Jets, Pats, Look to Kick Off With a Win

Sep 7, 2007, 16:41 GMT

- Ahhh...it must be Week 1 in the NFL.

The time of year when all teams - lowly bottom-feeders and elite trophy contenders alike - are flush with optimism for what might occur over the next four-plus months.

That happy glow has made its way to the seaside paradise of New Jersey, where even the most fatalistic supporters of the New York Jets are positively beaming after a surprise playoff trip in 2006 and the cost-free offseason acquisition of workhorse running back Thomas Jones.

Add in a 3-1 preseason record and a ceremonial ground-breaking at a new Exit 16W stadium site earlier this week, and the happy buzz is nearly enough to drown out disappointment over Garden State hero Bruce Springsteen's latest single - (this belongs on) 'Radio Nowhere.'

But the reality check comes Sunday when old friends visit.

The New England Patriots, installed among the AFC's consensus kingpins even before the arrival of fleet-footed wideouts Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth, once again present the biggest obstacle to Gang Green's hoped-for climb to supremacy in the conference's East Division.

Perennial Jersey nemeses Tom Brady and Bill Belichick ended the Jets' Cinderella run to the postseason in January with a 37-16 throttling at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which was followed by a toppling of top-seeded San Diego before the Pats' own hopes were dashed by eventual Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning & Co. in Indianapolis.

SERIES HISTORY

The Jets hold a 48-44-1 edge in the all-time regular season series with the Patriots, and broke a seven-game losing skid to their longtime AFC East rival with a 17-14 road victory in Week 10 of 2006. New England was a 24-17 road winner against the Jets in Week 2 of last year, and swept home-and-homes with the Jets in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

The Jets are 0-6 in home games against New England since last beating the Pats at the Meadowlands in 2000.

The Patriots and Jets have also met twice once in the postseason, including a 26-14 road victory for New England in a 1985 AFC First-Round Playoff and last season's aforementioned 37-16 triumph in an opening-round tilt.

Belichick has a career mark of 11-6 against the Jets, for whom he served as defensive coordinator from 1997 through 1999, including 10-5 while with New England. The Jets' Eric Mangini is 1-2 against both his former mentor Belichick and his ex-employer New England.

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

Aside from the new pass-catchers, Brady - who's unbeaten in six trips to the paved-over swamps in East Rutherford - can also turn to second-year running back Lawrence Maroney (745 yards in 2006), who is primed to take over the load now that former first-line ball-carrier Corey Dillon has departed. Change-of- pace back Kevin Faulk also returns behind the ex-Michigan quarterback, who completed 319 of 516 passes last season for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. As a whole, the offensive unit averaged 335.6 yards per week last season.

Defensively a year ago, the Jets were an anomaly. They gave up 331.6 yards per game and were often bereft of a consistent pass rush after the departure of John Abraham, but they nonetheless produced enough big plays to win 10 games. First-round draft pick Darrelle Revis (Pittsburgh) should help eventually as a potential lock-down cornerback, but he'll be relegated to nickel and dime packages early on after an extended training camp holdout. End Shaun Ellis and linebacker Bryan Thomas combined for 16.5 sacks for the year, while Ellis had a career-high tying 12 tackles against New England back in 2003. Cornerback Andre Dyson and safety Kerry Rhodes tied for the team lead with four interceptions.

WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL

Jones, who missed most of the preseason with a right calf injury but has since been deemed healthy, becomes the new go-to guy in an offense that had none in 2006. He carried the ball 296 times for the Chicago in 2006, grinding out 1,210 yards and scoring six touchdowns. His arrival breaks up the running- back-by-committee that featured Leon Washington, Kevan Barlow, Cedric Houston and others last season while prompting QB Chad Pennington to throw the ball 485 times en route to NFL Comeback Player of the Year recognition. Laveranues Coles remains the primary aerial threat after catching 91 passes for 1,098 yards and six scores.

On defense, the Patriots will be without long-time standouts Rodney Harrison (steroid suspension) and Richard Seymour (physically unable to perform list), but they'll welcome free-agent linebacker Adalius Thomas to the fold after his seven seasons in Baltimore. Thomas heads up a strong, if not blindingly fast, corps that also includes Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Roosevelt Colvin (8.5 sacks last season), along with ancient returnee Junior Seau. Up front, it's Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Jarvis Green, while Asante Samuel patrols the defensive backfield while trying to build on the 10-interception performance of 2006 that tied him for the league lead.

FANTASY FOCUS

Brady is a no-brainer, can't-go-wrong choice for those who have him, and his stats should only improve with the additions of Moss and Stallworth, who've often been among league leaders in yards per catch. For the Jets, Coles and wideout partner Jerricho Cotchery should catch most of what Pennington throws, though the air traffic will likely decline with the addition of Jones, who's a prime commodity himself in an offense where he'll be featured. Defensively, Samuel makes New England attractive with big plays, probably more so than the Jets' unit.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Double-digit wins and playoff berths aside, this is still the primary barometer for how far - if anywhere - the Jets are likely to go in a powerful AFC this season. New York stole a win from the Patriots on their turf during the regular season in 2006, but the true cream rose to the top in the back half of their playoff meeting two months later when New England scored 30 of the game's final 36 points. And if anything, the gap has probably gotten wider in the subsequent eight months. Sorry, Newark...it won't be a blowout, but it should be decisive.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 28, Jets 14

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