Starting Week 2, LBS will be bringing you a breakdown of what we believe will be the best game of the week each week during the NFL season with our Prime Time Preview. This week, we’ve chosen the New England Patriots vs. the New York Jets in a match-up that will be played at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
The Patriots and Jets were already one of the better rivals in football with the way players used to change teams and seek revenge year after year. Since Rex Ryan has taken over and the Jets have become contenders, the heat has been turned up. New York wants to be hated. Tom Brady openly admitted he hates the Jets and Rex Ryan said the feeling is mutual. If there’s ever a game where two teams are going to bring everything they’ve got, this is it. Expect a hard-hitting, electric game from start to finish.
1. Darrelle Revis vs. Randy Moss
This one’s a no-brainer. I’ve already said I feel this match-up will be worth the price of admission. Revis has gone on the record calling Moss a “slouch” and Moss responded by simply telling him “the slouch is coming.” The Jets’ corner refused to let Moss off Revis Island last year, holding him to 58 yards and one touchdown total in both their meetings. It’s no secret Moss has an ego, so I expect the Patriots to try and stroke it this Sunday by getting him the ball.
2. Wes Welker vs. Kyle Wilson
The early indication is that New York’s rookie corner, Kyle Wilson, will be matched up against Wes Welker in the slot. Welker may not be at 100% yet, but Wilson looked terrible at times against the Ravens on Monday. In the second meeting between the Pats and Jets last season, Welker — who missed the first game with an injury — only caught 15 passes for 192 yards. No big deal. The Jets couldn’t find an answer for Wes last season and if they fail to do so again on Sunday it could be a long afternoon.
3. Patriots Front Seven vs. Jets Runners
New England’s ability to keep Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson at bay will set the tone for the entire game. At this point in his career, Mark Sanchez seems most comfortable throwing the ball when he doesn’t have to. By that I mean working with a lead and not having to play catch-up. If the Jets can run the ball and keep Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense off the field, Sanchez can have success with play-action. If the Pats stop the run and the Jets become one-dimensional, New York is running the risk of letting the wheels come off on its second-year quarterback.
Fred Taylor ran the ball well for New England against the Bengals and was a big part of their offense’s success. He was limited Wednesday with a sore toe but practiced in full Thursday and should be good to go on Sunday afternoon. Receiver Julian Edelman has been limited all week with a foot injury. His presence will be important as he adds another slot receiver into the fold of the Pat’s spread offense. That would make it significantly more challenging for the Jets to shut down Welker.
Nose tackle Kris Jenkins really isn’t a “concern” because he’s done for the season. However, the Jets will need to figure out how to stop the run without him. They were pretty successful in doing it last season. Darrelle Revis is supposedly nursing a tight hamstring. Like I said before, I’m not buying it. No need for Jets fans to worry on that front.
There really aren’t a lot of safe fantasy plays in this game for either team. Considering the success Welker had against the Jets last season, I’d say he’s a must-play. If I had Randy Moss I certainly wouldn’t bench him, but any production I got out of him would be a bonus considering his history with Revis covering him. Tom Brady is obviously a must-start every week. I’d stay away from the Patriots running backs. They rarely get big production from a single runner anyway, let alone against the stingy Jets defense.
I’d probably keep Mark Sanchez on the bench until he can prove something. Last week was absolutely horrendous from a fantasy standpoint against Baltimore. Shonn Greene remains a mystery and has plenty of fantasy owners freaking out as he went extremely high on most draft boards. He basically wasn’t given a chance on Monday as he was benched after fumbling. Expect the Jets to try to get him established early to gain back some confidence. If I had to pick a Jets receiver to play, it’d be Jerricho Cotchery. I don’t really like any of their receivers this week but for some reason Cotchery seems to always break a big one off when these two teams get together.
The Patriots looked like a team poised for a big year against the Bengals last Sunday. Their offense rolled on Cincinnati and their young corners held their own against T.O. and Ochocinco. You can’t have more of a must-win in Week 2 than this game is for New York. If they lose, they fall to 0-2 and already two games behind in the AFC East. They’d also have lost both games at home. Despite the urgency, I still think New England is the better team. I’m predicting Rex Ryan will have a rough week with the media starting on Monday.
