The New York Jets bruised and bullied the New England Patriots to earn a 16-9 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands to maintain their standing atop of the AFC East.
The Jets (2-0), who have not surrendered a defensive touchdown to date, are slated to host the Tennessee Titans (0-2) Sunday afternoon.
“This is where we expected to be,” solid wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said after Sunday’s game. “The entire offseason we were working hard to be 2-0 at this point.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (23-47, 216 yards) struggled all afternoon against the Jets savage and ferocious pass rush.
“Our defense is just filled with studs,” Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez remarked. “I felt for Tom.”
Brady failed to complete at least half of his pass attempts for only the second time since 2006.
Additionally, the hobbled star threw a critical interception that diminished New England’s chance for a comeback victory.
“It’s definitely exciting when you know that you can rattle arguably the No. 1 quarterback,” nickel back Donald Strickland said. “He didn’t make the clutch throws that he usually makes.”
In stark contrast to Brady, Sanchez (14-22, 163 yards) was again steady and he made plays when the Jets needed those most.
“This guy’s not a rookie,” said Leon Washington, who led New York with 58 rushing yards.
Current Jets tackle and former Patriot Damien Woody agreed with Washington’s assessment of Sanchez, 22.
Woody believes that the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft is “more advanced” than Brady was at the same age.
“When you have a really good quarterback on the team, it gives your football team so much confidence because you know you’ve got a guy at the helm that can make things happen and always gives you a chance to win,” Woody gushed about Sanchez.
“That’s how I felt when I was in New England. We had Brady and we always had a chance to win. Sanchez is only going to get better.”
Jets fans have often thought their team “had a chance to win.”
Unfortunately, a championship celebration has evaded supporters of Gang Green ever since Joe Namath led New York to their last championship in 1969.
Just last season, the Jets were 8-3 before they crashed and burned in the Jersey swamps.
“The past is the past,” said linebacker Bart Scott, who followed Head Coach Rex Ryan to Gotham from the Baltimore Ravens. “It’s a new day. It’s a new team. It’s not the same old Jets people are used to.”
“I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings,” Ryan said about New England’s three-time Super Bowl champion coach in an offseason radio interview.
Jets fans deserve to feel optimistic about Ryan and the attitude that he has brought to town with him.
Sooner than later, Ryan’s peers will be kissing the championship rings that he’ll be wearing on his own hand.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. dominated a physically overmatched Juan Manuel Marquez to earn a decisive unanimous decision victory Saturday night at the MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), who was fined $600,000 for failing to meet the sanctioned weight for Saturday’s bout by four pounds, returned from a 21-month layoff and looked as sharp as he ever did in the ring.
“I’ve been off for two years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again,” said Mayweather, 32, who landed an astounding 290 of his 493 punches (59 percent) during the contest. “I know I’ll get better.”
Considering the supreme pugilistic mastery that Mayweather displayed this past weekend, it is hard to believe that he can possibly continue to “get better.”
Despite the fact that Marquez (50-5-1, 37 knockouts) was clearly at a decided size advantage, it was obvious from the outset that he was not even in Mayweather’s league as a fighter.
“Marquez is tough as nails,” Mayweather said. “He’s a great little man. He was really hard to fight, and he kept taking some unbelievable shots.”
Marquez, 36, who moved up two whole weight classes to scrap the man Ring Magazine named their Fighter of the Year in both 1998 and 2007, should not be ashamed by his performance.
“He surprised me with the first knockdown,” said Marquez, who was knocked to the canvas in the second round. “He hurt me in that round. I don’t want to make any excuses, but the weight was the problem. He’s too fast.”
“Pretty Boy” expressed confidence that his skills will be further honed with time and he will be readily prepared to dismantle the next opponent that he ultimately boxes.
At this juncture, it appears likely that Mayweather will encounter the victor of the Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto matchup that is slated to occur on November 14th.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts), the current IBO and Ring Magazine Light Welterweight champion, possesses a brilliant combination of speed and strength and he will likely pose problems for Mayweather.
On the flipside, Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) is a relentless and extremely tough warrior and it is safe to predict that the Puerto Rican icon would prove able to absorb any blow Mayweather caught him with.
No matter who eventually prevails in their fight nearly two months from now, both Pacquiao, 30, and Cotto, 28, are blessed with the necessary tools to compete with the “Money Man.”
In any case, Mayweather will be forced to pick on a man his own size the next time he enters a legitimate prizefight.
Keywords: Baltimore Ravens, Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, New England atriots, New York Jets
