Here Come The Warm Jets: Week 4 2009

Here is the real score of the game:

Saints 10
Jets 10
Mark Sanchez -14

Which when you add it all together means the Jets lost 24-10.

Let's do the rationalizing first:

- If you're going to lose a game, losing to a good NFC team on the road is as good a game to lose as any. It's not like the Jets were going to be 16-0.

- The rookie QB was going to have games like this one. It was inevitable.

- If you told us we'd be 3-1 this year @Houston, vs Pats, vs Tennessee, and @Saints, we'd have first said you were dumb and second said "we'll take it!"

Now let's call out why the team lost:

- Sanchez played terribly. The first pick was abominable. The Jets were in scoring position, in the red zone. You can't turn it over there. Can't do it. And it wasn't even close - everyone in the stadium including Darren Sharper knew where he was throwing it.

The fumble in the end zone was worse. If you're throwing out of the end zone, you have about 3-Mississippi to get rid of the ball. Sanchez hesitated, and thus the strip-sack. That it happened two plays after a huge 4th-and-short goal-line stand by the defense made it that much worse in terms of momentum.

Sanchez still needs to work on protecting the ball. He fumbles too much. Every time he runs with it, the ball looks ready to be knocked out or dropped at any minute.

- The offensive line played poorly. Again. The running game didn't do much. Sanchez was under pressure most of the game. This was supposed to be the strength of the team. It hasn't been yet, by any means. They need to seriously step it up for the Jets to do any real damage this year.

- Brian Schottenheimer had a bad game. Not every media outlet talks about this, but coaches can have bad games just like players can. This was one of those for Schottenheimer. In particular, the following decisions:

* Throwing more than running early in the game.
* Shotgun formations on third and short.
* Having Sanchez throw from his own end zone.

Schottenheimer has that Mangini-esque tendency to outsmart himself. He's a bright coordinator and usually does well in terms of game-planning. But sometimes he thinks three or four steps ahead when the simplest and most logical choice would be the correct one.

Rookie quarterback. Loud stadium. Lack of big-time receivers. Yes, the Saints are probably expecting run. But so what? Run until they stop you.


And now let's talk about attending the game in person:

- New Orleans is an incredible city. I fell in love with it the first time I visited about 15 years ago, and love it still. There is no place in the US quite like it, from the architecture to the food to the people. I can't wait to go back - there was a lot I didn't get to do, even in three days.

- New Orleans fans were very gracious. Since the city depends very heavily on tourism, this isn't so surprising (they do want us to come back, after all.) But even after the loss there were mostly handshake exchanges and "good games" or at worst lighthearted teasing.

- There were a lot of Jets fans in the city. On Saturday a bunch of them gathered on the corner of Decatur and Bienville in the Quarter to drink at a bar and do a bunch of J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets chants. A lot of those chants. That was fun.

- On Sunday we were at that same bar watching the early games. We met some older Italian NYC homicide detectives that were right out of central casting. There was a guy named Dominic who made fun of his friends (one of them is on his phone writing a text message and asks us 'how do you spell money?') and then told us cop stories. I haven't laughed like that in a long time.

- At the game, there was this really drunk young guy in front of us. He spent most of the first half looking at us instead of the game, and making us shake his hand. At one point, my brother Eric says to the guy, "You're like the ultimate cheerleader - you should have brought your skirt and pom-poms."

Later, this guy puked on the two Saints fans in front of him. One of those standing spit-ups, so when the people turned around to see what happened they couldn't be sure who did it. But they were informed. Those people left. Drunk guy puked again. He didn't make it for the second half.

- After the game, we ate at a place called Deanie's (awesome seafood - we had a plate of fried catfish, oysters, shrimp, and soft shell crab that made me forget all about that game.) There was a Saints radio broadcast from the restaurant, with Bobby Hebert. Yes, THAT Bobby Hebert.

Matt got on the radio with Bobby Hebert, though he didn't know who it was until after and we told him. Matt first said how great the Saints fans were and how nice everyone was. That got a cheer. Then one of the radio guys said something about how great the Saints D was. Matt said, "well, was it really your defense or playing against a rookie QB?" That got a loud groan. And a laugh from me.


And now what's next:

- The defense proved they are for real. Drew Brees didn't throw a TD, in a home game. He only had around 200 yards. Revis held Colston to basically nothing. If Sanchez played only average, the Jets win the game. This bodes well for the rest of the year.

- It will be interesting to see how Rex Ryan handles losing. I think he'll be fine, but this is New York, and the pressure has gotten to people.

- It will also be interesting to see how the offense bounces back after a particularly crap game. More than Sanchez coming back to play well, I'm looking to see how the run game does. It's the offensive line I'm more worried about at this point than Sanchez. They need a statement game against the Dolphins.


Next game is Monday night in Miami. Organized chaos defense vs Wildcat offense.

I have a dilemma for this game: I also have tickets to see a pretty kick-ass band that night (Kylesa, get up on it). I don't know if there's a TV at the place they're playing. I'll let you know how it goes.