Training Camp Battle to Watch: Sanchez vs. Tebow

With training camps in full swing, the No. 1 thing on everyone's mind at this point is position battles. Every team experiences those battles throughout camp each year and, whether you realize it or not, camp is vital for many of the players.

Proven veterans often use two-a-days to get back in tip-top shape, but it's the young newcomers who take this opportunity to impress peers and coaching staff.

In Tim Tebow's case with the Jets, he's looking to win over the role as starting quarterback. The fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, 25-year old Mark Sanchez has underachieved in the eyes of New York fans and media throughout his first three seasons under center for New York.

Head coach Rex Ryan and New York's front office showed their confidence in Sanchez by signing him to a three-year ($20 million in guaranteed money) extension on March 9, despite numerous teammates coming out and criticizing Sanchez for having a "poor work ethic."

Twelve days later New York traded for Denver's quarterback Tim Tebow.

I don't expect Tebow to come close to winning over the starting job before September, and he has struggled throwing the ball so far during camp, but that does not mean he will not be competing for it anyways.

Here's the bottom line: New York brought in Tebow as an attempt to light a fire under Sanchez, and a possible 1-2 punch at the position. Ryan will be putting in a package of plays that will allow Tebow to see some playing time without starting at the quarterback position. Ryan has been quoted saying that Tebow is a great football player with improving throwing mechanics.

Tebow will be New York's "gadget" player and can play different positions, including H-back.

This will be the only time I address this issue throughout August: Sanchez is the starter in New York, and will be all season. If NY struggles early on, of course the fans will call for the benching of Sanchez. But if they were smart, they'd stick with Mark after throwing all that guaranteed money at him earlier this offseason.

Who has the edge: Mark Sanchez

Who wins the battle: Mark Sanchez

Stay tuned for more upcoming "Training Camp Battles to Watch"

Note: I do not own the above photo. Photo cred goes to the Washington Post.

Jets Talk-the-Talk, and Show they can Walk-the-Walk with Playoff Victory over Pats

I have to admit it, Rex Ryan's Jets did it once again.

I was expecting Mr. Playoff himself, Tom Brady, to walk in their and send the Jets home with their tails between their legs. But the defense stepped it up and backed up all their trash talk earlier that week, and made Wes Welker look silly after his 11 foot references, direct towards coach Ryan, in a press conference earlier this week.

As much as I didn't like to see the loud and obnoxious Jets do exactly what they keep saying they were going to do, you gotta tip your hats to them. They showed the NFL world that Brady can, and will be, stopped. Much like the Baltimore Ravens did last year against the Pats.

I can't exactly remember who it was, but I noticed someone that I follow on twitter that the New England Patriots haven't won a big game since they were caught cheating in '07. Interesting piece of information, though I really don't believe that it's that big of a deal.

The Patriots have had a target on their back since the last time they won the Super Bowl, and it seems opposing coaches have done a very nice job coming up with a game plan to stop them over the last couple of seasons.

What the Patriots failed to do is get pressure on Mark Sanchez. The mistakes and turnovers come when he's being hit and rushed, but the Pats' pass rush couldn't get to him and bring him down all game. With no pressure, comes no turnovers for this young signal caller.

It surely was a struggle for both teams early on, as New York couldn't take advantage of Tom Brady's first interception since he threw two in the team's week five showdown with Baltimore. After just three plays following David Harris's 58-yard return of the INT, kicker Nick Folk missed a 30-yard field which went just inches to the left of the upright.

That was Brady's only mistake of the game as he threw for 299 yards and two TDs throughout the game. But after taking an early 3-0 lead, New England allowed the Jets to take its first lead of the day with a 7-yard run from running back Ladainian Tomlinson, who isn't much of a fan of the Pats after his Chargers fell to them in the 2006 AFC Divisional round and he watched the Patriots dance on the No. 1 seed's logo in the middle of the field.

After that game he called them out for having 'no class' in the press conference, and has hated them ever since. I actually tend to believe that that's one of the many reasons he signed with the Jets this offseason. Because of the rivalry with New England.

Mark Sanchez threw his first of a career playoff-high three TDs during the second quarter, just before the half, to wideout Braylon Edwards from 15 yards out. This allowed the Jets to carry the momentum in to the locker room at the half, leading 14-3.

It didn't seem as though anyone doubted that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick wouldn't come right back out with a few adjustments and get back in to this game early in the second half. But, no scoring took place until less than a minute remained in the third quarter, and it was Brady's first TD pass of the game to Alge Crumpler from two yards out. Sammy Morris scored his first points of the season after running the ball in for the successful two-point conversion try, making it a three-point game (14-11) at the end of three quarters.

Once again, Brady is dangerous in the fourth quarter. And once again New York proved to everyone that they can hang with their AFC East counterpart, scoring another Sanchez touchdown. This one was to Mr. Postseason himself, wideout Santonio Holmes, who now has caught four touchdown passes in his six postseason games. Just two minutes in to the final quarter of play and New York was back to a 10-point lead.

New England's 14-play drive after the NY touchdown, which elapsed nearly eight full minutes of action, ended when Deion Branch dropped a pass on fourth & 13. With five minutes to play after the dropped pass, it seemed the Pats chances had slipped away. New York failed to pick up a first down on their drive, though, and was forced to give the ball right back with a 10-point lead still.

New England got a Shayne Graham field goal with a minute and a half to play, but a failed onside kick attempt led to another New York touchdown, this one run in by running back Shonn Greene. Down 28-14, New England did witness another Brady touchdown to Branch, putting them within seven. But the Pats were finally put out of their misery after they failed on a second onside kick.

Rex Ryan was pumped, Bart Scott was pumped as he showed in a post-game interview (though the overrated linebacker only contributed two tackles on defense) and yes, Braylon Edwards was pumped as well, showing his enthusiasm with a cart-wheel followed by a backflip in the middle of the playing field. Some Patriots' players decided not to shake hands in the middle of the field afterwards because they felt as though some of the Jets weren't showing any class.

Deion Branch even called out some of those Jets players in the press room afterwards. It's a bit funny, in my opinion, because isn't that exactly what New England did to the Jets just six weeks ago when they routed New York by 42 points? I believe that's exactly what happened.

So of course New York is going to do this after defeating the favored Pats, in their own house.

If you can't take it, New England, please don't dish it out. You started this, New York's trash talk--and defeat of the Pats--just finished it for you.

(Note: I do not approve of the class-less Jets actions after the game, but at the same time I don't think it's fair for the Patriots to cry about it when that's exactly what they did to New York earlier in the season.)

Should be a great AFC Championship game next week in Pittsburgh! But I will likely be picking against the Jets for the second straight week. I wonder if they will prove me wrong again?

Photo credit

Ladainian Tomlinson: NFL/Kirby Lee

David Harris: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Rex, Cromartie Continue to Blast Brady and the Pats; When Will They Learn?

When are these Jets ever going to learn? I respect Rex Ryan and all for what he has done with these Jets despite an inconsistent and inexperienced Mark Sanchez at the helm of the offense. But when is this never-ending trash talk with the Pats going to end?

Antonio Cromartie, New York's cornerback, was the latest to sound off and "bash" Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. What I find rather funny in this particular situation is that Cromartie has played in seven career postseason games (3-4 record) and two of his four losses came against Brady and Belichick's Pats while he was playing in San Diego.

Anyways, of all teams, the Jets are in no position to trash Brady and the Patriots. This decade alone the Patriots have defeated the Jets 15 out of 23 games, including once in the playoffs (the score of that game was 37-16).

Now obviously we have entered a new era with head coach Rex Ryan coming in to the picture last season, and since he has taken over, the Jets and Patriots have each won two head-to-head games--a season series split last year and this year.

The most recent memory between New York and New England, though, was an embarrassing 45-3 beat down at Foxboro. New York's sixth overall defense couldn't force a single turnover then (at NE) and against the Colts this past week, so how do they expect to force any this week against the near-perfect Tom Brady, who threw just five interceptions this season (least amount in the league).

New England's second half offense put up 30 points or more in eight straight games, and over that stretch they played defenses such as Pittsburgh, Chicago and Green Bay. All three of those teams are in the top four in scoring defense.

Rex and his shenanigans started out just a fun little way of him having a good time and relieving some stress that builds up as an NFL head coach, but as of late he has crossed the line far too many times.

For the New York Jets to walk in to Foxboro Sunday afternoon and soundly defeat the New England Patriots on their home turf, a place where they are 11-2 all-time in the postseason, the entire squad will need to be 100% mistake-free. And, yes, I am pointing at you, Mark Sanchez!

Until this happens, I suggest you (Rex Ryan and Antonio Cromartie) to keep your mouths shut. Thank you very much.

Interesting Fact: Five teams in NFL history (including this year's Jets) have been beaten by a team by 37 or more points in the regular season and then played them again later that year in the postseason. Of the previous four teams (2009 Bengals vs. Jets, 1991 Lions vs. Redskins, 1991 Falcons vs. Redskins, 1969 Browns vs. Vikings) none of those teams have managed to redeem themselves and pull off a victory.

Personally, I can't wait until the two teams hit the field and Tom Brady shows the Jets how to play football...without all the unneeded trash-talking which the Jets like to do so much. Some people enjoy it, but it has gotten way too out-of-hand and this is why I respect Brady and Belichick so much. They don't let Rex get to them and they just go out every week and show the nation how it's done. Gotta respect that.

Rex later said he and the Jets' organization "respect Tom Brady and the Patriots," and the way he's talked about them in the past there's no way that's true. Sorry, Rex, but I may have to call BS on your comment.

And once again, after watching Sammy Morris, Alge Crumpler and Deion Branch answer questions in a press conference, they didn't take any shots against the Jets. But instead, they simply said they were gonna do all they can to protect Brady.

Photo credit

Mark Sanchez: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

BenJarvus Green Ellis: AP Photo/StephanSavola

New York Jets: Early AFC Favorites

Today's breaking news in the football world isn't any sort of break in the Roethlisberger case.  Instead, it involves yet another New York Jet signing.

Future Hall of Fame defensive end/OLB Jason Taylor has become the newest Jet, signing a two-year deal within the past half hour.  Adam Schefter of ESPN was told Taylor could receive as much as $3.75 million in his first season with the team.

As a rookie head coach last season, former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan took the Jets to the AFC Championship.  New York, led by rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, fell 13 points shy of its first Super Bowl appearance 1968.

 Rex Ryan's defensive-oriented demeanor toughened the AFC's road to the Super Bowl.  After finishing the season with a 9-7 record, New York was awarded the first Wild Card spot (fifth seed), and was forced to play three road playoff games.  Ryan's top-ranked defense allowed New York to stroll through the first two weeks of the playoffs despite having the 17th-best scoring offense with an inexperienced rookie under center.

The organization has showed no signs of slowing down this off-season, willing to throw money around to bring in highly-praised players on both sides of the ball.

Last year it seemed the one thing New York was lacking was veteran leadership.  They had the young, talented guys such as Sanchez, running back Shonn Greene and shutdown corner Darrelle Revis, but they didn't seem to have the guy who could push them the extra inch.

Yes, they did happen to have an all-hype head coach in Ryan, and they had a couple vocal locker room guys such as Bart Scott, but adding Jason Taylor, Santonio Holmes and Ladainian Tomlinson may have been what they were looking for.

There's a whole lot of talent in those three guys alone.  So I don't care if you are one to believe that just because you stack a team with talent doesn't mean you're going to win.  This is exactly why the Jets hired Rex as head coach last season, he has the ability to bring a team together and win games.  That's just what he did last year with Sanchez.

New York killed two birds with one stone with the Taylor signing.  Not only does he bring the leadership and will to win, but Jason is also one of the game's best pass rushers.  New York got to the quarterback just 32 times last season, good enough for 22nd in the league.  Taylor's presence, alone, could give the Jets around five or six more sacks.  If he plays to his ability, Taylor could put up double-digit sack totals.  Another great pick-up for the league's best defense was the signing of former San Diego Charger Antonio Cromartie to play opposite shut-down corner Darrelle Revis.

On the offensive side of the ball we should see a matured Mark Sanchez who just so happens to have a couple more weapons, plus plenty of protection (sacked just 30 times last season).  The addition of play-making wide-out Santonio Holmes will do wonders as a second option for Sanchez, despite the four game suspension.  Thomas Jones parted ways, but the team did manage to bring back Leon Washington and add All-Pro Ladainian Tomlinson, which gives probable starter Shonn Greene at least a mentor.

All these factors lead me to believe Rex Ryan's Jets will be, in the least, division winners in the East in 2010.  I mean, the Pats are certainly on a downturn and Buffalo and Miami still may have a couple of rebuilding seasons.

Early BOLD Prediction: Jets earn first division title since 2002 and make a second consecutive AFC Championship appearance.