivory who is not going to run past tacklers, but will not go down after first contact. He can wear down any team when he gets lathered up.
The Jets have a pair of healthy, vibrant receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, and that's more than Belichick can say. Wideouts Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are hurt, and it's not clear whether both will play against the Jets or neither.
It's more likely one will play, and it's likely that it will be Amendola, because the Pats don't want to take any unnecessary chances with Edelman that could weaken them for the playoffs. If it's just Amendola along with Brandon LaFell, Darrelle Revis can shut down Amendola without much trouble.
The Pats have also been making a slew of mistakes on special teams. Normally, this is one of their strengths, and it's hard to find a better placekicker than Pro Bowler Stephen Gostkowski. However, the Pats lost a game to Philadelphia in Week 13 because they had a punt blocked, a punt returned for a touchdown and an ill-advised onside-kick attempt.
While that's not likely to happen again, the Pats have made a habit of fumbling one punt per game over the last month.
If the Pats make one mistake like that and Brady throws an interception, this could very well be the time the Jets simply beat the Patriots because they are the better team.
Bowles and his players can't count on being "due" to get the win or hope for a break. They have to take it to the undermanned Patriots – they just signed running back Steven Jackson from off the street – and simply beat them to the punch all game and make better plays.
The Pats may need this game, but not as much as the Jets. The Jets have the healthier team, particularly at the skill positions.
This is the Jets' time, and if they don't get the best of the Patriots now, when will it happen?
There will be no last-minute disasters and no humiliations. The Jets will bring home a 24-21 victory.
