newjerseynewsroom.com

BY SAM HITCHCOCK

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

The Jets control the upper hand this week, and in a season where wins may be few and far between, they had better seize this opportunity. Returning from injury for the Jets are tight end Dustin Keller and wide receiver Stephen Hill. After a game in which they may have lost both defensive tackles, Sione Po’uha and Kenrick Ellis, for this upcoming Sunday, Sanchez will need to compensate by maximizing an offense now stacked with more options. With the Jets slated to play three of their next four on the road after this Sunday, a winnable home game becomes crucial if they hope to maintain respectability.

In contrast to the Jets’ desperation, the Indianapolis Colts are feeling good and thus primed for a letdown game. Last week, the heavily favored Green Bay Packers blew a 21-3 lead to the Colts, and Indy rallied with an astounding come-from-behind victory to defeat the Packers in front of their home fans. It was their first game since they learned that head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed and undergoing treatment for leukemia, and the team dedicated the effort to him.

In a spirited and emotional win, one where rookie Andrew Luck led a game-winning drive that clinched the victory, the Colts played inspired for their hospitalized coach. Future hall of fame receiver Reggie Wayne played phenomenally, and had a career day (catching every pass within five yards of his body).

This week Indy will be facing a team at their level, and it is on the road in a game many people expect them to win. They will be trotting out the same macabre offensive line, with injuries challenging their already paper-thin depth. The most concerning player on the squad also happens to protect Luck’s blind side, as Anthony Castonzo appears to be a mannequin posing as a left tackle.

In the Green Bay game, Castonzo got victimized against Clay Matthews, who individually got three sacks, a knockdown, and three hurries. Overall, Luck showed he is tough as nails and can stand in the pocket and withstand the abuse. It is a good thing too, because the Colts’ unit of detritus protecting him is not going anywhere. Teams will pin their ears back and go after Luck, forcing the mobile quarterback to feel the pressure. Expect nothing different this Sunday with head coach Rex Ryan employing heavy blitz schemes.

On the other side of the coin, the Jets went with a Houdini act of tricks last Monday Night, throwing the kitchen sink at the undefeated Houston Texans in an attempt to sneak out a victory. While many of the same problems still persist, there were a few positives that emerged from the loss, the biggest being that New York competed hard for all four quarters. No opponent could possibly suggest that they gave up.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie has been a phenomenal talent since his days at Florida State. When he went to San Diego in the draft, he showed flashes of greatness, dazzling ability, and mind-numbing inconsistency.

He has been slotted as the Jets’ No. 2 corner opposite Darrelle Revis, and has shown he can be great if properly motivated. Cro is the type of player who, when playing with a “chip on his shoulder,” gives that extra effort that fully maximizes his talent. Since Revis got hurt with a season-ending injury, Cro and his unit (the secondary) have been told from every corner that they are going to be lost sans Revis.

The edge Cro plays with when feeling disrespected is what allows him to blanket Andre Johnson, the Texans’ No. 1 wideout and one of the NFL’s best receivers. In fact, Cro looked so geared up on Monday Night that Ryan unleashed him as a receiver on offense. Cro had his man beaten too, but the pass from quarterback Mark Sanchez was poorly thrown.

Another positive that continued in last week’s game is the Jets’ special teams, an area in which they have been among the NFL’s best each season. On Monday, Joe McKnight showcased his playmaking ability, and the Jets’ blocking illustrated how to open a nice gap as McKnight was provided a conduit via a two-man wedge to catalyze the return.

Sanchez threw two interceptions against Houston, along with some bad incompletions, but he was also going against the best defensive player in the NFL right now (J.J. Watt, who wreaked havoc). Indianapolis has been porous against the run this year (25th), and their secondary has been getting picked apart weekly (signal-callers have a 102.8 passer rating against them). This is good news for Sanchez and Gang Green’s No. 1 receiver Jeremy Kerley, who showed impressive explosion and elusiveness in the loss against the Texans (he had five catches for 94 yards).

HOW WILL IT SHAKE OUT?

All the publicity for this matchup goes to Sanchez, Luck, and the polarizing Tim Tebow, but look for both Ryan and Colts’ interim head coach Bruce Arians to try to get their offenses in rhythm by rushing the football. Indy’s starting running back, Donald Brown, will be undergoing knee surgery and is inactive for this week, so rookie Vick Ballard will be filling in as a the primary ball-carrier.

Both rush defenses have been averse to stopping the ground game this season, so seizing the opportunity to pound the ball inside and outside the tackles and hit the other team with the play-action pass is a solid strategy. The Jets will continue cycling a rushing attack consisting of Shonn Greene, Bilal Powell, McKnight, and Tebow, and while their mantra of pounding the rock has failed, this week it has its best chance to succeed.

How the Jets defense does against Luck and Wayne will determine this game. Cromartie will man the perimeter, and will be given the task of shutting down a playmaker that is bound to see a lot of balls thrown his way. Wayne leads the NFL in targets (getting a pass thrown at him one out of every three times Luck airs it out). So if Cromartie can disrupt the Colts’ no-huddle attack, and use his instincts and ballhawking skills to force some turnovers, things could head south quickly for Indy.

The Colts defense is debilitated too, as defensive end Robert Mathis is out 2-3 weeks with a sprained knee. With Mathis’ counterpart, Dwight Freeney, coming off a high-ankle sprain injury, he will show less burst and be less effective in his new position as outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 defense. This will give Sanchez more time to find his targets. If Sanchez is given time like he received against Buffalo, he can pick apart a defense.

PREDICTION:

The Jets will capitalize on a rookie quarterback on the road and a team equally crippled by injuries. The Jets will stop Wayne, they will generate a slightly better pass rush, and will watch Sanchez have a good enough game that they rally back to .500.

Jets 24, Colts 14