A former Patriots first-round draft pick is taking the Jets to win the AFC East
Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody is hitching his wagon to the New York Jets in the tightly-contested AFC East race.
The current ESPN analyst chose Gang Green as his surprise pick to win the division, despite the team finishing the previous two years in last place. But things have obviously changed since Robert Saleh took over as head coach.
The defense is actually formidable, and the offense isn’t an accident waiting to happen, unless Zach Wilson is facing the Patriots. Granted, it’s still a bit of a stretch to think the Jets could beat out the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins or even the Patriots down the stretch.
But there is a path for them to shock the world, particularly after they just knocked off the Bills at MetLife Stadium.
Woody wrote:
“Yes, the New York Jets (6-3) will beat out the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots for the division title. They haven’t won their division since 2002, and ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is giving them just a 9.6% chance to do it. But New York is 4-0 on the road and has one of the best defenses in the NFL.
I think quarterback Zach Wilson can keep the mistakes to a minimum, allowing the Jets to pull out one of the closest divisions in football.”
It’s important to note that Woody ended his career playing with the Jets, even though he was actually drafted by the Patriots and won two Super Bowls with the team.
The Jets will have an opportunity to prove him right when coming off the bye week for a head-to-head showdown with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 20 in a game that could have major divisional and playoff implications.
Are the Chargers being viewed as contenders or pretenders?
The Bolts now sit at 4-3 after losing 24-27 to New England on Sunday. Head coach Brandon Staley and his squad had two weeks to prepare for the matchup with the Patriots, yet despite the extra time, quarterback Justin Herbert and his offense were silenced.
Has the Chargers’ reputation gone from playoff contenders to playoff pretenders? The narrative was quite different just a few weeks ago following the Bolts’ blowout loss to the Ravens. One bad game isn’t a season-ending sort of event; however, two bad games and a pattern starts to transpire.
Let’s see what experts are saying about the Chargers after their most recent loss to the Patriots.
NBC Sports NFL Analyst Chris Simms
“Listen, I’m not ready to say LA is going to go to the playoffs yet. I’m not ready to say that. They’re going to be on the fringe. When you can’t stop the run to the capacity they can’t, they’re going to have issues against like 90% of the NFL.”
Around the NFL’s Dan Hanzus
“We’ve seen the ceiling of the Chargers’ offense this season, and it’s quite high. What surprises us is how low the floor is. The Bolts’ attack was held in neutral for the second consecutive week on Sunday, a 27-24 loss to the Patriots that raises questions about where Los Angeles truly fits into the AFC pecking order. Justin Herbert threw for just 143 yards before a garbage-time scoring drive in the final minutes, and issues with pass protection and early-down efficiency were glaring. The Chargers’ defense had its way with Patriots rookie Mac Jones and repeatedly gave the offense the opportunity to take control of the game, but Herbert and Co. couldn’t do it.”
Former NFL player Damien Woody on Sidd News
“Mike Williams wasn’t a factor in this game. Keenan Allen was held pretty much in check. Other guys weren’t able to step up. Like Tim said, they made Justin Herbert uncomfortable in the pocket. New England comes out with the victory.”
Stephen A. Smith
“If you talk to me about the Chargers meeting the Patriots in a head-to-head matchup because of Bill Bellichick’s greatness, I got you. I’m saying they’re not facing one another again until the postseason and I think the Chargers will end up getting there before the Patriots.”
Bart Scott made an outlandish claim about what he would do if the Eagles beat the 49ers
It’s to the point where anyone will say or do almost anything to get noticed, right?
Former NFL star Bart Scott, a current ESPN radio host, and analyst is never shy.
However, he may be shy one eyebrow if a result happens in Week 2 of the NFL season on Sunday.
Scott went off on the network’s “Get Up!” show Thursday in a charged discussion with Damien Woody and he put up one of his eyebrows if the Philadelphia Eagles down the San Francisco 49ers at the Linc on Sunday.
“Everybody’s in love with Jalen Hurts this week. Everybody went out and bought jerseys. Jersey sales up 500%. But I tell you, I bet you the Philadelphia Eagles fans didn’t do? They didn’t pop that tag off. They tucked it in. Because this week, they’re going to be returning all those jerseys because they’ve got the San Francisco 49ers that look elite. So listen, don’t worry about it. … Listen, I bet you that if the 49ers lose to the Eagles, I’ll shave my eyebrow off. What say you? What say you! What say you! … Put your money where your mouth is, D-Wood. Put your eyebrows up! Right or left one, I don’t care!”
Though the assumption since Tim Tebow was signed by the Jaguars was that he would play tight end, a report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini indicated that some sources around the league think Tebow will project as more of a utility player than a true tight end, seeing a role similar to the one Taysom Hill has held in New Orleans for the last few seasons.
Though Hill has played some tight end, he’s also lined up out wide, as a running back and even with some packages at quarterback. Perhaps Tebow could do something similar, but not everyone is convinced.
Asked on “Get Up!” Thursday morning whether he sees Tebow as a utility player in the NFL, former NFL offensive guard Damien Woody responded curtly.
“Hell no,” Woody said. “We’re talking about a guy who hasn’t played ball in like eight years, and when he did play ball, he couldn’t throw a lick. We’re talking about Taysom Hill? Come on, man. A 34-year-old (note: Tebow is 33) who’s been out of the league this long, and you’re talking about bringing in a gadget guy?
“What sense does that make for Urban Meyer? … How in the hell is a backup guy going to set the culture?”
Considering the Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick and have a pair of solid backup options already on the roster in C.J. Beathard and Gardner Minshew, it’s unlikely that Tebow will get the chance to play quarterback like Hill did behind Drew Brees.
But it’s not unthinkable that Tebow could be a bit of a gadget player, possibly lining up as an H-back or receiver in addition to tight end. He could even potentially be used on some short-distance run packages.
It’s clear not many are optimistic about Tebow’s chances of making the roster, and it is fairly unlikely that he will. But the more versatility he demonstrates, the better his odds will be.
The Jets Wire names the Jets 2010’s all-decade team with New York’s franchise-worst 10-year stretch ending with a 7-9 finish.
The Jets’ decade started with an AFC Championship appearance, but since then they’ve endured one of the worst stretches in franchise history.
New York has only had one season since in which it was over .500 and failed to return to the playoffs. The Jets have now gone nine consecutive seasons without a playoff berth and a record four straight losing seasons after faring 10-6 in 2015.
To finish off the decade, the Jets went 6-2 after a 1-7 finish, but they still have yet to play meaningful football beyond the first week of January. It seems Gang Green has its quarterback of the future, but does it have enough to start off the next decade with a playoff trip?
Decisions for the future are coming. For now, let’s take a look at the Jets’ 2010s all-decade team:
Offense
East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) and New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrate Marshall’s touchdown during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Patriots 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
QB Mark Sanchez: Sanchez was consistently average during his time in New York, but that’s enough to be the team’s best quarterback of the decade. He was the only one to lead Gang Green to the playoffs in this decade. During his time as New York’s signal-caller, Sanchez went 33-29, a much more impressive record than what Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown. The hope is that Sam Darnold will do more to earn the nod 10 years from now.
RB Chris Ivory: Acquired via trade in one of John Idzik’s first moves as New York’s general manager, Ivory had a rather productive three-year tenure in green and white. He ran for over 800 yards in all three seasons, including going over 1,000 yards in 2015.
WR Brandon Marshall: Marshall spent just two seasons with New York, but his 2015 was enough to garner a mention on this list. Marshall set the team record for catches and yards and tied Don Maynard for touchdowns. In 2015, Marshall had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.
WR Eric Decker: Paired with Marshall, the Jets had one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the league. He could never establish himself as a No. 1 target, but Decker put up those numbers opposite of Marshall. In 2015, Decker had 80 receptions for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.
WR Santonio Holmes: While Holmes’ Jets career ended on a sour note, he is still largely responsible for helping New York reach its second AFC Championship Game in as many seasons. While his statistics don’t tell the whole story because of his four-game suspension to the begin the season, Holmes was as clutch as can be when it counted.
TE Dustin Keller: One of the more productive tight ends in the history of the franchise, the Jets have been unable to replicate Keller’s success since he departed New York. He finished his six-year tenure with the Jets catching 241 passes for 2,876 yards and 17 scores.
OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson was a staple on the Jets offensive line. He was the glue that kept the left side together and New York never had to worry about it quarterback’s blindside when he was on the field.
OG James Carpenter: Carpenter was the best the Jets had to offer at left guard during the decade. He was a reliable fixture brought in by Idzik and started every single game for New York from 2015-17.
C Nick Mangold: An All-Pro in 2010, Mangold would appear in five of his seven Pro Bowl appearances during the 2010s. The Jets are still itching to find a competent center as his replacement.
OG Brandon Moore: Moore is more famous for Mark Sanchez running into his behind, but he is the best the Jets had at right guard from 2010 on.
RT Damien Woody: While Woody has now spent more time as an ESPN personality than with Gang Green this decade, he provided the most stability at a position that has been a thorn in the Jets’ side.
Honorable Mentions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Bilal Powell, RB Shonn Greene, WR Robby Anderson, OG Brian Winters, OT Kelvin Beachum.
