Jets Run While NE Gets Run Over
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are not in the playoffs but there is some good and bad news. The bad is of course that we have to watch the NY Jets advance to the 2nd round after romping up and down the field on the Bengals. The good was we got to watch Tom Brady get smacked around while the Ravens ran up and down the field on them…knocking them out of the playoffs. The Jets? They ran. The Patriots? They got run over!
The Ravens were impressive keeping Tom “Marsha” Brady from coming back but more impressive in forcing 3 “Marsha” int’s. Still, it was on the legs of the Ravens running backs that won their game and it began with the first play from scrimmage. An 80 yard TD romp by Ray Rice. The Ravens never let up and the Patriots got booed walking off the field.
Joe Flacco completed 4 of 10 passes for 34 yards…over the entire game. The Ravens rushed for just over 212 yards but the turnovers allowed the Ravens to spend most of the day starting drives in New England territory.
For the Jets it was as painful as anything most fans have witnessed. Is there anything more repulsive than a Jets fan clapping? Usually they just have the clap. Still, having to watch Rex Ryan hold back his baby tears while thumping his chest is getting old. But make no mistake, whether you like, dislike, or completely hate the NY Jets…they are a good football team.
The maturation of Mark Sanchez is no where near complete and it still remains to be seen how the Jets will fair down the road when their money either A: runs out, or B: a new salary cap deal puts them into a nightmare scenario.
Rex Ryan inherited a good defensive team. One that many thought would take the team deep in the playoffs with Brett Favre as QB. That of course didn’t happen but for Dolphins fans, it brings up a legitimate question. Why are the Dolphins not that good?
The Phins have a good but not great defense. Two young CB’s are anchoring a unit that still lacks another safety because Gibril Wilson is not the answer, two OLB’s and one ILB, plus a big bodied NT. Let’s not forget that the two early DE’s, Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling have yet to emerge as dominant players.
Outside of Joey Porter’s mouth, the Dolphins lack something that teams like Dallas and the Jets have. A smash-mouth defensive unit that can stop just about anyone whenever they want to. The Dolphins are getting closer but not yet.
With the Jets moving on, the frustration of Miami fans continue to stew and simmer and it does get harder to remember that this is a team that only 2 seasons ago was 1-15. The Dolphins are competing again, but they are doing it with just a tad too much finesse and not enough smack-down. When you smack-down your opponent, they don’t want to face you again on the next play. Miami needs to get there because the AFC East is getting a lot tougher.
At least we got to watch the Patriots get manhandled…I guess that’s something.