NFL Czar: Old meets young at Meadowlands
As we cross the quarter-pole of
the NFL season, there have been
many surprises. Whether it is the
hot start of teams like Kansas
City and Chicago, or inconsistent
play from teams like Minnesota
and Dallas, it has been a very
entertaining season thus far.
For my game of the week, I am going to take a look at the ageless wonder Brett Favre, as he takes his current team (Minnesota Vikings) to New York to take on the team he played for in 2008, the New York Jets. Despite some shoddy play in the passing game, the Vikes will come out of their bye week with a 1-2 record. Running back Adrian Peterson has started to pick up steam and that will certainly help the Vikes down the stretch.
The Jets come in after three inter-division games in a row, and will certainly be ready for this matchup. They will look to show Favre that they made the right choice in drafting quarterback Mark Sanchez and letting Favre go. If they aren't burnt out from the back-to-back road games, they should keep this one fairly close.
Key Matchups
1. Brett Favre vs. Mark Sanchez: When the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, Favre was still on the roster, but semi-retired. They took a shot with the young guy, and it has started to pay dividends this season. Sanchez has looked like a completely different quarterback from a season ago. On the other hand, so has Favre. So far this year, he hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in 2009. His six interceptions almost equal his total from all of last year (seven), and he has clearly missed number one wide receiver Sidney Rice.
2. Jared Allen vs. D'Brickashaw Ferguson: As I have noted many times before, Allen continues to be a beast rushing the passer. If the Jets want to keep their young QB upright, they will need a great game from former first round pick Ferguson. He has improved each year since coming into the league, and has done a good job protecting Sanchez's blind side.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Shonne Greene: This battle is certainly heating up as well. L.T. looks like his old self, and it is taking away from Greene's workload. If this continues, expect to see Greene get fairly frustrated with his playing time. Apparently he is learning a lot from the future hall-of-famer, but after a while he will certainly want to regain the bulk of the touches.
The Rundown
This is a tough one to call, seeing as we don't really know what to expect out of the Vikings. Without Rice, they have been a disaster in the passing game. They missed out on trading for Chargers holdout Vincent Jackson, so they will have to deal with what they have.
If the Jets can hold Adrian Peterson under 100 yards, their day will certainly be easier. They have stifled the run for the most part this season. I usually would take the Vikings in this position, but with the game being in New York, and with Favre's problems this year, I expect the Jets to win. Put them down for a 24-17 victory.
For next week, we have a solid lineup of games, and I will take a closer look at the three worth watching.
For more from the NFL Czar, check out his blog at jvzsblog.blogspot.com
For my game of the week, I am going to take a look at the ageless wonder Brett Favre, as he takes his current team (Minnesota Vikings) to New York to take on the team he played for in 2008, the New York Jets. Despite some shoddy play in the passing game, the Vikes will come out of their bye week with a 1-2 record. Running back Adrian Peterson has started to pick up steam and that will certainly help the Vikes down the stretch.
The Jets come in after three inter-division games in a row, and will certainly be ready for this matchup. They will look to show Favre that they made the right choice in drafting quarterback Mark Sanchez and letting Favre go. If they aren't burnt out from the back-to-back road games, they should keep this one fairly close.
Key Matchups
1. Brett Favre vs. Mark Sanchez: When the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, Favre was still on the roster, but semi-retired. They took a shot with the young guy, and it has started to pay dividends this season. Sanchez has looked like a completely different quarterback from a season ago. On the other hand, so has Favre. So far this year, he hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in 2009. His six interceptions almost equal his total from all of last year (seven), and he has clearly missed number one wide receiver Sidney Rice.
2. Jared Allen vs. D'Brickashaw Ferguson: As I have noted many times before, Allen continues to be a beast rushing the passer. If the Jets want to keep their young QB upright, they will need a great game from former first round pick Ferguson. He has improved each year since coming into the league, and has done a good job protecting Sanchez's blind side.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Shonne Greene: This battle is certainly heating up as well. L.T. looks like his old self, and it is taking away from Greene's workload. If this continues, expect to see Greene get fairly frustrated with his playing time. Apparently he is learning a lot from the future hall-of-famer, but after a while he will certainly want to regain the bulk of the touches.
The Rundown
This is a tough one to call, seeing as we don't really know what to expect out of the Vikings. Without Rice, they have been a disaster in the passing game. They missed out on trading for Chargers holdout Vincent Jackson, so they will have to deal with what they have.
If the Jets can hold Adrian Peterson under 100 yards, their day will certainly be easier. They have stifled the run for the most part this season. I usually would take the Vikings in this position, but with the game being in New York, and with Favre's problems this year, I expect the Jets to win. Put them down for a 24-17 victory.
For next week, we have a solid lineup of games, and I will take a closer look at the three worth watching.
For more from the NFL Czar, check out his blog at jvzsblog.blogspot.com
