Thursday Night Showdown

So as we wait for Friday's free agent market to open up, lets take a look at Thursday's big game. First place in the AFC East will be up for grabs as the New York Jets travel to Foxborough to face their rivals the New England Patriots. (The word rivalry gives the Jets too much credit as they seem to never beat the Pats.)

This is the biggest regular season game the Jets have played in recent memory. This is definetly the biggest game since the 1998 AFC Championship game and it might be bigger. It could be the biggest game since Super Bowl 3. This game is for the Jets franchise. This is their chance to take over the AFC East. They need to prove to themselves they can beat the Pats. Their fans need it and most importantly the organization needs it.

Yes, the Patriots do not have Tom Brady, Adellius Thomas or their top 3 running backs, or most of their secondary; so everything seems stacked in the Jets favor. Everything but history. The Jets always seem to lose these types of games. And most Jet fans have a lot of hope for the game but they ultimatly know the worst will happen. Maybe Brett Favre is the right guy for this spot, he has won a lot of games and thrown a lot of big tds but he also has a lot of losses and a lot of bad interceptions. Favre is able to put everything behind him and move onto the next play. That is what the team needs this week they cant worry about Jets history or anything else other then the 11 patriots who will be lined up against them.

For the Jets to be succesful, Eric Mangini needs to establish Thomas Jones and Leon Washington and the run game. The weather is calling for rain and a sloppy field, perfect weather for the Jets new offensive line and for the gunslinger Favre to steal a win. As long as Favre isnt throwing 45 times a game. And Mangini needs to pressure Matt Cassell and get his jersey dirty. They can't give him time in pocket. The defense needs to GO GET THE QB.

If the Jets win they have a great shot at the AFC East title, if they lose they face a 6-5 record with the Titans coming up the week after. This game will also tell how the Jets franchise views itself for years to come.

The Bretts Have a Chance

Eight minutes into this NFL season everything changed. When Pollard's body hit into Tom Brady's left knee and tore his ACL and MCL the whole NFL was turned upside down. The NFL lost one of its biggest stars and one of its ratings makers.

This has opened up the AFC East for a free for all. Going into the 2008 season- there was no chance that any of the other three teams could win the division but now they all have hope. The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets have a great shot at stealing the division and since this is the NFL anything can happen and the Dolphins have some hope now too.

The Bills looked the best in week one, completly dominating the hapless Seahawks. But the Jets have Bret Favre and this gives them the best qb in the division and the best leader to try to get to the playoffs. He helps improve the running game as Thomas Jones already equaled last season's touchdown output in the first game.

This is not to say the Jets will definetly capture the East. It just says they have a thousand times better chance to do so now that Brady is out for the year. Would the feeling be so good if Chad Penningtons pass was a touchdown and not an interception with five seconds to go?Probably not but that didn't happen and a win is a win. The Jets have a chance to be 2-0, a very good chance.

I am also not saying the Patriots will be pushovers. They are still the team I would expect to see win the division. Matt Cassell may have not started a game since high school but the Pats still have a great defense and plenty of offensive weapons. They should still win 9 or 10 games this year with the defense and talent they have.

This Sunday's game will tell a lot. If the Jets don't win at home versus a Tom Bradyless Pat's team it will show their fans and them that they are still not on the same level. Even with all the changes and bringing in Brett Favre. We will learn a lot about the Jets, a win can energize the team and fanbase even more and show them that this injury has brought the Pats to their level. Look for the Jets to pull out a close one as Matt Cassell can't pull off the heroics that Tom Brady could.