Paul M. Banks vs. Rikki Greenberg
Last year’s early season Jets-Patriots game featured a lot of post game talk about video taping. So we figured we would utilize a different communication technology: text messaging, to evaluate this year’s first of the two big games.
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We begin with the Pre-text email Smackdown
So heading into this big game on Sunday, there are a few things on my mind. First, it’s football so I know that it will actually be played, no matter how hard it rains. -You never truly appreciate baseball season until a Biblical deluge comes along and rains out an entire weekend of MLB- A lot of people are writing off the Patriots because of Brady’s season ending injury. Although it is tragic and a huge obstacle, remember what happened in 2001? The Pats franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with a serious injury and resident genius Bill Belichick was forced to go with an unknown 6th round draft choice named Tom Brady. We all know how that turned out! In both the short and the long term. Could it happen again?
I was not impressed by either one of our teams’ performances in week one. Both had a one possession win over a team projected to be an NFL bottom-feeder. New York and New England are going to have to step it up if they want to win the AFC East. I know most pundits are predicting a victory for NYJ, but remember these two facts:
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-Jets have not beaten the Pats at home since 2000.
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-Patriots are one of just two teams that have shut out Favre during his career.
–Paul M. Banks
Hey, I am all for the underdog in these situations so I’m not counting out Matt Cassel at all. The guy has been sitting on the bench for eight years and hasn’t started a game since his senior year in high school. Previously, the only thing he had to look forward to is finding a new place to sit on the bench after the previous spot got too warm. Now he’s making his first NFL start against the rival Jets and head coach Mangini…you can’t write a better story than that. (Hide the tapes Belichick…you don’t want to get caught again!) However, we can’t discount Favre’s revived Jets team. The stats you told me can only get Favre fired up even more because losing again to a team with a winning streak against him since 2002 is simply not an option.
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Can Cassel connect with Moss 30, 40 yards down the field? I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out. As far as the Jets go, I’m looking forward to Favre and Cotchery hooking up in the deep passing game and Favre to Washington in the short passing game. Old man river keeps me guessing every time, but I have to say that his connecting with Cotchery deep with three or four defenders around him will be a beautiful sight. I got my fist pumping in the air already!
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I feel extremely weird saying this because I am a Bears fan but I’m actually looking forward to watching Favre play; not see him get tackled to the ground by a Bears defensive player.Â
-Rikki Greenberg
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Text-off (All times CT)
PMB: Nice red Zone D! Gr8 miss by ur PK! 3:31
RG: If I see cassel’s high school footage one more time I’m gonna scream 3:33
PMB: LOL! Sweet the Jets have cheerleaders this yr. Welker! U can’t spell awesome without W-E-S WES WES WES! 3:38
RG: Did you come up with that all by yourself? 3:51
PMB: Not the first part :)  3:53
RG: Ah yes my fav commercial (the Brett Favre in his Wranglers) just happened 3:56
PMB: I bet that fires u up like me seeing the Jets cheerleaders in their 60s era stewardess outfits. 3:58
RG: Wtf is up with the jets! did everybody forget how to catch? 3:59
PMB: We’re even catching the stuff u deflect! Ha. 3:59
RG: Coles is back 4:00
PMB: I’m not sure what is worse, the Jets offense or that Viva Viagra ad. 4:08
RG: I’m going with the jets O on that one 4:10
RG:: Oh snap! Washington 4 prez 4:12
PMB: Shorty! 6-3 lead 4:15
RG: U dissin my height now?! My team is sucking royally and now ur hating on my height! 4:17
PMB: Of course not, I mean that in the hip-hop sense not the literal. My Sica friends & I adopted that from some thugz sittin next 2 us @ a Bulls game a few years ago. 4:19
PMB: It’s a favorable compliment. No offense intended 4:22
RG: I have no idea what any of that mean 4:26
RG: Don’t say a word 4:27
PMB: Abt wht? How awful Favre looks 2day? 4:28
RG: No, the Irish jig Washington did that just lost us the ball and the yard 4:29
RG: I am so winning the text war btw 4:32
PMB: We’ll let the readers and commenters decide that! 4:34
PMB: This is a fun game 2 watch! If you like punting! Finally we break through with the 1st TD 5:17
RG: It took you guys long enough damn 5:19
PMB: INT by Hollaman from the 7th flr crew 5:26
PMB: Feeling the pressure? 2 poss game, u better get ur offense moving 5:32
RG: That should’ve been a flag, that’s b.s. 5:48
PMB: Nope, just great pass defense, like watching me play DB in hi school ball! 5:50
PMB: Na na na hey hey goodbye 5:53
PMB: Y so quiet? Hey favre! Thanks 4 coming! 5:55
RG: Hush ur Mouth 5:56
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Post text Email Smackdown
Where did the Jets go?
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I don’t know but they certainly weren’t at the Meadowlands Sunday afternoon as they embarrassingly lost to the Patriots 19-10. It was the perfect atmosphere for a competitive smack down between the AFC East rivals, but the Patriots ended up doing most of the smacking.
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Favre looked very unsure of himself as he was scrambling all over the field. In some instances, he had all the time in the world to make passes, but later the second waves of pressure by the aggressive Patriots defense caused him to make a couple irrational decisions. The play that absolutely killed me was when Adalius Thomas grabbed Favre by the jersey and spun him around to the ground for a 20-yard loss.
Additionally, we saw dropped passes by Jets wide receiver Laveraneus Coles, the missed kick from Jets kicker Jay Feely and lots of poor starting field position for the Bad News Jets.
Overall, I was very disappointed by the Jet’s performance. It was like the team forgot they were playing at home versus their juiciest rival and one of the most hated coaches in the NFL.
 –Rikki Greenberg
This was a statement game for my boys! People have criticized the defense for being older and declining, but the young blood rose up today. Their rookie draft pick Jerrod Mayo led the team in tackles and a huge interception was made by last year’s number one, Brandon “Hollaman†Meriweather from Miami’s infamous 7th Floor Crew.
On the other side, Cassel did under-throw Moss on that deep ball, but Randy came back enough that the ball hit him right in the numbers, so #81 should have caught that. They badly need to work on their chemistry if the Patriots are going to have a successful season and postseason.
I’ll see you in November for the rematch at Foxborough! My buddy Corcs and I (Yes, just like ESPN’s Bill Simmons, I must refer to all my friends by some frat boy pledge class sounding nickname) We’ll pick up the text war again then.
–Paul M. Banks
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