NFL Football Free Pick: NY Jets Visit Inconsistent Washington Redskins
Saturday, December 03, 2011
by Aengus Moorehead
Analysis:
Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets' inconsistent quarterback knows his 2011 season, while exhilarating in spots, has been unwatchable in others. As for those boos the Gang Green fans been sending down to him from the home field at MetLife Stadium...check.
And while the jeers may not publicly bother the third-year pro, they have gotten under the skin of some of Sanchez's teammates -- especially when they come before a game like they did against visiting Buffalo last week.
It was a reality safety Jim Leonhard called "disappointing" and cornerback Darrelle Revis termed "unfair."
Sanchez's efforts have been called into heavy question as of late, after forgettable performances against visiting New England in Week 11 and the following Thursday at Denver resulted in losses that stemmed the momentum of what had been a three-game win streak for New York. The Jets are essentially in must-win mode for the season's final month to stay in the playoff mix in a muddled AFC.
New York is a game out of the conference's final Wild Card spot with five to play and would need to leapfrog the Broncos, the current No. 1 non-qualifier in the chase. The Jets are two games in back of first-place New England in the AFC East, but two losses to the Patriots in 2011 have all but squashed their chances at a first division title since 2002 and third in franchise history.
Sanchez has been widely criticized by fans and football media for not progressing the way many expected by his third season. His struggles have been magnified by the seemingly instant success generated by quarterbacks in other cities, though the Jets have reached the AFC Championship Game in each of the 2009 first-round pick's two seasons and have four road playoff wins in that stretch -- the most in the NFL for that period.
New York, the only team to make the league's postseason final four in both 2009 and 2010, got back on track with a 28-24 victory over the Bills last week in which Sanchez threw for four touchdowns to help the cause.
Revis referred to Sanchez as "a strong dude." And Sanchez seems to realize the unique characteristics of fans in the league's largest and perhaps most volatile setting.
For the Washington Redskins, the end of a six-game losing streak with last week's road triumph over Seattle has cemented some changes in the lineup for head coach Mike Shanahan.
Rookie running back Roy Helu is now an official member of the starting offense after stellar performances in his initial two opportunities. He rushed for 41 yards and had 105 receiving against San Francisco on Nov. 6 and returned for a 162-yard day (108 rushing, 54 receiving) with a touchdown in the 23-17 defeat of the Seahawks.
The win ended a skid that had cut the legs from a season that began with promise early on after a 3-1 start. Shanahan claimed his morale toward his players hadn't dipped since, but conceded that a win did a lot of good mentally.
The Washington Redskins have dominated the overall series between these teams, having won eight of nine all-time matchups with the Jets and four straight games in the set. The most recent encounter took place at the Meadowlands in 2007, with Washington coming through with a 23-20 overtime triumph, and the Redskins also posted home victories over New York in both 1996 (31-16) and 2003 (16-13) during that unbeaten stretch. The Jets' lone decision over Washington did come on the road, a 3-0 triumph at RFK Stadium on Dec. 11, 1993.
Shanahan sports a 6-2 lifetime record against the Jets as a head coach, with all but one of those games occurring during his 14-year tenure with Denver from 1995-2008 and which includes a 23-10 verdict in the 1998 AFC Championship. He also led the Oakland Raiders to a win over New York in 1989. Rex Ryan has never previously faced the Redskins or Shanahan as a head man.
Time & Venue:
- 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 4, 2011. FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Last Week's results:
- New York Jets (-9) beats visiting Buffalo Bills 28-24.
- Washington Redskins (+3.5) beats host Seattle Seahawks 23-17.
Last week's ATS:
- Favourite New York Jets (6-5) wins but does not cover
- Underdog Washington Redskins (4-7) wins outright.
NFL Football Odds: Jets -3, O/U 38.5
Next up:
- New York Jets home to Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, December 11
- Washington home to New England Patriots, Sunday, December 11
New York has a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way and should reach the playoffs if it can avoid pitfalls like these in Washington. Of the remaining five games, only the New York Giants have a winning record and Jets players insist they have to run the table to reach the postseason. RB LaDainian Tomlinson is expected to return for Sunday’s game after missing two straight games with a knee injury.
He should take the burden off Shonn Greene as the feature back and gives Sanchez another playmaker. Greene averaged six yards a carry last week in one of his best games. Sanchez has a career-high 18 touchdown passes on the season but has still faced the wrath of the fans because of his inconsistent play. When he throws at least three TD passes, New York is 5-0. Defensive end Mike DeVito is doubtful with a knee injury. The Jets rank eighth in total defense but just 24th in offense.
The Redskins got wide receiver Santana Moss back from a broken hand but it was rookie Roy Helu who lit up the Seahawks by gaining 104 yards, including a dazzling 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter when Washington trailed by 10 points. Rex Grossman was accurate in his second 300-yard performance of the season as the Redskins snapped out of its offensive funk. The 23 points were the most Washington had scored since Week 1. The Redskins still rank 31st in the league in rushing and 27th in scoring at 16.6 ppg.
A bad interception early on put the Jets in peril against Buffalo last week, but Sanchez's four touchdown passes afterward were a necessary tonic. He'll need a continuance against a stout, underappreciated Redskins defense.
There's no telling what Jets fans would do with the roller-coaster that is Grossman, who has just 10 career starts with a touchdown pass and zero interceptions, if he was their quarterback. Ryan and his defense will be licking their chops to create mistakes, and the Redskins will have a hard time winning if Grossman's committing them.
The rookie runner Helu has shown glimpses in two starts and could be a valuable weapon to take the focus off Grossman. The Jets have had matchup problems against teams with credible tight ends and backs who are able to catch passes as well as run. Helu creates that scenario.
Washington scored a TD on its first drive last week for the first time this season.
Washington surprisingly leads the all-time series 8-1 and has won four straight contests vs. the Jets.
The Jets are 4-2 on the road in December under coach Rex Ryan.
Washington is 2-3-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing NY Jets
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Washington's last 18 games
NY Jets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on the road
NY Jets are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of the NY Jets last 17 games
Jets fans have seen this game a thousand times at the outset of playoff runs over the years. A perceived weaker opponent. A host of perceived matchup advantages. An overwhelming edge in standings motivation. Yet those fans have walked away disgusted in several of those cases.
The 2011 team is especially difficult to gauge because of its topsy-turvy results, but after his track record in two full seasons, Ryan has to be counted on to produce something functional -- if not artistic -- at least until his team is mathematically eliminated.Bet on NFL Football games with Bodog Sportsbook, click here!
NFL Football Pick: Take Jets.
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Tags
afc east - buffalo bills - darrelle revis - fedex field - jim leonhard - kansas city chiefs - ladainian tomlinson - mark sanchez - mike devito - mike shanahan
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