Jump to content

Boomer expects the Jets to win this week


faba

Recommended Posts

Keep season-opening losses in perspective

By Boomer Esiason

Special to NFL.com

(Sept. 14, 2005) -- A couple of thoughts from Week 1:

First, it's not time to panic if your team got beat on opening weekend -- especially if you are the Jets, Broncos or Vikings. There are high hopes for each of these three teams and I'm sure both players and coaches are feeling the sting of opening day losses. Whether it was because of turnovers or poor run defenses, all three teams were delivered a violent wake-up call.

I would expect each of these teams to come out flying this weekend, especially the Broncos and the Jets as they play in front of their home fans. For the Vikings, it's probably better for them they are on the road in Cincinnati. Remember, it was the Patriots only a few years ago that could do no right on Kickoff Weekend in Buffalo and then miraculously turned it around to win their second of three Super Bowl titles. The key is not to overreact, but rather teach and learn from what went wrong.

Because there are only 16 games and every game carries so much weight, players and coaches are always fighting the negative from outside sources. The coaches must always remain a strong, positive influence when dealing with those distractions because they lead to counterproductive insecurities. Each NFL coach is trying so hard to motivate and galvanize his team to play as one cohesive unit. It is vital that the coach does everything in his power to alleviate the pressure and tell his players to move on.

Super Saints

John Carney and holder Todd Bouman put the final touches on an inspirational team effort.

Speaking of a team that has come together, the New Orleans Saints showed the value of what it means to play with an unselfish desire. Every player on that roster knows what his performance means to the fans. Head coach Jim Haslett has used this as a rallying cry and his motivation. Haslett finds himself in a position that is unique in professional sports, as the pain and anguish of Hurricane Katrina have put into perspective what it means to be a highly paid professional athlete.

Players such as Joe Horn have played a vital role in rekindling the spirit of a city that has been demolished. By their actions, both on and off the field, the Saints' players know they are representing the greater good of their community. It has been evidenced by their performance and their words. This, coupled with their talent and the fact that they feel that they are playing for a larger purpose, means they'll be tough to beat this season. Go Saints!

If it were me, I'd be concerned about ...

1. The loss of Kris Jenkins to the Panthers' defense. It's very difficult to replace one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. One of the important reasons this team made it to the Super Bowl two seasons ago was the emergence of Jenkins at DT.

2. The injury to wide receiver Javon Walker . One of rising young stars in the league at wide receiver is lost for the season. It's very difficult for older quarterbacks like Brett Favre to overcome the loss of this type of ability.

3. The New York Jets' run defense. With players fighting on the sideline during their opening game in Kansas City, Jets defenders hit each other harder than they hit the Chiefs. There's nothing like a little adversity to get your blood pumping.

Sleepless Nights

1. Daunte Culpepper, Vikings: He will rebound from the debacle against the Buccaneers, but he probably didn't get much sleep this week.

2. Chad Pennington, Jets: Instead of counting sheep, he was probably counting footballs flying over his head.

3. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks: Will get to see a second tough defense this season when the Falcons travel to Seattle. Get ready for the blitz.

4. and 5. Patrick Ramsey, Redskins, and Kyle Boller, Ravens: They need to switch teams. Ugh!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...