It all started with Terrell Owens saying he wasn’t reporting to Eagles camp all those years ago, and Joe Banner, President of the Eagles saying he would start fining Owens if he didn’t show up by 6:00p.m.  Up went the clock on the bottom of the screen of every ESPN show.  The cameras went to Eagle Camp to focus on the front door….riveting….and then a group went to T.O.’s house.  All the time ESPN executives, and I’m sure Owens and his agent, were laughing at what they had created. This week or month it is the Jets and Tim Tebows time.  This quote from an ESPN story this morning:

“Manning and the defending champion Giants have the rings. But Tebow, Mark Sanchez and the Jets clearly have the advantage with summer headlines and media coverage.”   Yes, media coverage created and perpetuated by you!

To me the slap in the face to the sports fan though is when their hosts or game announcers say things like “Maybe we can talk about something other than Tim Tebow tonight” or “How long do you think we can go without mentioning Tim Tebow tonight”  As if their bodies and minds were not under their control.

I always heard from people in journalism that you weren’t supposed to inject yourself into a story…I guess making up the story is considered different or more likely ESPN is not staffed with serious journalists.

Here’s what the Jets had to say today:

“Exactly what we wanted,” Sanchez said. “The pace, the tempo, the excitement. That was perfect. Exactly what Coach Sparano was preaching to us last night.”

“I felt like it went really well as an offense,” Tebow said. “I felt like we did some really good things. I felt pretty good about how I played out there.”

Some other notes from the Jets session:

1. Rex Ryan said he was the “best defensive coach” in the league. If that’s true, Sanchez and Tebow shouldn’t have many practice days like Friday. Ryan says he’ll be more involved on defense this year, possibly calling plays.

2.Santonio Holmes and Sanchez both lauded rookie Stephen Hill. “Steve is going to be exciting,” Holmes said.

3. Ryan won’t make excuses if the defense doesn’t perform this year. “I have everything in place right now,” Ryan said. “There is no question about it.”

I’m not sure why Rex doesn’t just relinquish the job of head coach and become the defensive coordinator of this team, he obviously has no interest in the other side of the ball.

Add to this that the Jets are back at Cortland this year…a place they practiced when they made it to two AFC Championship games, without winning any.  How silly of us to think it’s about players and execution…it’s the practice facility stupid!

I re-watched the game, sifting through the myriad of Ford and ATT commercials to find the keys to this victory.  Here are a few tid-bits as I see them, and also some telling stats as we go through the game.

The first half didn’t have too many key plays for the New York Giants, but a few points that kept them in the game.

At 4:19 of the first, Brandon Jacobs takes a check down pass from Eli at his own 14, runs through a few Jets and fights for 12 yards and a first down.  Showing the fight and the physical nature the Giants would play with later in the day.

At the start of the second quarter Hakeem Nicks caught his only ball from Eli, on an inside release against Revis, that was followed at 13:34 by a third and 11 catch and run for 28 yards by Victor Cruz.  The Giants couldn’t convert from the one, but they were starting to find some holes in the Jets.

AT 6:56 of the second Williams makes a great tackle on Tomlinson to keep him short of a first down and force a punt.

Then at 2:27, of course, we know that Victor Cruz made the longest play he will ever make in his NFL career.  99 yards for a T.D.

AT :19 Defensive lineman J.P.P. sacks Sanchez pushing the Jets 7 yards back. After a timeout by Tom Coughlin, the Jets miss the 44 yard field goal attempt.

GIANTS LEAD 10-7

The second half started with pressure on Mark Sanchez that he would see the remainder of the day.  The first Jet drive consisted of two awful passes by Mark, and one of many tipped balls on the day.

At 10:53 Justin Tuck gets a sack to force 3rd and 12, and another punt by the Jets.

At 9:04 Shonn Greene gains 8 yards, but gets up very slow, and limps off the field.  From that point on Greene had runs of 0,-2,and 2 with a dropped pass mixed in.

Then finishing the 3rd quarter at 1:19 Eli hits Cruz for 36, Jacobs runs for 28, and Bradshaw destroys the Jet secondary on a 14 yard T.D. run.  Again the pure toughness of the Giants running game shows itself.

Starting the 4th quarter Sanchez throws an interception which leads to a Field Goal.

At 8:58 after a long drive by the Jets, they fumble in the end zone and the Giants recover.  The Jets, however, would never recover.

At 5:23 The pressure continues with another sack of Sanchez attributed to Tollefson, but one that involved 3 of the 4 lineman.

And then at 3:33 the Giants faced  3rd and 3…What call does everyone hate in this situation? The DRAW…except when it works, D.J. Ware takes the handoff from Eli lined up in shotgun and converts for the first down.  He gains 17 and the Jets take a penalty for another 15.  This play allows the Giants to take the clock down to 2:24, and forces the Jets to use 2 timeouts.  Then the former Jet Steve Weatherford pins the Jets inside their own 10.  This of course leads to the safety.  Rex Ryan them loses his mind completely and calls for an onside free kick from his own 20.  Bradshaw runs in the next snap 19 yards for a touchdown.  Game over.

So here are some interesting numbers:  In the second half, after the big introduction of Plaxico Burress, after naming him the sole captain of the team, Plaxico pulls the ultimate disappearing act and has zero catches and an offensive pass interference call.  So, instead of visiting the “end zone three, maybe four times” Plaxico ultimately couldn’t beat anyone, not even the rookie.  Santonio Holmes had 2 catches in the second half, one for 15 and one for 6.

For the game the Jets ran 89 plays for 331 total yards, an average of 3.719.  They had 59 pass attempts. 10 penalties, 3 turnovers, were 4-21 on third down conversions, and after going 48 yards on 10 plays in their first drive for a T.D. ultimately did nothing the remainder of the game.  I like “ball possession” as a stat, but when you run 89 plays and average 3 to 4 yards a play you are inviting disaster.  There are going to be penalties, drops, tipped balls, bad snaps, bad play execution.  The complete lack of big play ability just bogs this offense down almost by design.  This is the proverbial offense you could play in a phone booth.

The Giants D shut down the Jets as much as the Jets shut themselves down all day. Giants play next week for a division crown, but I’m sure Rex will try and make the Miami-Jets game THE game this week, one that might get the Jets a 6 seed, if all the other teams lose.

The Jets….guaranteed to win the Super Bowl, have shown a propensity for blowing games this year.  Their offense has no identity and Mark Sanchez seems to be struggling with his confidence, his accuracy, and his decision making.  Sanchez doesn’t seem to be able to comprehend that Plaxico is a TALL receiver, although Plax reminds him after every incomplete pass by pointing to the sky. I also thought it was funny when Mike Mayock pointed out that on the interception Sanchez threw for a TD, that “Plaxico needs to fight for his Qb a little harder  there” Plaxico? Fight? Watch some more film Mike!  The problem the Jets face right now is that they have managed to lose to every team they might find themselves tied with in the AFC Wild Card race.  Losing to Oakland, Baltimore, and now Denver puts them in a precarious position.  I heard once again this morning that the JETS have a “favorable” schedule.  I’m guessing Denver was one of those favorable match-ups as of last week?  Is anyone suggesting this team can’t possibly lose to the Eagles, The Giants, or even the resurgent Dolphins?  Without having the tie-breaker advantage I am not sure that 9-7 is going to cut it this year, but we will see.