What does J-E-T-S spell? Inconsistent.

While nursing the consequences of a fun filled Saturday evening for my 25th birthday, Sunday's performance by the New York Football-less Jets could have given a sober 70 year old woman a hangover. For the past few weeks I've found myself looking desperately for the same team that manhandled the undefeated Tennessee Titans, and keep coming up with what looks like the same old disappointing Jets. They could have locked the division up weeks ago, but after disappointing losses to Denver and a horrendous 49ers team that was without Frank Gore for half the game, they continued their downward spiral yesterday. By some miraculous act of something otherworldly, they managed to score 10 points in the fourth quarter without even managing a first down. That's almost the equivalent of saying, they won the game even though the other team outplayed them...wait a minute, that's actually what happened.

Jets fans have the idiotic play calling of Bills coach Dick Jauron to thank for this half-hearted miracle that gave us an early Christmas present. Had Jauron called a running play and continued to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch (who the Jets couldn't tackle all afternoon), they'd probably have the win all locked up. I am convinced however, that Jauron did this to torture the soul of every Jets fan, including myself, who now have a renewed false sense of hope going into the last two games of the season.

The Gang Green go out to Seattle next weekend to play the Seahwawks, a team who barely beat the Rams yesterday, yet still nearly upset the Patriots last week. This is a game the Jets could very well lose, and judging by how they've played lately, have a 50/50 shot at losing. Jets play the Miami Dolphins in the final game of the season, which if both teams win next weekend will decide who takes the AFC East, and who gets to go home.

Games like the last 3 the Jets have played are the reason Brett Favre's beard gets a shade grayer each week (though he's partly to blame for their shortcomings this year) and may likely be his reason for actually retiring (again) after this season. I'd like to see Brett back (mainly because Kellen Clemens isn't our savior), but will not be angry or disappointed if he isn't. Eric Mangini is great at finding a game plan, and using it...for the entire season, even when it stops working or teams figure it out. Prime examples: They run the ball almost every time Leon Washington is on the field; If Brad Smith is in, they're going to some sort of ridiculous triple reverse option (Smith didn't play yesterday, and I think the team is better off with Clowney in. He's a faster and better receiver, and his name is Clowney.) They don't blitz anymore and wonder why Shaun Hill looked like the reincarnation of Joe Montana last weekend. Luckily J.P. Losman might be the worst QB on the planet, thus a main reason to why they won against the Bills.

Long story short (I know, too late.), the Jets, though they seemed to be the new and improved Jets at the start of the season and especially after the Titans game, are the same old Jets. Or as Mr. Hurley in "Big Daddy" called them, "The goddamn Jets." That's right, their horrendous shortcomings have been so bad in the 1990's/2000's that they get a shout out by a drunk old man at the Blarney Stone in an Adam Sandler film (If you saw the game yesterday you'd also notice Sandler was at the game, as well as Michael Douglas).

I really don't know where I'm going with this whole post other than to revoice what was once my former disdain for the New York Jets. I rewatched "Step Brothers" and "The Dark Knight" before and after the game yesterday in my day of lethargy, and both were more rewarding and fulfilling to watch than the Jets have been in the past 3 weeks. I hope this does not understate the greatness of both films, as it is not my intention for the overt crappiness of the Jets recently to be so dismal that it would mean watching "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" would also be more rewarding or fulfilling.

One more sidenote: what the hell is up with Chad Pennington? The guy leaves the Jets then unleashes 40 yard passes of the likes we have never seen? Must be the warm Miami weather loosening up his once linguini-like arm.

WEEK 2 NFL PICKS!!!

WEEK 3:

Kansas City @ Atlanta: This one is a stinker, and after an impressive week 1 win, the Falcons proved they're still the Falcons last week. I still think Kansas City is a worse team, so Atlanta should take this one.

Oakland @ Buffalo: Buffalo will without a doubt move their record to 3-0 as the Raiders are without Justin Fargas. Darren McFadden is playing with a toe injury, but even at full strength, the Raiders inconsistent offense didn't stand a chance on the road to Buffalo.

Tampa Bay @ Chicago: Tampa Bay and Chicago still don't have a verdict on how they're looking for the season, but this should be an even keel matchup. I think Chicago will have the edge and win this one at home, perhaps with the help of Brian Urlacher's Old Spice Swagger.

Houston @ Tennessee: Houston has not shown much this season, and the Titans are 2-0, even with former booze hound quarterback Kerry Collins. The Titans should easily get the win at home in the land of Elvis.

Carolina @ Minnesota: Minnesota has Gus Frerotte starting for him. Yup, anyone with the first name Gus isn't a proven NFL QB. With Adrian Peterson nursing a hamstring injury, Gus will show us why he may make a career switch to the Bass Masters fishing circuit on Monday morning. Carolina, with Steve Smith back, should pull off the win on the road.

Miami @ New England: Miami will go to 0-3, no big surprise there. New England will go to 3-0, and I will still hate them, even without Tom Brady.

Cincinnati @ NY Giants: Cincinnati is closer to becoming this year's winner of the #1 draft pick for next season with every pathetic game they play this season. The defending champion Giants should easily embarrass the team and kindly allow fans to beat the NJ Turnpike traffic by the early fourth quarter when they have their third stringers in. Ocho Stinko, Johnny Carson Palmer, and T.J. HoushmandzIplayLikeYourMama will give the Cincy fans plenty to boo about once again.

Arizona @ Washington: Washington impressed with their first win last week, and the Cardinals put on a high flying circus show victory with the aerial assault of a vintage looking Kurt Warner. This should be a tight game that could turn into a barn burner on the scoreboard, but I think the Cardinals are the better team overall, and will win it.

Detroit @ San Fransisco: Both these teams have showed us in the first few weeks they haven't improved much, and perhaps even taken a couple steps back from last season. San Fransisco is the only one of the two who has won a game so far this season, so in this coin flip, I'll give them the edge to win with their home field advantage also on their side.

St. Louis @ Seattle: Both teams are pretty crappy, but the Rams are in heavy contention for best shot at the biggest loser this season along with Cincinnati. I think Seattle will take this one at home, and St. Louis will come closer to interviewing new head coaches.

New Orleans @ Denver: This one should be a high flying passing show between two teams who are sure to score over 30 points each. I think right now, Denver is the better team, but the Saints have potential once they have a few more games under their belts. The Broncos will win this one at home, and Ed Hochuli won't have to be there to help them this week.

Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia: Philly impressed a lot of people with that hard fought game in Dallas last Monday night, which ended (barely) in a loss on their record. Based on that performance, and with the Philly fans rallying behind their on again off again lovefest with QB Donovan McNabb, they should win this game against the Steelers. Willie Parker's ridiculous performances should slow down this week, proving to be the advantage for Philly in this battle of Pennsylvanians.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis: The Colts defense will be hindered with the loss of Bob Sanders. However, Jeff Saturday and Dallas Clark are likely to be back in the lineup for the Colts offense. Even with the series of injuries they faced, the Colts would have won. Now, having their once highly feared offense nearly at full strength, they should easily get the first win at their new stadium.

Cleveland @ Baltimore: These division rivals are likely not going to get a shot at winning their division this year with the Steelers playing so well, but either one's win this week will certainly get them back in the mix. Baltimore lost a heartbreaker to Pittsburgh last week in the midst of a monsoon, and the Ravens had an unexpected by due to Hurricane Ike which put their game against the Texans on hold. With that extra rest, I think the Ravens should win against the Browns, who are still battling injuries.

**UPSET OF THE WEEK**

Dallas @ Green Bay: Green Bay's post-Brett Favre era has started off impressively with new stud QB Aaron Rodgers. Dallas, however, is still the favorite in the NFC right now and many people pick them to win this one as they are far superior to Green Bay's first two opponents, Minnesota and Detroit. Green Bay should still win their division, and most think they don't have a shot in this one, but with Green Bay at home, I'm picking them to upset the Cowboys who are working on a short week and a close, high-scoring shootout with the Eagles.

NY Jets @ San Diego: The Jets really made me sick last week. There I said it. The Chargers were robbed of a victory last week, which means they will be foaming at the mouth like a grizzly bear on Shawn Merriman's stash of steroids. (He's got plenty extra laying around now that he's done for the season with the bum knee) Even though Ladanian Tomlinson might be on the sidelines, I still just don't see the Chargers going 0-3. I will be ecstatic if the Jets pull off this road win on Monday night, but would also be very fool hearted to expect such. I think the Chargers will win, but would happily call myself a fool on Tuesday morning if the Jets pull off the upset.

NFL Week 2 Results!!!

(Picture above: a furious Norv Turner on the blown call hear round the world in Week 2)

Tennessee 24, Cincinnati, 7: The Titans won again, as I predicted, along with everyone else in the coutnry. The Bengals spent their week two bolstering their competition with the Rams for crappiest team in the league

Green Bay 48, Detroit 25: As predicted the Pack went 2-0 under new stud quarterback Aaron "Not related to the former lead singer of Bad Company, current lead singer of Queen's Paul" Rodgers.
Oakland 23, Kansas City, 8: This one was pretty much a clownshow as expected, the Raiders won in an uneventful matchup. I called it, crappy game, crappy Oakland win.

NY Giants 41, St. Louis 13: Mark Bulger continues to stink up my fantasy bench, and as we all thought, the G-Men went to 2-0 playing what resembled a Kentucky Division 2 High School football team. Way to go Rams, your city has the highest crime rate in the nation, and you have the lowest sense of self esteem in the NFL.

Indianapolis 18, Minnesota 15: I said this one would be decent, but we didn't expect a last second nailbiter. With seconds left in the game Adam "I wear little kicker's shoes but still have 3 Super Bowl rings" Vinatieri won it with a long kick for the Colts.

Washington 29, New Orleans 24: After watching the Redskins sleep through four quarters of football in week one against the Giants, they were brought back to life in week 2, and pulled off an impressive win on the road. I didn't call this one, and after watching their week one laugh fest, I don't think many other people did either.

Chicago 20, Carolina 17: The Bear surprised me, and other people picking Carolina to win at home, especially after a very impressive victory last week against the Chargers. I guess the Bears are proving us all wrong, in that a team really can win without the presence of a quarterback or any sort of passing game.

Buffalo 20, Jacksonville 16: I called this one being close, with the Bills winning, and they pulled it off by 4 points, going to 2-0 to match their division leading New England Patriots.

San Fransisco 33, Seattle 30: I thought the Seahawks would pull this win out at home, but much like the rest of their division, on any given Sunday, any team can suck. Don't let the high score fool you, the San Fransisco defense is the only bright spot on either side and even they let up 30 points.

Tampa Bay 24, Atlanta 9: After an impressive win over the Lions in week one, I thought the Falcons would take care of the Bucs since they had Brian Griese starting for an injured Jeff Garcia. Well, Atlanta proved that they're still only one year removed from a mess of a season, and the Bucs smacked them around.

New England 19, NY Jets 10: I don't even want to get into this game, save for the fact that Eric Mangini proved he has always and unless anything changes, will always be scared of the Patriots (even without Tom Brady). The Jets were coached like they were still being led by Chad Pennington, proven with 3 straight runs with a first and goal inside the 5 yard line in the first half. Last time I checked Brett Favre was their quarterback. That's right, the same quarterback who leads NFL record books for red zone touchdown passes. Mangini and O-Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer need to take their heads out of their rear ends and smell the dirty NJ Turnpike air and get their act together. Needless to say I thought the Jets would win; they didn't.

Arizona 31, Miami 10: Arizona's potent offense came through as I suspected, and dropped the Dolphins to 0-2. The road to another 1-15 season is paved by games like this one.

Denver 39, San Diego 38: Well, with the most contraversial blown call of the season or recent memory, the Chargers slipped to 0-2, while the Broncos popped up on a bunch of radars going 2-0, on the heels of a gutsy call by coach Mike Shanahan to go for a 2 point conversion to win the game rather than an extra point to tie in the closing seconds. I am very afraid for my Jets going into San Diego for Monday Night Football next week against a Chargers team that is foaming at the mouth to pound the crap out of somebody.

Pittsburgh 10, Cleveland 6: Pittsburgh won this one 10-6 in the midst of what looked like a hurrican in Cleveland on Sunday night. Cleveland is 2-0 and far from the team that surprised a lot of people last year. The Steelers are emerging as an AFC powerhouse, now that the Colts, Patriots, and Chargers are obviously weakened.

Dallas41, Philadelphia 37: I thought Dallas would win this by 10 or 14 points, but the Eagles proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East again, coming off a rough season last year. Here's a quote from my predicitons: "This is probably the best Monday Night Football matchup the league could have planned for in week 2." Bam, there, I said it and my premonition delivered. This had to be one of the most offensively potent games in recent Monday Night history. To take a line from those Sunday NFL Ticket Direct TV commercials Jimmy Kimmel has been in, this is a game that had the defensive coordinators from both teams updating their resumes.

(Postponed) Baltimore @ Houston: Due to Hurrican Ike tearing through Texas this game has been rescheduled for week 8.

Record This Week: 9-6/ Overall Season So Far: 20-11

My NFL Week One Results: Not as Bad As I Thought

Here are the results of my week one picks for the NFL season. Some crazy things happened: Brett Fave, pushing 39, threw a 56 yard bomb to Jerricho Cotchery, The Panthers upset the Panthers with no time left. Some disheartening things happened: Tom Brady's season ended in 7 and a half minutes, the Lions showed us they still have that "Same old Lions" mantra embedded into their heads. Either way, it is all attributed to one realization: It must be football season.

Today, on Michael Kay's afternoon show on 1050 AM, ESPN Radio, I made it on the air to prove to Mr. Kay that he's out of his mind not only for picking the Dolphins to beat the Jets last weekend, but his emphatic and matter-of-fact picking of the Pats over the Jets this Sunday. He thinks people are writing Matt Cassell off too early, but is forgetful of Cassell being with the team for five years, and displaying a losing preseason showing in place of Brady. He also was quick to show disdain for the Jets performance against the Dolphins, when both teams had quarterbacks starting who have been with each team for less than a month. The Pats O-line is going to face similar pressure (maybe not as skillful and intense) that they did in the Super Bowl, and this time with a quarterback far less skilled, poised, and seasoned as Tom Brady. With that will be less accurate throws to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and more running behind the previously mentioned O-line. Mike took notice of my good point on Randy Moss historically giving up in the face of lost seasons in the past, which seems like it would especially effect a young QB desperately needing everything from the players around him.

Washington @ NY Giants: I started off the season with an accurate and nicely explained pick. The Giants beat the horrendous looking Redskins on Thursday night in a game that should have done us all a favor and just ended at halftime. I quote my prediction, "The defending champions have a lot to prove in their own eyes. They just gave Plaxico Burress a hefty new deal and have a chip on their shoulder for being labeled a fluke champion last season. Jason Taylor will be worried more about getting his tango moves right on the nationally televised game instead of going after the quarterback. Eli Manning has gotten a bad rap the last couple seasons, but I think Brett Favre going to the Jets took some media attention away from him, and will ultimately help him continue to get better. After all, he is a Super Bowl MVP and his last name is Manning. His interceptions still wouldn't tempt me to draft him to my fantasy team though. The Giants should win this game, and I think will win 9 or 10 total this year and get another Wild Card Playoff spot."

Jason "I left my football shoes in my tap dancing shoes bag, and my tap dancing shoes in my football bag" Taylor was non-existent, Jason Campbell looked so lost he belonged on the side of a milk carton, and if this is a sign of things to come from coach Jim Zorn, I predict he will be the first coaching casualty of the '08 season. Eli came out with an impressive first drive, but the Giants put it into cruise control for the most part after that, as it became the Brandon "I leave footprints on Laron Landry's face and turf in his mouth" Jacobs show.

Detroit @ Atlanta: Here's one that left me scratching my head: "Atlanta has a rookie quarterback, and not enough weapons on either side of the ball to beat an exciting passing offense in the Lions." Yup, I'm an idiot. Matt Ryan's first NFL pass was a 60+ yard TD pass, and new starting running back Michael Turner ran for over 200 yards and a couple scores. Yes, the Lions have an M.I.A. defense, and they're said to be going to the run game more this year (something they haven't done since the days of Barry Sanders), but this was still an impressive win for the other laughing stock of the league last season next to the one win Dolphins.

Seattle @ Buffalo: I'm leaving my entire entry for this prediction right here: "Buffalo is a much better team than everyone thinks, and has one of the best up and coming backs in Marshawn Lynch. I think the Bills will upset the Seahawks who are used to playing division 2 college level teams like the 49ers and Rams. A 7-9 team has a shot at the playoffs in the NFC West; that makes me want to spew." I couldn't have nailed this one more on the head as the Bills opened up the season by embarrassing the Seahawks who were without any decent receivers. They still play in the miserable NFC West, and I'm not using this game as a prediction on the Bills season. They should have won this game, and they did, by a lot. Now, we'll see if they can keep it going with a seemingly light schedule they share with the other AFC East'ers The Pats, Jets, and Dolphins.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee: I quote my own stupidity: "The Jags are too good to go into Tennessee and let a mediocre team upset them in the opening game." Even with Vince Young hurt, the Titans, who I thought were an inferior team showed that within your division anything can happen. Tennessee won at home and added questions to a team that is supposed to be a front runner in the AFC this year.

NY Jets @ Miami: I said this one might be close, with the Jets getting the win, and I was spot on. Chad "My 2 minute drill always ends with a beach ball in the wind throw that gets intercepted" Pennington threw up a pick in the end zone with less than 20 seconds left in the game. Brett Favre threw 2 spectacular touchdown passes, and we're sure to see some more of those as the season goes on. It looks like he's enjoying throwing the ball Jerricho Cotchery's way, and with more practice and an improved game plan against the Patriots, the season's first big test comes this weekend.

Kansas City @ New England: The biggest story of the weekend, and I'll open it with this quote from my predictions last week: "Tom Brady has been M.I.A. this preseason, but Shirley Temple could be at quarterback for the Patriots and they'd still win this game." Well, I guess you can call Matt Cassell "Shirley Temple," because when Tom Brady went down early with a season ending knee injury, he came in and got the win. Barely; and against a horrible Chiefs team. I equate Cassell's situation right now to that of Ferris, Cameron, and Sloan taking out Cameron's dad's vintage Ferrari in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." You could call Cameron's Dad Tom Brady, or perhaps Bill Belichick (bear with me here) and the car is the Patriots dynasty of the past decade. Will the car end up dismantled at the bottom of a pile of trees in the woods behind Cameron's house (in this case, I hope so), or will they turn the odometer back and get the car back like they never even drove it. Tom Brady and especially Bill Belichick are hoping for the latter, but that's not how it went down in the movie, and I don't think it will happen that way here either.

The AFC East race will certainly be interesting now, as the Jets and a very impressive Buffalo Bills team should be in a heated battle for the top spot throughout this season. I don't think the Patriots will have a horrendous season, but I do think they will be a vulnerable team, especially without 40+ points to support their aged and limited defense. This along with the offensive line that provided no protection for Tom Brady in the Super Bowl loss, will create challenges for a quarterback who hasn't started a game since high school in 1999. I like the Bills of the Jets to take the division, because once the Pats lose one or two in a row, Randy Moss won't play 100% like he always has in the past, and Wes Welker is good, but he's not a #1 receiver. Lawrence Maroney is sure to get more carries, but again, this goes back to the exposed Pats O-line.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: The Saints got the win at home, as I suspected, and Drew Brees put up Madden-like numbers throwing for nearly 350 yards. Reggie Bush had a good game as well, and Jeff Garcia threw a pick late in the game when they had a chance to stay in it.

St. Louis @ Philadelphia: I guess it could have been worse for me, I originally contemplated going with the Rams as my upset of the week. The Eagles, as I predicted, put the lopsided shellacking of the weekend down on Nelly's hometown team this weekend, and made me actually feel bad for the fellas. It really made me feel bad for the fact that Mark Bulger is on my bench in fantasy again this year (I never learn).

**Upset of the Week**
Houston @ Pittsburgh: My upset pick of the week couldn't have been more wrong. The Steelers made everyone who passed on Willie "Don't call me Spiderman because my first name isn't Peter" Parker in fantasy football look foolish. Big Ben also put up some good numbers, and with the Brady Bunch in New England now up in the air without their QB, as well as the shaky play from the Chargers and Colts, the Steelers have moved up a lot of lists in power rankings. With their division's next best holdover from last season getting embarrassed at home by the Cowboys, it looks like the Steelers are the favorites to win the AFC North and possibly go deep into the playoffs.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore: I predicted the Ravens to squeak this one out and they got the W. However, I didn't expect the Bengals to be this bad. If they don't shape up, it's going to be a long season for the Ocho Cinco elite.

Carolina @ San Diego: This might have been the game of the week, and I had it all wrong, picking the obviously better San Diego team, who proved the saying that on any given Sunday any team can win. Even without Steve Smith, the Panthers pulled off probably the biggest upset of the week. Smith was suspended for sucker punching a teammate during training camp, and good guy coach John Fox proved that good prevails and no one is above the team as his Panthers squeaked out a victory with a Jake Delhomme TD pass with no time left on the clock. To add insult to injury, it only took this game for Shawn "I'm above the team, got caught with 'roids, and played on a shotty knee that is now mush" Merriman to further injure himself. He's now on injured reserve, will have his surgery, and miss the rest of the season. Way to go Shawn; if the Chargers don't make a playoff run, I'm sure you'll be sitting on your couch with a brace on your leg and screws in your knee, laughing that they couldn't do it without you. Jackass.

Arizona @ San Fransisco: No surprisingly, the 49ers lost at home, as I suspected against a 99 year old Kurt Warner, and an overall superior Cardinals team. I'm sure that's a sentence that will be repeated several times this season.

Dallas @ Cleveland: This game wasn't even close, as my prediction of a Cowboys victory on the road came true. Cleveland looked like they'll have a rocky road ahead of them, though the Cowboys offense can do that to you.

Chicago @ Indianapolis: With Joseph Addai going out early with a head injury (which also injured one of my fantasy teams) the Colts were upset by Chicago in the opening game at their new stadium, named Lucas Oil Field, or something like that. I think the Colts lost the game based on this horrendous name for their new home.

Minnesota @ Green Bay: I picked Green Bay, and Mr. Rodgers did not make me look like a fool. I still think Adrian Peterson isn't going to have the same year he did last season, and with how the Bears upset the Colts, this division could go back and forth all season long.

Denver @ Oakland: On Monday night I was 2 for 2; I picked the Broncos, and they prevailed, going into Oakland to lay an old fashioned beatdown on the Raiders. The Raiders and their quasi-rotund number one draft pick QB of last year are not showin much signs of improvement. Their defense should do better as the season goes on, so hopefully JaMarcus Russell and rookie sensation Darren McFadden can give the crazy Raider fans something to cheer about other than Al Davis's liver spots and latest set of false teeth.

Record for picks this week: 11-5.

In seeing all the crazy things that happened this past weekend, my picks, when looking at my overall numbers, really weren't that bad. I guess, it was my emphatic picking of the games I got wrong that created a false illusion that my picks were train wrecked. Therefore, picking 11 out of 16 games correctly, I will keep bringing it for the 2008 season.

Kevin Arnold Loved the Jets, And So Should You. Broadway Brett: El Capitan.

Remember "The Wonder Years," one of the greatest television dramas in history? What a great show (that I'm still waiting for on DVD), with a great main character, Kevin Arnold, who famously championed for Winnie Cooper's affections while donning a vintage Jets jacket at the height of the Broadway Joe era. Kevin's older brother Wayne is still one of the most hated characters in TV history, one that could make you want to put your fist through some drywall.

Anywho, here's a Broadway Brett update on the same day that the NFL's season kicks off with the Giants-Redskins game tonight. (Editor's Note: I've got Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley going on both of my fantasy teams tonight)

Yesterday it was announced that Brett Favre and Alan Faneca have been voted the offensive captains of the New York Jets for the upcoming season. While I would have liked to see wide receiver Laveranues Coles or maybe tight end Chris Baker as captains, I don't disagree with Brett being one, since he is expected to be the guy who leads this team all season. Coles and Baker lost some pull though when they got into contract disputes/holdouts with management in the off season. Faneca, while also being added to the team only a few months back still has pull over Jerricho Cotchery and Leon Washington, who are still a bit young to be looked at as captain material. Thomas Jones has only been there for one (lackluster) season at running back, and still has much to prove in the fans' and team's eyes, so that's not much of a surprise.
That "C" stitched on his jersey now won't make Brett Favre any better or worse; but same goes for Tom Brady's "minor" (stress fracture) foot injury. Here's my prediction on this ongoing rivalry between the AFC East opponents who meet for the first of 2 regular season match ups next week. The Pats and Jets will split their two games this year; I think the Jets have a shot winning it in week 2 since the Pats haven't (as far as we know) been illegally videotaping Favre on the Jets, and Brady might still be rusty. He will especially have trouble when Calvin Pace tries to rip his head off along with the rest of the revamped Jets defensive unit. Tom Brady, as Walter Sobchak (played by John Goodman) in "The Big Lebowski" best put it, is "entering a world of pain," this season. (See Walter below.)
The Jets will win 10 or 11 games (12 if a couple of the close ones fall their way) and get a Wild Card playoff spot since they don't play in the NFC West where a .500 team can not only make the playoffs, but win their division. The Pats will win at least 13 or 14, but their geriatric defense, and questionable O-line is going to be winded toward the end of the season like they were in last year's Super Bowl. That is why I predict the Patriots will lose somewhere between the first round and up to or including the AFC Championship, either to the Colts (if Peyton Manning stays healthy), Jaguars (another solid D that has a great season under their belt), the Chargers (if they can stay dominant without Shawn Merriman, because he'll take a career and/or season ending injury somewhere by mid-season with the bum knee he's adamant about playing on), or shall I say the J-E-T-S Jets?

A year or two ago I'd be labeled "looney tunes" for such a prediction. However, this is the first season in a long time any Jets fan can firmly say or believe that they have a legitimate shot to win any game they're in on any given Sunday. The Patriots are probably the most feared team in the NFL this season, and even they have questions coming into this year after going 0-4 without Tom and his bum foot throughout the preseason.
(Editor's Note: This is one of the best pictures of Tom Brady I have ever seen.)
Granted losing the biggest game in franchise history to end their season will weigh on the Patriots and give them extra tenacity this year, but on paper and on the field they are a weaker and more vulnerable team than they were last year. This is especially evident when one thinks about how they will need to have more left in their tank at the end of the season for a lengthy playoff run. Sure, Brett Favre is going to be 39 in a month or two, but the fresh life the Jets have breathed into their offensive line, backfield, and defense are more changes than the Patriots have made. If the same team that got pounded by the Giants defense (that boasted only one Pro Bowler) in the Super Bowl shows up this season, other equal or better defenses will be knocking the hobbled quarterback down even more this season.

Interesting enough, ESPN correspondent and Boston (yuck) fan Bill Simmons, has a somewhat similar view on the Pats and Jets. While he sees the Pats being questionable, he still has them making the AFC Championship, and losing to the Jaguars who he has for his Super Bowl pick. The Jets are his annual sleeper pick, though he has them losing their first two games on their way to a surprising 11-5 season. The record prediction sounds about right, but I see them winning at least one of their first two games, if not both. The third game against the Chargers is a toss up depending on whether Merriman is on the IR list by then or how much Phillip Rivers cries like Halle Berry accepting her Academy Award during the game.

You can read all of Bill Simmons's season predictions here on ESPN's website. Although I despise Boston sports teams, I like where his head is at. But I will say I think his view on the Giants is a bit harsh and skewed to the fact that they ruined his team's shot at perfection in the Super Bowl. While I think the Giants are going to have a tougher time this year with their losses on defense (Osi's knee surgery, Strahan's retirement, Mitchell's bouncing), I think Eli Manning will have a better and more consistent regular season than he has previously. They're definitely at least a 8 or 9 win team, but I still think the New York story of the year will be the Jets This is also due to the fact that the Yankees are horrendous this season, and the Mets are likely to come up shorthanded at the end of the season or in the playoffs, the ongoing trainwreck that is the Knicks organization, and the Rangers who have lost Sean Avery, JaomirJagr, and will probably end up at about the same spot they did in last season's playoffs.

Here are Simmons's thoughts:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080904