Darelle Revis + The Jets = $32 million gauranteed
Darelle Revis finally ended his hold out. He was looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of 14-16 million dollars per year and he settled for 11 1/2 million per... Does that mean Darelle Revis was just wasting everybody's time? Not exactly. Guaranteed dollars is what every NFL player wants, seeing as how most of them can be cut at any time, after one bad performance, with no contractual assurances. The Jets were originally offering somewhere around $20 million guaranteed and $120 mil over 10 years. Although Darelle Revis technically now makes less money per year than he would've if he initally accepted the offer, He gets the guaranteed money he wanted, and with a shorter contract, 46 mil per 4 years, he can expect another big pay-day at the age of 28 if he continues to be half as good as he was last year.
Most fans, be it due to the HBO program "Hard Knocks", the Jets coach Rex Ryan's arrogance, or the undeserved attention the team has brought upon itself, Many sports experts and analysts as with Jet fans and a few bandwagon jumpers thought the Jets were already a SuperBowl contender and having Revis back just puts icing on the championship cake. While a majority of fans have become less than joyed by the team's shennanigans, the Cowboy's may or may not still be America's team, but the Jets are absolutely America's most hated team. The worst thing is though, that even most of the haters still view the New York Jets as at least a playoff team. It seems that Revis has become much less relevant to the sports media's actual opinion of the team's talent, and it's now more of a final chapter, a happy ending for a television program. So many people are already so high on the Jets that Darelle Revis just might put them through the roof. The truth is their cornerback position was already fairly talented without him, the overall defense already had good players, depth, and is well-coached. ( damn you, Rex)
They are now definitely a top 5 defensive unit and quite possibly even the best in the NFL. Guess what fanboy, bandwagon, Rex Ryan jiggling, Revis-island vacationing, Pretty boy quarterback worshipping, LT whining, JET lovers!!! Their offense still sucks, Qbs take a step back in their sophmore year usually and Sanchez can't get much worse. They had such a mediocre regular season in 2009 that their own coach (Yes, Rex) said they weren't going to make the playoffs, they won two games against two teams not playing hard or using their starters, while other wildcard hopefuls failed miserably and handed the Jets a chance to make a post-season they had no business getting into. It is FACT, that Mark Sanchez played above average in the 3 playoff games, he didn't even choke too bad against the likes of Peyton Manning, so it is quite possible Mark Sanchez has been blessed with the ability or capability of being clutch. In the end, the New York Jets didn't make it to the Super Bowl because of their strength, the defense. It turns out that when a team finally learns how to handle some of those blitz packages, and has a QB with the intelligence of Peyton, that Jets defense doesn't look so impenetrable. More importantly than that, Mark Sanchez isn't going to transform into a Superstar quarterback overnight, I actually think that he'll take a step forward this year, throw 15 tds, and 15 ints...with an 82.0 qb rating. He'll have average stats, coupled with some big moments. Like I said, the defense will be great. With a depleted offensive line, an unproven running game, wide receivers with attitudes, issues, and too many dropped passes, and a young, mistake-prone Quarterback, The jets can still be a good team, but not a great team, and I dont think they're a playoff team for that matter. The Patriots offense is more incredible than the Jets defense...
Darelle Revis is insane, he became the best cornerback in the game, in one season. He will take the opponent's best receiver completely out of the game. Unfortunately, most of the great teams in the NFL these days are like the Saints, Colts, Packers, or Patriots, they have Great Qbs who have plenty of receiving options. Tom Brady will be back for real this year, and every opponent's defense will be taking the Jets offense (because of the defense) much more seriously ( not that they were necessarily taken lightly) There will be more game planning for that agressive defense, more 3 and 5-step drop back and quick passes. (Dink N' Dunk, hit n' run, west coast style offense) Revis matters, he allows more blitzing, he acts as a double-team by himself, and quarterbacks don't even want to look in his direction, but does he matter enough to get the Jets to the playoffs and/or Super Bowl? Quite frankly the answer to that question is.....probably not....and....definitely not.
Revis + The Jets = more hype, more hope, no chance.
Predicters and Prognosticaters Behold!!! I was an insane 50% correct with my college picks for saturday. However, I failed to mention I am a fan of both Uconn & Notre Dame football and unlike professional sports, my lack of knowledge in terms of the talent both they had and that of their opponents was apparent. Thusly I had no idea Rich Rodriguez was in the midst of making Michigan a respectable football school yet again. I should've recognized that no matter how badly I want my local school (Uconn) to succeed, and no matter how many analysts predicted them to win the Big East Conference this season, schools with the legacy and prestige of Michigan will more often than not tend to acquire superior talent than schools that have yet to make a name for themselves in the sport. One solid thing we have learned is that of honesty, I will always accept responsibilty for my failure to be psychic at times. However, I am still a sports genius (a mastermind, if you will) and more often that not, I will know the outcome of seasons and individual games because of my vast knowledge of so many aspects involved!! Try finding that declaration by any sane sports writer. You won't be able to. Uconn had some untimely turnovers, and the refs had some trouble spotting the ball correctly throughout the game. However, Michigan deserved to win, and it is such a shame that defeating Connecticut will be the highlight of their slightly better than mediocre season.
Adam Schefter of ESPN NFL draft expertise fame, was on Mike and Mike in the morning on ESPN radio (free advertising for ESPN all the time) as a guest host. Normally this would not be very exciting news, as he had already announced Darelle Revis was ending his holdout with the Jets. Doesn't he normally just update us on contract negotiations and find out which player an NFL team is actually picking, moments before they actually pick them, a thrilling prospect. Granted, I know it requires long hours, finding and establishing connections with general managers and coaches, and finding sources and believing in them enough to put your reputation on the line. He is one of the few personalties on ESPN with an individual perspective, not only did he go on a tour bus to many NFL training camps this summer, but he has access to all sorts of inside access and information. So it was interesting to note that his predictions were bizarrely similiar to mine, although I became frightened people would think I was stealing ideas from him and putting my own twist on them. He is the only person I've seen to also state the Jets are not a playoff team, and the Giants are, that was my original bold claim for gosh sakes!!! I like the Texans...the Bengals...as does he, he's unsure of the Saints and Vikings playoff chances, as am I.
Fortunately for me, he befuddled me by saying the Dallas Cowboys were NOT a playoff team. For a team with such a strong defense, with a superstar linebacker in Demarcus Ware, enough good running backs to control the clock and a potentially great Quarterback and recieving corps, a team that has essentially kept the same personnel from last season, a season in which they won the division, not to mention Romo and Wade phillips won their first playoff game against a tough Philadelphia team. To think Philadelphia and Washington will make the playoffs ahead of the Cowboys is absurd to me. Schefter's inability to decide between the Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens in the AFC north and calling that possibly the best division in the NFL was his other mistake. The Steelers defense has good-great players returning from injury (Troy Palamalu, Ziggy Hood) but people under-estimating how important it is for Ben to have a number one reciever. Santonio Holmes finally began to claim that spot, and helped the steelers win a Super Bowl, he's gone (traded to those mighty JETS) Ben likes a big target that he has chemistry with. Heinz Ward continues to get older and plays too hard at his age for us not to expect nagging smaller injuries or worse. Willie Parker is no longer on the team and Mendenhall isn't going to be able to handle too many carries. Their offensive line still has question marks, the Steelers remind me of the Jets, not enough offense. At least they'll be getting their franchise quarterback back in time for game 5, but it might already be too late. The Ravens defense isn't the same as it has been, Ray Lewis is bound to lose a step each year, and even when Ed Reed comes back, he won't be the turnover machine he has been. Their secondary is one of the worst in the league. I don't even trust Joe Flacco and those washed up receivers at all, and Ray Rice can't win the division by himself. To me, that makes the Bengals, behind the underrated, consistent Carson Palmer, the up and coming Cedric Benson, and the new toy at tight end, Jermaine Grisham, the easy favorite and winner of the AFC north division. Of course, those two loud-mouth wide-outs will annoy so many defenders with their collective lunacy, and unexpected play... The Bengals were a top 10 defense last year, they don't allow big plays, they can make turnovers, they dont have big names, but they have good team chemistry and a great coach in Dom Capers. Beyond that, I have previously stated, with four 500. and above teams, three serious playoff contenders, two championship hopefuls and one super power in Indianapolis, the AFC north is the ultimate division. Even Adam Schefter is picking the Texans and Colts to be post-season bound... So schefty, don't get it twisted, you were so close to knowing what you were talking about, but I am still 100% right in my beliefs according to myself!
Also it has come to my attention, according to multiple sources, as to not give ESPN one more mention in this blog (damn it) that every year for the last fourteen years there have been at least FIVE new playoff teams, in other words, FIVE different playoff teams from the previous season. There were six last year and it means that pretty much undoubtedly, inevitably there will be at least a few teams that YOU or THEY weren't expecting to make it into the post-season, that will. I did not know this, or run across this fact during my evalutating research before determining my NFL playoff predicitions, and yet my predictions perfectly fit under those guidelines. I have five new teams in this year, the Giants, Texans, Dolphins, 49ers, and as of now I'm leaning towards putting the skins in ahead of the Vikings. Although with the eagles still being a decent team, it seems unlikely that two NFC east teams would get in. The Falcons, on the other hand, be it as division winners in front of New Orleans, or as one of the wildcard teams are starting to swing me their way. Screw that, Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson are not going to let it happen, I dont care if Brett Farve gets hurt in week ONE and Tavaris Jackson becomes the starter, the Vikings will get that sixth seed. So. With that thought. My thought is that either...only four new teams get in this year, or I have to change my mind. The Falcons and Redskins are the two teams that could throw off the bold prediction I'm about to make, I dont believe in the Steelers or Ravens, so believe it or not, The Jets and Titans are the two new teams that mess things up in the AFC... but... I dont see it. The NFL has so much parody and so many teams with losing records can turn it around at any moment. But this year, teams like the Lions, Bears, Rams, Seahawks, Browns, Jaguars, Bills, Chiefs and Raiders are STILL, absolutley, 1000% not good enough in my opinion. And when 8 or 9 or 10 teams are DEFINITELY not going to make the playoffs AGAIN, even though there will still be so many changes in division winners and seeding, I must do this...
Bold Prediction #1 : There will NOT be FIVE new (teams that didnt make it last year) teams to make the playoffs this year. There may in fact only be, and I predict that there will be, four.
Boiste State is from the WAC ( not wack) They have been uber impressive in the BCS Bowl games over the last several seasons. They don't always face the most exciting, established, powerhouse, big name competition that the big schools in the big conferences do, but they are one of the best programs in the Nation. Their head coach and scouting is exceptional, and I'm almost positive they're able to recruit top-notch talent just by showing off their pretty blue field. Virginia Tech is always a contender in the ACC and usually in the top 10 for most, if not some of the season, in recent years. Tonight's matchup is HUGE, because a team from a smaller conference, from nowheresville, Idaho... Boise St. could be on there way to becoming the first team from a non-BCS conference to play for a national championship. It all starts tonight and they will not let their fans down, Virginia Tech is always ready for a good opponent, but for once, I think the smaller school has the edge in talent, on both sides of the football. Look for Virginia Tech sophmores and freshman to be nervous in the first half....
Bold Prediction #2: Boise St defeats Virginia Tech
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